Mario Kart 64 Dreamcast Port Released by JNMartin, Veteran Homebrew Developer

Mario Kart 64 Dreamcast Port Released by JNMartin, Veteran Homebrew Developer Publisher Nintendo’s classic kart racer, Mario Kart 64, has seen renewed life thanks to a dedicated homebrew effort by JNMartin—an established developer celebrated for bringing games like WipEout and DOOM 64 to the Sega Dreamcast.

The long-awaited unofficial Dreamcast port of Mario Kart 64 is now available, marking a major milestone in retro gaming and homebrew communities alike. The breakthrough was shared on August 7, 2025, when VideoGameEsoterica highlighted the new release, drawing attention to the project’s GitHub page.

According to the repository, most of the critical files necessary for compiling Mario Kart 64 on Sega hardware are provided, along with clear instructions for homebrew enthusiasts.

However, players must supply their own legally-acquired Mario Kart 64 ROM (in Z64 format) to populate the game’s assets, as the developer has not included copyrighted content. This new port is notable not only for its technical accomplishment but also for retaining core elements from the original Nintendo 64 release.

For instance, while earlier statements suggested character replacements—such as Toad being swapped for Sonic—the current version still features Toad in the roster.

This detail may be of significant interest to fans tracking the accuracy of N64 ports on alternative hardware. The project owes much of its viability to the Mario Kart 64 decompilation initiative, which recently reached full byte-for-byte fidelity with the original game code.

This achievement ensured that the source material could be intricately analyzed and adapted, opening the door for ambitious ports like this one.

Recent decompilation updates played a pivotal role in enabling cross-platform efforts, ultimately allowing the game to run natively on the Dreamcast. Sega Dreamcast homebrew advocate Falco Girgis provided early glimpses into the port’s development, posting direct hardware capture footage capturing its progress just three weeks into the project.

Girgis explained that, while "visual glitches and rendering artifacts are present, and audio support is currently missing, such early-stage issues are typical for ambitious Dreamcast ports." As of this week, the build is already playable across all levels, including multiplayer support—an impressive leap considering just days earlier the menu screen was the limit. JNMartin’s track record in the Dreamcast scene has earned the developer notable recognition, previously porting WipEout and DOOM 64 to the Sega console.

The Mario Kart 64 Dreamcast port continues this trend, demonstrating both the enduring appeal of Nintendo classics and the technical skill within the retro development community. For those interested in testing the port, the resources and instructions are available on the project's GitHub.

Future updates and improvements are anticipated as the developer continues refining the experience.

The Mario Kart 64 Dreamcast port stands as the latest testament to the passion and ingenuity thriving within the homebrew and retro gaming world.

Mario Kart Mario DOOM Sega WipEout Dreamcast Sega Dreamcast Homebrew Mario Kart 64 Kart JNMartin Nintendo DOOM 64 VideoGameEsoterica Falco Girgis GitHub