Will new Nokia phone run Nintendo games?

When Nokia unveiled a video showcasing the new emulation features of the N900, it may have come as a surprise to see it running a selection of Nintendo games.

In fact, it was a surprise... to Nintendo itself.

For according to UK PR manager Robert Saunders, Nintendo was unaware of Nokia's claims and it has now instructed its legal team to look at whether its copyright will be infringed by the move.

Mr Saunders said: "We take rigorous steps to protect our IP and our legal team will examine this to determine if any infringement has taken place."

The video, which was posted by the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer, shows the N900 containing buttons that, when pressed, open emulators.

They include Nintendo's Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, NES and SNES and Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros 3 are seen playing on the mobile phone.

The official Nokia video does state that "some emulators require separate ROM images to play games". It adds: "Most publishers allow individual title usage provided that the user is in possession of the original title." It advises people check with the title's provider.

Nintendo continues to make money from its back catalogue via services such as the Wii's download service, the Virtual Console.

The N900 phone is set to go head-to-head with Apple's iPhone for the attention of gamers. It has a touchscreen, slide-out keyboard, five megapixel camera and GPS
capabilities.

Nokia was unavailable for comment.