While the legality around playing ROM's is murky at best, that hasn't stopped GBA4iOS from becoming an insanely popular option for gamers looking to bring a little Game Boy Advance nostalgia to the pockets of 2014.Besides, until Konami decides to release a proper Castlevania game to the App Store, this is as close as you're going to get.The only downside to the app is that, well… it's an app. iOS devices are touch-screens by nature, and even though the touch controls work incredibly well here, there's just something missing. Old school gamers sometimes crave a more tactile approach."The G-PAD is the answer to their prayers.
If you've been floating around the interwebs in the last week or so, there's a good chance the name GBA4iOS has crossed your vision more than once. A Gameboy Advance emulator for the iPhone and iPad, GBA4iOS works flawlessly. Better yet, it's an easy install that doesn't require jailbreaking, and it has a direct pipeline to a ROM store built right into it. For fans of emulation, it's a pocket dream come true.Emulation, of course, is a touchy subject. The legality around it scream "grey market" at best. But regardless of your feelings on the subject, you have to admit that GBA4iOS is a technical marvel - especially when compared to all of the mediocre GBA emulators that have tried to sneak onto your iOS devices in recent years. And it's install method - requiring nothing more than visiting a website and changing the date on your phone - is a wonder in and of itself.With all of that magic under the hood, there must be some crazy team of coders and hackers working around the clock to get this thing together, right? Actually - it's just one high school student with a passion for apps and retro gaming.