Developer ports Super Mario 64 to the Microsoft Zune HD
The build, based on the sm64ex project, runs via an on-screen touchscreen controller and needs a legal cartridge dump to play.
A developer known as rsheldiii has released a port that lets Super Mario 64 run on Microsoft's Zune HD, according to Hackaday.
The port is based on the sm64ex project and does not include the game's ROM file. Playing it requires a legal dump of the Super Mario 64 cartridge, so the build ships without Nintendo's copyrighted data.
The build is loaded onto a Zune HD and controlled through an on-screen touchscreen controller overlaid on the game video. To get the game running on the device's 2009-era processor, the developer used Nvidia's Tegra tools to pre-compile shaders.
A discontinued player with a surviving userbase
Microsoft's Zune failed to compete with Apple's iPod as a portable media player, and the last Zune devices rolled off the assembly line in 2012. The platform still has a fairly active userbase, and Bluetooth and solid-state drive upgrades have been available for the Zune almost since it was first released.
Quick answers
Can I run this port without owning Super Mario 64?
No. The port does not include the game's ROM file, and playing it requires a legal dump of the Super Mario 64 cartridge.
Which Zune model does the port run on?
The build is loaded onto a Zune HD and controlled with an on-screen touchscreen controller overlaid on the game video.
What is the port based on?
It is based on the sm64ex project, with Nvidia Tegra tools used to pre-compile shaders for the Zune HD's 2009-era processor.