This is a genre of hacks defined by their use of the Super Mario 64 beta version as inspiration. Hacks of this genre can be of any kind- recreations of the SM64 beta, significant use of the SM64 beta's material, or even creepypasta hacks.
The Super Mario 64 we know was released in the year 1996, but the first prototype presented to the world was the year prior- at the annual Nintendo Space World show in 1995[1]. This version of Super Mario 64 was very different to its complete version; it was only 50% complete, and contained an impressive 32 courses- over twice as many as the final release. The visuals and soundtrack were very different too, hence the prevelance of certain sound effects and visual effects used in beta-inspired hacks.
Recommendations
Gamma64 is what happens when a talented creator makes a faithful adaptation of some SM64's beta content, and combines it with a set of solid- but not intrusive- ideas.
Despite having 72 Stars to collect, this hack is decently quick to beat, thanks to its fast-paced level layouts and addictive nature. Overall, Gamma64 is a polished hack that doesn't do a thing wrong, and will inevitably tempt you back to replay it all over again.
Dream 64
Dream 64 is a 30 Star hack created for one of the most well-attended ROM hacking competitions in the SM64 community- the Dream Themed Level Competition, hosted by the YouTuber, SimpleFlips.
While Dream 64 may not have been placed in the top ten entries, it undoubtedly made a lasting impact with its imaginative interpretations of the SM64's infamous wealth of urban legends, and even served as inspiration for the far more well-known hack B3313.
B3313
This gargantuan hack boasts the biggest Star count of any original hack, and a staggering number of creators on its team.
This hack draws a lot of inspiration from the SM64 beta versions, but also heavily focuses on the many urban legends surrounding Super Mario 64.
If you're looking for a faithful recreation of the SM64 beta, this likely isn't the hack for you- but if you're looking for something eerie, labyrinthine, and unnerving, then B3313 is more than worth a play.
Zeta 64
Zeta 64 is a demo hack that takes many of the ideas and concepts surrounding the Super Mario 64 beta and combines them with the creator's own stylistic flair.
Playing through this hack feels eerily similar to being in a dream, giving it something to bring players back. The soundtrack is a particularly strong point for it (the basement song is my personal favourite ✦ ), and contributes enormously to this hack's unique vibes. Unfortunately, this hack is only available as a demo, and the creator hasn't yet expressed an interest in expanding Zeta 64.
Beta-style Hacks (List)
| Name | Creator(s) | Stars | C? | SC? | Date Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95Reborn | ajplayz64, Lunar, SM64BÉ! |
120 | 2024-06-10 | Retexture of vanilla SM64 | ||
| 96flashbacks | 1upGuy, dans_, K-Dubs, Scraps, Sleekflash-16, stalechilibeans |
77 | 2022-06-11 | |||
| B3313 | See article | 460 | 221 | 61 | 2024-02-04 | |
| B3313 Unabandoned | See article | 471 | 2023-04-71 | |||
| B991B(internal castle) | SMJ90, SMP1, YM76 |
5 | 2024-06-16 | |||
| Dream 64 | SonicandMario- Games1985 |
30 | 2022-09-10 | |||
| Epic95 - B-Roll Beta Remake | breakpointr | 70 | 2023-11-27 | |||
| Gamma64 | IProgramInCpp | 72 | C? | SC? | 2021-09-25 | |
| Kiosk 64 (DEMO) | MartenMario64 | 12 | 2024-10-30 | |||
| Land94 | Beta Penguin 64, DanilAstroid, MasterNama |
38 | C? | SC? | 2022-09-19 | |
| Legacy Fortress: The Playable Version | the_pink_modder | 6 | 2024-07-24 | |||
| Motos Factory | See article | 11 | 2023-01-13 | Demo for B3313. | ||
| One after 909 '96 | P3nny | 13 | 2024-08-16 | |||
| Project 95 | jujus_sim- ple_hacks64 |
120 | 2024-05-05 | Retexture of vanilla SM64 | ||
| Project Beta 64 | Mr Emerald, Project Beta 64 Team, Taxi Yoshi 64 |
13 | 2022-06-29 | |||
| Project Morales 64 | Donut-64, TheSWGuy |
1 | 2024-11-02 | This hack has since been deleted from RHDC, but the project is still being worked on. | ||
| Project Yellow Submarine | majooper64, P3nny |
14 | 2024-05-15 | |||
| SM64 Beyond The Castle Walls | papartrash97, XKoop7321 |
26 | 2024-07-26 | |||
| sm64.061495 | beytahthwomp | 3 | 2024-11-01 | |||
| sm64.z64 | jefftastic | 1 | 2022-02-15 | |||
| Super Mario 64 - Beta Restoration - Stolen Castle | SuperMario- San100 |
0 | Unknown | |||
| Super Mario 64 SHUJAHIKOMORI Project (Unfinished) | SMGn64, supahmario64fan |
22 | 2024-07-27 | |||
| Super Trash 64 2: MJ's Paper Hunt Beta | Kaze | 12 | Unknown | Meme hack | ||
| Super Mario 64: Rocky Mountain Revisited | DavidHolan- daOne |
7 | 1 | 2023-04-20 | ||
| The Junuary Project | Alieneer | 120 | 2021-10-11 | |||
| The Octember Project | IProgramInCpp | 7 | 2021-05-21 | |||
| The Preservation Project | See article | 9 | 2022-06-08 | |||
| Ultra 64 Mario Brothers (Early 1994 Build) | MasterNama | 120 | 2023-10-18 | |||
| Warped Worlds | jefftastic | 13/16 | 2/3 | 3/4 | 2020 - 2023 | No. of Stars, courses/secret courses, and dates vary based on version. |
| Zeta 64 | Halo | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2023-05-28 |