Super Mario 64 Fans Remaking the Game in HD

[buzz_n64]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/05/super-mario-64-fans-remaking-the-game-in-hd?utm_campaign=fbposts&utm_source=facebook


http://youtu.be/GLGMPLmgpv8

"Fans of Super Mario 64 are remaking the Nintendo 64 classic in high definition and adding multiplayer. It's a non-profit project, and will be released for free on PC.

IGN spoke with Marcus Richter, a developer on Super Mario 64 Fan Remake, about what form multiplayer will take. The developers say multiplayer will absolutely make its way into the final game, but it isn't actively in development right now.

Remember, Super Mario 64 on the N64 had no multiplayer mode of any kind, and the DS port included only a special versus mode separate from the main game.

Though the new coat of graphical paint looks immediately different, the developers said they have been "very loyal to the original game when it comes to layout and character controls." Fans have requested some features be added from the DS version, though, so one of the project's artists has started work on the DS port models.

The project's community manager, Justin Crouch, wouldn't share an estimated finish date for the game -- mainly because there isn't one. But whereas many fan projects "die a horrible death" because of a lack of contributors, Crouch says they're getting too many to handle.

If you know Super Mario 64 forwards and backwards, you'll still need to keep your eyes peeled. Richter says the team is "hiding easter eggs around every corner."

Wow! Super Mario 64 is my favorite video game! This news blew me away. Super Mario 64 in HD and multiplayer!

[Tanooki]

As cool as that is, we're talking Nintendo and their mascot here. I don't see this ending well as they're not big fans of their stuff being used.

[Gameguy]

As cool as that is, we're talking Nintendo and their mascot here. I don't see this ending well as they're not big fans of their stuff being used.
Especially as making HD or 3D upgrades of previous games is what Nintendo does now for current releases. I doubt this game will get far.

[Tanooki]

That's exactly my concern with it. Wind Waker HD was a big success, well as big as a WiiU release can get for obvious reasons. They also did the same with Xenoblade for the New3DS boosting that one in quality and throwing it on a new handheld. They redid SM64 once before with mixed love/hate from old N64 game owners on DS so it's not out of the realm of possibility for them to take a game people didn't bitch about and HD it up and sell it for easy money.

[kai123]

I wish they would quit announcing these fan ports until they are done. I am sure they will get sued and we will never hear from it again. If you aren't doing it for cash just shut up about it until it is done. Building hype for something you are not selling is pointless IMO.

[Leo_A]

Especially as making HD or 3D upgrades of previous games is what Nintendo does now for current releases. I doubt this game will get far.

They really haven't done much in this area. Wii Sports Club is more of a remake than a remaster, leaving Wind Waker HD as pretty much it for HD remasters.

On the 3DS, I think just the previously mentioned Xenoblade Chronicles is it for a Nintendo published port/remake on their current generation of handheld hardware [Edit: Obviously, I've forgotten about Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask 3D].


Wind Waker HD was a big success, well as big as a WiiU release can get for obvious reasons.

I don't think it succeeded as well as you're suggesting. Instead of kicking off a line of HD remasters similar to what Sony frequently did with PS2/PSP software on the PS3, it instead seems to have marked the beginning and the end of the concept for Nintendo.


They redid SM64 once before with mixed love/hate from old N64 game owners on DS so it's not out of the realm of possibility for them to take a game people didn't bitch about and HD it up and sell it for easy money.

I'd argue that Super Mario 64 DS, minor differences aside, is much more a port with a bit of minor additions and adjustments, rather than a remake or even a remastering.

Nitpicking aside, upgrading Super Mario 64 to modern console graphical standards would be a huge undertaking compared to the typical HD remastering. Far more likely I believe would be seeing it appear on the 3DS where far less effort would be necessary to achieve a quality result, or a Wii U Virtual Console release being rendered in HD. That would provide a similar appearance to what we saw with the three Rare N64 classics on XBLA (None of which received upgraded textures, a usual component of a HD remastering, I believe).

If we're going to get any further remasters on the Wii U, I'm sure that they'd draw from their pool of modern GCN/Wii classics that would only need a minimum of upgrading.

[Tanooki]

You probably are right about Wind Waker which is a crime since it was a stupid move if they stop there. It wasn't the start though, they did it on 3DS with Ocarina of Time and that lousy Majora game coming shortly too. They just don't seem to have a consistent interest in it like Sony which was a brilliant yet basic idea. Nintendo would be wise to milk that Sony example with the back library of goodies they have from the earlier 3D eras.

I think we'll disagree on SM64DS. They retooled it enough it added and took away from the game in various ways.

Either way it probably is true not just for cost reasons but also because of failure of the hardware that if this was done it would be done on the 3DS (New 3DS.) Wii U has a small base and it's not going to grow much more than what Kart, Brawl, and any new Zelda hold outs could do for them. 3DS/N3DS though those do move, they're overall cheaper and better supported so I could see doing an 'HD' SM64 recreation on there as it would have such a wider base of possible sales. And you're right if they bothered again on Wii it would be a GC game because it would be the least work involved since even the WiiU still uses a variant of that old GC and Wii based hardware so it would come down to a lot of modeling instead of starting entirely from the ground up.

[kai123]

I feel Nintendo already has plenty of models from their current Wii U games that the port wouldn't be nearly as hard if they were smart about it. I would love to have a port for my Wii U. Considering these guys are porting it without getting paid I refuse to believe it would be a very difficult task for Nintendo to do the same thing. Maybe for the Wii U 2? I also think it may have sometihng to do with how multiplayer centric the new ones are. When was the last Mario game that didn't have some sort of multiplayer?

