Recently, a clever little Pokemon clone called Micromon shot to the top of the App Store bestseller list. If the success of Micromon proved anything, it’s that an official Pokemon game would be very well received if it came to the App Store.
If that’s something that appeals to you, good news. A version of the Pokemon online trading card game is coming to the iPad sometime soon.
Nintendo won’t bring its popular game franchises to iOS, and Apple won’t allow emulators in the App Store. In order to play titles like Super Mario and Zelda on your iPhone, then, you have to look at unofficial alternatives. GBA4iOS was one of the most popular — but after its creators received a DMCA notice from Nintendo this week, it is no more.
The Pokémon Company just released an official app for Android and iOS called Pokémon TV, which allows you to watch Pokémon episodes on your smartphone or tablet completely free of charge. Although this isn’t the Pokémon game you’ve been waiting for for years, it’s sure to please plenty of Pokémon fans.
A free SpongeBob Squarepants game from Nickelodeon has had to be pulled from the App Store following complaints that it violates children’s online privacy rights. SpongeBob Diner Dash asked children for their names and email addresses without parental permission — so that it could fill their inboxes with spam, no doubt — causing an advocacy group to report the app to the Federal Trade Commission.
Nintendo, unlike many software developers, has chosen to ignore the goldmine that is Apple’s App Store by refusing to develop its titles for iOS. It’s almost guaranteed that the Japanese company would make an absolute killing if it just brought fan favorites like Super Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon to our iPhones and iPads. But president Satoru Iwata is adamant it will only develop titles for its own hardware.
There are signs, however, that Nintendo is cracking. It just released its first paid iOS app, a mobile version of the Nintendo 3DS’s Pokédex, to customers in Japan.
Remember Little Masters? Of course you do — it’s the hugely promising Pokemon clone we told you about back in July that’s coming to iOS. Well, after a lengthy wait for App Store approval, the game is finally coming to the App Store tomorrow, September 6.
The wonderful role-playing game that is Bastion kicks off this week’s must-have games roundup, accompanied by Blast-A-Way, an awesome new puzzle game from Illusion Labs; Dragon Island Blue, the closest you’ll get to Pokemon on iOS right now; and Granny Smith, a platform game that features a granny on rollerscates. Need I say more?
With Nintendo adamant it’ll never bring its games to iOS, the only way to enjoy your favorite titles on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad is to jailbreak your device and download an emulator. But that’s no longer the case. You can now enjoy more than 100 NES and Game Boy games in your iPhone’s web browser.
I spent a good chunk of my childhood playing Pokemon on my Game Boy, and I’d love to be able to relive those days on my iPhone. Unfortunately, Nintendo is adamant it won’t be bringing any of its titles to iOS. While that’s a huge disappointment to most of us, some developers see it as an opportunity to create some great alternatives.
Little Masters is exactly that — an alternative to Pokemon for iOS. And as you can see from the screenshots above, it’s remarkably similar.
After years of gamers clamoring, one of Nintendo’s hottest properties is coming to the App Store in a unique, exclusive title not available on the 3DS or Wii. That’s right, Pokemon is finally coming to an iPhone or iPad near you…
