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SuperMario 64 Coming To a Browser Near You!

Billly Gates writes Since Unity has been given a liberal license and free for non commercial developers it has become popular. A computer science student Erik Roystan Ross used the tool to remake SuperMario 64 with a modern Unity 5 engine. There is a video here and if you want to play the link is here. You will need Firefox or Chrome which has HTML 5 for gamepad support if you do not want to use the keyboard. "I currently do not have any plans to develop this any further or to resolve any bugs, unless they're horrendously game-breaking and horrendously simple to fix," says Ross.

57 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Plug-in still required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    you will be required to download the Unity web player in order to play the game.

    1. Re:Plug-in still required by ArcadeMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I got rid of Flash and Java because they're security holes. I'm not going to install anything just to run a stupid game.

    2. Re:Plug-in still required by ArcadeMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Furthermore, mentioning "HTML 5" is pointless if it requires a plug-in.

    3. Re:Plug-in still required by Atzanteol · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Pffft. *I* don't even own a TV.

      --
      "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

      - Charles Darwin
    4. Re:Plug-in still required by Billly+Gates · · Score: 3, Informative

      It is a Unity plug in that is legit. It basically caches the data and compiles the c++ to ecmascripten a fork of asm.js.

      You can download the source and compile it yourself as an executable if you do not want the browser

    5. Re:Plug-in still required by buchner.johannes · · Score: 1, Insightful

      It is a Unity plug in that is legit. It basically caches the data and compiles the c++ to ecmascripten a fork of asm.js.

      You can download the source and compile it yourself as an executable if you do not want the browser

      And why can't they compile the c++ to ecmascripten or asm.js before they put it on the website?

      --
      NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
    6. Re:Plug-in still required by Wootery · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yep, awful Slashdot editing strikes again. Why bother mentioning HTML5 unless you're deliberately trying to mislead me? It's a damn plugin, not 'in the browser' at all.

    7. Re:Plug-in still required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They can. Unity 5.0 (just released) supports export to html5 and he feature is included in the free licensed version of the product. Old blog post about the tech:
      http://blogs.unity3d.com/2014/04/29/on-the-future-of-web-publishing-in-unity/

    8. Re:Plug-in still required by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      My house is so big I can't get WiFi in the kitchen.

      How do I play a browser based game in the kitchen?

    9. Re:Plug-in still required by SCPRedMage · · Score: 2

      Upgrade your toaster.

      --
      My sig can beat up your sig.
    10. Re:Plug-in still required by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      I upgrade my system at least twice a day, I'm strictly plug and play.

    11. Re:Plug-in still required by SCPRedMage · · Score: 1

      Well, there's your problem right there: you're not supposed to play with your food.

      --
      My sig can beat up your sig.
    12. Re:Plug-in still required by feddas · · Score: 1

      It's built with Unity5 (which supports WebGL builds) and he gave away the source code as http://slashdot.org/~Brulath pointed out. After a few clicks in Unity5 I was able to build a WebGL version: https://googledrive.com/host/0...

      It's got bugs, but it's playable targeted to "HTML5" as well.

    13. Re:Plug-in still required by feddas · · Score: 3

      The Unity Web Player plug-in is Unity's old tech, been available for at least the last 2 years. Unity WebGL is new tech, been publicly available for about 1 month. Takes some time for devs to adopt new tech.

      I rebuilt his code using Unity5 targeting WebGL, works fine: https://googledrive.com/host/0...

    14. Re:Plug-in still required by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      House=basement
      big=full of metal pipes
      kitchen=corner with the hotplate

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    15. Re:Plug-in still required by localman · · Score: 1

      Just played the WebGL version in Chrome. Works fine, looks great. I don't know what you're doing wrong, but it's probably your fault.

    16. Re:Plug-in still required by michelcolman · · Score: 2

      Yeah, they'll take it down. They wouldn't want people who have never played the game before to get a taste of the first level and then go and buy the real game, would they? Best to leave them in the dark.

