The US Patent Office's website revealed that the company has patented an elaborate software emulator for its Game Boy consoles, which could see GB titles run on seat-back displays in airjets and passenger trains, as well as desktop and mobile devices.
It's unlikely Nintendo will simply release an emulator app and call it a day. Most likely, it's working on a platform on which to build its games as mobile-native apps. Such a platform could provide the foundation for fully porting the latest instalments in Nintendo's franchises. So far, Nintendo has only been releasing spin-off and companion apps for its Wii and Wii U titles, but the company has to reconsider its mobile strategy or risk more financial problems and headaches.
An official Nintendo emulator for Game Boy titles may be on its way to our smartphones, or at least that's what a recent patent application of the Japanese company suggests. SNES, NES and Game Boy classics have already found a new home on the Wii, Wii U and 3DS, so emulation isn't a new thing for Nintendo.
However, this piece of intellectual property would increase the number of devices capable of running Game Boy apps, and smartphones will surely be among them. A lot of people have been pushing the Japanese behemoth to create emulators for smartphones, especially since its hardware sales are not going that well, with Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One taking the first spots.
An official emulator would probably change how things work, but even this patent application doesn't guarantee that. Nintendo has been securing patents for similar purposes in the past, so this might be nothing more than a strategy to make sure that no one else is thinking of emulating classic games on smartphones. It remains to be seen whether Game Boy titles will make an appearance on our mobile devices any time soon.
How would you fancy to play Super Mario Land, Tetris or Tennis on a smartphones?
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