When you think of the Nintendo 64, what’s the first game that comes to mind? It was the device of so many gamers’ childhoods, and home to so many gems, from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to the iconic GoldenEye 007.
For many people though, I have no doubt that the defining game of the console was Super Mario 64 - the very first 3D adventure of everyone’s favourite moustached plumber. Some would say that it still holds up pretty well even today, but there’s no arguing that the visuals have become dated now. Although Super Mario 3D All-Stars gave us a remastered version of the game on the Switch, it really didn’t change much - sure, the resolution was improved, but Mario himself is still his usual low-poly self. However, a new fan-made project has entered the ring, and it’s everything that the official remaster wishes it could be and more.
Before we get into it, be sure to take a look at this incredible Unreal Engine remake of Ocarina of Time.
As reported by DSOGaming, this comes courtesy of the Render96 team, who are creating a mod to transform the (unofficial) PC port into something that looks a lot more like the original CG artwork for the game. Using images uncovered online from the good old Nintendo 64 era, the team has remade all of the assets and models, and the result is glorious - take a look below.
It doesn’t stop there, either - the team is planning on remaking most of the levels (if not all of them) and you’ll also be able to play as Wario and Luigi. The best part? The whole thing will be downloadable completely for free, and will also be compatible with the pre-existing SM64 Ray Tracing mod in the future.
At the moment, you can’t actually download this shiny new version of the game for yourself, but it’s on its way - we’ll just have to stay tuned for its release.