Watch how this mixed reality game for Hololens turns Central Park into a full Mario level.
What do you get when you combine everyone’s favorite mustached cartoon plumber with one of the hottest pieces of hardware currently on the market? Arguably the coolest mixed reality experience developed on the Microsoft HoloLens headset so far, that’s what.
Created in Unity3D by Abhishek Singh, the same developer behind the virtual reality dragon ride, this mixed reality sample recreates the iconic first level of Super Mario Bros. tasking players with crushing Goomba’s and collecting coins as they navigate the familiar course.
All the classic Mario level elements are present, from breaking coin-filled bricks, to jumping various pits spread throughout the linear course. In the test video provided, Singh tests his creation at Central Park in New York while simultaneously confusing park-goers dressed as Mario. Why? Well, because he’s awesome.
The NYU alum can be seen physically jumping on Goomba’s while traversing the level, dodging Piranha Plants and picking up power-ups along the way. Items such as power-up mushrooms also have a real effect, shrinking the overall size of the models to simulate the feeling of growing taller.
We’ll have to get our hands on it ourselves to truly test its performance, but based on the footage provided the experience features some fairly impressive tracking. Singh moves comfortably throughout the environment, turning his head rapidly with only minimal drifting from the 3D models. I have to admit, looking down at the classic Mario death pit in 3D looks pretty freaking awesome. Any MR or VR experience capable of inducing a realistic sensation of vertigo is ok in my book!
The Microsoft Hololens has been turning heads as of late thanks to a healthy stream of mind-blowing mixed reality experiences from both professional and amateur developers. So far we’ve seen everything from an official ‘Smurfs’ game and digital easter eggs hidden throughout convention centers, to a miniature Rocket League clone and a futuristic rendition of the classic game ‘hot lava.’
However with Microsoft having yet to even release a reasonably priced consumer version, you can be sure we’re currently only experiencing a minuscule sample of what the hardware has to offer. If this is still just a soft-rollout for the headset, then I can’t wait to see the honeymoon phase…
