Programmer ports Super Mario 64 to Microsoft Zune HD media player

A programmer has released an open source port that runs Nintendo's Super Mario 64 natively on Microsoft's Zune HD media player, according to reports from Tom's Hardware, TechEBlog, and news.lavx.hu. Tom's Hardware reported that the fan port plays mostly at full speed and includes touch-screen controls along with save support if the user provides their own game ROM. [1][3][4]

The port, titled sm64-zune, allows the 2009 handheld media device to execute the game code directly on its hardware, according to TechEBlog and news.lavx.hu. [3][4]

Microsoft originally released the Zune HD on September 15, 2009, offering initial storage options of 16 GB and 32 GB before introducing a 64 GB model on April 9, 2010. Designed as a touchscreen direct competitor to Apple's iPod Touch series, the media player featured built-in Wi-Fi for web browsing, device synchronization, and access to the Zune Marketplace. [5]

Super Mario 64 was originally developed by Nintendo and released in 1996, pioneering analog stick control schemes and open world exploration in 3D platformers. Nintendo has historically maintained tight control over its flagship Super Mario franchise, releasing games primarily for its own hardware platforms alongside a limited number of non-Nintendo deployments. [6][8]