Super Mario 64 performance enhancement

Discussion of development of software for any "obsolete" computer or video game system. See the WSdev wiki and ObscureDev wiki for more information on certain platforms.
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93143
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Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:31 pm

Super Mario 64 performance enhancement

Post by 93143 »

So my man* has apparently at least tripled the performance of Super Mario 64, mostly by just adding an Expansion Pak and optimizing the code.

All of the code. He describes it as a "Theseus' ship".

The Expansion Pak is necessary because despite the botched memory controller, you can apparently still gain performance by putting stuff that needs simultaneous access in different banks. I don't think he actually needed the extra memory as such - he just needed the extra banks.

And as far as I know he hasn't yet mentioned the microcode. I'm pretty sure Super Mario 64 used an early version of Fast3D, which was by all accounts not particularly well named. I wonder if there's more performance lurking there?


* That's just an expression. I'd never heard of him before watching that video.
calima
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Re: Super Mario 64 performance enhancement

Post by calima »

Replacing F3d with the v2 was one of the first things he did, years before all these new hacks. So very likely it's already there.

More perf: if it's already 60fps, what use is more perf?
93143
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Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:31 pm

Re: Super Mario 64 performance enhancement

Post by 93143 »

calima wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 11:12 pmReplacing F3d with the v2 was one of the first things he did, years before all these new hacks. So very likely it's already there.
I should have known he wouldn't overlook such a well-known performance issue...
More perf: if it's already 60fps, what use is more perf?
Custom levels and two-player mode. It's not capable of locked 60 fps in the giant custom levels he makes.
calima
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Re: Super Mario 64 performance enhancement

Post by calima »

Hacking Mario 64 at that level, adding a two-player mode, huge levels, or Odyssey mechanics or whatever, it really feels to me not a good use of time, spending so much effort on something illegal. Making a custom, original 2p 3d platformer with huge levels shouldn't be beyond him by now.

Just my opinion of course.
Pokun
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Re: Super Mario 64 performance enhancement

Post by Pokun »

Still, finally Luigi may be back in Super Mario 64 and with a split-screen 2-player mode! The lack of two players was the main gripe with the game back in the day.
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Marscaleb
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Re: Super Mario 64 performance enhancement

Post by Marscaleb »

calima wrote: Fri Apr 22, 2022 7:32 am Hacking Mario 64 at that level, adding a two-player mode, huge levels, or Odyssey mechanics or whatever, it really feels to me not a good use of time, spending so much effort on something illegal. Making a custom, original 2p 3d platformer with huge levels shouldn't be beyond him by now.

Just my opinion of course.
I think basically the same thing; it's bitter-sweet. I love seeing what he's doing, and I want to play his game, but I know that the moment some lawyer for Nintendo sees it, all his work goes in the trash.
But also at the same time, I know that if he had spent this time building some brand new 3D platformer, despite the tremendous quality I'm certain he could achieve, he'd never garner even a fifth as much attention as he has with this Mario hack.

Honestly I'm not sure which of those two facts upsets me more.
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