Game Boy Advance Gets Super Mario 64 Remake

A dedicated modder is painstakingly recreating Super Mario 64 for the Game Boy Advance. Given the significant hardware limitations of the GBA compared to the original N64, this ambitious undertaking is nothing short of remarkable. The progress made is truly astounding.

Super Mario 64, released in 1996, holds a cherished place in gaming history as not only a top-tier Nintendo 64 title but also a universally beloved classic. Marking Nintendo's groundbreaking foray into 3D platforming for its flagship franchise, it achieved phenomenal success, selling nearly 12 million copies on the N64.

Joshua Barretto, a passionate Super Mario fan, recently unveiled a video showcasing their GBA recreation. Initially attempting a direct port of the game's code proved too challenging, prompting a complete rebuild from the ground up. The results are impressive. A May update depicted a rudimentary Mario represented as a red triangle; within just two months, the game's initial level is already playable.

Modder Joshua Barretto's GBA Super Mario 64 Progress

Barretto's GBA version currently boasts a relatively smooth frame rate of 20-30 FPS, with Mario executing various moves including somersaults, crouching, and long jumps. While not flawless, the feat of running such a graphically demanding title on the GBA is astonishing. The project, though still in its early phases, aims for a complete, playable version of Super Mario 64 on the GBA. The hope is that Nintendo, known for its sometimes aggressive stance on fan projects, won't intervene.

Super Mario 64 has recently experienced a surge in popularity amongst modders and dedicated players, who continue to push the game's boundaries. Earlier this year, a player completed the game without ever using the A button to jump—a monumental achievement attempted since the early 2000s, requiring an 86-hour playthrough exploiting a rare glitch on the Wii Virtual Console.

Shortly before this, another player accomplished the seemingly impossible: opening Super Mario 64's famously inaccessible door in the Snow World level, without any modifications. This long-standing mystery finally yielded to an extremely complex technique.