[Leo_A]

It wasn't the start though, they did it on 3DS with Ocarina of Time and that lousy Majora game coming shortly too.

To me, I'd consider those two 3DS Zelda releases as closer to being remakes than just plain remasters. The assets haven't been ported over intact, but have been largely redone from the ground up.

Wind Waker HD on the other hand doesn't look much different than the GCN original does when rendered in HD via emulation, minus the lighting system overhaul.

[Greg2600]

Nintendo probably profits far more from the handheld ports of their old games, which don't require extensive retooling to HD. The work looks very nice, although in the very, very earlier stages. Nintendo may keep quiet as long as the game isn't put up for sale.

[Tanooki]

I hope they do as I'd love to take a shot at it if it's not killed. Hope in one hand, crap in another though and see which fills up first. If it arrives, then i'll be hopeful to try it if I'm quick enough before it's removed. :P

[Gentlegamer]

Nintendo probably profits far more from the handheld ports of their old games, which don't require extensive retooling to HD. The work looks very nice, although in the very, very earlier stages. Nintendo may keep quiet as long as the game isn't put up for sale.

Nintendo made Atari Age stop selling their homebrew VCS game, Princess Rescue.

This will never be allowed.

[kupomogli]

Nintendo will have this taken down quick because their explicitly giving away "Mario." I know someone who actually sells fan art shirts though and is able to get away with it because they're not labeled as Mario and the characters look different enough to avoid copyright infringment.

http://neweraretrodesigns.wordpress.com/

[Rickstilwell1]

People need to quit advertising work in progress projects and just wait until they finish it, bringing it out as a surprise. That way by the time Nintendo or anyone else gets a chance to send a C&D letter, it's already too late. It's in the hands of the fans.

[Leo_A]

Then, we'd never see anything since there's no way that this will ever be completed by fans.

[Greg2600]

Nintendo made Atari Age stop selling their homebrew VCS game, Princess Rescue.

This will never be allowed.

They were selling the game though.

[Tanooki]

Good point, but if they were quitters you just put out whatever you have done as a crappy beta or a string of proof videos and images and still get the 'we tried' effect across. It's just dumb making this public knowing it's the mascot of the oldest active and most defensive video game hardware maker out there.

[Gameguy]

Good point, but if they were quitters you just put out whatever you have done as a crappy beta or a string of proof videos and images and still get the 'we tried' effect across.
Or you could do what the guy behind the original Ocarina of Time 2D project did. When he didn't want to work on the project anymore he faked his death.

[sfchakan]

My tinfoil hat feels weird, but sometimes I wonder if people put projects like this out there for free publicity.

"Look what I can do!" while not having to put forth the effort to make it a fully playable game.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6q3ucw3pn1rtvc9ko1_500.gif

[Leo_A]

Just to reinforce that Nintendo really isn't relying in any way on remastered classics on the Wii U, today's Nintendo Direct revealed downloadable Wii games for the Wii U. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is available today for $9.99, a 50% discount for its first week.

Metroid Prime Trilogy and Punch Out will be next up with similar launch promotions (While Europe will be getting Donkey Kong Country Returns instead of Punch Out). They will be unchanged, but will launch from the Wii U menu and also will include Wii U gamepad support for Classic Controller enabled releases.

While I wouldn't be surprised to see something else from the GCN back-catalog being remastered this generation, clearly they don't view this like many of the fans do that took it for granted that we'd see scores of HD remasterings after Wind Waker HD appeared. Kind of disappointed myself although I'm not surprised now that so much time has passed since Zelda appeared, since I was hoping for Metroid Prime Trilogy HD and a Super Mario Galaxy HD Collection at retail.

[kai123]

Just to reinforce that Nintendo really isn't relying in any way on remastered classics on the Wii U, today's Nintendo Direct revealed downloadable Wii games for the Wii U. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is available today for $9.99, a 50% discount for its first week.

Metroid Prime Trilogy and Punch Out will be next up with similar launch promotions (While Europe will be getting Donkey Kong Country Returns instead of Punch Out). They will be unchanged, but will launch from the Wii U menu and also will include Wii U gamepad support for Classic Controller enabled releases.

While I wouldn't be surprised to see something else from the GCN back-catalog being remastered this generation, clearly they don't view this like many of the fans do that took it for granted that we'd see scores of HD remasterings after Wind Waker HD appeared. Kind of disappointed myself although I'm not surprised now that so much time has passed since Zelda appeared, since I was hoping for Metroid Prime Trilogy HD and a Super Mario Galaxy HD Collection at retail.


I would love to see those games remastered in HD. I mean I do seem them in HD thanks to the Dolphin emulator but I would love to show Nintendo that I appreciate the effort in porting them. Oh well I am not going to buy Wii games digitally for the Wii U when my old ones still work in the Wii U. I would like to see more HD Gamecube ports but I am not holding my breath.

[y9784]

Nintendo officially endorses fan works now (http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/11/17/nintendo-officially-endorses-derivative-works-permits-fan-projects/117824/)...allegedly.

[MASTERWEEDO]

I highly doubt that they will be endorsing this.

[Greg2600]

Yeah I think that's more about using Nintendo's content in other projects, in particular "Let's Play" style of videos.