chrissotraidis/kartpad

Mario Kart Wii and Retro Rewind, native for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and Android.

What it solves

KartPad allows users to play Mario Kart Wii and the Retro Rewind mod on mobile devices and Macs. It solves the performance and compatibility issues of traditional emulation by using static recompilation to run the game natively on ARM64 architecture.

How it works

The project uses a foundational translator and runtime called WiiCompiled to translate PowerPC game code ahead-of-time into native ARM64 code. It then renders the graphics using Vulkan on Android and Metal on Apple platforms (iOS, iPadOS, macOS), bypassing the need for a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler on iOS/iPadOS.

Who it’s for

Gamers who own a legally obtained copy of Mario Kart Wii (PAL RMCP01 revision 0) and want to play it natively on Android, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Silicon Macs.

Highlights

  • Native Performance: Uses static recompilation instead of traditional emulation to run as native ARM64 code.
  • Cross-Platform Support: Native builds for Android, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with an experimental preview for tvOS.
  • Modern Rendering: Leverages Vulkan and Metal for hardware-accelerated graphics.
  • Mobile-Optimized Controls: Includes customizable touch controls, motion steering, and support for external controllers.
  • Mod Support: Native support for the Retro Rewind mod (version 6.12.8).
  • Wii Remote Support: Experimental Bluetooth pairing for Wii Remotes and Nunchuks on macOS.

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