A developer group on GitHub called snesrev (opens in new tab) released an early version of a complete port (opens in new tab) of the PC version of Super Metroid this week. While for decades it has been possible to play "Super Metroid" on the PC virtually through emulation, this is a complete native port of the Super NES classic that does not require emulation of the original hardware.

In addition to providing additional redundancy in preserving classic games, such a complete reverse port opens the door for further modding, custom content, and quality-of-life changes. As the PC port of Super Metroid matures, developers may create new ROM hacks or support widescreen with no real stretching (many classic games are limited to 4:3 with black bars or to fit 16:9 (many classic games are limited to 4:3 with black bars or are severely stretched to fit 16:9).

We previously reported on snesrev's efforts in porting "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" (open in new tab), but DIY PC ports of classic console games are becoming increasingly common. Both "Super Mario 64" and "Ocarina of Time" (open in new tab) have been successful on the PC, and just last year we successfully reverse-engineered the PS2 classic "Jak and Daxter" (open in new tab) (arguably Naughty Dog's most anticipated PC port to date (opens in new tab)).

However, Snesrev's port of Super Metroid is not for the faint of heart. As of this writing, it still needs to be decompiled to access the project on GitHub, and in snesrev's own words, it is "buggy and the code is messy."

The aforementioned "Link to the Past" port is still a compile-and-run type of project, and when snesrev and other developers make the installation process and build of "Super Metroid" easier, they will need their own legal ROM to run it. Nintendo's lawyers are going back and forth like Darth Maul at the end of "The Phantom Menace," so you don't want to pull something they might object to!