modders Archives

AppWizard

June 6, 2025

Fill the Marathon-shaped hole in your life with Supplice, the best prog-heavy boomer shooter you’ve never heard of

Bungie's reboot of the classic FPS series Marathon was absent from the recent State Of Play showcase, facing scrutiny over allegations of aesthetic plagiarism. In contrast, the early access game Supplice, inspired by Marathon, features fast-paced gameplay, a robust shotgun, and labyrinthine levels. It includes exposition-filled terminals and a progressive metal soundtrack. The latest episode, titled 'An Anthem of Hammers', introduces new gameplay elements such as the heat-proof Lava Suit, five new enemy types, a new boss, and the Fission Dynamo weapon. Supplice is built on the GZDoom engine and aims for a total of six episodes, with the first four currently available for £8 on Steam. It is also offered in a discounted bundle with another title, Incision, for £13.

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Minecraft Movie Streaming Soon on Max With Sources Pointing To June Date

The Minecraft Movie is set to stream on Max, with a potential release date of June 20, 2025, although this has not been officially confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery. The film, directed by Jared Hess and featuring Jason Momoa, premiered in theaters on May 30, 2025. It will be available for digital purchase or rental on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Physical editions (4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD) are scheduled for release on June 24, 2025. In 2025, Minecraft modpacks are evolving, with a focus on technical modpacks and new gameplay experiences. Notable modpacks include "Biohazard: Project Genesis" and "Multiversal Archeology," which emphasize automation and resource gathering. Popular modpacks are introducing intricate quest systems, performance optimizations, and visual enhancements, including high-definition textures and dynamic lighting. Tools like CurseForge and packwiz are streamlining modpack creation and sharing. The Bedrock Edition has seen new modpacks like "Elemental Horizons" and "Survival Evolution." "Technological Frontiers 4" is currently the top-rated modpack on CurseForge. The 1.21 update has influenced modpack developments, leading to new dungeon exploration themes.

AppWizard

June 1, 2025

Painkiller RTX is a path-traced upgrade to a classic but almost forgotten shooter

Nvidia's RTX Remix is a tool that allows game modders to enhance classic PC games with path-traced visuals. One notable project is the transformation of the 2004 game Painkiller into Painkiller RTX, currently at version 0.1.6. This project utilizes a custom rendering technology called PainEngine, replacing the original Direct X 8.1 rendering with a path tracer, resulting in improved visuals such as real-time shadows and moving lights. The gameplay retains its fast-paced action focus, with enhanced mechanics through Havok physics, allowing for dynamic interactions with the environment. Painkiller RTX features significant upgrades in lighting, including dynamic lighting that interacts with moving objects and improved texture quality using Quixel megascan assets. However, the path-tracing technology requires robust hardware for optimal performance, and even mid-range GPUs like the RTX 4060 may struggle with frame rates during intense gameplay.

AppWizard

May 30, 2025

I can’t believe Elden Ring Nightreign is missing this feature on PC

FromSoftware has released Elden Ring Nightreign, a co-op roguelike spin-off of the Elden Ring universe, now available on Windows PC and Steam, with console versions coming soon. The game features a 60 FPS cap and has received positive feedback for its performance, despite some framerate drops. However, it lacks ultrawide support, which has disappointed some fans. The game is priced at .99, currently available for .99 at Newegg with the promo code XVSAVE.

AppWizard

May 30, 2025

‘According to Steam, I have around 10,000 hours logged,’ says the modder who’s spent a decade turning GTA 5 into a photo realistic wonderland

The first trailer for GTA 6 was released in late December 2023, revealing characters, settings, and mission structures, but the release date was postponed to May 26, 2026, for consoles, with the PC version still pending. Meanwhile, the NaturalVision modding project has significantly enhanced GTA 5's visuals, improving lighting, shadows, and textures. Razed, the creator of NaturalVision, emphasizes the importance of subtle details in creating a realistic atmosphere and expresses enthusiasm for advancements in lighting technology. The modding community has been supported by custom tools that streamline development, and there is optimism that modding will flourish with the release of GTA 6, potentially including official modding tools from Rockstar. Razed envisions innovative projects, such as reimagining Vice City, within the modding community.

