All posts by Dario Sepulveda (@mithical)
I helped beta test GBA4iOS 2.0, the Game Boy Advance emulator by Riley Testut, for almost 6 months. This was my beta blog now turned regular GBA4iOS blog. I post app info, software updates, new features, feedback, and bugs.
I'm also founder of the Start3rs, web developer for iEmulators and designer at GBA4iOSkins.
Two days ago, popular GBA4iOS developer Riley Testut released a thank you video for its second anniversary since version 2.0′s release. After a showcasing of Nintendo games through the years and thanking everyone for their support, the video goes cryptic and introduces a new project in development by Riley.
To this day, there is little to no clue as to what this project will actually be (much less when it will be released), however there have been a few details leaked in OPERATIONiDROID’s latest video which you should watch above.
Things we definitely know so far about Delta:
It is definitely a new emulator application as its future domain home has already been registered under http://deltaemu.com by Riley. The word “emu” giving away its true purpose. As to what kind of emulator, nobody knows yet.
One person so far, while speculating, has gotten very close to predicting what this new app will be, according to Riley.
There is a visual clue hidden in Riley’s video that has yet to be discovered. Although, according to a tweet, the clue might not necessarily be visual. You’re welcome to tweet me or post your speculations below as to what this might be!
Riley, in a conversation with OPERATIONiDROID, discloses that:
Delta is a new app. You can think of it just like the Nintendo DS; it wasn't a new Gameboy, it was an entirely new thing. This is the same relationship between GBA4iOS and Delta.
There you have it! For those that are a bit perplexed as to what he meant, he did not confirm this new emulator to be a DS one, just that the parallels between the release of the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS closely resemble what he’s trying to do today with Delta from his previous GBA4iOS work.
As you know, Jon (the man behind the channel) and I have been working closely for years and have a close relationship with the developer so little details like this should come to no surprise from time to time. Make sure you follow both Riley and OPERATIONiDROID, along with myself (@mithical), for any new tidbits or exclusive details on this new, highly anticipated app.
On February 19, 2014—after a meticulous 6-month beta test—GBA4iOS 2.0 was finally released into the wild. There was a frenzy on Twitter back then as the most anticipated emulator in iOS history was unleashed to the public.
Now it has been 2 years since that day and it finally felt necessary to kickstart this place again after a very recently released video was made public by GBA4iOS developer Riley Testut on Twitter via his website.
The video (featured above) is a small homage to GBA gaming through the years, ending with a brief thank you from Riley for all the support, along with a not-so-subtle hint about an upcoming [redacted] project by GBA4iOS’s developer.
There are few to no clues about what this new project might entail (and I can’t officially disclose anything yet 😉), but you can bet that it will be big and you should keep your eyes open for future updates from Riley on Twitter.
The hype is real. #Delta2016
You are welcome to speculate in the comments section below as to what this new project might be. In fact, Riley encourages you to.
Nearly 10 months after the original 2.0 version was released, GBA4iOS 2.1 is finally out as a software update to your existing copy. This version includes the much anticipated multiplayer feature.
You might not find this very surprising or new since the source code has been available for quite some time, and we even hosted an open beta a few weeks ago but as far as official things go, this is what you've been waiting for.
Try the all new Multiplayer feature (which isn't quite as fast as you would imagine due to technical limitations but still does the job) by opening your app and tapping the 'update' button now.
Other notable features include:
full support for all the new iPhone 6 screen sizes
new controller skins (that adapt to the new screen sizes)
new GBC palettes to enhance your nostalgic play of the classics
ability to customize the web browser with any URL you wish.
Note: this version is not yet on Cydia (but it will be soon) and is not supported on iOS 8.1 devices and up due to the fact it still relies on the 'date trick' method. If jailbreaking isn't your thing, know that iEmulators are already working on fixing this with a longer-term solution. Stay tuned
GBA4iOS 2.1, one of the most anticipated updates yet thanks to the introduction of wireless linking (multiplayer) support, finally came out a couple of days ago in open beta form. Thanks to our long-time friendship with developer Riley Testut, iEmulators.com (which I co-founded) was offered the chance to be the first stepping stone in its eventual official release by allowing anyone to download the beta update without any developer experience required.
A week before, we had been contacted by Riley and offered this exclusive chance to host and get this stable-enough beta out to the masses. We, of course, agreed enthusiastically. The whole thing - by which I mean the actual download page - took us long hours to set up and was actually made on the same day of release because, believe it or not, Riley had just updated the source code with all the new updates the night before at around 3:33 A.M.
In a frenzy, my teammates and I spent that whole day working on the distribution/hosting, a video showcasing the update, a quick logo for the occassion, new controller skins and more. We eventually released everything at about 6:30 P.M. to everyone's surprise.
Although we had a few issues with a couple of device installations at first, we managed to successfully fix that through another update. GBA4iOS 2.1 was downloaded at lightning speed, reaching as far as 200,000 downloads in 3 days.
Unfortunately, on November 17, Apple struck once more and revoked its distribution certificate which had helped a lot of iOS 8.1 users download the update since they no longer have access to the once convenient 'date trick' method of installation.
It came to no one's surprise that Apple would strike once again like they had back in February when Riley released the first version of 2.0 - actually, we kind of expected it and even made bets on the inside as to when it would happen. What did surprise us was how long it took in comparison to the first release, but there was no question that it wouldn't happen to begin with.
We don't blame Apple at all for their actions; they were definitely within their rights to shut it down. With recent discoveries like the WireLurker malware abusing the same method we're using to distribute, it was only natural for them to take necessary precautions. We feel no grudge towards them and you shouldn't either; they're doing what's best for everyone using their technology.
Why release GBA4iOS 2.1 at all knowing it'll get shut down?
Primarily, the reason we released 2.1 the way we did was because of you all! We know a lot of you have updated to the latest (and definitely more secure) iOS 8.1 update, so we didn't want to leave you behind.
We could easily have gone with the 'date trick' required route (like Riley intends to do with the official release) but we decided to risk it for you all to have a few days of joy playing some nostalgic games with all the new features.
Secondly, it was also an experiment for us. We wanted to find out just how far iEmulators has grown since our re-launch a couple of months back. It also helped us find out how strong this distribution method we're using is since it's a little unconventional and not the typical kind - it definitely helped us realize that our focus should shift back towards that long-term solution we discussed about back on the iEmulators.com page which, speaking of, we have made some progress on and we will reveal more info as it becomes available.
