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Emulate Nintendo on Your MessagePad

Posted by pudge on from the yes-that-nes dept.

Green and Geeky writes "That Marvel of a PDA, the Newton MessagePad, has always been a good product. It does a lot of things: plays MP3s, connects to the Internet wirelessly, can be used to bludgeon someone, fits in your pocket (if you're a giant), etc. Now, it plays Nintendo games. Strange, yes, but still pretty cool. I can't play Legend Zelda, Final Fantasy, or Dragon Warrior on my Palm V." And I don't need to waste money on a Game Boy Advance!

6 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Anyone figured out how to... by podperson · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...install Newton OS on an iPaq?

    The iPaq's with ARM chips are basically a Newton with a color screen and more memory. Then we really wouldn't need a GBA.

    1. Re:Anyone figured out how to... by WileyWiggins · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Uh, and it doesn't run anything even remotely similar to the Newton OS.

      What I want is a little handheld computer that runs Mac OS 6. It wouldn't be that hard to do and you have a literal ocean of abandonware out there you could use with such a device.

  2. Portability is a bit of a pain... by Space+cowboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I actually quite like the Newton, though I think it was a bit ahead of its time and tried to do too much. It's a cool hack to get it playing Nintendo games, but would you really walk around with a bag to hold the 'pad, to play games on ?

    It's useful when allied with a briefcase. I can't see it really as a games platform (on the other hand, my phone plays Doom quite well, (Nokia 9000 :-) so whatever floats your boat - the phone's easier to carry though :-)

    Simon

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
  3. I miss my Newt. by Bug-Y2K · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I used a MP2000 as my primary computer for almost two years. I was "commuting" between the US & UK and used it - along with a Ricochet (R.I.P.) in the US and Nokia cell PCMCIA card in the UK - for browsing, email, telnet (with PT100, killer app!), etc. So I was wireless when mobile, and on Ethernet when at a desk... All pre-802.11. This was circa 1997 BTW.

    It was nice to carry virtually all my computing needs in a "daytimer" sized case. People bitch about the Newt's size, but compared to a circa-97 brick of a 7lb laptop? Is was VERY small.

    To date the NewtOS was pobably the most elegant OS ever created... and I've run them all. The only thing it didn't do well, at least until now, was gaming. I played a lot of NewTRIS, and I seem to recall a snood, or snood-like game too but Newtgaming was limited to puzzles or very simple action games (like a sub depth-charging thing that I can't recall the name of)

    I might have to charge it back up now and play some old NES game. =) Nice to see the Newt still breathing.

  4. Gatta hand it to 'em... by Valiss · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...I swear this thing has the most loyal cult following ever. For a product that didn't sell well (or as well as it should have), I'm still amazed that people are still modding these things up. Great works folks!

    --

    -Valiss
  5. My Newton by OPTiX_iNC · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You wouldn't beleive the looks I get when I pull it out in public (my newton) but I still love it, and the NES emulator makes it so I can waste even more time in class.

    I have been following the NES emulator and have been using it since version 0.12. Right now several people are working on getting a NES controler working on the newton so we can play with a contoler.

    I wonder how many people are going to be storming the J&K Sales store to buy a newton now...