Gamer is Recreating Super Mario 64 for the Game Boy Advance

A dedicated modder is painstakingly recreating Super Mario 64 for the Game Boy Advance. This ambitious undertaking, considering the GBA's significantly less powerful hardware compared to the original N64, is showing remarkable progress.

Super Mario 64, a 1996 classic and a landmark title in gaming history, revolutionized the Super Mario franchise with its groundbreaking 3D gameplay. Its N64 release sold nearly 12 million copies, cementing its place as a beloved favorite.

Modder Joshua Barretto recently unveiled a video showcasing their GBA adaptation. Initially attempting a direct port, Barretto encountered insurmountable challenges, leading to a complete code rebuild. The results are astonishing. From a rudimentary red triangle in early May, the game's first level is now playable in under two months.

Modder Joshua Barretto's GBA Super Mario 64 Progress

Barretto's recreation currently achieves a relatively smooth framerate of 20-30 FPS, with Mario executing key maneuvers like somersaults, crouches, and long jumps. While imperfections remain, the feat of running such a complex game on the GBA is undeniably impressive. Although still in its early stages, Barretto aims for a fully playable GBA version. The hope is that Nintendo, known for its aggressive stance on fan projects, will not issue a cease-and-desist order.

Super Mario 64 has experienced a recent surge in popularity among modders and dedicated players. Just this past May, a player completed the game without using the A button to jump—a monumental achievement attempted since the early 2000s, requiring an 86-hour playthrough exploiting a rare Wii Virtual Console glitch.

Shortly before that, another player accomplished the seemingly impossible: opening Super Mario 64's previously unopenable door in the Snow World level without mods, using an incredibly complex technique.