To conclude, we don't currently have plans to bring back GBA4iOS 2.1 back without the date trick - not while we're still in the spotlight and a target. This will be no different than when Riley releases it officially, anyway.
All you users on iOS 8.1, 8.1.1 and the upcoming 8.2, we want to let you know we haven't forgotten about you. Although 8.0.2 and below is pretty much the best way to play emulators on our site currently, we can't stay stuck in the past for too long either. Like the frequent iOS updates coming, we have to try and move alongside them, we must find new solutions and methods to continue to protect those little fun pastimes on our phones that emulators allow us to enjoy.
Note: the revocation of GBA4iOS 2.1 also took down a lot of our other emulators we had hosted before using the no date trick method. Don't worry, they'll be back as soon as we figure some things out! In the mean time, for users on 8.0.2 and below, date trick is still in effect!
Don't forget to follow @mithical and @iEmulators for up-to-date news on all of our future plans and updates.
Video features OPERATIONiDROID showing off an early version of GBA4iOS 2.1, give it a watch!
As promised in his blog post yesterday, developer Riley Testut has now updated the source code of GBA4iOS 2.0 found on BitBucket with the most anticipated version yet, 2.1. This new update introduces some brand new features to the overall experience, and, best of all? You can install it right now if you have the necessary tools and experience!
GBA4iOS 2.1 has been a work in progress for many months now. Riley and his graphic designer, Paul Thorsen, have been teasing its development as far back as April of this year when they released the first set of photos showcasing a successful on-going trade between an iPhone and iPad running GBA4iOS.
Originally, Riley wanted to spend as much of his time perfecting version 2.1 and multiplayer which is known to still have some potential connectivity issues. However, due to the impending iOS 8.1 update that blocks the 'date trick,' Riley is forced to release much earlier than anticipated in a form of beta.
The first update in this version will come without Multiplayer functionality (it's coming later) but does sports all the other features he originally wanted to release alongside Multiplayer.
Some of these features include brand new skins by Paul Thorsen, custom color palette for original Game Boy (.gb) games, an emulated intro animation when starting a game (which you can toggle off and on), brand new custom settings for the in-app web browser so that you can choose which home page you want it opening when you tap the magnifying glass button, and more.
The source code is up on BitBucket and open to everyone. It does require certain skills and a developer account to build, sign and install. If you fit the requirements, enjoy beta testing 2.1!
But what about those that don't have the necessary skills or time?
Unfortunately for now, Riley Testut explains that this current version of 2.1 is a little too buggy for public use. Instead he tells me that he would rather have some skilled developers with the proper tools and experience to build this to be the ones beta testing for now.
Don't lose hope, though. This is only temporary and you will definitely be seeing an update when it's all finished the usual way. There are also plenty of ways to try this out if you have any developer friends willing to help you - can't hurt to ask!
iEmulators would love to host the beta version of GBA4iOS 2.1 but we've been told by Riley himself to hold off on that until the update is a little more stable - so there's that to look forward to in the near future!
Go here to read Riley Testut's original blog post: GBA4iOS is dead. Long live GBA4iOS.
Developer of GBA4iOS, Riley Testut, recently updated his blog with some information that some of us have been wondering about for a few days now - what happens to GBA4iOS after 8.1?
In case you weren't aware, iOS 8.1 — the upcoming iOS updated rumored to come in late October — has once and for all patched the exploitation of a very popular loophole famously known as the 'date trick.' As I mentioned in a past post, the 'date trick' is what essentially fuels the emulator communities nowadays. In this regard, Riley — as owner of one of the most popular non-jailbroken emulators out there — had some words to say on the subject.
Past
In his latest blog post, Riley writes about the process it took to get his original emulator to sideload (a process to install applications outside the App Store) and how fast his little hobby lead to a full-rewrite of the whole application now famously known as GBA4iOS 2.0.
All this was accomplished because even though Apple would certainly revoke the certificate Riley used to distribute this app, the fallback was that the soon-to-be-obsolete 'date trick' would still allow the app to install and be used. This motivated him to work as hard as he could and take the app as far as it was possible but now, thanks to iOS 8.1, things have drastically changed.
Is Riley's seventeen month journey filled with sleepless nights in front of a bright screen coding his fingers off finally coming to a close?
Present
So is GBA4iOS 2.0 considered dead now?
Short answer: no. Riley is definitely not abandoning the project (not for now at least) but he will have to adjust to a new environment and try certain things he originally never intended. As I've come to learn, great change must inevitably be followed by adaptability or else you will perish.
Unless there is a way to effectively prevent iOS 8.1 from completely killing off the 'date trick' (unlikely as of now), Riley has now announced that he has changed his original stance of not hosting his emulator up on Cydia for jailbroken devices. By hosting it there, this guarantees that the app isn't completely killed off and continued maintenance won't be for naught now that a group of users will be able to take advantage and enjoy some nostalgic and classic games on their phones.
What about us non-jailbreakers?
A great question with a kind of complicated answer. Riley has always, from the very beginning, intended his apps to be available without jailbreaking. Just like me personally, Riley finds jailbreaking a little too tedious and bothersome. Now, however, it's a little harder to be picky — he wants his emulator to survive and it will definitely continue on through jailbreaking and Cydia. Riley cannot do anything but try and adapt to these obstacles and so must you, the user. Non-jailbreakers may soon find themselves with limited choices in this matter. Of course there's always the option not to install the new iOS update and find yourself perpetually bound to an outdated software without any hope of ever moving forward; it's not for everyone, but might work for some of you.
Not all hope is lost, though; not completely at least. There still exists certain methods where you will be able to play GBA4iOS on 8.1 (I still do) without jailbreaking and that's by building and signing your own version of the app using the open-source code found on BitBucket. This, of course, requires you to be a developer in Apple's paid program (i.e. not free).
The days of simply rolling the date back to install an emulator will be over come iOS 8.1, that's for certain. Although this signing method requires a little bit more knowledge, time and money, you can find yourself with a fully-working version of GBA4iOS without ever needing the date trick again - of course, this isn't for everyone and Riley understands this but cannot do too much but wait for one day when Apple may change their stance on their own limitations and give him their blessing to host the emulator (which remains legal in the U.S.), or when a new method of non-jailbreak installation like the 'date trick' surfaces again — but who knows when that'll be!
