Highlights
- ROM hacks like Super Mario Eclipse and Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii offer fans new levels and experiences beyond what Super Mario Maker 2 can provide.
- Mario is Missing!: Done Right is a ROM hack that turns the educational game into a classic platforming adventure with Luigi as the protagonist.
- Invictus and Super Mario 64: Last Impact are notorious ROM hacks known for their difficulty and challenging gameplay, providing a satisfying accomplishment for fans.
Nowadays, any video game fan can create their own Mario game. Thanks to the release of Super Mario Maker on Wii U, followed up by Super Mario Maker 2 on the Switch, fans all around the world can play each other's uploaded courses emulating the styles of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Super Mario 64: 8 Awesome Fan Games/ROM Hacks You Need To Try
Fans have certainly been creative in keeping Super Mario 64 alive. Players should check out these stellar fan games and ROM hacks.
However, some diehard fans have been making their own Mario games for years, uploading their customized versions as ROM hacks to be downloaded on the internet. While Super Mario Maker 2 allows for a lot of variety, these hacks are often meant for the more hardcore Mario fans. These six great ROM hacks can be found online to this day.
6 Mario Is Missing!: Done Right
Mario is Missing! is an oft-forgotten blip in the history of retro Mario games. Initially released for the MS-DOS and later ported to the NES and SNES, the educational game saw players take control of Luigi, who must travel the world and recover stolen treasures in order to rescue his captured brother, learning about geography and national landmarks.
While the game never found appeal with real Mario fans, Mario is Missing!: Done Right is a ROM hack that brings it closer to the series' roots. Doing away with the educational aspect of the game, it allows players to go on a classic platforming adventure in control of Luigi, complete with new courses styled after the GameBoy iteration of Super Mario Bros. 3.
5 Super Mario Eclipse
The further fans get into Mario's video game history, the more scarce ROM hacks become, due to how complicated later installments in the franchise get. However, that didn't stop ROM hack creators from upgrading Super Mario Sunshine with a fully-fledged sequel: Super Mario Eclipse, which debuted its second demo version in 2023.
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Despite being a rough draft of the final iteration to come, Super Mario Eclipse offers a lot of variety for Super Mario Sunshine fans, including a playable Luigi and El Piantissimo! Some of the new locales are much more freaky than the relaxing, beach vibes of the first game, too. As far as Mario ROM hacks go, Super Mario Eclipse is one of the more ambitious ones.
4 Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii
Although an endless amount of custom New Super Mario Bros. Wii levels can be made in Super Mario Maker 2, video game fans won't find a fully-fledged sequel quite like Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii. Unlike Super Mario Maker 2, this ROM hack is fully designed for a four-player experience, featuring a total of 128 new levels and many returning power-ups.
Even compared to New Super Mario Bros. Wii's canonical sequels for Wii U and 3DS, Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii has the kind of fan love and compassion only a ROM hack can contain. Plus, it comes with completely remixed versions of the soundtrack, which can be downloaded on the ROM hack's website.
3 Mario Kart 64 - Amped Up
Mario Kart 64, despite being over 25 years old at this point, still provides endless fun to both hardcore and casual fans of the Nintendo 64 racer. However, those who are dedicated enough to play the game via an emulator may have even more fun with the ROM hack Mario Kart 64 - Amped Up, which includes twelve new courses and a brand-new game mode.
In the new "Coin Mode," players race through a course while trying to collect eight coins, which gradually increase their speed and will unlock a special power-up if they manage to find them all. The latest version also includes a "Balloon Race" mode which combines Balloon Battles from the original game with standard Mario Kart 64 races.
2 Invictus
Invictus is one of the most infamous Mario ROM hacks of all time. Released in 2018, the Super Mario World retooling is designed to be challenging to even the most hardcore Mario speedrunners out there. Featuring a total of 20 levels, Invictus doesn't sacrifice fun for its increased challenge, including a brand-new final boss and all-new music.
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Thanks to their excellent controls, precise jumps and unique gameplay mechanics, Mario games are incredibly popular within the speedrunning community.
In the community of Mario ROM hacks, Invictus has a special reputation for being incredibly hard to complete. However, as those who have done it will attest, it will remain one of the most satisfying accomplishments of Super Mario World fans. For those who struggle to complete it, it might not rank high on their list of Mario ROM hacks out there.
1 Super Mario 64: Last Impact
Few ROM hacks commit to the level of dedication that can be found in Super Mario 64: Last Impact. Released in 2016, this ROM hack of Super Mario 64 is a massive upgrade, containing a whopping 15 new courses, 12 secret levels, 12 new power-ups, and a boatload of new enemies for Mario to encounter throughout the adventure.
What's quite significant about the new power-ups is how they adapt future and recurring power-ups from throughout the 3D Mario games, from the Bee Mushroom to F.L.U.D.D. The new power-ups also include a ride-able Yoshi, and brand-new concepts like the Spider Mushroom, the Paper Mushroom, and even a shield power-up that boosts Mario's abilities.