    17. Re:Plug-in still required by jones_supa · · Score: 1

      You actually believed HTML5 would be capable of something like that on it's own?

      It would be a hard project, but completely doable with WebGL and scripting.

    18. Re:Plug-in still required by Wootery · · Score: 1

      I don't like being lied to by editors. I admit this isn't the most serious problem in the world, but it's still a problem.

    19. Re:Plug-in still required by omnichad · · Score: 2

      Apparently another commenter recompiled the source through a newer version of Unity to be WebGL compatible - runs in the browser directly:
      https://e309ac2f88e3628091cd5d...

    20. Re:Plug-in still required by omnichad · · Score: 1

      In fact, another commenter recompiled this via Unity with WebGL support - no plugin required:
      https://e309ac2f88e3628091cd5d...

  2. License Check... by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

    Just to make sure, is this officially licensed by Nintendo? If it is then it's a cool development, N64 games for HTML5 become possible. If not, then this won't last long.

    1. Re:License Check... by nowsharing · · Score: 2

      Nintendo corp takes down Youtube videos with graphic stills from games. That is swatting down free marketing, so you can imagine what they'll do to this project.

    2. Re:License Check... by khellendros1984 · · Score: 1

      I'm almost positive that it's just some guy's little project, not anything that Nintendo had any part in. He's got Mac, Windows, and Linux binaries posted, as well as the Unity project itself, so even when Nintendo knocks the files down, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone else continue with enhancements to it.

      --
      It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
    3. Re:License Check... by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 1

      Download the stuff so you can host it on a server of you own.

      --
      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
    4. Re:License Check... by tepples · · Score: 1

      Nintendo corp takes down Youtube videos with graphic stills from games.

      All I heard was that Nintendo was using Content ID to claim videos of its games' cut scenes. When did this start?

  3. Did Anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Did anyone else read the title as "Supermario 64 Coming To a Bowser Near You!"

    1. Re:Did Anyone? by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      What's the problem here? With a capitalization difference, that's the title!

    2. Re:Did Anyone? by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      Bowser != Browser.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    3. Re:Did Anyone? by ericloewe · · Score: 1

      I read it as Superman 64, which is only normal, since the title should be "Super Mario 64 ...".

      Of course, why anyone would recreate Superman 64 in a modern engine is beyond me (and the rest of humanity, so far).

    4. Re:Did Anyone? by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      I got it right away - esp. since Bowser is one of the characters in the game.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    5. Re:Did Anyone? by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

      I too first read it as "Superman 64" and all I could say is, "Why?"

    6. Re:Did Anyone? by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      Now I see it... thanks.

    7. Re:Did Anyone? by cfalcon · · Score: 1

      I dunno, they've made great progress on green fog...

    8. Re:Did Anyone? by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      Played a lot of Super Mario Bros., Ms. Packman, Space Invaders, Zelda with my sister, brother-in-law, and their kids ... :-)

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  4. Unity's had a free version forever by Trepidity · · Score: 1

    They've fiddled with the licensing as part of competition for developers with Valve's Unreal engine, which makes it work for some use-cases where it didn't previously (e.g. the mobile exporter is now free, too) but it's been pretty popular for a while now.

    1. Re:Unity's had a free version forever by Electrode · · Score: 2

      > Valve's Unreal engine

      Valve made the Source engine. Epic made the Unreal engine.

    2. Re:Unity's had a free version forever by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Unreal engine seem to be Epic games.

      ValveÂs engine is Source engine.

  5. Nintendon't by nowsharing · · Score: 4, Insightful

    C&D in 5..4..3..

  6. DMCA Takedown Notice by ModernGeek · · Score: 1, Insightful

    DMCA Takedown Notice in 5 .. 4 .. 3 .. 2 .. 1 ..

    Also there is no boss at the top of the mountain.

    --
    Sig: I stole this sig.
    1. Re:DMCA Takedown Notice by ssufficool · · Score: 1

      And it is gone.

      Thanks Nintendo of America. Protecting copyrighted works that no longer sell anywhere.

