The magnitude of the hype surrounding the 1996 release of Super Mario 64 will be evident to those who were there. It was the next generation of video game technology as well as the first 3D Mario game. I can tell you that it was rather something.
About 20 years later, someone is basically "demaking" the beloved N64 game so that it may be played on the Game Boy Advance. Yes, exactly—it's being completely rebuilt to operate on technology that hasn't been available for purchase since 2008 or 2009, depending on the location.
The project as it is now being worked on by developer Joshua Barretto is seen in the video up top. Upon quick inspection, it seems that we do, in fact, have a playable version of Super Mario 64 that is being remade for the GBA.
Super Mario 64: Pixel-based gameplay now!
Barretto's demake is using meshes from the Nintendo DS version of the original game, according to a report from DSO Gaming. Though it's still very much in development, bear in mind that this is intended to work on technology that was discontinued and first made available in 2001.
Viewing some of the fan project's earlier videos will allow you to track its development. We may contrast and compare with this one, posted just a few weeks ago, in this one. Mario seems to be little more than a red triangle in the video—a red triangle with a shadow, that is.
While Barretto's castle from Mario 64 remains mostly intact, the most recent video shows that he has come a long way. The real character model, improved graphics, a stop menu, new movement dynamics, and bug fixes have all been incorporated in less than two months.
Even better, a settings menu is included, something the original Nintendo 64 did not have. To improve game performance, we may deactivate intricate textures and see choices to lower the resolution and view distance.
This Super Mario 64 Game Boy Advance remake does not yet have a release date. Furthermore, from what I understand, it's exclusive to the GBA platform, thus playing it would need owning a GBA. In case Nintendo discovers that its intellectual property is being adapted for outdated technology, that would be my only worry. I'm hoping Barretto gets off lightly. I'm sick of seeing large legal teams use their litigation hammers against average people.