'Super Mario 64' is now an online game, whether Nintendo likes it or not
I bet it can back up your save files, too.
Super Mario 64 Online is a most epic fan creation. Using the beloved Nintendo 64 launch title as a foundation, this homemade project connects up to 24 players in their own online version of the Mushroom Kingdom.
It uses a ROM version of the N64 game, not the actual console and cartridge. That puts it in the same murky legal territory as other fan projects that modify old, pre-online games. But it also means Nintendo can't shut it down as easily as, say, a fan-made Pokémon mod for Minecraft.
Once you get it running -- a process that requires more technical knowhow than your average game install, it's worth noting -- you choose from a list of characters and hop in. In the videos released so far we can see Wario, Waluigi, Peach, Luigi, Yoshi, and a couple flavors of Toad.
None of those characters are playable in the original Super Mario 64 (no, not even Luigi), and most of them don't appear in the game at all.
What's neat about this mod is the way it doesn't seem to change anything else. It's literally just a 24-player online version of Super Mario 64. I guess you could team up with a bunch of friends and collaborate on beating the game, but why do that when there are so many other things to do?
Super Mario 64, with its highly varied worlds and shifting activities, seems to work very well as a make-your-own-fun kind of online sandbox. Sure, there's no invisible referee awarding you points and crowning winners, but is any of that really necessary? (No, it's not.)
Nintendo doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to its handling of fan-made projects, but let's all hope the company takes a long look at what's happening here. Mario 64 immediately feels like a natural fit for online play, and the unfocused nature of its assorted activities only adds to the appeal.
This cool mod won't ever receive Nintendo's blessing, but -- given the popularity of the Switch and its online connectivity -- it would be great to see the company's creative-types lean in on social multiplayer experiences like this.
It might be fan-made, but something about the flow of Super Mario 64 Online feels inescapably Nintendo.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