Future
What about 2.1 and multiplayer support?
There's some good news to all this, at least! Riley is not giving up in releasing his upcoming version update which is said to bring multiple new features and the most anticipated multiplayer support. He is, however, running out of time to perfect the app as he envisioned it and thus has now prompted GBA4iOS 2.1 to arrive earlier than originally intended.
In his blog post, Riley states that he has changed his mind in regards to releasing a "beta" version of Multiplayer in version 2.1 that currently seems to work but at very slow speeds with potential connectivity issues. Riley would normally take all the time he could to polish this and release only when it was up to his standards, however, there is no time now with iOS 8.1 slowly creeping in.
Tomorrow, October 9, Riley is releasing the open-source code for GBA4iOS 2.1 so that developers will be able to build and beta test (sans Multiplayer which is coming in a later update). This won't be like the beta we had for GBA4iOS 2.0 where Riley pushed updates and we simply installed, this requires some computer skills and, of course, a developer account — although there could be other options...
I'll definitely be installing the new beta version and writing all my findings on here just like the good old days, so stay tuned for some updates. Remember, GBA4iOS's reign is not dead just yet so the GBA4iOS Blog must continue!
Post brought to you by Dario Sepulveda (@mithical).
Riley Testut, developer of GBA4iOS, shares his thoughts on iOS 8.1 killing the 'date trick' and the future of his emulator.
Apple's on a roll. First it was the removal of Launcher, the app that allowed you to launch apps (and even GBA4iOS games) via URL Scheme in Notification Center, and now our precious emulators found outside the App Store. Apple, it appears, is setting their eyes on the emulators community, starting by making the now-famous 'Date Trick' completely obsolete in an upcoming update.
iOS 8.1 beta was seeded to developers yesterday and it's already causing panic among some iOS emulator aficionados. It was reported to me almost immediately by a source that the date trick wasn't helping at all in installing GBA4iOS 2.0 - that's when worry started to set in and I decided to investigate.
The 'Date Trick' fuels the emulator communities nowadays. Our website, iEmulators.com, relies on this to continue distribution and updates. Without it, everything looks bleak. Without GBA4iOS 2.0, everything seems... well, not-fun. Will iOS 8.0.2 become our perpetual purgatory so that we can continue to enjoy these things?
Unsurprisingly so, this was a long-time coming; we knew this would one day arrive. After the 'Date Trick' became famous earlier last year, our panic subsided and we learned to live a period of peace knowing that even though some of our favorite emulators' certificates were revoked by Apple, we could still install these emulators by rolling our date back - many came to believe it was something that would last. Developers like Riley Testut didn't lose any motivation knowing that their updates and hard work could still be acknowledged. Apple, it seems, had other plans.
It is still unconfirmed whether this a permanent thing come next beta update, but it all seems to spell one thing: Apple is slowly killing everything we love.
Oh cool the date trick to install GBA4iOS doesn’t work on iOS 8.1 awesome thanks Apple
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
September 30, 2014
Dang, just as I feared. Date trick is dead on iOS 8.1. Let's cross fingers it's only this beta.
— Dario Sepulveda (@mithical)
September 30, 2014
Update: iOS 8.1 Beta 2 is out and I can confirm that it continues to block the date trick for emulator installations. Well, I guess this is it, guys!
I'm not blind to the situation of copyrights and trademarks. I'm aware that Apple isn't primarily at fault here (or that they are even specifically targeting the emulator community) - every year they grow more conscious of the smaller security holes and their mission is to perfect the system; I respect them for that. They're probably also being pushed around by multiple copyright holders such as Nintendo (just an example) and are forced to act unless they want to face repercussions and be known for having a faulty security.
It's a hard thing to live in the complicated, often misunderstood gray area of things and watch the things you love being killed. As of now, there is nothing we can do to prevent that but use what we have learned, try to adapt and move on.
Open some of your favorite GBA4iOS games right through Notification Center on iOS 8!
Update: The app used in this article has been taken down by Apple, citing they don't want apps that do this in their store.
iOS 8 may not look that much different from iOS 7 on the outside, but on the inside, it contains a ton of new features that now allow developers to take advantage of previously restricted areas.
One of these areas included Notification Center. Of course developers could always use it to inform you of new updates, messages, requests, and tweets, but never quite like this.
On iOS 8, developers are now able to add widgets right in Notification Center. These widgets can work as an extension of their applications to provide an even better experience. One of my favorite finds so far is an app called "Launcher" (which works a lot like one of my favorite apps, Launch Center Pro).
The concept is very similar; they both use URL Schemes (which I blogged about extensively here) to open apps or actions. Launcher took it a step further (although LCP thought of this idea back in 2011 first) and now allows us to use URL Schemes through Notification Center — which gave me the idea to use it as a way to launch GBA4iOS games!
I'm going to share exactly how you can take advantage of this and enhance your GBA4iOS experience by launching all your favorite games through the readily-available Notification Center.
For starters, head to the App Store and download Launcher (free).
Once downloaded and opened, you will see a default selection of apps. You can delete these easily by tapping the "edit" button on the top-right corner and tapping the red "x" on each app.
Now you can start adding some new ones. We will choose the Custom Launcher option.
Now you should see this page where you will be adding a custom image as well as the URL code that makes GBA4iOS open a specific game.
First let's add a custom icon. I will be using one that I have designed myself for the game Super Mario World. You can adjust the image and even change shapes if you wish.
Now we will add the unique URL Scheme. This isn't as hard as it seems (and I have a whole guide on this here). In my case, since I'm making one for my game called Super Mario World (this is the exact name inside GBA4iOS), I will simply add:
gba4ios://Super%20Mario%20World
Notice that I'm using "%20" to substitute spaces. This is very important, otherwise, the URL Scheme won't work.
After that's done, all you do now is tap the "checkmark" button on the top-right corner. The URL Scheme is set up and you should see it update on Notification Center.
You can always add many more URL Schemes (although there's a limit to how many unless you pay).
You are even able to add a URL Scheme for the app (GBA4iOS) itself very easily by using the code:
gba4ios://
Just like that you are on your way to create a quick selection of your favorite games you can launch on GBA4iOS through Notification Center on iOS 8. To help you get started, I have made my own icons featured on this post available for download here: download them now!
If you have any issues with URL Schemes, please head to the guide I made a few months back here.
