We’ve all been there, lying awake at night pondering on all of the glorious remakes we’ve had of beloved platformers recently. Crash, Spyro, Pac-Man World soon. Then, we ask the one question that all Nintendo fans are too used to asking. Nintendo, what are you doing?!

Super Mario 64 is arguably the most beloved platformer of all time and yet a remake seems to be nowhere in sight. Why? Well, given that this is something I have pondered for far too long, allow me to attempt to answer that question

Nintendo already made a remake to Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 DS is a great remake… in theory. They added loads of content, but the controls are terrible, mainly due to the DS lacking any form of analogue stick. Also, the models look better, but the overall quality looks worse. This was a great remake, greatly limited by the hardware it was remade for, a console remake for a portable system has its novelty, but a definitive edition this is not.

Now, Super Mario 64 DS came out in 2004. That’s 18 years ago. There are people who were born after this game came out and are now adults. Surely Nintendo wouldn’t be opposed to remaking the game again. Well.. this is Nintendo, they do weird things. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t want to remake the game again simply because they’ve done it already. There are other reasons at play though…

Super Mario Sunshine / Super Mario Odyssey 

Every 3D Mario game has built upon the formula that Super Mario 64 introduced in some way, but none have done it more directly than Sunshine and Odyssey. These games truly feel like sequels to Super Mario 64. With that in mind, why release a remake? Why not just work on new games that incorporate elements from Super Mario 64 into a brand new Super Mario game?

Furthermore, remakes of this nature are usually designed to do a lot more than simply improve old games, they are also designed to revive dead series and resurrect consumer interest. Most of these series haven’t had entries in years. Mario has about 5 games come out every year… he’s good. The only real reason to remake Super Mario 64 would be to have an even more solid version of this game… but therein lies our next issue.

People Love Super Mario 64, Warts and All

Super Mario 64 was one of the first games available to purchase on the Virtual Console for the Wii and Wii U. On the Nintendo Switch, it was one of the 3 games included in the limited edition Super Mario 3D All Stars collection, and is now available as part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

Over 25 years after its release, and people are not only still playing this game, but still willing to buy it. Be it individually, as part of collections, or as part of a subscription service. This game is still very much monetised for Nintendo, so why remake it when everyone seems content with the original?

In Conclusion…

I would absolutely love to see a remake of Super Mario 64, as would many others I’m sure but honestly, I can totally understand why this isn’t a priority to Nintendo. I’m sure one day it will happen in some form, but in the meantime, I’m just looking forward to whatever comes next for the Super Mario series…

… also remake Super Mario Land 1 & 2 first Nintendo, those games are in way more need of a remake than Super Mario 64.