It's one thing to create demake ports of games to bring to other consoles with similar processing power, or even consoles that you could still classify as modern because they're still found readily available in second-hand stores. But to see Mazza's seminal N64 adventure on a Vectrex from 1982 is unreal!
I know the Vectrex Mini has revitalised the brand somewhat, but it's still a very niche console compared to the likes of the NES, the Mega Drive, and the PS1, all of which we regularly talk about when it comes to ports and demakes. The retro-gaming scene's commitment to not letting this console die is fantastic, and there's still a dedicated fanbase who are looking to push it to its limits.
I came across this port in a video posted by Arcade Jason from our friends over at GoNintendo, and while it's nowhere near as detailed as the original N64 game and is essentially wireframe characters, it's still cool. Arcade Jason added sounds to the original work by Dani Ferrer, so it's a bit of a team effort. The likelihood behind how it's come together is that Dani used an SDK like the UVMC2, a Vectrex cart that's essentially a mini PC. There's definitely something else helping to power this, as the Vectrex couldn't do it on its own. Still, you can tell it's Super Mario 64, and seeing a game from 1996 running on a console that is almost 45 years old is madness!
Arcade Jason says that they want to move on to a different project, so there's a chance that this might never be completed. I suppose it's a cool proof of concept as to what is possible with the Vectrex, but I'd love for someone to see this through to completion. Jason has said that anyone who does want to finish it should contact him, so make yourself known if you want to pitch in!
