Super Mario Bros. Wonder is getting an unofficial native PC port

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is heading to PC through an unofficial native port, with development now reportedly close to completion. This isn’t a conventional Nintendo Switch emulation project. Instead, the developers are converting the game’s original code into software Windows can run natively. Graphics calls originally made through Nintendo’s NVN API are being translated to Vulkan, giving the project a very different technical setup from running the Switch release through an emulator. There’s no public release date yet. Still, footage already shows the PC build running.

The project is close, but there’s no release date

Development is reportedly nearing completion, though no firm date has been announced for a public build. Several practical details remain unanswered. We don’t yet have a complete picture of installation, graphics settings, input options or performance across different PC configurations.

This is an unofficial project, too. Nintendo hasn’t announced a Windows release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, so the commercial game remains tied to Nintendo hardware. Native PC conversion projects involving other Switch games have appeared before, including work connected with Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario 3D World. Wonder stands out as a much newer release, arriving late in the Switch generation and using technology built for Nintendo’s current console software stack.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder gave 2D Mario a major shake-up

Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. Wonder for Switch on 20 October 2023. It was the first completely new side-scrolling Super Mario entry in years and moved Mario’s adventure away from the Mushroom Kingdom into the Flower Kingdom.

Bowser causes the trouble, naturally. After getting involved with a Wonder Flower, he merges with Prince Florian’s castle and starts spreading his influence across the region. Mario and company set off across the Flower Kingdom to stop him. Wonder Flowers form the game’s central mechanic.

Grab one inside a course and the level can change in seconds. Pipes start moving. Enemies behave differently. Characters transform. Sections of scenery shift around. Some stages alter their rules entirely for a short sequence. It’s one of the main reasons Wonder plays differently from earlier 2D Mario games.

Nintendo added several new transformations too. Elephant Fruit turns Mario and other characters into elephant forms, letting them hit enemies with a trunk, smash certain blocks and carry water. Bubble Flowers create bubbles capable of trapping enemies or acting as temporary platforms. Drill Mushrooms let characters burrow through selected surfaces.

The playable roster includes Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, several Toad characters, Yoshi variants and Nabbit. The Switch edition supports local multiplayer for up to four players, plus online features involving other players appearing inside courses.

PC details are still limited

For now, the native PC version remains a work in progress. What makes it technically interesting is its method. Windows isn’t being asked to imitate Switch hardware during gameplay. The project recompiles the game code for PC and converts its graphics workload from NVN to Vulkan.

A finished public build hasn’t arrived, and its final feature set remains unknown. We still need details on performance, hardware support, controls and PC-specific settings. Still, development appears to be moving close to a playable release. Once more technical information appears, we’ll have a clearer idea of how this unofficial Windows version compares with the original Switch game in everyday use.