Post brought to you by Dario Sepulveda (@mithical)
It has been an exciting (and tiring) few months working with my team on this new, redesigned site. For over a year, iEmulators has grown at a steady pace to become one of the most recognizable forms of downloading non-jailbroken applications.
We wanted version 2.0 to receive the attention it deserved and to give back to the users that have been supporting us from the very beginning. It was, honestly, about damn time.
iEmulators 2.0 is now a fully-realized hub for the Start3rs. This new version still gives you access to the emulators and apps you have grown used to seeing (plus a lot more coming in the near future), but it also provides even more.
We have added a dedicated "Home" section where you will find news and information by yours truly, the latest videos by OPERATIONiDROID, and even a featured skins selection from GBA4iOSkins. We intend to update this section as much as possible and use it to push us further than never before.
The "Apps" section is what you may have already guessed, the sections for all the emulators and apps available for download. Although we are starting out by giving the same emulators you have seen before, some of them have been updated. We have taken the time to research, get in contact with developers and obtain working versions of these apps - it's a hard thing to do, but we think the time and effort put into this is worth it.
In the near future, we will be hosting a beta to bring even more emulators into the site and you definitely shouldn't miss that. Follow @iEmulators for more info.
The "Help" section is your best bet to answer any questions you may have. We provide the all-too-familiar date trick instructions, a few answered frequently asked questions, and even a comments section where you can leave any inquiry or doubt you may have.
Aside from these main sections, we have added other external links that take you to different pages within iEmulators.com
After much consideration, we now have a functioning "donations" page where you can help support the on-going development of the site. It is entirely optional, of course. We just thought it was time we made it available.
An about page that tells you a little bit about how iEmulators came to be and what our mission is.
A team page where you can find the faces behind the Start3rs team that brings you iEmulators 2.0, as well as their other social media sites and contact information.
A disclaimer page that serves to detail everything you need to know about the responsibilities of using this site and other legal information. We highly recommend you familiarize yourself with this when you have the time.
A dedicated contact page where you can email iEmulators Support directly or one of the individual Start3rs.
One more thing I need to address is the ads on the page. I know, nobody likes ads, but the truth remains and that is that they help pay the bills.
We contemplated doing this for many months while designing the site and we have arrived at the conclusion that all the man hours alone spent coding site (not mentioning the hours contacting developers, obtaining new apps, testing said apps and even future hours going into the beta) was enough for us to consider them.
We ran the site for over a year free of charge (and will continue to be free), taking whatever we could out of our own pockets. We switched hosts three times during that time and now we have two new ones - it is only natural to add them to cover the costs.
We're being careful not to add them in a way that will distract or annoy you. We are also in no way asking you to click them in order to support us, as that is against our policy agreements - but we will have them there and let them do their jobs.
We will never include ads inside applications, these ads are only for the site.
Come check out the newly, redesigned site over at http://iemulators.com!
Sounds a little exciting, doesn't it? Originally we wanted to keep this a secret until we first launched the new version of the site, but we couldn't contain it for much longer.
Although iEmulators 2.0 is launching with some of the current emulators you know and love (plus lots of changes), we have been working on adding a handful of others that we know you will be thrilled to install - without jailbreaking of course!
Given how close the release of iOS 8 is to the upcoming release of iEmulators 2.0, we decided early on to have a "beta" of sorts to test out a few things.
Reasons For The Beta
We got some new hosting options we would love to learn more about - more specifically, can they handle the traffic that iEmulators currently gets (plus a lot more, we hope)? This is very crucial to a site that focuses on distribution and we don't want to release a whole new host only to have it taken down by too many downloads.
Second reason and one of the most important of all is that we have got a hold of some emulators we want to add to the site. These emulators were obtained through various means and even directly from developers themselves. We wanted to simply add them to the site on day one but we decided that given how everyone would be running iOS 8 by then, we'd figured we better take things calmly and do some proper testing first.
So far, a lot of the apps seem to run on iOS 8 - others don't fare so lucky; however, they might just work on older devices perfectly. All these things is what we want to find out, and we require you, the users, to find out.
With this in mind, we will be hosting a beta very soon to test all these apps as well as the host. The beta page isn't up just yet, but we can't wait to tell you how it will work.
How The Beta Works
You'll find all this information I've just given in that beta page, and also certain steps to take in order to be eligible for it. The whole thing will be organized via a mailing list where you sign up and you can receive special emails from us with secret links and passwords to a secondary, secret beta page where some apps will be available for download - but not all at once.
Anybody can sign up for the mailing list, but only a limited amount of users will be allowed to before we disable the mailing list. To be even considered for the group, you must do three simple things first which we will be verifying in order to make it to the beta group.
You must be following @iEmulators on Twitter.
You must be subscribed to OPERATIONiDROID on YouTube
You must retweet a tweet to share the news of the beta.
That's it! When the beta page is live, and all three things are done, you are eligible to join the limited mailing list. Remember, this won't open for a few more days so there's no tweet to retweet yet.
Even if you're eligible and sign up for the list, only a limited amount of people can be taken in - this is a first come, first serve type of deal so you have to be alert and keep up on Twitter to find out when we'll be releasing that mailing list link. We'll give notices ahead of time and make sure a lot of these things are done after school in some regions.
This beta will more than likely start a few days after we launch iEmulators 2.0, so be prepared and stay tuned with everyone involved!
If you haven't heard the news, the iPhone 6 is out today.
Many people who pre-ordered their phones may still be expecting the UPS or FedEx guy, but if you're like my friend Jon (OPERATIONiDROID), there was also the chance to go in-store early in the morning and hope they had some in stock - it seems Jon got lucky!
This may just be one of the first videos to showcase GBA4iOS 2.0 on an iPhone 6 and, according to Jon, it "works marvelously."
Bigger screens seem like the perfect fit to play some old-school games (I know I play mostly on iPad because I love the bigger screen experience), but it begs the question - what about the controller skins which are simply PNG images - will they scale up and lose their quality?
Riley has mentioned to me that he's already working on new formats and methods that will slightly change the dynamic of creating controller skins for the bigger-screen phones. By switching from PNG to PDF using vector-based images, the controllers can scale up without the loss of quality.
