A new video of aSuper Mario 64mod shows off a new mode of play that theclassic platformernever had. YouTuber and well-knownMario 64ROM hacker Kaze Emanuar recently released a video showing of splitscreen co-op in the game.
Emanaur is a modder best known for hacks such asSuper Mario 64: Last ImpactandSuper Mario 64 Land. The latter added added 75 new music tracks, 8 new bosses, and 32 new levels to the N64 classic. His modding work onMariostretches back almost a decade now. Emanaur’s efforts have contributed to sustainability of theMario 64community.
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In a video on his YouTube channel, Emanaur walks viewers through the two-player split-screen mode. Using an N64 and aMario 64ROMhack, players can use two N64 controllers to play as Mario and Luigi in a split-screen version of the game that lets the brothers run around at the same time. If one player opens a door or goes into a level, both players will spawn holding hands at the beginning of the following area. It’s a bit rough in terms of framerate, but it does indeed work on an N64.
The video proves Nintendo could have added split-screen toMario 64, but it would have taken way more time and the game would have run at a choppy framerate. The mod won’t be released until February and the video was released to build hype but not too much hype, according to Emanaur.
In a decade already full ofgreatMariogames, it is important to recognize the active communities surrounding older games in the series. The popularity of speed-running and Kaizo level creation aroundSuper Mario Worldand the other 2DMarioplatformers are a major reason thatSuper Mario Makerand its sequel exist. Nintendo, however, doesn’t exactly have a history of being appreciative of this section of its fanbase.
Nintendo is notoriously litigious with its properties and the creator of this mod is no stranger to those. In 2017, hisSuper Mario Onlinemod was taken down and20 videos related to the game from his YouTube channel were removed. In the video he talks about the legality of releasing the mod.
“Since a patch only includes my own code and stuff I can actually release it legally,” Emanaur said in the video, “but technically it’s illegal or Nintendo can take it down if I upload a video of their Mario game so that’s what I got the copyright strike for.”
Super Mario 64is available for the Nintendo 64.
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