Super Mario 64 can now be played inside a browser without emulation, after YouTube user Rovertronic posted a video that turns the platform own features into a playable level, Dexerto reports.
The trick combines two things YouTube already does. The 360-degree spherical video player supplies the movement, and closed captions drawn to resemble Mario and his animations supply the character. The gameplay itself is pre-recorded, so nothing is being simulated; the interactive elements simply create the illusion that the viewer is in control.
What the video covers
It opens with a short calibration section that explains the mechanics and the settings a viewer needs enabled, then drops into the Peach Castle courtyard. From there it moves into Bob-omb Battlefield, boss fight with King Bob-omb included.
After leaving that level the video heads to Bowser in the Dark World. Mario falls through the trap door and crosses the platforms, briefly picking up the Metal Mario power-up, and the run closes on the Bowser fight.
The video is built for both mobile and desktop, and viewers have to turn closed captions on to get the full effect.
Rovertronic is working from an established template. In June, the YouTube channels Atlas Arcade and Animated Subtitles published a video that let viewers play Mario Kart in the same way, steering a selection of characters around a course styled after Rainbow Road.
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