Nintendo classic Super Mario 64 is now playable on iOS and Apple TV thanks to a very unofficial port. A video shows the game — which is packed with a bunch of cheats — running pretty flawlessly at a smooth 60 frames per second.
You can download the game and try it out for yourself. However, getting it up and running requires Xcode and some trickery. If interested, you might want to jump on it soon before Nintendo wipes it off the planet.
Super Mario 64 lands on iOS and Apple TV
Super Mario 64, which debuted on the Nintendo 64 in 1996, has made a big comeback recently — first in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars bundle released last year on Switch, and then via the Nintendo 64 virtual console (also on Switch).
But, as is often the case with a game of this age, there are plenty of other (less legitimate) ways to enjoy it. The latest is an iOS and Apple TV port that, believe it or not, runs natively without the use of an emulator.
Developer ckosmic took a PC port of the game and adapted it to run flawlessly on iOS, then on tvOS. The developer optimized it to run in fullscreen at 60 frames per second, “thanks to the sm64 decompilation project and sm64ex.”
The video below shows the game in action on Apple TV — and it looks pretty darn impressive.
What’s the catch?
Ckosmic claims the port contains no pirated material, but in order to play it legally, you must own an original copy of Super Mario 64. Even then, Nintendo typically does not turn a blind eye to ports like this. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Japanese company get it pulled it soon.
In the meantime, if you want to try out the game on your own iPhone, iPad or Apple TV, you can follow an online guide to getting it up and running. Note that it requires you to put your Apple TV in developer mode. You’ll also need Xcode on a Mac to compile the code and install the package on your device.
