As much as we appreciate Nintendo's efforts with the Switch Online SNES and NES service, these games are for most parts basic emulations of the original classics. While there are some enhancements, we're still stuck with a 4:3 screen display.
If you've always dreamed of what older games like Super Mario World would look like with "ultrawide" screen support, software and computer engineer Vitor Vilela - who also happens to be a "SNES ROM hacker" - has got you covered. The plan is to release Super Mario World "Widescreen" soon. For now though, here's a look at the Butter Bridge level with this patch applied:
While we're sure many would love to see Nintendo add this sort of feature to its retro games, it seems it is more interested in reviving older series in different ways. During the E3 Direct, for example, it announced the return of Advance Wars. Although many veterans of the series probably would have settled for widescreen and an HD facelift, it got WayForward to recreate the game from the ground up with new artwork and 3D graphics.
Would you be interested in playing older games like Super Mario World in an ultrawide screen mode? Comment down below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments (26)
Cool if you enjoy that sort of thing. It looks unnatural to me, introducing too much empty space and undoing the tight design of the game.
I wish fzero Zelda and super Metroid saw this same treatment.
This looks weird to me.
@HotGoomba looked good to me in Mario maker
While cool, I feel that the wide screen made the game a bit too empty and easy. A lot of the challenge that usually occur in 4:3 got spoil way too soon.
He's doing god's work
Looks, odd. While neat, the levels were literally designed around not being able to see too much. Still cool someone spent the time to make it though.
I hate auto-scrolling levels more than Damien hates covering Nintendo stories, but this would make the ones in SMW much more tolerable. It especially makes sense in this game since it originally had manual panning options via shoulder buttons.
Okay, wow. This is something I didn't know I wanted. That looks pretty amazing. Hopefully this hacker's work gets implemented into modern emulators, so that we can get ALL classic games to run wide. Then all these wide-screen monitors and TVs we have would make the games look so pretty!
NINJA APPROVED
@YoshiLand4 I'm gonna say that this could mark the point where emulation can potentially get true wide-screen graphics, so that we don't have to deal with odd stretching or black bars on either side of the image. That very well could be the point!
@BloodNinja Not all games would benefit from wide screen though, vertical shooters like Axelay and puzzle games like Tetris Attack couldn't be done in wide screen unless you add some kind of borders to them.
@sixrings Yeah it looked better in Mario Maker
@Ghost_of_Hasashi Of course, you're right about that. Maybe some crazy person can figure out how to make TATE mode for those LOL Imagine Axelay switching between wide screen and TATE, that would put my rotating monitor to the test!
@sixrings There is one for Super Metroid. https://forum.metroidconstruction.com/index.php/topic,5168.0.html
Since you're a Metroid fan I'll post this copypast I've made for you, hopefully it's helpful:
For Metroid Fans. This is a post I copy and paste but I hope it's helpful to someone interested in more Metroid. Fans have done alot and the series has possibly more great games because of it than anything beyond Mario.
I don't agree with the general sentiment that the first two games have aged that badly. The first 2 games certainly aren't as polished as the newer ones but I think they have some charm still. However fans have certainly made them better with Metroid HD being a terrific improvement hack and Metroid 2 EJRTQ being a quality hack that adds colour. I'd suggest that anyone play them like that. I'd also recommend all to play the two terrific fan games AM2R and Metroid Planets that remake the first two. AM2R has an excellent Reddit community continuing to evolve the game. Metroid Planets has a terrific remake AND reimagining of the first game that unlike Zero Mission stays faithful to the original mechanics. It's not well known but it's astonishingly well polished.
There's also a considerable amount of awesome mods/hacks on Metroid Construction, especially for Super. Super has the terrific mod Project Base that creates a more modern experience and Fusion has the quality Sequence Breaking mod that opens the game up. Aside from that there are all new experiences. Here's the best hacks that create all new games based on my experience. There's many others worth playing as well but this is a great start.