This isn't to say that skins right now, and those available from GBA4iOSkins.com, won't work - they will definitely still work and it appears that the first few tests show that they're still looking as good as ever (on iPhone 6, 4.7" at least). Of course, as lead designer of GBA4iOSkins, I will be opting for the newer skin-method once I properly adjust all my current templates.
Don't forget to follow @OPERATIONiDROID on Twitter and subscribe to his YouTube channel.
I figured a lot of people would be confused as to whether they should update or not to the latest iOS 8. If you're worried that your favorite GBA emulator by Riley Testut will stop working, you can stop worrying about it now - GBA4iOS 2.0 will continue to work on iOS 8!
I've been playing with iOS 8 since the first week it came out in beta and although GBA4iOS 2.0 had some issues in the beginning, GBA4iOS 2.0.7 has fixed a lot of the bugs that surfaced - so as long as you have that version, you are safe to install iOS 8 on your device.
I highly recommend you activate the Dropbox feature so that you backup all your games and saves first before updating - this is very important as you never truly know what could happen when you update. This way you know that your data will still be safe.
Even the developer recommends this!
Yes, GBA4iOS will still work on iOS 8! But it can't hurt to turn on Dropbox Sync to make sure you never lose you data ever :)
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut) September 17, 2014
Note: this does not apply to other emulators. Most of the ones that worked on iOS 7 will probably still work on iOS 8, but some may stop working altogether - this post is in regards to GBA4iOS 2.0 only.
Subtle color change (but not too radically different), more refined look and design up to par with the latest flat trend, apps section with icons and so much more that we can't wait of you to see. You can definitely tell the difference, huh?
We have been working on this update for many months, having conceptualized the idea mere weeks after we first launched iEmulators.com back in November 2013 - it's crazy to think where we are now.
Originally, we wanted to tease you guys tomorrow but it only goes to show the power of Twitter. You guys retweeted 100 times to see this little teaser today and we complied! This isn't everything - there's many more previews and things we are yet to show you - you'll just have to wait and see. iEmulators 2.0 is closer than you think!
Note: things are subject to change for release day!
We'd like to take a moment to thank everyone that supported us since the very beginning till now. We just reached a big milestone of 5,000 followers on Twitter and we truly appreciate it.
Screenshot taken Friday the 13th, 2013 on an iPhone 5
Days Gone By But Still Remain
On one of the unluckiest days of the year, 40 people - against all supernatural odds - prevailed and made it one of their luckiest. On Friday the 13th, 2013, Riley Testut unleashed the first ever beta build of GBA4iOS 2.0 that would kick-start a near 6-month journey of fun games, new features, extreme doubt and heavy anticipation.
That morning started like any other but there was an air of excitement on Twitter. A lot of beta testers had become acquainted with each other over the past few days, following each other on Twitter, and awaiting together for the moment when everything would start. Riley kicked off that morning with a tweet.
Happy GBA4iOS Beta Test Day!
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
September 13, 2013
At 3:36PM on that day, I got the email from TestFlight where Riley would make GBA4iOS 2.0 available, and would continue updating it through the beta. At 3:37PM, the app (a slightly different icon back then) was sitting neatly on my iPhone.
I'm ready! #GBA4iOS First impressions post coming later today at http://t.co/CBaoWXfgyg pic.twitter.com/YdGgw7HKwl
— Dario Sepulveda (@mithical)
September 13, 2013
After tweeting, I immediately tapped the icon and was impressed by the whole experience from the moment I set eyes on it - it was truly a beauty to look at, having taken advantage of all the things the iOS 7 SDK provided. I couldn't wait to load up some games and enjoy the rest of my day.
Guys, it's absolutely beautiful. For a first beta, it runs very smooth and responds well. @rileytestut, you're the man! #GBA4iOS
— Dario Sepulveda (@mithical)
September 13, 2013
This was a complete surprise, tapping buttons vibrates the device very subtly; very nice feel. #GBA4iOS
— Dario Sepulveda (@mithical)
September 13, 2013
Of course, no matter how much I wanted to play the app to no end, I had work to do. I had already started designing some skins, but had no way to test them until that moment. Having some success, I immediately got to work on the Beta Blog post for that day in which I surmised Riley must have been some sort of gaming god (I won't take it back, still believe so) - it was called GBA4iOS 2.0: First Impressions (iOS 7).
Ever since that day back in 2013 I have grown deeply involved in the whole project. As I mentioned in my last post, The History of the GBA4iOS Beta Blog, the whole thing changed my life going forward; I met some wonderful friends, founded a whole group, and have even released - alongside GBA4iOS - other websites and projects such as GBA4iOSkins and iEmulators.
Speaking of meeting wonderful friends, OPERATIONiDROID released a video regarding the anniversary as well, commenting on how much he has enjoyed for the past year, the best settings for gameplay and more. I highly recommend you give it a watch! It's also important to note that we will be collaborating a little more in future, so stay tuned for that!
New Beginnings
The whole beta experience was very unique and, oftentimes, I miss the days before GBA4iOS 2.0 had been downloaded more than 11 million times (confirmed by Riley in a recent message), but I'm also glad it was finally released and has had such a positive impact on everyone.
Still, I just miss the whole beta atmosphere of it all, getting new updates and features, trying to break it until it was stable enough... which is why I'm actually overjoyed to announce that we may have just that in the very near future.
It is still unconfirmed when, but I can happily say that the GBA4iOS Blog is going back to its root as a complete beta blog. I think you very well know where I'm going with this - the GBA4iOS Blog will be writing about all things GBA4iOS version 2.1 and multiplayer very soon!
Riley has already started teasing everyone on update 2.0.7 with a unavailable "coming soon" section in settings, so Multiplayer day is definitely getting closer and closer. I will be doing exactly what I did with GBA4iOS 2.0 and inform you all about everything I get my hands on (even show you exclusive features if I'm lucky). I'll also be updating the blog very soon with a new site design, and post trade/multiplayer-related posts as much as I can. It all starts here!
As for an actual beta regarding 2.1 version where some of you may be able to sign up for, there is still no news but it is very much a possibility - you'll just have to keep up with the blog and see!
One more thing...
I mentioned on Twitter that September was going to be a very big month for us, and we definitely want to prove it. So, besides announcing that a 2.1 beta may be in the horizon, I want to take the opportunity to declare that your favorite GBA4iOS trio, the Start3rs, have been working behind the scenes to bring you some new updates.
