I usually don't like Super Mario 64 ROM hacks because they're designed for speedrunners or sadists, but this one is pretty good so far. I really like the concept of taking all the classic courses and redesigning them in a way that shows the passage of time. There are a few added gimmicks here from later 3D Mario games such as the shrinking tiles and flip-panels, and even the spring bumpers from Sonic Adventure make an appearance (and work surprisingly well for something custom). While the annoying boot-out mechanic from the vanilla game is still here, there is one massive QOL improvement- falling off the course is no longer an instant death/boot out. Instead, you'll lose half of your health and are usually kicked back close to where you dropped off. Considering how slippery and janky Mario 64 is by default, this is huge and I hope more Rom hacks will incorporate this concept.

Shifting Sand Land and Lethal Lava Land weren't very enjoyable to get all the stars in and I'd say they're actually worse than their vanilla counterparts, but beyond that, everything else has either been on par with or even improved. I'd say give it a go based off my experience, but keep in mind that it is a notch or two above the vanilla game in terms of difficulty.

Reviewed on Apr 27, 2024


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