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SNES emulator slips onto App Store, shoots straight to No. 1

A storage app that also happens to run Super Nintendo games by emulation has managed to get on the App Store and is the top-selling app.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
Super Mario Bros 3, running on the emulator.
Super Mario Bros 3, running on the emulator. CNET

A storage app that also happens to work as a Super Nintendo emulator has managed to slip by Apple's reviewers and has shot to the top of all paid applications.

The 99-cent app, called Remote File Manager, can link up to both FTP and Dropbox accounts and open numerous file types. That includes ROM files for Super Nintendo games, which open up in an emulator with on-screen touch controls.

It's unclear exactly when the feature was added to the software, which has been on the App Store since last November. It's only received two updates since then, the most recent of which was in July.

None of this seems to concern shoppers on the App Store, which have made it the top paid app, and the 26th highest grossing.

Apple is expected to pull down the app, which was spotted by TouchArcade on Wednesday. It has done that with just about every other piece of software that's slipped an emulator past its defenses.

Update at 8:25 a.m. PT on 9/5: The app is no longer available. It was removed off the App Store around 6 p.m. PT on Wednesday.