Super Metroid for 3DS: Early playable beta (Widescreen, 60 FPS, touch screen map & more)
UPDATE – v0.3.0 is out!
This is now the stable release. Highlights since v0.2.2:
- Save states: support for any number of states, a scrollable list, customizable color marks, and a detail window with a screenshot preview.
- In-app self-updater: checks for a newer release, asks for confirmation, downloads, and installs updates directly on the console.
- Widescreen: pieces of projectiles and extended enemies in the rows above the picture are now properly rendered.
- HOME menu fixes: the game's screens display correctly in the HOME menu, and closing/suspending it no longer freezes the console.
- UI & Bottom screen polish: added a lightning bolt icon on the battery while charging, internal 24-bit color optimizations, and cleaned up options (removed PAUSE and TURBO cells).
Download latest release: https://github.com/tinaut1986/sm-3ds/releases/latest
(Direct link to v0.3.0: https://github.com/tinaut1986/sm-3ds/releases/tag/v0.3.0)
UPDATE – v0.2.2 is out!
This is now the stable release. Since v0.2.0 (described below):
- Redone map tab, now like the game's own map (rooms joined, doors, save stations, items, refills, bosses, Samus' ship, area names), with zoom (1x/2x/3x) and drag to scroll.
- Stereoscopic 3D: many depth fixes, and text and menus in front.
- Widescreen: enemies, projectiles, X-ray and security-eye beams continue into the margins, plus several glitch fixes.
- Audio and input: native libctru, sound at the game's own 32 kHz.
- Smaller fixes: 19 RetroAchievements that never unlocked now do, and the intro's typing cursor follows the translated text.
Download v0.2.2: https://github.com/tinaut1986/sm-3ds/releases/tag/v0.2.2
Original post (v0.2.0)
Hey everyone!
After sharing the Zero Mission port a few days ago, quite a few people asked if something similar was possible for Super Metroid.
It turns out there was already an open-source base with some groundwork done for a 3DS port, so I decided to jump in, fix a bunch of issues, and push it much further to give it the same treatment as Zero Mission.
It's still an early work in progress, but I put together a working beta (v0.2.0) that is already quite playable:
What's currently in:
- Performance reworked: running at a solid 60 FPS on New 3DS, and hovering around 50–60 FPS on Old 2DS/3DS.
- Widescreen support (fills the top screen without stretching).
- Circle Pad / analog stick support.
- Dual-screen setup: bottom screen displays a live map, status screen, and options.
- Save states support.
- Integrated some missing community translations.
What's still missing / WIP:
- Stereoscopic 3D support (working on this next).
- Additional custom control mappings / shortcuts.
- General polish and bug fixing.
Just like with the previous port, no copyrighted game files or ROMs are included. You need to provide your own legal Super Metroid ROM file to run it.
You can grab the first beta build here: https://github.com/tinaut1986/sm-3ds/releases/tag/v0.2.0
Repository: https://github.com/tinaut1986/sm-3ds
I haven't had time to do a 100% full run yet, so if you try it out on your console and run into any glitches, softlocks, or weird behavior, please let me know. Hope you enjoy testing it!
Transparency note:
To avoid bad vibes and keep things 100% upfront: all the code here is generated by AI based on my directions.
While I’m a programmer, I have zero background in 3DS hardware or emulator engines—I act as the project lead deciding the features, debugging direction, and architecture, while the AI does the actual code writing. I'm not trying to take credit for low-level mastery I don't have; I just wanted to see Super Metroid running like this on the 3DS.