User:TheJoebro64/drafts/SM64HD

Super Mario 64 HD is a platform video game created by independent software programmer Erik Ross. It is an unofficial remake of Nintendo's 1996 game Super Mario 64, featuring a high-definition recreation of the game's first level. Ross developed the game using the Unity game engine as a demonstration of his custom "Super Character Controller". The game gained popularity after shortly its release, but Nintendo issued Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices to websites hosting the game, eventually resulting in the game's demise.

Overview
Super Mario 64 HD is a high-definition recreation of Bob-Omb Battlefield, the first level of the 1996 video game Super Mario 64. Like the original game, players control Mario, who can run, jump, punch, and kick enemies and collects coins. He has an eight-part health meter, and if it is depleted, he will die. If Mario collects 100 coins, he will turn golden and become invincible.

The game was created by Erik Ross, an independent programmer from British Columbia, Canada. The game was created as a tech demo for Ross's "Super Character Controller", a Unity-based application that allows for basic character controls and collision detection, and for Ross's friend who was a fan of Super Mario 64. Ross re-created the game's first level for the demonstration. While most of the art was done by himself, he recycled the Mario, Goomba, and Power Star models from Super Mario Galaxy; all the animations were made from scratch. The majority of sounds were also ripped from official Mario games, and the ones that were not were taken from the website freesound.org. Ross colored the game world himself, using the original Super Mario 64 game world as a reference. The game was released in March 2015, as a browser game and a free download for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. The release gained popularity after Kotaku published an article about it, something Ross had never intended for the project.

Reception
Thomas Whitehead of Nintendo Life viewed the demonstration favorably. Whitehead commented that it was "impressive" and "an admirable effort", praising its graphics and expressing hope the project would not be taken down.