Build Your Own NES Emulator with C++ and SFML – A Complete Tutorial

As summer ends, the author reminisces about playing the classic FC (NES) console and introduces an open‑source NES emulator hosted on GitHub.

The emulator is a hobby project written in C++ using SFML 2.0+, compatible with most mainstream ROMs.

Requirements:

SFML 2.0+ development libraries

C++11‑compatible compiler

CMake build system

Build steps (run in the project directory):

cd SimpleNES
mkdir build && cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
make -j4    # replace 4 with the number of cores you want to use

Typical run commands:

./SimpleNES ~/Games/SuperMarioBros.nes

./SimpleNES -w 600 ~/Games/Contra.nes

./SimpleNES -h

Default keybindings (configurable via keybindings.conf):

Player 1

Start → Return/Enter

Select → Right Shift

A → J

B → K

Up → W

Down → S

Left → A

Right → D

Player 2

Start → Numpad9

Select → Numpad8

A → Numpad5

B → Numpad6

Up → Up Arrow

Down → Down Arrow

Left → Left Arrow

Right → Right Arrow

While many NES emulators are available online, building one yourself adds a personal touch to the nostalgic experience.