Super Mario 64 PC Port Shows The Game Running At 4K And With Ultra Widescreen Support

i imagine that this is what the remaster would look like, nothing like a remake but just a simple upgrade! probably at 1080p.

Interesting. Shame about that annoying frame rate window in the upper left corner, though. Or whatever that is. Kinda ruins the immersion for me.

I downloaded and installed on my modded Wii U a 60fps version of Super Mario 64, and it got me dizzy. First time it happens to me in a game. I think that the polygons and the movement of the camera were not made to run at that speed. A new engine will certainly make the game playable at that frame rate.

@ThanosReXXX that's likely there for the sake of seeing how smooth the game is and whatnot. You can almost certainly turn it off.

@Ainz I figured it was for that purpose, but it would have looked more "natural", if they had turned that off before making a video of it.

Now it obstructs the view of your life counter.

It's a cool project, but I prefer the original. Sometimes N64-era games suit being blurry so my imagination can fill in the blanks.

@RupeeClock Since when was Doom part of that slogan?
Far as I know, it was always "But will it run Crysis?"...

@RupeeClock Kids these days..

Please wait a day before taking this down, Nintendo. I need to be at work.

Even with the centering and textboxes, SM64 looks great in widescreen!

@RupeeClock I actually am well aware of that, but the slogan used in combination with Crysis is far more commonly known. And I was only joking. Guess I should have put in more smileys to make that obvious...

@StevenG Kids? Hahaha, if only you knew...

interesting. Noticed the aliasing on the bob-omb boss for the first time and realized that that character is composed of mostly sprite elements and is not a fully polygonal model. Looks like only the crown glasses and feet are poly.
Man, they had to get creative back in the day to get that balance of things looking right and performing well.

@ThanosReXXX what do you mean a shame? The FPS count is the most important part of any game. If it isn’t 60 FPS or better it’s unplayable garbage. Literally nothing else about a game matters.

People playing games at 30 FPS in China is what gave us Covid 19...

@Seacliff Here you go...

@ReaperExTenebris It's perfectly okay to post that link, in this case.

@StuTwo Damn, I almost fell for that one. Already typed something else, but then the coin dropped...

@ReaperExTenebris That link is the one that points to this game, coming from the GBATemp page that also features this exact video featured in the article here, so I've no idea what you're talking about.

I imagine this being ported to PC means that more could be done with the engine through mods. SM64 mods prior to this were limited in scope to what the N64 was capable of (in terms of complexity of geometry, world-size, texture quality, render-distance, etc). So now we may have more SM64 mods but which tackle a PC's horse-power instead to create something more appealing than any mod that has come before.

I'm more impressed by the prospects that this opens than the port itself (cause you could already run SM64 emulated at 4K or any resolution you like, really, this is nothing new, but here it runs natively and therefore demands less CPU resources to get there).

@ReaperExTenebris Never mind: I re-read the GBATemp article, and you're actually right. I'll update my post with the correct link.

Nintendo fan works have a nasty habit of coming out right before the confirmation of a remake. Look at what happened to poor AM2R.

I've never understood why these developers publish this "project" while still incomplete. You know Nintendo will immediately take it down. It's like shooting yourself in the foot then asking why it hurts. Why not publish this project once it's completely done? That way, once Nintendo takes it down, people will still download the actual work since the takedown notice will actually go viral. (Yes, I know this is "technically done," but not really).

I almost get mad seeing this...just because I want to play it so bad.

the camera probably still makes it unplayable in 2020

You could port this right now to the Switch, charge $49.99 and people would buy in droves. It would look and play better than 99% of the “retro” stuff on the E-Shop.

But N64 emulators have been able to run N64 games at high resolutions for years no? I think I’m missing something here, can someone enlighten me?

@andykara2003 it says DX12 PC Port and Native not Emulated

@kepsux i totally 2nd this, going back to try 64 is always a matter of remembering how trash the C button camera was

@glorymade I realise that - but how would the actual visual and gameplay experience differ from an emulator? The 2D bitmaps and textures look to be unchanged..

