While Nintendo is bringing some of Mario’s classics to new hardware with Super Mario 3D All-Stars hitting Nintendo Switch this week, one fan has been busy porting one of Mario’s older adventures to an even older system. In fact, “busy” is an understatement, as this fanmade MSX port of Super Mario World is six years in the making.
The MSX was a home computer developed by ASCII and Microsoft and released in 1983, seven years before Super Mario World made its debut on the SNES in 1990. To even convert a 16-bit game into a port that can run on an 8-bit system alone is amazing, but creator Daemos made the game run silky smooth and visually near identical to the original title. According to @dantemendes, all it’s currently missing is a boss fight and credits screen.
This is SUPER MARIO WORLD on MSX for Mario 35th.
On MSX2, but pushing hard the limits of the 8-bit computer. Author Daemos said recently that it's only missing a boss & end credits screen. Took 6 years.#fangame #MSX #gamedev #8bit #pixelart #homebrew #retrocomputing #chiptune pic.twitter.com/dxR9Il6yRT— Dante 3d dev (@dantemendes) September 15, 2020
Considering how many fan games Nintendo has ceased and desisted in the past, it’s unlikely that this version of Super Mario World will be released publicly, at least not until the final version is 100% completed. Still, just witnessing such a project and hearing the “Overworld” theme played on the MSX sound chip is awesome!
Written by Reece Heather
A lifelong Nintendo fan and a longtime editor at Zelda Universe, Reece will forever be grateful that he somehow dodged the Naughty List of Christmas 1998, when Santa delivered the life-changing gift of a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario Kart 64. When he's not playing games, Reece is usually reading Punisher comics, delving helplessly into the weirdest depths of anime and manga, or spending time with his cocker spaniel Gracie -- the goodest girl ever!
