Super Mario 64 Co-Op Deluxe Mod Turns a Solo Classic Into a Party

Super Mario 64 Co-Op Deluxe brings the 1996 launch title that started it all on the Nintendo 64 kicking and screaming into the PC era, but this time for several fans to enjoy at the same time. The modders essentially reverse-engineered the original code on PC, taking care not to use any Nintendo-owned files in order to avoid being sued.

Back in early 2024, two other groups began working on something similar, which eventually united under the Coop Deluxe brand, bringing us to version 1.0, complete with all the bells and whistles, by midyear. This one allows up to 16 players to participate, and the developers worked out how to get all of the levels to sync flawlessly, adversaries to react the same way for everyone, objects to not disappear on one guy and then reappear on the others, and world events to occur at the same time. We’ve had similar mods before, but they always appeared to fall short in this one area. The Co-Op Deluxe remake takes it straight on from the start.

To get in on the action, players must first download the latest build from the project’s GitHub page. Once you have that, you will need the base PC port of Super Mario 64, which is available from community sources. Then it’s just a matter of putting up a lobby and inviting your pals over; password sharing is an easy approach to get everyone in. Local play is also supported, allowing you to connect controllers to multiple screens. Everyone gets to see the entire castle hub and participate in the courses, either alone or with their buddies.

Mario leads the roster by default, but Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi are all easily switched in using the built-in options, or you can download some community-made ones if you want to shake things up a little. Some users have even uploaded unique character models, such as Waluigi from Friday Night Funkin’ or Miko from Touhou, as well as some unusual concepts, such as Topham from Thomas the Tank Engine.

On the customization front, they have a plethora of options; you can adjust the fog density, vertex colors, light tint, and palettes to your heart’s delight, and even save them for future use. Graphics also get a fantastic makeover, with redesigned textures and a day-night cycle that makes Bob-omb Battlefield look like a completely different location. They’ve just corrected a number of bugs, including the respawning after you die and the occasional shader crash, as well as smoothing down memory use.

It’s chaos at its best when 16 Marios pile up on the castle top, race across Shifting Sand Land, or try to grab as many stars as possible in Snowman’s Land. They even offer prop hunt games in which players must conceal as Goombas or Question Mark blocks. There are also WarioWare-style minigames available for those who want to have a fast blast. You can switch to Hard level for an endurance challenge, where all the nasty enemies get a little more ferocious and you must earn a lot more stars. On a community night, you can compete with your friends to see who can get 120 stars or three Bowser bouts in the shortest amount of time.
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