Classic Game Boy Titles, Coming to a Smartphone Near You?

Are your Pokemon Game Boy cartridges long since lost? You may be in luck. On Thursday, Nintendo published a patent via the USPTO that would allow it to 'emulate' mobile game consoles, which could make classic Game Boy games available on smartphones and as part of in-flight entertainment on airplanes.

NeoGAF member Rosti first posted the patent, in which Nintendo explains how it would use emulation to revamp its own licensed software, according to AU News. Emulation is when a hardware platform is mimed onto a software application on another kind of hardware. This technique allows versions of games to run on different platforms without requiring the old console, or those pesky unreliable cartridges. Nintendo has submitted patents before, but the most recent would allow emulators to work on more devices, presumably smartphones and tablets.

Tech Crunch notes that Nintendo already emulates a handful of its past titles on more contemporary gaming systems, like Wii and Wii U. But the company hasn't been able to emulate these games on iOS yet, although Game Boy emulators are available on Google Play and Windows Player. Typically, emulators are shuttered by Apple review teams when they notice them online. The new patent will hopefully mean that you can challenge Team Rocket to a battle from the comfort of your iPhone.

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