AppWizard

May 24, 2025

Super Mario 64 Mod Brings Minecraft To The Mushroom Kingdom

A new mod for Super Mario 64, created by modder Arthurtilly, combines gameplay elements from Minecraft, allowing Mario to create and destroy bricks. The mod is compatible with the original Nintendo 64 console and features dynamic musical transitions as Mario moves through different areas. Currently, it only includes Mario, but future updates are planned to introduce more features. The modding community has seen recent creativity, including running Super Mario 64 on a Game Boy Advance and enhancing the game's visuals to match its original advertisements.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Modders use reverse engineering to bring Mario Party 4 to PC, more GameCube games to follow

The gaming community has seen a rise in reverse-engineering source code from retro console games, particularly from the Nintendo 64 era and earlier, leading to native PC ports. The decompilation of Mario Party 4 is nearly complete, making it the first fully decompiled GameCube title, which will facilitate unofficial PC ports. A port of Mario Party 4 with online multiplayer is in development. Other GameCube titles like Super Smash Bros. Melee and Metroid Prime are also being targeted for decompilation. An unofficial PC port of the Xbox 360 game Sonic Unleashed has been completed. Previous titles such as Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time have received PC ports with enhanced features. Modders are experimenting with advanced technologies like ray tracing for classic games. A modding tool has improved the recompilation process, but technical challenges remain. Nintendo has not taken legal action against these decompilation efforts, and modders use clean room tactics to avoid legal issues, requiring ownership of the original game for PC ports.

AppWizard

May 8, 2025

Mojang has just killed support for Minecraft VR, an underrated but very flawed VR experience

Mojang has announced the discontinuation of VR support for Minecraft, with plans to cease support by March 2025 and a suspension of VR functionality that occurred in May. The transition away from VR has received mixed reactions, as the experience was often described as temperamental and underwhelming. Alternatives like Vivecraft, a fan-supported mod, allow players to enjoy Minecraft in VR on PCs, but come with challenges such as requiring additional setup and coordination among friends. The decision to discontinue support likely stems from Minecraft's evolving nature, which complicates development and leads to the obsolescence of older versions.

AppWizard

May 8, 2025

Mojang’s big Minecraft VR mistake

Mojang has officially discontinued VR support for the Bedrock version of Minecraft on PCs, ending a VR initiative that began in April 2016. The Gear VR version was initially available on devices like the Oculus Go and original Oculus Quest, but support for older games on the Oculus Quest 2 rendered these experiences obsolete. Modders, particularly through the Vivecraft mod, have filled the gap left by Mojang, with QuestCraft being a notable port for Meta Quest headsets. Despite Mojang's claims of lacking resources for VR, the company has over 55 million daily active players and a workforce of more than 600 employees, indicating financial stability. The demographics of the Meta Quest user base suggest a strong potential interest in Minecraft if officially supported. Recent collaborations between Meta and Microsoft hint at potential opportunities for an official Minecraft VR port, yet progress remains stagnant. The QuestCraft Discord server has 80,000 members, indicating significant interest in a VR version of Minecraft, which could attract hundreds of thousands of active users.

BetaBeacon

May 5, 2025

This Majora’s Mask port now supports mods, and more recompiled N64 games are coming

The N64: Recompiled tool has been updated by Wiseguy, making it easier to create native ports of N64 games. The latest update improves the renderer, allowing N64 games to run at full speed with 4K texture packs even on older hardware. Mod-supporting ports of various games are coming soon, with the ability for modders to change virtually anything in the game. Currently, Zelda 64: Recompiled supports Majora's Mask, with Ocarina of Time on the way. Other recomps for games like Kirby 64, Quest 64, and Banjo-Kazooie are also in progress.