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What is a native port?
A native port is a modern re-release of a classic game that runs on today's platforms (PC, Linux, macOS or Android), with no emulator and no compatibility layer in between.
Most of the projects in this catalog are community efforts. The code is written from scratch or converted from the original, then published as open source.
They never ship the game's own files. Music, levels and sound are read from a copy of the original game that you own. That is what keeps the whole scene legal.
How ports are made
Each technique describes how a project recreates the original game. The port's detail page always tells you which one it uses.
- Decompilation
- The game's source code is rebuilt from the original, function by function. It is slow work.
- Recompilation
- The console's processor is not emulated: its code is translated ahead of time. The console's system and graphics are replaced by a layer from the project.
- Reimplementation
- A new engine recreates the game or a family of games. Flexible, but faithfulness depends on each reimplemented asset.
- Source port
- An engine released by its original developer, updated to keep running on modern systems.
- Native runtime
- A per-game runtime replaces the console's system libraries; the game's own code runs natively and its graphics are translated to a modern API.
You can browse the catalog by technique from each port's detail page; the technique is always shown in the overview.
Getting your own copy, legally
- No project in this catalog distributes the original game's files, and this site links to no downloads of any kind. To play any port you must own the original game. That is the rule I am least willing to bend.
- In many countries it is legal to make a copy of a game you own; check your country's law. You extract the data with the tools each project documents. Some games are also sold again officially by their publisher.
- Never download third-party bundles: besides being illegal, they are a common way to catch malware. Use only official sources (the ones linked here).