In 2020, many gigabytes of internal Nintendo data leaked across the wider internet. Known as the “Gigaleak”, it contained source codes and resources from many games. Using data from this leak, a group of enthusiasts have put together high-quality performances of the SNES Super Mario World Original Sound Tracks (OST).
The work was made possible when the source code of the Gameboy Advance remake of Super Mario World was found in the leaked data. The source code contained the names of the examples, which were the same as in the original SNES game. This allowed the team to find the original samples among the gigabytes of leaked files.
We wondered what would happen to all that code, and speculated it would be a poison pill to the emulator scene. This type of hack wasn’t even on our radar and we’re excited to see the project come to light. The songs featured have a very different quality from the original SNES soundtrack. This is largely because the samples do not need to be compressed or cut to fit on a cartridge and work with the console’s sound chip. Other differences in the sound also stem from the fact that, unlike in the game, the samples in these performances do not match the playing time in the original game.
Regardless of the changes, it’s interesting to hear a fuller, round sound from these classic video game tunes. It reminds us somewhat of the later era of CD consoles, when sound designers were able to break free from the limitations of earlier hardware. Of course, we’re still bowing to the alter of chiptune – and this MIDI Gameboy mod is a great place to start if you’re curious. Video after the break.