TanookiStudios/SuperMarioAllStarsRecomp

If you own the 25th Anniversary Super Mario All-Stars ROM and want fullscreen play with modern controllers and save states, this is worth a look — but only if your file matches its single accepted hash.

The problem

Playing a 1993 SNES collection on a current machine usually means loading an emulator, picking a core, mapping a controller, and accepting the emulator's scaling. You want to pick a release, press Play, and get sharp whole-number scaling, working gamepads and save states without configuring emulation layers. Here a launcher verifies your own ROM and the game runs as a native application, with a launcher and an Esc menu replacing the emulator's settings maze.

What's different

The notable mechanism is hybrid execution. Per the README, Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels are mostly translated into native code, while Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3 run their original code in a built-in interpreter, with the author stating both reach full speed. That makes this a purpose-built app for one cartridge, not a generic emulator, and the build itself uses your ROM to translate the game. The payoff is a small app with launcher cheats, per-voice sound muting, save/load states, remapping, and controllers recognized by name — Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, 8BitDo and "over 2,000 other pads." The trade-off is narrowness: a different dump, including the plain 1993 "Super Mario All-Stars (USA)" file, fails the hash check, so it is not a SNES front end. The full-speed claim for the interpreted games is the author's, not an independent benchmark.

Who should try it

The good fit owns the exact 25th Anniversary USA file, wants a couch-friendly controller setup, and prefers save states and cheats to emulator tinkering; Android gets an on-screen SNES pad that hides when a controller connects. The poor fit has a 1993 or regional dump, or wants to run other SNES titles — a general emulator serves them better. Building from source needs the same ROM plus a toolchain; most people should use the prebuilt Mac, Windows, Linux or Android download.

Requirements and limitations

The hard constraint is the ROM: only "Super Mario All-Stars (USA) (Super Mario All-Stars - 25th Anniversary)" is accepted, and its SHA-256 is published, so verify your file before downloading. No game data ships. The project's code is PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 and may never be sold, and the snesrecomp engine carries its own noncommercial license — relevant if you planned to reuse it.

Platform ranges are stated but not guaranteed: macOS 11+ on Apple or Intel (signed and notarized), 64-bit Windows, 64-bit Linux from most desktops since 2020, and Android 7+ via APK rather than Google Play. Upkeep means keeping your ROM and settings separate from updates and checking the releases page for version notes rather than assuming settings or saves carry across.

HotRepo's take

HotRepo began tracking on 2026-10-24, when the repo was four days old; its 2026-10-25 new-repository board entry for Java showed 51 total stars at #24, which is not daily growth. With no comparable daily-board history, persistence cannot yet be judged. Before spending time, confirm your ROM's SHA-256 against the project site — that check decides whether the app runs at all.