Footage of Pandora running SNES games emerges

The Pandora may have overshot its estimated release date of January 2009 by some margin but that hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm for this obscenely powerful open-source handheld.

In fact, when we see videos like the one below – which shows a pre-production version of the machine running Super Nintendo games effortlessly – it actually only serves to heighten our already giddy level of anticipation for this gaming-loving ultra-mobile PC.

As you can see, games run a full speed – if anything, at times the emulator appears to be running too fast, which is to be expected as the actual code is a hastily retooled version of the GP2X SNES emulator. Naturally, when the final Pandora SNES emulator is released you can expect things to be a little more consistent. While you might think that SNES emulation on open-source handhelds is no big deal, it’s worth noting that the current crop of machines – including the GP2X, Wiz and Dingoo Digital A-320 – aren’t capable of replicating the experience 100 per cent authentically. The high-tech Mode 7 effects (well, high-tech for 1990, anyway) are tremendously processor intensive, you see. As well as enabling you to play classic titles such as Super Mario Kart, F-Zero, Donkey Kong Country and Zelda: Link to the Past, the Pandora will also emulate countless other machines and comes complete with wi-fi, Bluetooth, an 800x480 resolution LCD screen and a high capacity battery that should offer enough juice for over ten hours of play – and all of this from a unit that is only fractionally bigger than the Nintendo DS.

Want to know more? Then check out our exclusive interview with the Pandora creators or visit the recently overhauled official Pandora site.