PocketNES
Encyclopedia
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
emulator which runs on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, written by Neal Tew (Loopy) and Fredrik Olsson (Flubba). It can run on a GBA through use of flash cartridges, or with the GBA Movie Player
GBA Movie Player
The GBA Movie Player, abbreviated GBAMP, is a device that reads CompactFlash or Secure Digital cards to upload data onto the Game Boy Advance. It is compatible with the Game Boy Micro, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS as well...
. The emulator has been released into the public domain, yet it remains under active development.
More than a year after the first release of PocketNES, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
re-released several of their NES games on the GBA through the e-Reader
E-Reader
The is a device made by Nintendo for its Game Boy Advance portable video game system. It was first released in Japan in December 2001, with a North American release following in September 2002...
accessory, Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
game link feature, or Classic NES Series
Classic NES Series
The Classic NES Series in North America are a series of Game Boy Advance games that were originally released on the Nintendo Entertainment System emulated on the Game Boy Advance...
collection. Since PocketNES predates all of Nintendo's efforts, it is believed that PocketNES was the inspiration for Nintendo to create their own similar emulator.
NES gameplay issues
The GBA screen has a lower vertical and horizontal resolution than the NES's display. PocketNES compensates by either scaling the image down vertically, or by scrolling the image up or down. Such scrolling can either happen automatically, following the position of a spriteSprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
or value of a memory address, or manually using the GBA's L and R buttons. Sound is reproduced via the "classic" Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
PSG
Programmable sound generator
A Programmable Sound Generator is a sound chip that generates sound waves by synthesizing multiple basic waveforms, and often some kind of noise generator, and combining and mixing these waveforms into a complex waveform, then shaping the amplitude of the resulting waveform using...
channels, rather than a software emulation of the NES's sound hardware; this is done to reduce CPU usage. As a result, it does not sound exactly like the original NES, although it is a close approximation.
Commercial use
PocketNES's source code is in the public domainPublic domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, which means that it can be used for any purpose, without any royalty or permission necessary (as it purposely has no copyright protection
Copyright protection
The term copyright protection may refer to two things:* The monopoly granted to authors by copyright, as in "The 1996 act provided additional copyright protection," or "Permission is not granted to use these images, which are protected by copyright."...
). As a result, it has been used by game publishers and pirates alike. None of the companies have credited the original authors of the program, with exception of Wayforward Technologies
WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies is a game development company based in Valencia, California. Founded in 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational...
in Contra 4
Contra 4
Contra 4 is a 2D action game for the Nintendo DS and the eleventh original installment in the Contra series. The game was released in North America on November 13, 2007...
published by Konami.
Jaleco
JalecoJaleco
is a Japanese video game publisher and developer established in 2006.The original Jaleco Ltd was founded in 1974. In 2006, it decided to become a pure holding company by renaming itself Jaleco Holding and splitting its video game operations into a newly created subsdiary that took its former name...
used PocketNES in Jajamaru Jr. Denshouki - Jaleco Memorial to emulate five of their Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
games:
- ExerionExerionExerion is a vertical shoot 'em up released by Jaleco in 1983 and licensed to Taito for distribution on the United States.Exerion is a shoot 'em up game featuring parallax effects and inertia simulation, something notable for 1983. The player travels around strange scenarios shooting aliens...
- Formation ZFormation Zis a side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game initially released in arcades in by Jaleco. The arcade release was distributed by Williams and known as Aeroboto outside of Japan. It was later ported to the MSX and to the Famicom, the latter being included as part of Jaleco Collection Vol. 1 for the...
- City ConnectionCity Connectionis a video game developed and published in 1985 by Jaleco for the arcade in Japan and published by Kitcorp as Cruisin' outside of Japan....
- Ninja JaJaMaru-kunNinja JaJaMaru-kunis an action game released in Japan on November 15, 1985 by Jaleco for the Famicom and in 1986 for the MSX.It was released for Nintendo's Japanese Virtual Console on December 26, 2006 and in PAL regions on September 21, 2007 as part of Ninja Week for the Hanabi Festival promotion...
