Searching for this query exposes a three-way tension between the player, the publisher, and history.
1. The Player’s Right to Access The DS is a discontinued system. Copies of SM64DS are cheap, but the hardware is aging (fragile hinges, dead backlights, drifting touch screens). A PC with an emulator offers:
The player isn't trying to steal. They are trying to optimize their experience of a product Nintendo no longer sells in its original form.
2. Nintendo’s Legal Iron Fist Nintendo is famously aggressive toward emulation. They argue that downloading a ROM, even of a 2004 game you own physically, circumvents their IP rights. They would prefer you buy Super Mario 3D All-Stars (which included the N64 version of Mario 64, notably not the DS version) before they delisted it.
Why didn't they include the DS version? Because it would require emulating the dual screens and touch input. It was easier to port the older N64 code. This tells you everything: Nintendo views the DS version as a historical artifact, not a current product. They abandoned it. The fans didn't. super mario 64 ds download pc
3. The Preservation Paradox If every person who searched for “SM64DS download PC” instead deleted their search and walked away, the DS version would slowly die. No new players. No mods. No YouTube speedruns. The unique 150-star Luigi/Penguin slide would become a forgotten footnote.
Emulation is often the only form of preservation for niche variants of games. The PC becomes the ultimate museum—one where you are legally not allowed to enter unless you bring your own ticket stub from 2006.
Assuming you have your legally dumped ROM (file extension .nds), follow this walkthrough using MelonDS.
Before you commit to SM64DS emulation, you should know about a completely different project: the unofficial native PC port of the original Super Mario 64. Searching for this query exposes a three-way tension
In 2020, the source code for Super Mario 64 was reverse-engineered. This allowed programmers to compile a true, native Windows/Linux/macOS executable that runs the original N64 game at 60 FPS, with widescreen, 4K resolution, full analog camera control, and even mod support.
How is this different from SM64DS?
To get the PC port:
Which should you choose?
The original had 120 stars. SM64DS adds 30 more, including new secret slides, hidden rabbit-chasing challenges, and character-specific caps that transform abilities in ways the original never attempted.
Why it’s a classic: “No Cash GBA” is ancient but incredibly lightweight. It runs SM64DS perfectly at native resolution, though it lacks modern upscaling.
Verdict: Use MelonDS. It’s the future of DS emulation.
To run SM64DS on PC, you need a DS emulator. Here are the top three, ranked by performance and features. The player isn't trying to steal