Super Mario 64 Modder Brings Minecraft-Style Voxel Engine to Real Nintendo 64 Hardware

In a remarkable fusion of nostalgia and technical skill, renowned ROM hacker Arthurtilly has successfully engineered a Minecraft-style voxel engine within the original Super Mario 64 engine, making it fully playable on authentic Nintendo 64 hardware.

This achievement marks another innovative milestone for the Nintendo 64 modding community, showcasing both the enduring flexibility of the hardware and the creativity of dedicated developers. Arthurtilly, best known for standout ROM hacks such as Mario 64 Randomizer and the acclaimed SM64: The Green Comet, continues to advance the capabilities of classic Nintendo titles.

As the co-creator of the Mario Builder 64 tool, developed alongside rovertronic, Arthurtilly has played a pivotal role in empowering other modders and fans to create custom content for Super Mario 64.

His latest endeavor—a Minecraft-inspired voxel engine—pushes those boundaries even further. Earlier this week, Arthurtilly shared a new video on his popular YouTube channel, titled "I made Minecraft run on the Nintendo 64," offering viewers a detailed look at how the system works on original hardware.

Speaking in the video, he describes the major technical hurdles involved in building a complex voxel world inside the limited 8MB RAM of the Nintendo 64.

Through the use of multithreading, the engine reportedly generates landscapes and meshes across multiple frames, which, as he explains, allows for seamless terrain rendering without noticeable lag. Despite these hardware constraints, the custom engine is already equipped with several defining features reminiscent of Minecraft.

Players can explore an infinite world, interact with a variety of block types and shapes—including slabs—and traverse diverse biomes ranging from lava flats and snowy tundras to deserts, oceans, and towering mountains.

The engine supports early implementations of fluid systems (such as water and lava), ambient occlusion, and smoother lighting, replicating some of the atmospheric and visual hallmarks of the sandbox genre. Arthurtilly has outlined additional features planned for future updates, including the introduction of a day-and-night cycle, improved fluid dynamics, in-game saving and loading capabilities, more robust vegetation and tree systems, and an inventory feature.

Each of these planned enhancements offers potential for deeper gameplay and further extends the longevity of both Super Mario 64 and the Nintendo 64 itself. This project is a testament to the enduring appeal and technical potential of classic Nintendo hardware, as well as the ingenuity of the modding community.

Arthurtilly’s Minecraft-style voxel engine not only blurs the lines between two beloved classics—Super Mario 64 and Minecraft—but also reinforces the continued relevance of retro gaming platforms in the modern age.

Nintendo Super Mario 64 Mario Minecraft Nintendo 64 Super Mario Arthurtilly SM64: The Green Comet Mario 64 Randomizer Mario Builder 64 rovertronic