Please allow me this major digression from Arcade gaming: I still adore Super Mario 64, and from time to time and fire up my Nintendo64 only for this game. I also like the game as ported to the Nintendo Switch.
However, there have been exiting Super Mario 64 Hacks out there that really deliver the goods. Now, if you are capable of the Command Line and Homebrew, they are also available for under MacOS, in particular Silicon Macs.
Here are the instructions for three solutions that worked for me. It's quite easily to loose focus with all the options available, so let's look into three solutions that work well.
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| This runs natively in MacOS Sequoia 15.1 at 60 fps |
Teaser: With all three solutions to be discussed here, you get incredible Super Mario 64 gaming experience that hugely outperforms the original game. Out of the box comes 60fps and widescreen. It is not an emulation, but a re-compiled MacOS app. With this alone, you should be interested.
MacOS-specific warning: MacOS display scaling is your enemy for all these apps! In my own case, I have to set my 4K-monitor to native resolution without scaling, while normally I use MacOS with the largest scaling. But especially with custom textures, this scaling causes a lot of jittery effects in all three solutions. So prior to using any of the following solutions, be sure to switch MacOS-scaling off.
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| Turning off scaling is a must for hi-res textures. |
Requirement for all solutions: Super Mario 64 (USA).z64 rom
Solution 1: sm64ex
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| p3st texture pack ... so beautiful |
- Source: https://github.com/sm64pc/sm64ex
- Features: 60fps, widescreen, hires textures, camera and texture fixes, rumble works for me (only here)
- You need to compile yourself (instructions below!)
- Textures:
- https://github.com/TechieAndroid/sm64redrawn (345 MB, beautifully redrawn, as the name says)
- https://github.com/p3st-textures/p3st-Texture_pack (that's an incredible set, 812 MB)
- https://github.com/pokeheadroom/RESRGAN-16xre-upscale-HD-texture-pack?tab=readme-ov-file (another impressive set, 513 MB)
- Review: It's the oldest solution, but still impresses totally. Rumble works here with my PS4 joypad, that's not the case with the two other solutions. The p3st textures impress me most, but that's subjective. I started playing here again only to see all these nice textures. And once you are used to the 60fps and widescreen, there is hardly a way back.
Solution 2: Render96ex_MacOS
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| See the beautifully redrawn Mario and trees |
- Source: https://github.com/flatmapthatshit/Render96ex_macOS (forked for MacOS from the original repo)
- Features: same as sm64ex, but further enhanced by Model Packs (significantly enhanced models, which you can switch) and highly sophisticated texture packs
- You need to complile yourself, very good instructions on the Github site above specifically for MacOS
- Model Pack: https://github.com/Render96/ModelPack/releases (also explained in the MacOS repo)
- Texture Pack: https://github.com/pokeheadroom/RENDER96-HD-TEXTURE-PACK (again, explained in the MacOS repo in detail)
- Review: Clearly next level with the Model Pack alone (Mario looks like in Odyssey). Rumble does not work for me, though.
Solution 3: SM64 Coop Deluxe
Here everything gets really crazy ...
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| A lot to tweak here, georgeous gfx, but only if you install the dynos into the app bundle |
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| The night mode is incredible fun as well |
- Pre-compiled app: https://github.com/coop-deluxe/sm64coopdx/releases/tag/v1.0.3 (yes, nothing to compile here!) - drag and drop the rom into the window, and ready to go
- Features: same as Render96ex, but again substantially expanded with a focus on coop; for the real experience, you must install the Dynos (see above sceenshot) into the MacOS app bundle
- Render96 Dynos Packs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKj2YS_Q3HQ - sorry, I only found this Google Drive link with 1.1 GB download, but this is what you get if you install the Render96 packs into the app bundle, works (will try to follow up on that in more detail) - this is a must for the real beauty of this app
- Review: Still so much to evaluate, but a huge thing for sure. Graphics are top notch, and in hosting mode, you can also play alone behind your firewall. The night mode is just incredible, and so are the tweaking possibilities on your character.
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| Within your app bundle, you need the Render96 packs installed. |
sm66ex Compilation Instructions for Apple Silicon
I am starting with this because that one seems to be missing (it is very similar to Render96ex, so if you manage this, you will have no issues with Render96ex):
1. Homebrew: Assuming that you have a working Homebrew environment - these are the officially required packages:
gcc make sdl2 audiofile pkg-config glew glfwgcc sdl2 audiofile pkg-config glew glfw mingw-w64
Note: audiofile no longer installs with me in Homebrew these days, but compilation still worked for me.
2. In the Terminal, clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/sm64pc/sm64ex
3. Put the original rom into the cloned repo and rename it to baserom.us.z64
4. In the Terminal, change directory into the cloned repo and build the game:
gmake OSX_BUILD=1 BETTERCAMERA=1 NODRAWINGINSTANCE=1 TEXTURE_FIX=1 EXT_OPTIONS_MENU=1 EXTERNAL_DATA=1 -j10
5. You get the compile in the build/us_pc directory - sm64.us.f3dex2e - move the entire directory to a place of your liking.
6. Start the app from the Terminal from within this directory: ./sm64.us.f3dex2e - sorry, no double-click for the time being (you could help yourself with an .sh script for sure)
7. Install one texture pack: /res/gfx/
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| only one at a time is possible |
8. Enjoy!
Limitations
Collector for limitations under MacOS compared to Windows
1. Render64 has no raytracing (...)
2. Rumble does not always work, as explained above
3. Smaller graphical glitches that can be seen in some levels (...)
(...)
