Super Mario 64 mod unleashes a multiplayer frenzy

Super Mario 64 is considered one of the best games ever created, but for the past 21 years, it's been a strictly single-player affair. That all changes today, with the release of a mod that turns Super Mario 64 into a multiplayer title for you and up to 23 of your friends. If you think that 24-player Super Mario 64 sounds like a hectic ordeal, well, you're right on the money.

Created by modders Kaze Emanuar, Melonspeedruns and Marshivolt, the videos the trio have uploaded to YouTube tell us all we need to know about this multiplayer experience. Super Mario 64 with friends seems like a beautiful mess, and it gets even more beautiful as more players join the action. After downloading the tool (and a ROM of Super Mario 64), picking a host, and following a short tutorial, you and your friends can begin unleashing havoc on the Mushroom Kingdom.

None of the content has been changed with this mod – it only serves to let you host and play multiplayer sessions of Super Mario 64. As such, you can attempt to collect all 120 stars with your friends by your side, or you can use Super Mario 64's large, open levels to your advantage and create the fun for yourselves.

If that sounds like your kind of game, you might want to grab this mod quickly. Nintendo has a checkered history when it comes these fan-made games, and it tends to shut them down quickly. Now that this Super Mario 64 multiplayer mod has been getting a lot of attention, it probably won't be long before Nintendo fires off a cease and desist order.

Of course, now that it's out in the open, it won't disappear entirely, but those of you who want in on the multiplayer action are better off grabbing it now instead of having to resort to secondary methods later. This is a pretty fascinating tool, and it shows just how much crazy fun a multiplayer Mario game in the vein of Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine can offer. What's your take? Head down to the comments section and let us know.