  7. Re:Holy Crap!! by Herve5 · · Score: 1

    yes, slashdoted at this time :-)

    --
    Herve S.
  8. It's PoC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I played it. It's pretty close to the original gameplay-wise for just a little hobbyist effort. I was impressed. My kid wants to keep playing it. It's just the first level kind of remade without any bosses. The balloon cannons shoot a little too well for my tastes (or I've just gotten slow). There didn't seem to be a key to "pick things up", including the bob-ombs, which are pretty darned fast and tough to get away from. The balls that come down the mountain don't sway from side to side, so they're easy to dodge, but the sounds associated with them were pretty cool.

    Really, it's just a small proof of concept someone did with the engine using a game they were familiar with as a basis. It's not a rebuild of the entire game or anything remotely like that. Since Mario, the bob-ombs and the goombas are pretty obvious, as is the recreation of the first map in mario world 64, I'd definitely expect copyright issues. I don't think this passes the sniff test for a parody. It really just should have been shared privately and not released to the world, especially slashdot, due to such regulations. Really, just find a designer friend, buy them a bottle of captain, and let them throw ideas at you for a couple hours, you'll get plenty.

  9. Source by Brulath · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's not directly linked anywhere, so here his is wordpress blog page about it, including source (Unity3D project). There's native clients at his link also, or you can download the /Web.html page and /Web.unity3d file from the webplayer version then edit the html to make the screen size larger (I altered it to 2500x1400, looks cooler larger).

    It's hitting the nostalgia pretty well for me, having not played any 3D mario games since 64. The little bombs look awesome. The whole thing makes me want to make a small game in Unity, which is pretty cool.

  10. HTML5 by Dan+East · · Score: 1

    For one brief moment I thought this was actually newsworthy - AKA it was implemented in Javascript using WebGL and Web Audio API - while in reality it runs in 3rd party plugin which is a native executable running directly on the system. Yawn.

    --
    Better known as 318230.
    1. Re:HTML5 by feddas · · Score: 1

      Here, rebuilt his Unity5 code to target WebGL: https://googledrive.com/host/0...

  11. Re:DO NOT INSTALL by omfgnosis · · Score: 1

    What are you suggesting is the payload inside this trojan horse? What are you actually warning people will happen?

  12. how long before Nintendo shuts this down? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    how long before Nintendo shuts this down?

  13. It's Just a Demo by PGaries · · Score: 2

    I tried playing this. It's more of a graphical showcase of the first world than a game; most of the original gameplay elements are missing. The most amusing thing about it is a lone goomba inexplicably running on air at the top of the mountain.

  14. could just run emulator then.. by gl4ss · · Score: 1

    my friend mentioned this in a real world chat the other day and I thought it was a nintendo 64 emulator done in javascript and webgl(feasible with hle techniques).

    but a fucking remake in unity that needs unity web player? you could port any emulator code into that fairly simply so what the fuck is the big deal?

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    1. Re:could just run emulator then.. by omnichad · · Score: 1

      It was a demo of what can be done with the Unity engine. A full demo of a level of Mario64 was just the developer getting carried away.

  15. I tried and failed by pjbgravely · · Score: 1

    I should have known that a story submitted by Billy Gates would be about a program that doesn't work in Linux.

    --
    Star Trek, there maybe hope.
  16. Huh? by edittard · · Score: 1

    Since Unity has been given a liberal license and free for non commercial developers it has become popular.

    How do you give a free?

    --
    At the bottom of the /. main page it says 'Yesterday's News'. Well they got that right.
    1. Re:Huh? by Wootery · · Score: 1

      You are correct, they missed the word 'is'. Have a Slashdot pedantry point.

  17. Re:DO NOT INSTALL by Wootery · · Score: 2

    Yeah. I can't tell if it's raving about it being non-Free, or raving against browser plug-ins, or both.

  18. Re:DO NOT INSTALL by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    It has been recompiled for WebGL already.

    Link is here

  19. Re:DO NOT INSTALL by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    Forgot to clear out paste buffer here

    https://e309ac2f88e3628091cd5d...