Metroid 1:
Rouge Dawn
Incursion
Over the Moon
Super Metroid:
Hyper Metroid
Ascent
Escape 2
Vitality
Ancient Chozo (Similar to Super but different and gorgeous enough to recommend on it's own)
Nature (Vanilla, means it has little to no graphical or mechanical changes)
Recovery (Vanilla)
Hidden (Vanilla)
Retroid (Metroid 1 remake in the SM engine)
Y Faster (Speedrun)
Y Faster 2 (Speedrun)
Super Zero Mission (Hard)
Eris (Hard)
Redesign Axeil Edition (Hard)
YPX (Hard)
Cliffhanger Redux (Very Hard)
Zero Mission:
Scrolls 6 (Haven't played it, heard good things)
Also there are some real cool randomizers:
A Link to the Past and Super Metroid combo randomizer
Zelda 1 and Metroid 1 combo randomizer
Varia Randomizer for Super Metroid
Metroid 1 Randomizer
Zero Mission Randomizer
Fusion Randomizer (In Beta)
It's really quite amazing what fans have done for the series. Even the first two Prime games have randomizers. And despite what people may say even Other M is a decent game, albeit with a silly story and some clunky mechanics. Thankfully there's a mod for it too called Other M Maxximum Edition that fixes most of the common complaints.
@Kevlar44 thank you for sharing, this was very insightful
Ok? But why? This seems so unnecessary
Completely unnecessary and pointless to me.
@sixrings You can do it for Zelda too. Youtube recommended the video for me randomly so I figured it was a sign. lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-moxxEjz5x4
A quick search revealed F-Zero is possible too. This one really could be beneficial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmAOPvHEhSE
Although for F-Zero you can make the mode 7 look much more impressive, as in "HD". I'd consider that a much better hack for the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnNEy0_JwOs
Cool for those that like it but for me it just doesnt look right.
Advance Wars 1+2 reboot camp:
First reaction: Jaw dropping
After seeing the game: shame about the art direction
After price reveal: glup
After developer reveal: as a fan insulted not getting this from Intelligent Systems
At dec 3rd: still buying it, playing it, because it will be the only AW available on Switch
Great that NintendoLiife covered this wide-screen support for Super Mario World
Widescreen does not automatically make a game better. Older games were designed with the 4:3 ratio in mind, and because of that a widescreen alteration will more than likely just make the game like incredibly empty. There won't be much to fill in that extra space, and if there IS it will throw off the pacing of the game.
What I'm saying is, not every game needs or even benefits from all modern trends.
There's a lot of negativity here, a lot of people against this because it's unnecessary.
But I think it's a nice experiment and I'd like to see how it feels, maybe try it for one playthrough. I think it looks good but even if it doesn't work, it's completely harmless (it doesn't replace the original game).
Some older games do benefit from wide-screen support - I'm looking forward to the new Sonic collection in particular.
Yes, the game was originally designed for 4:3 but it's still interesting to experiment with these things. I think if we didn't do unnecessary things, the world would be very boring.
This is really only useful in multiplayer mode. Most 4:3 retro games that go 16:9 only fill in the margins. Sure it's nice to look at, and some games pull it off well, but it usually makes the game's layout feel empty and unfinished.
To many critics in here lol 😆 push the boundaries if you don't things will remain mundane and old. This will give another reason for a playthrough, a new experience which is great! This is a nice little modern update to a retro game.
Widescreen support is actually very useful in that part of the world. Like others have pointed out, the game has manual panning but you can't do that while flying. It's a big improvement over 4:3.
Just a few days ago I posted on NL that this is the best Mario game in my opinion. They should have waited until release before announcing it. Nintendo will not want fans to enjoy this edition even if they own the original SNES game and have bought the ports/ROMs on Wii, Wii U and New 3DS.
This doesn't replace the original game and as some mentioned, Sonic 1 and 2 play better in the widescreen versions, so will 3 & Knuckles in Sonic Origins and also this ROM, if done right.
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