Thanks to modding, a new PC port of Xbox Series X.
Meanwhile, computer ports of Super Mario 64 inside a web browser for added convenience. Now, one such remaster is bringing Mario into the new age of computer graphics thanks to the magic of ray tracing.
As reported by Eurogamer earlier today, a new port of Super Mario 64 that was compiled using the source code which was leaked last year re-renders the already colorful adventure using ray tracing. In an embedded video (provided here by Digital Foundry), writers Alex Battaglia and John Linneman go over the first half-hour of the early alpha build, explaining how modder Daríosamo was able to replace Super Mario 64’s entire lighting system with full RT global illumination, as well as provide a side-by-side comparison with the original game to show off just how much the new version pops off of the screen. Check out the ray-traced enhancements of this new Super Mario 64 port in the video below.
This isn’t the first time modders have reimagined classic games with newer ray tracing technology, or even the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a sort of side-project, which some doubted was even possible.
Super Mario 64 was a groundbreaking visual treat when it was first released in 1996, and now it looks even better thanks to the ray-traced lighting present in this new PC port. Curious fans can check out the still-under-construction project for themselves, but they will have to compile it themselves due to open-source providers like Daríosamo trying to avoid Nintendo’s aggressive copyright efforts.
Source: Eurogamer, Digital Foundry
