Super Mario 64 is one of the most iconic N64 games of all time. It's one of those titles that never gets old no matter how many times I play it, but it's also nice to play it through with a new character taking the reins from Mazza for a change too. Seeing Sonic or Captain Falcon running around Peach's Castle creates such a different atmosphere, especially when you add legendary Pokémon like Ho-Oh and Lugia to the mix.
This is a ROM hack from Asplotim that replaces Mario with either Ho-Oh or Lugia, the two legendary Pokémon from Pokémon Gold and Silver. It's not a revolutionary hack in terms of changing up the format or adding in new levels or anything like that, but seeing Lugia running and jumping around instead of Mario and actually using his wings to fly instead of the Wing Cap is really cool. I know you don't end up flying that much in SM64, but when you do, it looks super cool. I'd like to see Metal Lugia too, now that would be cool!
Lugia jumping in Super Mario 64 pic.twitter.com/tJaFuZkEJc
— MAGIKARP🦈💦 (@UniteVids) July 8, 2026
The mod doesn't have any Pokémon sound effects in it, so it literally is just a like-for-like swap. But you know what, it's novel and quirky, and if there's one thing I've realised from doing this job, it's that things don't need a reason to exist or be cool - all they need to be is fun, and Asplotim has definitely covered that base with this ROM hack!
Check out my other favourite Super Mario 64 ROM hacks while you're here!
