The modding community around Nintendo 64 classics has been productive for years, but total conversions of the scope that Star Nova represents do not come along often. Creator NicTube has released Paper Mario Star Nova, a full-scale mod for Paper Mario 64 that replaces essentially everything that made the original game what it was and builds something new in its place.
This is not a texture pack or a quality-of-life patch. Star Nova ships with multiple new chapters, a completely original story and lore, an entirely new world, new characters, new partner characters, new enemies and bosses, and over 70 new star pieces to track down. In terms of ambition, it sits in the same conversation as some of the more impressive ROM hacks, Nintendo, Pokémon, or otherwise.
A couple of things worth clarifying: first, Star Nova is a mod for the N64 ROM of Paper Mario 64, which means you will need to source that yourself. The mod does not include the base game, and no download links to the ROM will be provided here. Second, this is distinct from the unofficial PC ports of Nintendo 64 titles that have surfaced over the past year or so. Star Nova runs on top of the original game via emulator, not a native PC build.
For anyone playing Paper Mario through an N64 emulator already, the setup should be fairly straightforward. The mod is available now via NicTube’s page on itch.io, and a full release trailer has been posted showing what the new world and characters look like in motion.
The bar for what counts as an impressive ROM hack has risen considerably over the past decade, and Star Nova clears it comfortably. NicTube has put in the kind of work that makes you wonder what a proper N64 sequel may have looked like.
Source: NicTube via DSO Gaming
