WP App Review : VBA8

VBA8 (Version 1.0.2)

m.k

$2.99 / Trial

From the creator of the awesome SNES emulator, Snes8x, comes VBA8, a Game Boy Advance emulator. Just like it's counterpart it emulates extremely well and is a solid emulator app. For the full version, the cost is $2.99, although you can play unrestricted with the trial, you just won't be able to save/load states. However, to support the developer I opted to purchase the full version which makes gaming on the go much easier with the save states.

The UI is the same as Snes8x; you have a list of all your ROMS, a short list of recently played games, and a good amount of settings. There is one free ROM included called "Bunny Advance" which isn't much fun, so you'll definitely want to download some ROMS (search on Google) and load them up via SkyDrive. All you need to do is create a folder in your SkyDrive account and load up some .smc files from within the app.

Just like in Snes8x, you have the option of playing in either portrait or landscape mode. Unlike, Snes8x, the settings are a tad better in that not only can you customize the size of the buttons but when you're in landscape mode you can configure the size of the game screen so that your fingers don't cover the action. This makes the game play a whole lot better. Touch controls are very solid and responsive.

I loaded up several different ROMS and had a good success rate, with only a few ROMS that had a few graphical glitches or wouldn't load, such as Sonic Advance. But for the most part, a majority of ROMS seem to work smooth. Of course, games that use a lot of "R" and "L" buttons will be difficult, but for most games that primarily use "B" and "A", the game play is smooth and works extremely well. The app does take up a lot of battery when you play for a bit and it warms up quite a bit as well. Even when you charge while playing, the battery will still drain. So games are definitely best played in short intervals.

With great emulator apps such as this, you can somewhat overlook the lower game app choices in the MSFT store. I currently have vNESLightPro, Snes8x, and VBA8 with dozens of entertaining games that I can play on the go. If you're into classic gaming or have yet to play any of these older games, go ahead and download any of these emulator apps. Search online for "Top Games" list for each system and search for the appropriate ROMS and you'll have hours of fun at your fingertips.

Pros : Extremely solid emulation, great controls/settings

Cons : Small amount of games may not work, drains battery, warms up a lot