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Super Metroid cover art
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PC port · SNES → PC

sm (Super Metroid PC port by snesrev)

An unofficial native PC version of Super Metroid, rewritten in C from the SNES game's code. Playable but labelled an early version with bugs; you build it yourself and need your own ROM.

WorkingNeeds your own copyUpdated Oct 19, 2026
What you need

Your own Super Metroid SNES ROM, named sm.smc and matching the SHA-1 hash given in the README, plus SDL2 and a C compiler (MSYS2, Visual Studio, TCC, GCC or Clang) to build the port yourself: there are no ready-made downloads.

GitHub repository ↗

We do not host any files. Only download from the project's official source.

Short answer (checked 19 October 2026)

Yes, Super Metroid runs natively on PC, unofficially, through sm by snesrev, a fan project that rewrote the SNES game’s code in C. It is playable, but the README calls it an “early version” with bugs. There are no ready-made downloads: you build it yourself for Windows, Linux or macOS (or a Switch homebrew build), and you need your own Super Metroid ROM.

Super Metroid (1994) has only been re-released on Nintendo hardware and services. In March 2023 snesrev, the team behind the A Link to the Past PC port, published a native PC version of it. TechEBlog and RetroRGB covered it at the time, both calling it an early build.

What it is

  • A native rewrite: the SNES game’s code was rewritten in C, so the game runs as a PC program rather than inside an emulator. It is not a matching decompilation, and it is not an automatic recompilation either.
  • Self-checking: by default the port runs the original game code alongside its own and compares them frame by frame. When they differ, it saves a snapshot in the saves folder and shows a countdown on screen, so bugs in the rewrite can be reported.
  • Still tied to the ROM: the port reads the game’s data from your ROM, and some code paths still point into it. The community fork sm_rewrite lists removing those reads as one of its goals.

It belongs with the decompilation-style ports in our recompiled games list, though Super Metroid is a SNES game, not one of the consoles listed there.

Current status
State Playable, labelled “early version” with bugs
Latest build No releases; last code change on the main branch in April 2023
Platforms Windows, Linux, macOS; Nintendo Switch (homebrew)
Licence MIT

The issue tracker has open reports of desyncs against the original game, for example in the Kraid fight and with grapple blocks, plus build problems on newer macOS versions. We couldn’t confirm that the game can be finished start to end without problems.

What you need

  • Your own Super Metroid ROM, renamed to sm.smc. The README identifies the exact version it expects by a SHA-1 hash; other versions are not supported.
  • SDL2 and a C compiler. The official building instructions cover MSYS2, Visual Studio 2022 and the Tiny C Compiler on Windows, GCC or Clang on Linux and macOS, and devkitPro for the Switch build.
  • Some patience: you compile it yourself, there is no installer.

We don’t explain how to obtain or copy game data.

Other Super Metroid projects

  • sm_rewrite (by testyourmine): a continuation of the snesrev port that renames functions, works on removing direct ROM reads and adds early MSU-1 audio support. Its README says it is still very early, with little change on the player side. No releases.
  • Further forks exist on GitHub. We only cover the original snesrev project here.
  • sm is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with Nintendo. The repository contains no game data; you provide your own ROM.
  • Use only a ROM from a cartridge you own.
  • Get the source only from the official snesrev repository. There are no official prebuilt downloads, so be careful with builds offered elsewhere.

FAQ

Can you play Super Metroid on PC?

Unofficially, yes. snesrev's sm is a fan-made native PC version of Super Metroid for Windows, Linux and macOS. It is playable, but its own README calls it an early version with bugs. You have to build it yourself and supply your own ROM.

Is the Super Metroid PC port an emulator?

No. The game's SNES code was rewritten in C, so the game logic runs as a native PC program. In its default mode it also runs the original code alongside and compares the two frame by frame to catch mistakes.

What do I need to play it?

Your own Super Metroid ROM, named sm.smc and matching the SHA-1 hash listed in the README, plus SDL2 and a C compiler to build the port. The official building instructions cover Windows, Linux, macOS and a Nintendo Switch homebrew build.

Is there a download of the Super Metroid PC port?

Not a ready-made one. The official repository has no releases; you build it from the source code. Treat prebuilt copies on other sites with caution, since they are not from the author.

Is it made by the same people as the Zelda A Link to the Past PC port?

Yes. Both come from snesrev, and sm uses the same approach as the zelda3 project.

Is the port still being updated?

Rarely. The last code change on the main branch was in April 2023. Community forks such as sm_rewrite continue the clean-up, but none has a release.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Nintendo or snesrev (sm (Super Metroid PC port by snesrev)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these official sources on Oct 19, 2026. Versions and steps follow the official project; if they differ, the official source wins.