Super Mario 64 Is Much Easier When You're James Bond
Two N64 classics have merged in an absolutely wild mod from StupidMarioBros1Fan. Although the mod began life in 2018, it has seen a resurgence in popularity via YouTube playthroughs. The mod morphs Super Mario 64 into a cold hearted bloodbath in the style of GoldenEye 007. Mario sneaks through Peach's castle, silenced gun loaded and ready for whatever's around each corner.
The mod includes case files similar to GoldenEye 007's pre-level briefings, but instead of seeing names from the James Bond franchise, Peach and Bowser stick out as the mission's main objectives. Mario battles koopas as he makes his way into Peach's castle and towards Bowser, who ominously laughs at Mario's efforts from deep within the castle. The level gets increasingly tense, with Mario barging into room after room full of koopas, ready to take out anyone who gets in his way. After encountering and killing Bowser on the second floor of the castle, Mario continues his massacre through Peach's home. The level concludes with Bowser standing above Mario on a red staircase, laughing in his face, bringing to mind the seemingly unkillable Baron Samedi from the original GoldenEye.
One commenter on a YouTube video showing off the custom Super Mario 64 mod noted, "Well at least we know how all those boos ended up in the courtyard," referencing the entrance to Big Boo's Haunt. The bodies of the Koopas felled in Mario's rampage must surely leave behind some ghosts.
Fans who want to play the mod will have to get a Goldeneye ROM up and running on their computer. While ROMs aren't legal per se, they've allowed gamers to play games they otherwise would have otherwise missed and breathed new life into lost franchises, like Goldeneye 007.
Considering that fans really want Goldeneye 007 to get an official reboot from Nintendo, it makes sense that they'd try to get a taste of the classic shooter on their own terms. Of course, FPS fans got a reimagining of their favorite Nintendo FPS back in 2010 on the Wii, but there's nothing wrong with taking another shot at the most famous spy. Regardless, the spirit of GoldenEye 007 lives on through fans, even if it is in an unconventional way, through the gloved hands of a red-outfitted plumber.
For fans who don't want to lay waste to the Mushroom Kingdom, IO Interactive recently announced that a new 007 game is in the works.