Last year, a group of dedicated classic iPod enthusiasts embarked on a mission to preserve playable versions of the downloadable clickwheel games sold by Apple during the late 2000s. These fans aimed to circumvent Apple’s restrictive FairPlay DRM by coordinating users with original game copies to sync their accounts to a single iTunes installation via a specialized Virtual Machine. This “master library” would enable endless access to playable copies of these games for multiple iPods.
During the project’s initial phase, organizers actively sought iPod owners who had syncable copies of the last few titles required to complete their collection. With the recent addition of Real Soccer 2009, all 54 official clickwheel games are now available in a consolidated format, marking a significant achievement for the community.
Partnerships and Progress
Olsro, the GitHub user behind the iPod Clickwheel Games Preservation Project, reported that he initially connected with three individuals who possessed extensive iPod game libraries shortly after the project’s inception last October. This included one dedicated YouTuber who had collected 39 distinct games, even repurchasing some upgraded versions released by Apple for newer iPod models.
After an article by Ars prompted additional iPod owners to come forward with syncable game libraries, a series of subsequent updates rapidly filled most gaps, leaving only a few titles unaccounted for. However, progress slowed as Olsro faced numerous technical issues and false leads that hindered the completion of the library.
“I spent considerable time assisting individuals who encountered difficulties transferring files and authorizing their accounts on the Virtual Machine,” Olsro explained. “Despite setbacks, I maintained my motivation by regularly posting updates and helping anyone reaching out to me via Discord until I found someone able and willing to navigate the entire process with me,” he noted on Reddit.
Acquiring working access to the elusive Real Soccer 2009 proved to be particularly challenging. Olsro recounted numerous failed attempts over the summer, until a breakthrough occurred just recently. “One individual even had an iPod Nano 5G with a playable version, but the drive appeared empty in Windows Explorer. When they attempted recovery, the iPod’s NAND became corrupted,” he shared.
This series of difficulties underscores the ongoing urgency faced by Olsro and the iPod community. “I was constantly worried about potential loss of Apple IDs, game files, or failing mechanical hard drives that stored the games,” he recalled. “There was always some unexpected issue or disaster that thwarted our efforts,” he added in a Reddit discussion, revealing that two iPod hard drives and one Mac HDD failed during the backup attempts.
The preservation team also contended with an uncertain timeline concerning Apple’s support, as the tech giant could shut down the necessary servers for authorizing new games at any moment. Fortunately, Olsro indicated that the outdated version of iTunes 12 they relied on for their Virtual Machine is crucial, as it still supports the downloading of iOS apps. However, with the version dating back to 2018, he doesn’t expect it to remain viable past 2030.
Ensured Access for Future Generations
Now that the complete collection of clickwheel games is available, owners of iPod 5G+ and iPod Nano 3G+ devices can sync the library to their personal devices offline, eliminating concerns over Apple server checks. This can be achieved by setting up a Virtual Machine using instructions from GitHub or by downloading a distributed Internet Archive collection and creating a Virtual Machine from the included files.
For Olsro, the completion of this project signifies the enduring legacy of an important chapter from the early 2000s. He expressed hope that this Virtual Machine could serve as a resource for researchers or security experts wanting to delve into the workings of DRM.
For gamers who experienced this unique era of Apple’s gaming history, the project also offers immediate nostalgic rewards. Reddit user Mahboishk shared, “The iPod version of Sonic the Hedgehog was my introduction to the franchise as a child, and it led me into speedrunning. To this day, it remains the most accessible version for me due to my ingrained muscle memory,” highlighting the personal significance of the preservation effort.
