RetroArch 0.9.8.4 for IOS

话说 RetroArch 官方已经很久没有消息了，目前除了X86其他移植平台都停在了v0.9.8.4，而官方的iOS和blackberry移植还没有正式发表。现在PPX的版主lo585983大提前放出了编译的v0.9.8.4 ipa包，需要越狱后运行。不过我在iOS 5.0.1和6.0.1的设备上都无法安装，称版本太低 😛

官方的iOS版和Android还是有点区别，集成了Tyrquake，一个quake 1的引擎，所以等到正式发表时可能是RetroArch 0.9.9了

RetroArch的前身是SSNES，它不是传统意义上的模拟器，因为其本身并没有原创的模拟器代码，但是它定义了一套适用于各平台的通用接口API，为模拟器的多平台移植提供了极大的便利。从运行原理上RetroArch更类似模拟器的前端。

RetroArch的模拟器核心以名为libretro的插件形式存在，彼此独立。目前还是以PC平台的libretro最多，囊括了大多数成熟的开源模拟器，可能是因为改编较为简单的原因。尽管如此，我个人认为作为可以直接使用原生模拟器的的X86平台，RetroArch再强大也是多余的。

但是对应Android和iOS之类移动平台的情况就不同了，部分libretro至今没有主流移动平台的模拟器，比如NEC PC-FX和Atari Jaguar，所以希望掌握将libretro从X86移植到ARM技术的大神能够尽快完成这些填补空白的工作。

RetroArch iOS

this will be a port of RetroArch to iOS-based devices.

Cores currently supported:

– PCSX ReARMed
– Genesis Plus GX
– SNES9x Next
– VBA Next
– NEStopia
– FCEUmm
– Mednafen PCE Fast
– Mednafen NGP
– Mednafen VB
– Mednafen Wonderswan
– Prboom
– Tyrquake
– NX Engine (Cave Story)
– FInal Burn Alpha
– Gambatte

Pre-announcement:

OK guys, I am already pre-emptively announcing this for when the next big release hits –

It will be released on Cydia for free with absolutely no strings attached -same as with the Android port.

Most of the cores were easy to port over but one in particular took a pretty intensive rewrite – done by notaz – and that is PCSX ReARMed. he has spent nearly two days rewriting all the ASM so that it could be compiled with Apple’s ancient version of GAS – something that apparently no ’emu porter for money’ was able to do before – and he deserves a lot of credit for the dedication he’s shown to give us something usable on RetroArch iOS.

As far as I know – this will be the first time PCSX ReARMed will be coming over to iOS (previously there was only PSx4All by Zodtd) and since there’s no ePSXe or FPSe there as well (the Apple Store not accepting emulators – payware or free – obviously makes this not worth their time since they only care about money) – it will be nice to offer something that is leagues ahead of the rest – and for free.

Here is a long screenshot gallery – I’ve played through quite a couple of games today with the PCSX ReARMed iOS port to make sure most of the games work.

http://imgur.com/a/pcldk/all

Stay tuned for when the real release hits. As ever – we (err – me) made a slightly premature release date – but rest assured that things are moving fast so it won’t take much longer until I can properly bump up versions to 0.9.9.

Also – meancoot deserves mad props for putting a large substantial amount of work into this port – in fact, nearly 80% so far. Him making that initial iOS port is what drove me to buy myself an iPad as well – in time before Apple closed the jailbreak window of opportunity – so thanks for that, and credit will be paid where it is due.

I can guarantee so far that all of the cores (except for VBA Next) run at fullspeed on my iPad 2. So this is looking to be a slamdunk port – it is exactly what I wanted RetroArch Android to be in the first place.

When?

Soon. When version 0.9.9 gets released.