Summary

  • Nintendo lawyer Koji Nishiura describes what may make an emulator illegal, according to Nintendo.
  • If an emulator directly gives away Nintendo’s own software, it could cross legal grounds.
  • Additionally, having an emulator provide resources for detached forms of piracy can be deemed illegal.

Of all gaming companies, Nintendo is, by far, the most protective of its intellectual property and how it’s used. Outside of striking down emulators, they’re also well-known for striking down content off platforms such as YouTube for simply picturing Nintendo content and emulation.


While there may seem to be no rhyme or reason to Nintendo’s iron fist, the patent attorney and general manager of Nintendo’s intellectual property department, Koji Nishiura, reported to Denfaminicogamer (translated by Automaton) what Nintendo may take into account with regard to copyright infringement.

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Emulators are one of the trickiest subjects regarding gaming copyright. They have long allowed gamers to experience games that are either too rare or expensive to actually acquire. In fact, Nintendo offers their own emulators for select NES, SNES, and N64 titles through Nintendo Online on the Nintendo Switch.

However, with gamers ever so desperate to play games, it may sometimes be necessary to step outside clear legal boundaries, making emulators a gray area that, while extremely common, lawyers like Nishiura may often still deem illegal for specific reasons.

Someone playing New Super Mario Bros Wii U from the Wii U concept trailer.


In the event report by Denfaminicogamer, Nishiura described how specific emulators “can become illegal depending on how it’s used.” This means that while not every emulator on the market is immediately illegal, many may cross a boundary into criminal territory.

Two blatant examples are if an emulator includes a piece of software that was originally included on the hardware being emulated or if the emulator specifically “disables security mechanisms such as encryption.”

Many emulators often avoid both of these examples, as emulators on PC tend to have an interface that distinctly runs software and files within their unique and custom user interface. But one more significant point of interest is in the next section, where the Automaton translation describes that:

If an emulator contains links to sources where you can download pirated games, it may be considered a so-called ‘reach app’ in Japanese law, and thus constitute copyright law infringement.

If you know anything about Nintendo emulation and hacking software, this may ring a loud bell in your head, as this indicates precisely what software such as the H-Shop does on platforms like the 3DS. So, this is a clear sign Nintendo isn’t taking any of these pirate software apps lightly.



Legality Behind Emulation And Hacking

Earthbound 64, Skies of Arcadia, Scott Pilgrim, Pokemon Bank, and the 3DS eShop logo

The H-Shop is an app that can be installed on the Nintendo 3DS and allows users to directly (and illegally) install almost any 3DS title imaginable, along with other extras like rom hacks and fan games. The platform itself is a not-so-well-kept underground secret of 3DS hacking and emulation.

While similar illegal services are available for platforms like the Wii-U, none are as easily accessible and readily apparent as the H-Shop. But at the same time, there is a massive separation between the H-Shop and the Nintendo homebrew community.

The reason why the H-Shop, while illegal, isn’t within the bounds of the “reach app” described in the report is because of how separate the emulation and hacking community is from services like it. For instance, on public Reddits and community Discords, mods quickly silence any H-Shop-related discussions.


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While software piracy, homebrewing, and emulation are entirely different fields, it’s not as though Nintendo seems to care. Also, with the closure of the Nintendo E-Shop, they practically opened the gates for fan stores, allowing gamers to access the games Nintendo now refuses to sell.

That said, knowing how Nintendo has made big stretches in reasoning, like restricting community tournaments for Smash Brothers Mele for seemingly no reason, it wouldn’t be out of character for Nintendo to torment an entire community for a few bad apples.

At the very least, if Nintendo decides to persecute any Nintendo fan emulator in the future, we’ll have this list to decipher exactly why Nintendo’s lawyers are making a ruckus again.

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