Barts News

Yes, we all know that iPhone is cool and all, but the very first question every true gamer should ask is "Are there any games on it?". (I admit that my first thought I've had when I first heard about running unofficial code on it was "I wonder if I there will be ZX Spectrum emulator for iPhone?", but we all know I'm a freak.)

I didn't check gaming prospects right after buying the damn gadget, because I was too busy with jailbreaking and hacking SIM (umm, yes, there were problems). Also, my non-digital life was pretty busy, so the guilty pleasure of gaming unfortunately had to wait.

Finally, I have now investigated the subject and I am pleased to announce that the situation is better then I expected, even though there is no ZX Spectrum... ahem. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, the situation is as follows :

The last one is my grand favourite so far. There are still glitches, speed needs improvement, some games are not emulated - but heck, being able to play Final Fantasy Tactics on my damn cellphone makes up for all of it.

Arcade games won't ever be the same experience, because touchscreen makes it impossible to have the same reactivity level as on the regular pad and buttons combo. This is what makes NES emulator so crappy (though I appreciate the effort). Gameboy Advance, however, has a large library of premium RPG and strategy games that don't require that fast reaction time and allow for accidental pressing of wrong direction button. Advance Wars, Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy IV, V, VI... It's a pity that Golden Sun doesn't work yet, but hey, it's just the beginning.


Although there is still room for improvement, I am fairly certain that the successive updates will bring this emulator into near-perfection. After all, when GBA emulation begun on PSP, it was much worse in the beginning, but then became full-fledged emulator. And iPhone has more processing power onboard, even if it doesn't have dedicated graphics unit, so the chances are we will be seeing solid improvements relatively soon.

Now, about that ZX Spectrum emulator port?...