- Jajamaru no Dai Bouken
Atlus
AtlusAtlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
(or more specifically, Million) used PocketNES in the Kunio kun Nekketsu Collection series to re-release Technos's Famicom titles on the GBA. They released three different volumes, each containing two games.
- Volume 1 contains Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu (Super Dodge BallSuper Dodge BallSuper Dodge Ball, released in Japan as is a dodgeball-based sports game produced by Technos Japan Corp. originally released as an arcade game in...
overseas) and Nekketsu! Street Basket - Ganbare Dunk Heroes. - Volume 2 contains Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundōkai and Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu - Soccer Hen (Nintendo World CupNintendo World CupNintendo World Cup is a soccer video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy, developed by Technōs Japan and released in 1990. The NES version is a localization of , the fourth Kunio-kun game released for the Family Computer. Ports for the PC-Engine and Sega Mega Drive were also...
overseas). - Volume 3 contains Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo Zen'in Shūgō! and Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey Bu: Subette Koronde Dairantō (the unreleased Crash 'n the Boys: Ice Challenge in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
).
Hudson
Hudson SoftHudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
used PocketNES for their Hudson Best Collection series. There are six volumes available, each containing 2-4 games.
- Volume 1 contains BombermanBombermanBomberman is a strategic, maze-based computer and video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 and new games in the series are still being published to this day. Today, the commercially successful Bomberman is featured in over 70 different games...
and Bomberman IIBomberman IIBomberman II is a video game developed and published by Hudson Soft and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. The game was titled Dynablaster in Europe.-Story:...
. - Volume 2 contains Lode RunnerLode RunnerLode Runner is a 1983 platform game, first published by Brøderbund. It is one of the first games to include a level editor, a feature that allows players to create their own levels for the game. This feature bolstered the game's popularity, as magazines such as Computer Gaming World held contests...
and Championship Lode Runner. - Volume 3 contains Challenger and Milon's Secret CastleMilon's Secret CastleMilon's Secret Castle, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game released by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Famicom on November 13, 1986, the Nintendo Entertainment System in September 1988.-Plot:...
. - Volume 4 contains Nuts and Milk, Binary Land, and Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom.
- Volume 5 contains Star ForceStar Forceis a vertical shoot 'em up arcade video game made in 1984 by Tehkan . In Japan, it is considered to be a monumental work among shooting games...
, Star Soldier, and Hector'87. - Volume 6 contains the four Adventure IslandAdventure Island (video game)Hudson's Adventure Island, also known simply as Adventure Island and released in Japan as , is a side-scrolling platform game produced by Hudson Soft that was first released in Japan for the Family Computer and MSX on September 12, 1986...
games.
Konami
The credits in Contra 4Contra 4
Contra 4 is a 2D action game for the Nintendo DS and the eleventh original installment in the Contra series. The game was released in North America on November 13, 2007...
, by developer WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies is a game development company based in Valencia, California. Founded in 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational...
, thank the authors for the "original PocketNES software core". It was most likely used to emulate the NES versions of Contra
Contra
Contra is a Latin preposition meaning "against". It is very frequently abbreviated to con, which is a separate preposition. It may refer to:*Contras, Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries opposed to the Sandinistas...
and Super C
Super Contra
is a Run and Gun-style action game produced by Konami, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is the sequel to the original Contra and the second game in the Contra series released for the arcades. Like in the original game, the game centers on soldiers Bill Rizer and Lance...
included within the game as bonus content.
Bootleg use
PocketNES has also appeared on many bootlegBootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
GBA cartridges. Usually the pirate cartridges combine one or two Game Boy Advance titles with many pirated NES games to create multicart
Multicart
In video game parlance, a multicart is a cartridge that contains more than one game. Typically, the separate games are available individually for purchase or were previously available individually . For this reason, collections, anthologies, and compilations are considered multicarts...
s.
Ports
PocketNES has been ported to Nintendo DS and is called nesDS. This version uses the DS touch screen as a menu, allowing players to touch the screen to go into the menu.Patent issues
Nintendo filed for and was granted a patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
on the vertical scaling method used in PocketNES in 2002, despite PocketNES's using it in 2001.