A lot of work has gone into this past summer and we are proud to announce that we have been working on a brand new, redesigned version of iEmulators, which we'll simply call iEmulators 2.0!
I can't reveal too much just yet, but I can say it has been designed and coded from the ground up, it will include many new features, sections and, of course, some new emulators and apps. We are very proud of the work that has gone into this and we cannot wait to show you how it looks very soon!
We are also working on many updates for GBA4iOSkins, especially adding new skins and support for the new iPhone 6 that's due for release soon. All we ask is you bear with us as it is, in case you don't know, only three people with busy lives, school and work doing on all of this for you completely free (though we very much enjoy it).
Do not forget to follow us on Twitter to be the first to know about everything on GBA4iOS multiplayer, iEmulators 2.0 and GBA4iOSkins.
The Start3rs:
Dario (@mithical)
Jon (@OPERATIONiDROID)
Tyler (@the120thwhisper)
GBA4iOS Team:
Riley (@rileytestut)
Paul (@pau1thor)
Celebrate the GBA4iOS beta anniversary and tell us how your first experience with the app was. You can leave a comment or start a conversation on Twitter - it's up to you. I hope you have a wonderful September 13! - Dario
As the developer, I couldn’t wait to read whatever Dario had to say about the latest GBA4iOS 2.0 beta on his Beta Blog. I loved developing the app, but even more fun than developing is seeing how others use and enjoy it. Dario always had great, well-written opinions on whatever new feature I had just added, which further fueled my joy for creating GBA4iOS. However, he wasn’t afraid to be critical of certain decisions, and this helped Paul and I decide moving forward what we would keep, and what we would change for the final release. Obviously, the point of the beta testing process is to polish the app for release, but the Beta Blog gave us much more insight into how people were using the app, which was invaluable. Because of this, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say GBA4iOS turned out as well as it did thanks in large part to Dario and the Beta Blog!
Exactly 365 days ago there was no GBA4iOS 2.0 available yet, the Start3rs hadn't met; GBA4iOSkins and iEmulators weren't even thoughts, and the Beta Blog was still just a potential idea I believed I might grow tired of in a few days.
Today, if it wasn't for that idea - this blog - I dare to honestly say that things might have been completely different for me. By having met Riley Testut, becoming a part of his beta and sticking with my guts to keep this place updated, I can unashamedly say it has changed my life.
On this day, I have a need to celebrate the anniversary of the site once known as the Beta Blog that ran from September 10, 2013 to February 19, 2014 when GBA4iOS 2.0 was finally released, and now is simply known as the GBA4iOS Blog.
It was thanks to this blog that I met some of my best friends today, how I got more involved on Twitter, got so many followers I probably don't deserve and heck, even made a few bucks from writing it, but the best part of all was that I enjoyed every part of the journey, and I'm thankful I became part of something I'm passionate about.
The History of the GBA4iOS Beta Blog
This won't be a short post. You're very welcome to read, but I don't expect you to - I'm doing this mostly for me and to give thanks to the place that has really changed me.
Seems odd, doesn't it? To have your life changed by something as simple as a website, but I think mine did. Owning your own space, keeping it lively and seeing how many people enjoy reading things that you yourself enjoyed writing? It's humbling and exciting. It's something I always wanted to do but I never had to courage to stick with it until I finally did.
All Things GBA4iOS
Every news blog on the Internet needs a topic. You research this topic, write about this topic, breathe this topic. Mine was, as you may have guessed, focused primarily on GBA4iOS, a powerful Game Boy Advance emulator for iOS. I first heard of GBA4iOS 1.6 in June 2013 through Reddit. It seemed like the perfect application for someone who doesn't really like the thought of jailbreaking (I have nothing against it, just not for me). I immediately looked it up, installed it and... that's when the fire nation attacked.
Kidding, but it dramatically changed things for me. After loading my first game (Super Mario World), I noticed the sound issues - I was disappointed but still happy I could play one of my favorite games on one of my favorite gadgets. I immediately thought of looking up the developer and maybe see if he was already working on an updated version that fixed this issue. I found him on Twitter and his name was Riley Testut, a young high school developer.
How We All Met
This was our first conversation, and the start of a great friendship:
You can already tell I had a thing about controller skins even before GBA4iOS came into the picture which helped form GBA4iOSkins, but I digress. I found out Riley was considering some updates at the time before he was shut down by Apple (at that time he hadn't even considered making 2.0 at all) and so I followed him without realizing that exactly one month later, on July 17, 2013, GBA4iOS 1.6 would be shut down by Apple and starting a whole new road to making version 2.0 for Riley.
Before reckoning day, I had started tweeting his then-girlfriend Alyssa. It's quite funny because it was thanks to her that I am where I am today. We started DMing and slowly but surely I inevitably began getting more involved in the project, fixing small things like a ghost icon bug, among other things.
A month passed and surely Apple had shut down the whole thing, revoked the certificate and rendered the app useless (or so we thought). The updates Riley had in mind for the first version of GBA4iOS were gone. He recounted to me what he was doing the day it all happened recently:
"I remember I was at my desk at bottle rocket, and all of a sudden I start getting a buttload of mentions. Then Alyssa texted me and told me what happened!" - Riley
The app didn't stay dead as Apple would have hoped, though; it lived on thanks to a very convenient trick now famously known as The Date Trick where you just roll the date back and it allows you to install an app with a revoked certificate. It was all Riley needed to see to begin work on a new, more refined, iOS 7-ready version that would surely get shut down once it was out, but at least people would still be able to obtain.
The GBA4iOS 2.0 Beta
On August 6, Riley Testut wrote "The Biggest Beta Test in iOS History" on his site explaining the process it took to get GBA4iOS 1.6 off the ground, how he gained thousands of Twitter followers, garnered popularity by being written about in major publications, and finally getting the certificate from MacBuildServer revoked by Apple. It was one of the first things I ever read from him and I was particularly interested about a certain paragraph near the end:
"I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: GBA4iOS is not dead. In fact, it’s far from it. 2.0 is coming, and it’s a complete rewrite of the app; not a single line of code was reused." - Riley
On Sept 3, Riley wrote "GBA4iOS Beta Testing" on his site encouraging people to apply to beta test GBA4iOS 2.0. A beta would mean the chance to get an early copy of the new app, and who knew when I would get another chance like this. All I knew then was that if I fit the pre-requesites, I needed to apply immediately - and I did.
