Super Mario 64, absolute symbol of the Nintendo 64 era, now works… on a PlayStation console. This improbable project, carried out in 2025 by a passionate fan named Malucartsurprises as much as it intrigues. Because seeing Mario running on a PS1 is a bit like Sonic arriving at Nintendo in 1996: unthinkable at the time.
The port is still under development but is already partially working. This is not a simple emulation, but a recreation of the PlayStation environment. The result? A strange, buggy, sometimes slow, but visually fascinating version, especially for fans of retro games.
A technical and nostalgic homage, not without flaws
Concretely, this PS1 version of Super Mario 64 suffers from several obvious limitations. THE colors are mutedTHE sky is replaced by a black void, the frame rate dropsAnd some objects do not load.
Mario also runs a little slower, which gives a feeling of heaviness new to those familiar with the original game. The port is therefore not intended to replace the classic experience, but rather to offer a curious and alternative glimpse of what Super Mario 64 could have been… on another console.
On X (formerly Twitter), Elias Daler enthusiastically summed up the spirit of the project: “Honey, wake up! Super Mario 64 on PS1 is finally here! The porting is the work of the brilliant Malucart, who has been working on it for quite a while. A lot of things are still in development and have some bugs (enough to fuel the creepypastas!), but overall it’s an incredible piece of work! »
An accessible port… but not without risk
This port is available as ROMswhich as always raises legal questions. Officially, to use it you must have an original copy of Super Mario 64under penalty of falling into piracy.
The game cannot be launched directly on a vintage PS1, but runs on PC via a simulated PlayStation development environment. This type of mod is therefore aimed at an informed public, familiar with retro-modding tools and the limits of emulation.
When fans rewrite video game history
This is not the first time that a cult game has been transformed in this way. Other similar projects have emerged, such as Bloodborne PSXa “demake” that recreated FromSoftware’s game as if it had been designed for the PS1. These initiatives are not just coder delusions: they bear witness to a culture of mod and nostalgia where fans in turn become creators.
In this specific case, bringing one of Nintendo’s greatest exclusives to its historic rival’s console has everything of an ironic and passionate nod. It remains to be seen whether Nintendo will react… or let this retro nod live its life online.