Super Mario 64 is a certified classic that innovated gaming with its smooth 3D mechanics, with many fans still enjoying the platformer to this day. While the game is readily available on Switch, one fan is porting this legendary title to the Game Boy Advance and it’s very chunky.
Developer and modder Joshua Barreto revealed his port of the N64 classic on GBA and it’s an impressive feat, to say the least. There weren’t a lot of GBA games with full 3D capabilities, so the fact that this fan is porting this game to less powerful hardware is incredible.
Unsurprisingly, this port of Super Mario 64 is hideous to look at, but seeing it playable on GBA hardware is still very impressive. Barreto does say that this can run on an actual GBA, so the finished product should be one to look out for. We do implore fans to play the N64 classic or the DS port, but we can’t deny that we’re incredibly curious about this port.
The DS port of Mario 64 was good, but many criticized it for not having an analog stick, making its gameplay awkward in Nintendo’s handheld. Since the GBA didn’t have an analog stick either, we imagine that this will feel even worse than the DS game. It’s still an impressive game to look at, but we can’t imagine any hardcore players going all the way to Bowser in this port.
Although it might be a bit dated compared to modern platformers, Super Mario 64 is still seen as a classic and many gamers still go back to it. While something like Super Mario Odyssey feels a lot better, the fact that 64 was able to give Mario a defined move-set this early in his career was astonishing. There’s a reason why most 3D Mario games include his iconic triple jump from the N64.
Fans with the Switch Online + Expansion should be able to play Super Mario 64 with no issue. If you want it physically, try looking online for Super Mario 3D All-Stars.