Forty beta testers were chosen out of hundreds, and I only hoped I would be among the selected group - I wished it very hard and patiently waited until the names were announced.
As you can probably already guess, I did in fact get in the beta. It was a joyous occasion to have been picked out of a hundred other potential candidates. It would have been even more exciting if I hadn't already used up my excitement the previous day when the sneaky Alyssa DM'd me telling me she was quite sure I would be in the beta.
How Alyssa Totally Surprised Me
I've kept this a secret for over a year (I just revealed this to Riley yesterday via iMessage) that, yes, thanks to Alyssa, I knew I would be in the GBA4iOS 2.0 beta a day before everyone else.
I know it was kind of cheating the rest of the testers to have insight knowledge of things beforehand, but I didn't ask for it, Alyssa was just being Alyssa, and I'm thankful to this day she (as well as Riley) thought I was special enough to get in - it really put things in perspective for me; do what you love unashamedly and put yourself out there, you never know how many amazing people you will find along the way.
Being A Beta Tester
Although I've been known to be a pretty avid beta tester in the past, being a part of the GBA4iOS beta selected few was genuinely the first time I felt excited to be a part of something; I knew the things I reported could make a big difference for a product I loved. The first build was still a week away, but I decided that first day that I wasn't just gonna be playing Pokemon Emerald or Super Mario all day long - I was really gonna try my best to break the app and report all the bugs that would leak out.
The Revolutionary Idea
On September 9, four days before the first beta build of GBA4iOS 2.0 came out, I had a revolutionary idea that changed everything: what if I blog about my progress?
This little idea that kept bugging me most of the day grew bigger and bigger as I took into account how long I had been personally blogging. I joined Tumblr (my favorite blogging platform) in 2009, and although my personal blog consisted mostly about images and reblogs, I knew I could manage some journalistic writing if I put my head to it.
I realized I could easily make a new blog, host it under my own domain and just share what I thought. What could possibly go wrong as long as I was having fun doing something I loved?
I immediately went on Tumblr and checked if I could get a good URL username. I've always had a thing for doing things properly with the right name and the right attitude (something I love about Apple). I was momentarily shocked to find out that http://gba4ios.tumblr.com wasn't taken. I snatched it immediately and changed my mood towards the little idea in my head completely - I had to get this going, quick.
At first I thought, "hey, what if I use this place to collaborate with some of the other 40 beta testers? I could start a little niche where we can all share information." That same day I tweeted a few people I had seen around posting about GBA4iOS. One of the first people that caught my eye was Jon (OPERATIONiDROID). He had asked to borrow one of the logos I had started drafting for GBA4iOS and seemed nice enough. The tweet got some replies, particularly from this kid who seemed to own Emu4iOS. He was one of the press testers so I thought he might be suitable for it (and he did help with the first few posts later), but alas that day I didn't find anyone that day and I began working on the first ever post to be released the next day.
Conclusion
On September 10, 2013, one year ago, I posted the first ever Beta Blog post. I gave a brief introduction to the app, a little history, the beta, who I was and what I would be writing about come the first beta build.
With that first post, I launched myself into a crazy journey that I still find hard to believe a year later. I got to write for my own amusement and help the masses read about their favorite, soon-to-come emulator. I shockingly garnered millions of views and had people reading from all over the world. I managed to somehow get more than 2,000 people to follow me on Twitter and recognize my name, but best of all, I got to meet some of the best people I have ever come to known.
I grew closer with the developer, Riley, and his designer Paul Thorsen whom I admire greatly. Still Snapchat with Alyssa oftentimes.
I met the beta tester Tyler (@The120thWhisper) who became a very close friend and texting buddy. We talk about subjects that interest us and although he's annoying sometimes but he is regarded as a loyal friend.
I met press tester Jon (@OPERATIONiDROID) who we happily welcomed into the group. He's a really cool and kind guy that makes all these awesome videos on the same subject that I happen to write about - we got along great.
All three of us, together, even helped form the trio now known as the Start3rs that have brought you things such as GBA4iOSkins and iEmulators.
And yes, even you, Sach (@nintyapple), who a lot of times helps me edit my blog drafts and supports everything that I do even though we argue about everything.
There are... way too many good things that have come from this whole experience, and for that I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you to everyone that read and to this day continues reading this silly blog that I assure you will continue to be updated.
This whole thing wasn't just about some guy writing on some blog about some emulator app by some developer, it was my life and I have enjoyed sharing it with you.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading!
- Dario
Testimonials
I did this kind of late into writing this, but I asked some people what they had to say about the Beta Blog and turning one year old.
Paul Thorsen, Designer of GBA4iOS:
As the designer, I highly anticipated Dario's beta blog posts. I loved to read about the input that he had on the graphics, and of course the whole app. GBA4iOS was a lot of work, and to see someone put a lot of thought a time into a regularly posting blog (a very pristine one at that), was very rewarding to me. The blog was always refreshingly clean and detailed... *always* a great read.
Jon (OPERATIONiDROID), YouTuber and Start3rs member:
Hey Waaaasaaaabi OPERATIONiDROID here and in this video… Wait that’s not right. For those that do not know me I am a YouTuber OPERATIONiDROID AKA Jon and have been a steadfast GBA4iOS Beta Blog reader since it began. Along with Dario, the writer of the blog, I was a press beta tester and found his articles very insightful and helpful towards finding topics, ideas etc. to make videos! I was such a big fan of the blog that I even collaborated with Dario in creating posts and videos. The blog has been my number one source for all things GBA4iOS related and I hope it has been yours as well! It has been great reading through all the posts for all things GBA4iOS 2.0 and I will continue as we head into GBA4iOS 2.1!
Tyler Livingston, Start3rs Member:
I can't say I've read every blog post..... Hell I don't think I've read half of them. I used to be nothing but a boring PC gamer, sitting at home playing mine craft all day.... But suddenly everything changed when the fire nation attacked. (Take it away Dario! I don't know where the hell I'm going with this) [Dario here, Tyler is super lazy and "busy with homework" but he still loved the blog.]
Sach (NintyApple), loyal follower:
Beta Blog was the place where instead of reading brief tweets about the updates, I got to go more in-depth with each GBA4iOS beta. You really knew what to expect because Dario went through every new part of the beta. P.S. Dario told me to do this.
