Super Mario 74 – A Survivor’s Journey

Super Mario 74 – A Survivor’s Journey

No save states. No shortcuts. Everything earned.

Back in 2011, when Super Mario 74 was released by ROM hack creator Lugmillord, I remember playing through the hack and eventually finishing it with the help of save states.
At the time, that felt like the only way I was going to reach the end. The levels were harder, the layouts were unfamiliar, and one mistake could easily send me further back than I wanted.

Super Mario 74 quickly became known as one of the more challenging Super Mario 64 ROM hacks of its time.
The game keeps the same controls and physics as the original, but the levels are larger, more complex, and often far less forgiving.
Stars aren’t always where you expect them to be, and progress usually has to be earned the hard way.

Now, years later, I’m returning to it to see how far my skills have come. This time the goal is simple: finish the game without using save states, other than saving progress between attempts.
If I fail, I start again. No rewinding, no second chances, just working through the game one star at a time.

The version I’m using includes both the original release of Super Mario 74 and the Extreme Edition.
For this series, I’ll be sticking with the original version, keeping the experience as close as possible to how I remember it, while still holding myself to the rules for this run.

After finishing the
Super Mario 64 Randomizer Survivor Edition, it felt right to stay in the same world a little longer.
That run changed the rules. This time, the game itself is the challenge.

The journey begins again, this time without the safety net.

Rule for this run

  • No save states during gameplay
  • Saving progress only when the game allows it
  • Everything else must be earned

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