A number of hot-selling paid apps that let gamers play modified versions of old-school video games were yanked from the Android Marketplace. The vanished apps, which were presumably pulled due to intellectual property violations, allowed gamers to turn their phones into sketchy conduits to relive the magic of the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and other ancient consoles.

The apps, which included Nesoid, Snesoid, Gensoid, N64oid, among others, all came from the same developer, who tells Engadget that Google has banned him from developing apps for the service, but he’s created free (for now) versions for third-party app store SlideME.

Do you agree with Google’s decision to remove the apps and block the developer?

Android Market’s most popular emulators disappear without a trace [Engadget]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.