Ever wanted to create your own SNES game? Learn the basics of Super Nintendo homebrew development and join the thriving retro dev community.

How to Make Your Own SNES Game: A Beginner's Guide to Homebrew Development

Imagine playing a game you created on an actual Super Nintendo console. Not an emulator. Not a modern recreation. Your code running on 1991 hardware, displayed on a CRT TV, controlled with an original SNES controller.

This isn't a fantasy—it's completely possible, and the SNES homebrew development community is more active than ever in 2025.

Whether you want to create the next indie darling, preserve a childhood game idea, or just understand how your favorite games work, SNES development is an incredibly rewarding hobby.

This guide will show you how to get started.

Why Develop for SNES in 2025?

"Isn't the SNES ancient? Why not make a modern game?"

Valid question! Here's why SNES development is experiencing a renaissance:

It's Approachable

Modern game development requires learning Unity, Unreal Engine, 3D modeling, advanced physics, networking, and more. SNES development is comparatively simple—you're working with limited hardware constraints that actually make development easier.

Instant Gratification

Within a few hours of learning, you can display a sprite on screen. Within a week, you can have a simple playable game. Try doing that with modern game development!

Hardware Nostalgia

Your game runs on actual 30-year-old hardware. There's something magical about that.

Active Community

Discord servers, forums, and GitHub repos are full of helpful developers sharing knowledge and code.

Physical Releases

You can create actual physical cartridges of your game. How cool is that?

Technical Challenge

Understanding how 16-bit consoles work teaches fundamentals that translate to modern programming.

What You'll Need

Software (All Free!)

Assembler:

bass - Modern, well-maintained assembler (recommended for beginners)
WLA-DX - Popular alternative with great documentation
ca65 - If you want to use C instead of pure assembly

Emulators for Testing:

bsnes - Most accurate SNES emulator, perfect for final testing
Mesen-S - Best debugger, shows exactly what your code is doing
Snes9x - Fast testing, good for quick iterations

Graphics Tools:

YY-CHR - Convert images to SNES tile format
Tilemap Studio - Create tile maps for backgrounds
GIMP - General image editing

Text Editor:

VS Code with assembly extensions
Notepad++ with syntax highlighting
Vim if you're old school

Version Control:

Git - Track your changes, share code

Hardware (Optional but Recommended)

For Testing on Real Hardware:

SNES console ($50-$100 used)
Flash cart like FXPak Pro ($200) or Super Everdrive ($100)
CRT TV for authentic experience (optional)

For Physical Cartridges (Advanced):

Reproduction PCBs from Mortoff Games ($15-25)
EPROM programmer like TL866II Plus ($50)
Soldering iron and basic tools ($30)

Total startup cost: $0 (emulator only) to $500 (full hardware setup)

Understanding SNES Hardware

Before coding, understand what you're working with:

The CPU: 65c816

16-bit processor (evolved from NES's 6502)
Runs at 3.58 MHz (slower than modern microwave!)
128KB of RAM (your phone has 4-8GB)
No floating-point support—everything is integers

The PPU (Picture Processing Unit)

Handles all graphics
256 colors on screen from palette of 32,768
8 background layers (modes determine which are active)
128 sprites (8x8 or 16x16 pixels)
Mode 7: Pseudo-3D rotation/scaling effects

Sound: SPC700

8-channel audio processor
Sample-based sound (not FM synthesis like Genesis)
64KB of audio RAM

Controllers

D-pad, 4 face buttons, 2 shoulder buttons
Reading button states is straightforward

Important: These limitations force creative solutions, making SNES development a fascinating puzzle.

Your First Program: "Hello World"

Let's display text on screen. Here's simplified assembly code:

; SNES "Hello World" Program
; Displays text on screen

.include "snes_init.asm"   ; Standard initialization code

.bank 0
.org $8000

Start:
    ; Initialize SNES hardware
    jsr InitSNES
    
    ; Load our tile data (font characters)
    jsr LoadFont
    
    ; Load palette data (colors)
    jsr LoadPalette
    
    ; Write "HELLO WORLD" to screen
    jsr WriteText
    
    ; Turn on screen (it starts black)
    lda #$0f
    sta $2100
    
MainLoop:
    wai        ; Wait for vblank
    jmp MainLoop

WriteText:
    ; Character positions for "HELLO WORLD"
    ; This is simplified - real code would loop
    lda #'H'
    sta $2000   ; Write to VRAM
    lda #'E'
    sta $2001
    ; ... etc
    rts

What's happening:

Initialize the SNES (clear memory, set up screen mode)
Load graphics data (font tiles)
Load colors (palette)
Write text by placing characters in VRAM
Turn on the screen
Loop forever, waiting for vertical blank

This is about 100 lines of actual code. Within a few hours, you could have this running!

Learning Path: Week by Week

Week 1-2: Understanding the Basics

Learn:

65c816 assembly syntax
Memory mapping (where different data lives)
Register basics ($2100-$21FF control hardware)
Setting up your development environment

Resources:

Ersanio's SNES Assembly Book (GitHub, free)
Super Famicom Development Wiki
"Let's Learn SNES Assembly" series (YouTube)

Goal: Display a single sprite on screen that you can move with the D-pad

Week 3-4: Graphics and Sprites

Learn:

Tile-based graphics system
Sprite positioning and attributes
Palette manipulation
Background layers

Goal: Create a character that walks across multiple background screens

Week 5-6: Game Logic

Learn:

Collision detection
Game states (title screen, gameplay, game over)
Score tracking
Simple enemy AI

Goal: Create a simple platformer with jumping and enemies

Week 7-8: Sound and Polish

Learn:

Playing sound effects
Music integration (use existing tools)
Screen transitions
UI elements

Goal: Complete playable game with sound

Beyond: Specialization

Advanced Mode 7 effects
Special chip emulation
Complex game mechanics
ROM hacking techniques

Your First Game: Pong

Pong is perfect for learning SNES development:

What you'll implement:

Two paddles (sprites)
Ball (sprite with physics)
Score display (text)
Controller input
Collision detection
Simple AI

Complexity: ~500 lines of assembly Time to complete: 2-4 weeks for beginners What you'll learn: 80% of fundamental SNES development

Once you've made Pong, you can make anything!

Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake #1: Trying to Write Everything from Scratch

Use libraries and example code! The SNES init code alone is 200+ lines—don't reinvent the wheel.

Mistake #2: Not Testing Frequently

Test every 10-20 lines of code. Debugging 500 lines at once is nightmare fuel.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Vertical Blank

You can only update graphics during vblank (when the screen isn't drawing). Ignore this and get glitchy graphics.

Mistake #4: Not Reading Documentation

The SNES has specific rules for everything. Read the docs before asking why your code doesn't work!

Mistake #5: Starting Too Ambitious

Don't start with your dream RPG. Make Pong. Then Breakout. Then Space Invaders. Build skills progressively.

Existing Homebrew to Study

Learn by reading others' code:

Simple Games (Great for Learning):

240p Test Suite - Basic graphics tests
Burly Bear vs. The Mean Foxes - Simple platformer
SNES Snake - Classic snake game
Pong - Various implementations available

Advanced Games (Inspiration):

Skipp and Friends - Full commercial-quality platformer
Uwol: Quest for Money - Professional homebrew
Sydney Hunter and the Caverns of Death - Complete adventure game
Nightmare Busters - Commercial quality (was unreleased game finished by fans)

Download these, study the code, see how they solve problems.

Creating Physical Cartridges

Once your game works, make it real:

Option 1: Reproduction PCBs

Buy PCB from Mortoff Games ($20)
Program EPROM chip with your game ($3 for chip)
Solder components together
Insert into SNES cart shell ($5)
Create custom label (print your own)

Cost per cart: ~$30-40 Difficulty: Moderate (requires soldering)

Option 2: Flash Carts

Test on FXPak Pro ($200) or Super Everdrive ($100) before making physical carts. These let you load any ROM file onto real hardware.

Option 3: Commission a Repro Maker

Pay someone to create physical carts of your game ($50-100 each). Perfect for gifts or limited releases.

The Homebrew Community

You're not alone! Join these communities:

Discord Servers:

SNES Development Discord
NesDev (covers SNES too)
Homebrew Hub

Forums:

SMW Central (ROM hacking, applies to homebrew)
romhacking.net forums
atariage.com SNES forum

Reddit:

r/snesdev
r/emudev
r/retrogamedev

GitHub: Thousands of SNES homebrew projects to study and contribute to

Monetization: Can You Sell Your Games?

Yes! But understand the landscape:

Physical Carts:

Small batch releases (50-500 copies)
Typical price: $30-$60 per cart
Sell at conventions, online stores, Itch.io
Example: Limited Run Games releases homebrew

Digital Sales:

Itch.io allows selling SNES ROMs
Typical price: $5-$15
Build audience first
Patreon for ongoing support

Realistic Expectations:

Most homebrew games: $0-$500 total revenue
Well-marketed games: $2,000-$10,000
Exceptional games: $20,000+ (very rare)

Don't do this for money—do it for love of creation!

Advanced Topics

Once comfortable with basics, explore:

Mode 7 Programming: Create pseudo-3D effects like F-Zero and Super Mario Kart

Custom Enhancement Chips: Simulate special chips for advanced effects

ROM Hacking: Modify existing games to learn techniques

Multi-Cart Games: Create games larger than standard cart sizes

Modern Development Tools: Use modern languages that compile to 65c816 assembly

Resources & Next Steps

Essential Reading

Ersanio's SNES Assembly Book (free on GitHub)
Super Famicom Development Wiki (wiki.superfamicom.org)
65c816 Processor Manual (WDC official docs)

Video Tutorials

Retro Game Mechanics Explained (YouTube)
Let's Make an NES Game (applies to SNES)
Various SNES dev tutorials on YouTube

Development Tools

bass assembler (GitHub: ARM9/bass)
bsnes emulator (byuu.org)
Mesen-S debugger (GitHub: SourMesen/Mesen-S)

Community

Join The 725 Club homebrew developer forum (coming soon!) to:

Share your projects
Get code reviews
Find collaborators
Showcase your games

Your Challenge: 30-Day Game Jam

Can you make a playable SNES game in 30 days?

Week 1: Setup environment, display sprite Week 2: Implement movement and controls Week 3: Add game mechanics and collision Week 4: Polish, sound, and completion

Share your progress on social media with #The725Club and #SNESHomebrew!

Final Thoughts

Creating SNES games connects you to gaming history. You're using the same hardware that powered Super Mario World, Zelda, and Chrono Trigger.

Every sprite you position, every collision you detect, every sound effect you trigger—you're doing what legendary developers did 30 years ago, but with modern tools and knowledge.

Start small. Start today.

Download bsnes. Open a text editor. Write your first line of assembly code.

That's how every journey to The 725 Club begins—one line at a time.

Ready to start developing? Join our SNES Homebrew Developer community at The725Club.com and share your creations!