These free programs let discontinued, often HDTV-incompatible games play on computers - in many cases, with noticeably better graphics than you remember. For years, Macs and PCs have been able to run thousands of classic console and arcade games, including Nintendo’s best-known titles, using emulators.

The implication is that only Nintendo consoles are capable of playing Nintendo’s console games. Nintendo hasn’t actually committed to bringing the Super Mario games people love into the App Store instead, it’s saying only that its characters will appear in new titles that won’t require complex controls. When Nintendo announced last week that it will collaborate with DeNA to release iPhone and iPad games, gamers split into two camps: people intrigued by the promise of brand new Nintendo titles designed for mobile devices, and others - including myself - who expect Nintendo to release shallow mobile minigames, mostly to promote console titles.