The Internet is full of mods and fangames. While some take existing characters and place them in new situations, others recreate classic, beloved titles with new graphics (and some new features). The latest Mario fangame is the latter, and we couldn’t be happier.
Prominent Super Mario 64 ROM hacker Kaze Emanuar just released Super Mario Bros. 64, and it is exactly what it sounds like: the NES classic Super Mario Bros. with a Super Mario 64 paint job.
Every Super Mario Bros. 64 enemy is ripped out of Super Mario 64, and each level meticulously copies the original Super Mario Bros. stages, complete with retro textures and power-ups. Heck, Super Mario Bros. 64 even uses the Super Mario 64 music engine to remake all the classic Super Mario Bros. songs.
Super Mario Bros. 64 isn’t a one-to-one remake, though, as it adds a few new features to the 8-bit mix. Since the game uses the Super Mario 64 engine, players can punch, kick, jump slide, triple jump, wall jump, and long jump through classic levels.
More importantly, Super Mario Bros. 64 includes more than just the titular Mario brothers. In a shocking twist, players can explore the Mushroom Kingdom as Mario, Luigi, Wario and Waluigi. Furthermore, each character jumps differently, which impacts the game’s difficulty. Wario has the worst jump height, whereas Waluigi jumps so high he’s basically Super Mario Bros. 64’s easy mode.
We should have expected nothing less from Kaze Emanuar. After all, the hacker has a resume full of well-received Super Mario 64 ROM hacks, including Super Mario 64 Maker, Super Mario 64 Chaos Edition, and Super Mario 64: Last Impact.
Despite its quality and polish, Super Mario Bros. 64 might suffer the same fate as popular fangames such as AM2R and Zelda 30 Tribute. Kaze Emanuar could be forced to take the game down via a cease-and-desist notice from Nintendo, so you probably should download Super Mario Bros. 64 while you still can.