Carter (DanishiOS), reader:
I read mithical's beta blog, when I first heard about it it was probably when EMU4iOS was showcasing subscriptions, I couldn't wait for 2.0, I kept reading, The journalism was amazing. I couldn't wait, This was great.. 1 WHOLE YEAR."
Noah (RealNoobinator), reader: [not really about the beta blog, but I share his enthusiasm!]
I first found out about GBA4iOS I don't know how long ago when @cool_rom tweeted about it. I literally pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I had missed my (then patched) jailbreak so much because I couldn't emulate my favorite Pokemon games on my phone anymore. I instantly downloaded this new app. At this point, GBA4iOS was on version 1.6. I fell in love. I was looking through the in-app settings when suddenly I saw the link to @rileytestut, the creator, on Twitter. He gained a new and avid follower that day. Weeks passed, and I was content.
But then... GBA4iOS 2.0 WAS ANNOUNCED! I could hardly contain my excitement! I followed @pau1thor when he was revealed to be the graphic designer for this app overhaul.
"I can't wait!" I thought to myself for all those months. Then I discovered the Start3rs. I forget exactly how, but I think Riley tweeted about it. I followed their account and all their members (I'm looking at you, Dario. ;D). Each one of the Start3rs was interesting and unique.
The rest is history. 2.0 was released, GBA4iOSkins was launched, and to this day I have fun playing my favorite GB(C)/A games.
All was well with the world. Unless you count Hoot. Why do you do this to me, Riley? Why? But that's a story for another time.
Want your own testimonial here? There's still time! Just send any words you have on the Beta Blog to me at [email protected].
Confirmed: GBA4iOS 2.0.7 update now available, Riley Testut is a total tease!
We are days away from the date, exactly one year ago, when Riley Testut first unleashed GBA4iOS 2.0 into the world in beta form. Forty lucky testers (myself included) received our first build on September 13, 2013. That day we were all astonished by the beauty and elegance that version 2.0 promised and fulfilled - I almost can't believe that a year later, we still have a lot more to see.
Riley has just released a software update that fixes an issue with expiration dates in older versions of the app. As Riley mentions, "If you are still running these versions of GBA4iOS after that date, they will no longer open, even if you set the date back a day."
For those that weren't aware, the app expiring was something a lot of us dreaded one day would happen. Luckily, Riley has managed to fixed this issue promptly with version 2.0.7 which you all should download if you wish to continue with your GBA4iOS experience.
There's more news, though. This update didn't just fix a few bugs and saved GBA4iOS from the brink of expiration, it also gave us a glimpse into GBA4iOS 2.0's future: Multiplayer Support.
Wireless linking has been one of the most anticipated new features since Riley first mentioned he was working on it, and version 2.1 is bringing all that to the app. For now, however, all we have until the promised day arrives is to stare patiently at the words "Coming Soon."
Ah, Riley Testut, thou art a heartless tease.
Jokes aside, September is one of the biggest months for us - expect some news very soon from the GBA4iOS Blog and The Start3rs! - @mithical
Nintendo does strike twice! Second DMCA takes down GBA4iOS 2.0 and nds4ios again.
Poor Riley, he can't seem to catch a breather. Once again while vacationing (Hawaii this time), he got notified of a second DMCA notice from Nintendo that forced him to take down his hosting website (which was part of Karen's angelxwind.net and has also been taken down).
Nintendo has sent another notice regarding GBA4iOS, and as such http://t.co/2egsx0sRNS has been temporarily taken down (again)
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
August 6, 2014
Yes, it will be back up, but of course once again they choose to do this when I’m on vacation
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
August 6, 2014
GBA4iOS will continue working if you have it installed (and you set the date back occasionally), so you don’t need to worry about that :)
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
August 6, 2014
Just like the last notice, Nintendo was extremely vague on what exactly needs to change, although certainly don't doubt they would love to have the whole app itself taken down. Having been featured in a myriad of popular news site (recently The Verge), it's no wonder GBA4iOS' popularity keeps soaring and being caught in Nintendo's radar. Lots of exposure is a great thing, but it can also take the form of a bad thing for emulators that still reside in the "gray area."
Notice was extraordinarily vague, and they didn’t mention any reason in particular.
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
August 6, 2014
With the last DMCA notice, Riley figured the direct download button linking to a certain ROM site was at fault. He quickly changed it into a search button linking to Google and whatever you do with that was on you, the user, entirely. For Nintendo, this must have not been enough and whatever reason they have now, they aren't being very clear about it.
Riley is already working on the latest massive update for GBA4iOS, version 2.1 which is said to bring multiplayer support. He could include whatever changes he needs in this upcoming version and hope that a third DMCA notice doesn't come in.
Unlike last time, Riley will not be making the contents of the notice available for public reading as he was not the only one affected by this (and probably wasn't directed specifically at him), but the whole InfiniDev team which consequently also means nds4ios is down as well along with many repos hosted by Karen (@angelxwind).
I won’t be posting the contents of the notice this time because it wasn’t just directed at me; the entire InfiniDev team received it as well
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
August 6, 2014
Here's some tweets from Michael Zhang and Brian Tung, developers of nds4ios regarding this issue:
Nintendo has sent us a notice regarding nds4ios, the sites have been temporarily taken down.
— Michael Zhang (@Malvix_)
August 6, 2014
Your current nds4ios installations will continue working. Further notice will come soon.
— Michael Zhang (@Malvix_)
August 6, 2014
Regarding InfiniDev and nds4ios: everything will be fine we think. Situations are being dealt with and alternatives considered
— B (@iPlop)
August 6, 2014
Update 1:
Riley has found a temporary host for his website which gets bombarded with innumerable daily visits, so let's hope it proves strong enough until he finds a more permanent host. He said we should expect the site and the download link at the end of the day.
Found a temporary host for http://t.co/s9TSsIjN2n! Expect the site to be back up by the end of the day :)
— Riley Testut (@rileytestut)
August 8, 2014
Update 2:
It appears gba4iosapp.com and the download link for GBA4iOS 2.0 are back, just as Riley promised it would. Happy downloading!
Whatever issues are happening behind the scenes, I'm sure we will know more as time goes on. Keep in touch with all the main Twitter accounts covering this:
Riley Testut (@RileyTestut)
Michael Zhang (@Malvix_)
Brian Tung (@iPlop)
Dario (@Mithical)
Jon (@OPERATIONiDROID)
Tyler (@the120thwhisper)