That ultra wide screen support is just chef kiss.

@andykara2003 It is different because it isn't emulation. Emulators emulate the hardware in order to run a ROM, which may have emulation inaccuracies. It may not be noticeable to you, but Emulation still isn't 100% accurate.

This is the same as running the ROM on N64, but it is built for the PC hardware. In theory, this is the same version on SM64 that you would play on the N64. Imagine a remaster for a new system... you have to take that original code and rebuild it for a new system so it runs like the original hardware - that is what this is.

Example: Speedrunners run games on original hardware, not on emulated hardware because of miniscule differences that may make the emulation inaccurate.

@StuTwo 60fps is for console peasants. Anything under 120fps is literally unplayable

@FatHedgehog It's no joke. Right now I'm looking for the source code for this because I want to play it, hopefully in something other than a computer. I'd happily pay Nintendo even $60 for the convenience of just clicking on the eShop and spare me the trouble.

@ThanosReXXX Something important.

@Grocery-bag "Example: Speedrunners run games on original hardware, not on emulated hardware because of miniscule differences that may make the emulation inaccurate."
In Phoenix Wright-style voice OBJECTION! TOOL ASSISTED RUNS CAN'T EXIST WITHOUT EMULATION!

@noswitchbutidc Huh?

Imagine a hd graphics overhaul with with the exact same physics

@ThanosReXXX the life count

Here we go again....

@noswitchbutidc To which comment of mine are you responding? Always handy to use a bit more words than just typing "something important", seeing as I don't own a crystal ball...

Eh. All the 4k in the world isn't going to drastically improve something that is of low resolution. If Nintendo does bring an HD version of this game to Switch as rumors suggest, here's hoping the game enjoys a graphical overhaul à la Super Mario All-Stars.

Thanks for not reporting on Majora's Mask 3D Project Restoration, since it's been getting updates since its release, and I'd like to see further improvements for as long as Nintendo doesn't shut them down. Maybe give stuff like this the same treatment and just let people find stuff like this on their own, aggressive nudge.

Nintendo cease & desist incoming...

To be honest I'd like the DS version with its extra content and being able to play as Yoshi but with modern graphics and controls.

This not need a PC port or mod. This is exactly how it looks and runs in the Dolphin emulator. Real 16:9 is available via code, as is that the dark image filter and HUD filter are removed. Also by code: the objects are calculated and displayed correctly. Normally the textures/geometry are broken in the 16:9 portion of the image on the left and right.
Don't understand why so many are playing the game with an N64 emulator. In Dolphin (Wii emulator) the VC version looks so much better thanks to real 16:9.
All of this does not require a port or mod, Dolphin Emu plus Mario 64 VC ROM and the corresponding action replay codes.

@nab1 I hope you’re joking - 120fps is juddery as fxxx. I run at 240fps locked on everything. Even on my 2080ti SLI setup I have to run at 640x480 to guarantee no dips.

Such an awesome game

The only major change I want in a remake is putting the camera on the right stick. The rest of the controls are still pitch-perfect in this game. From there, it's just about a new coat of paint.

For the N64 I’ll always prefer original hardware on a nice high end 20” CRT (BVM) - the 2D bitmaps don’t look out of place and the low poly look blends much more nicely on CRTs. Plus it’s on original hardware so runs 100% perfectly 100% of the time.

Still, not everyone has a CRT & it’s amazing these new options exist.

Cool, I'm sure Nintendo's ninjas will cease and desist this immediately, but still cool.

@noswitchbutidc Overrulled! You are correct, however I used the term “Speedrunners”. A computer is not a speedrunner, it is a tool used to perform an assisted speedrun 🙃

"It's a cool project, but I prefer the original. Sometimes N64-era games suit being blurry so my imagination can fill in the blanks."

@Kimyonaakuma said no one... Ever...

Wasn't easy to find but man it runs fantastically

Can you save the game playing this .exe file version of the game?

@Xiovanni absolutely - also all the hud elements stick out like sore thumbs too as they’re 2D bitmaps, stuck at 240p resolution. CRT is the only way to get those elements to blend in properly.

