A new Super Mario patch has been released for Tiny Toons Adventures on the NES by a talented fan, turning the retro game into a Super Mario Bros adventure. Based on a similar bootleg from the '90s, the ROM hack replaces the Tiny Toons characters with the Super Mario gang, and recreates Mario-style environments on the Konami platformer.
We've seen a spate of Mario remakes lately, but this is the first one we've covered that retains the early style of the Mario universe – and makes for an evocative game experience perfect for fans of pure retro gaming (if that's you, see our pick of the best retro games consoles). I love how this mod includes such a wide mix of characters from the Mario universe – and of course the chance to play a new storyline.
Creator Kensu William gives the backstory to the project on his YouTube channel, showing that the project is pure nostalgia for him, drawing on his experiences playing the original '90s bootleg.
"If you had an innocent childhood like mine, you most likely enjoyed those unlicensed plumber games believing they were official sequels, among them there was one that really caught my attention titled "Super Bros 6" which was actually Tiny Toon Adventures which I was never able to finish until recently. from what i saw a lot of potential for a great mario hack," he says.
"i'm not gonna lie, there may be some visual bugs, but i invested many hours to make the game feel fresh and be enjoyed as a new installment of the famous Plumber".
He goes on to explain exactly what he has changed, as follows:
- All enemies were replaced by enemies from the Super Mario universe
- All bosses now belong to the Mario universe (including the Secret boss)
- Some level design adjustments were made in several levels to make better use of resources.
- Some levels were totally changed to fit the theme of the game
- Cinematics tell a totally new story among other minor changes
Comments on YouTube are positive, with fans praising the effort. "Seeing Wario, Donkey Kong and Bowser Jr. in a game like this feels almost unnatural but I love it," says one fan. "Oh wow, this is so well made that at first sight I thought this was gonna be a fully original fan game for PC that used SMB3 aesthetics but nope, I'm very excited to play it," enthuses another.
To play, you need the ROM of Tiny Toons Adventures for the NES, and a patcher (download here). Then you can download the Super Mario Bros 6 hack – and off you go!
For more brilliant retro game fan creations, see our retro game remake section – you'll find Super Mario Bros in 3D made in Unreal Engine, and other fun projects like Zelda and Rayman 3.
