iMAME Kicked Out of Apple's App Store

**Akshay Masand** · 12-23-2011, 10:31 PM

If you are a fan of vintage arcade games then you probably read our previous article about iMAME, the popular emulation tool for MAME (which stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator).

The emulators can be used to recreate the experience of classic coin-op and console videogames on PCs, Macs, and jailbroken iOS devices. The main catch here being that in order to run the old games, you need a copy of the game ROM code. Copies of the code are essentially unavailable via legitimate licensing in most cases. The other catch is that full-scale emulators usually aren’t welcome on the iOS App Store. Those that have made it past the rigorous review process are usually very careful when it comes to locking downt he ability to run arbitrary third-party programs.

This was the exact reason why it was so surprising to see iMAME show up in the App Store this past week. The game emulator seemed to be a straight up clone of the jailbreak-only iMAME4A11 app which played ten Exidy legit games as one would expect. The trick here was to use a file transfer tool such as PhoneView or iExplorer to throw in additional ROMs and have access to playing a larger variety of games through the iMAME app.

The whole thing seemed too good to last and unfortunately it was. Running arbitrary code in the App Store is usually a bad idea and since this app did exactly that, it ended up being taken out of the US App Store as of 1:30pm. It seems that some developers have built patched versions of the jailbreak-only iMAME4A11 project that will compile in Xcode and install on properly provisioned un-jailbroken devices. This will only apply to active participants in the iOS developer program; otherwise there is no way to install the patched app.

How do you feel about the iMAME app being removed from the App Store? Were you one of the many who went out and purchased an iCade cabinet to go along with the app, only to be left disappointed? Share any thoughts and opinions below!

Source: App Store, Blue Lotus (blog)

**brandyn baker** · 12-23-2011, 10:31 PM

Got it in time! Thanks to the article ha

**MemphisYork** · 12-23-2011, 10:39 PM

Lol they must not check to see what theyre allowing

**NakedFaerie** · 12-23-2011, 10:39 PM

it just auto downloaded into my itunes about an hour ago and I deleted it. damn it! I knew I shouldn't have deleted that one.

**MemphisYork** · 12-23-2011, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by brandyn baker

Got it in time! Thanks to the article ha

+1

**Phillip Swanson** · 12-23-2011, 10:53 PM

Haha, that took longer than I imagined....

**Zokunei** · 12-23-2011, 10:54 PM

I wonder if it will still download from iCloud. I know old versions of apps do if the updated one wasn't backed up, so I think this will download.

**hogcia** · 12-23-2011, 10:56 PM

If I sync with iTunes, will it remove this app from my phone now that it's banned.

**NakedFaerie** · 12-23-2011, 10:58 PM

Its not in my purchased list so I dont know how to get it again? The place with backups is probably the only way now.

**DQEight** · 12-23-2011, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by brandyn baker

Got it in time! Thanks to the article ha

+2

**Daerid** · 12-23-2011, 11:30 PM

I have it! Woot!

**Norb** · 12-23-2011, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by hogcia

If I sync with iTunes, will it remove this app from my phone now that it's banned.

it hasn't in the past so I doubt it.

**syedsufyan** · 12-24-2011, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by NakedFaerie

it just auto downloaded into my itunes about an hour ago and I deleted it. damn it! I knew I shouldn't have deleted that one.

You can still go to purchased and download again from there even though it was pulled.

**ohthatguyagain** · 12-24-2011, 12:45 AM

Hooray for jailbreaken iOS!! I have it!!!

**LucasPukus** · 12-24-2011, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by MemphisYork

+1

+2

**Siri Sn0w** · 12-24-2011, 03:03 AM

If I where to walk into an apple store and show them the apps on my device that I got before they where pulled… they would be very annoyed.

(I'm just joking, I'm not trying to boast or anything like that)

**Norb** · 12-24-2011, 03:04 AM

Originally Posted by LucasPukus

+2

bbq

**yoshi9769** · 12-24-2011, 03:35 AM

Weird... A controversial app that get major blogs gets rejected... Awkward if you ask me...

**rkswat** · 12-24-2011, 06:01 AM

Originally Posted by Siri Sn0w

If I where to walk into an apple store and show them the apps on my device that I got before they where pulled… they would be very annoyed.

I have a feeling you think very highly of yourself...... Do you really think they would give a hoot?

As far as this app.... I picked it up but am far from amazed. I haven't tried to put any more roms on their than the ones that come with it but the ones that came with it are total crap. UNLESS there is some thing I'm not doing right to get the "good" games.

**landon418** · 12-24-2011, 07:24 AM

Awww man

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