@TheLightSpirit The galaxies run so well in Dolphin you might as well play it there - 4K, 60fps, hybrid ubershaders.

@nab1Hell, I have a 144hz 1440p deal and Mario 64 running at 4k60 is glorious still!

Can't wait to buy the remakes on Switch!

@Razer Seriously, I hated the N64 texture blurring crap while the console was relevant. I vastly preferred 3D worlds on the PSX and Saturn.

Its always why I really really enjoyed Super Mario 64 DS and replayed it many many simes since late 2004

It is really a shame that there is no manufacturer who dares to produce CRT again. I think the demand for a CRT TV model that is marketed directly for retro gamers would be quite profitable. The demand is there, and even if it is certainly not unproblematic to produce CRTs in small quantities today, I still wonder how difficult, complex and costly it can be to produce something that has been around for almost 90 years.
The only reason why I don't buy a CRT for my retro games. Old devices can break at any time and replacement is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain from year to year.
I really hope that at some point a manufacturer will dare, after all, retro games and the enthusiasm and demand cannot be killed.

@Razer Well I said it, so what you said is already flawed

I'd only want the image to be sharp if there's something to show...and Super Mario 64 doesn't.

@ThanosReXXX I meant the life count

@ThanosReXXX I know. It's a bit ridiculous to think that anyone would really fall for that line in 2020 when everyone knows FPS doesn't matter anymore. These days even a 60 FPS game is unplayable unless it's streaming from a giga floppy SSD and can trace every ray...

I hope the official remaster is a better upgrade than this. I played and loved Mario 64, but those polygonal graphics have not aged well. Time for an engine overhaul.

@ThanosReXXX it is just for technical overview

@Kimyonaakuma and rest assured, we are all glad you are not the one calling the shots on that 😉.

@Razer Whatever dude, if taking your version of the high road helps you then I'm at peace with that.

Besides, you can have this modded version and I have the original/VC versions. Sorted 👌

@noswitchbutidc I see that now, but if you could have given me a bit more text in the first place, then it would have been clear immediately. Being short with text CAN be good sometimes, but in this case, not so much...

@BlackenedHalo A bit late to the party, friend. Others already beat you to it, and I know what it is for, but it STILL breaks the immersion, and it's only interesting for people who actually WANT to know these numbers. I just want to play the game, and not have my life counter be obstructed by a box with numbers that I really don't care about.

@StuTwo Don't forget about HDR...

What wasn't made clear in this article is that this port of Super Mario 64 runs natively (no emulator involved), in DirectX 12. This makes it different from all versions previously assembled by modders etc., and opens the door for a whole host of options not possible before now, like adding modern post-processing techniques using ReShade as mentioned, and much more ambitious mods!

So confusing as to why Nintendo doesn't already have N64 games on their eshop or part of their online pass. I am always lost with their mentality on these things.

Anyone got a link to where i can grab this game id love to check it out ?

@XyVoX You'll have to look for that on your own. Pretty sure it's against the site rules for posting it here.

What strikes me again and again, the only people who always call for classics like 4K, 60-120fps and pronounce sentences like poorly aged graphics are the ones who rarely play the classics. Sometimes years or even decades no longer.
If you play Super Mario 64 every year for over 20 years, you usually see it differently. That's how it is for me, there can be no question of badly aged if you have had it in mind for over 20 years.

I guess there’s some value for anyone just looking to play it that doesn’t have an official NIntendo platform to play it on. It’s a little interesting seeing the sharper image, but in a world where Odyssey exists, or even 3D World, seeing 25 year old polygons all spruced up is a bit less than eye candy. If NIntendo chose to go all in and rebuild the graphics to current standards I’d be up for the ride, but it’s hard to get too excited over a 4K version of a round pipe made of straight edges. The gameplay is classic and timeless, but unless NIntendo gives it a proper makeover, I’m afraid SM64 is too quaintly ugly to go hi def.

@ThanosReXXX

He means that almost every device has a version of Doom ported to it