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This mind-blowing Minecraft demake created by a porting genius for the GameCube now boasts a render distance higher than the official Switch version's
A developer has created a custom engine that allows Minecraft to run on the GameCube with better performance than the Switch version, showcasing impressive capabilities and nostalgia-inducing visuals.
The Minecraft community continues to impress well over a decade following the monumental arrival of Mojang's sandbox gem - most recently with a GameCube "demake" outperforming official ports.
Developer 'meesedev' has been working on a "Minecraft-inspired" game for Nintendo's retro console for a little while now - and while it's "an entirely original creation with unique assets and ideas," the mastermind dev is first using elements from Minecraft to showcase what the custom engine they've created and are using is capable of. Just a few weeks ago, for instance, meesedev highlighted how they crammed 25 million blocks into their Mojang-esque engine.
Since then, they've come even further. According to the creator, their engine now "boasts a render distance of 13 chunks." This means its render distance surpasses that of Minecraft on the Nintendo Switch - in docked mode, nonetheless. Not only does their software one-up performance on Nintendo's modern console, but it also supports more dynamic environments and visuals: "Cloud shadows now distort as they move and soften during sunrise and sunset."
The #Gamecube game engine now boasts a render distance of 13 chunks, surpassing the render distance of Minecraft on the Switch (docked). Cloud shadows now distort as they move and soften during sunrise and sunset.#retrogaming #indiegamedev #gamedev #Dreamcast pic.twitter.com/oPylZtNhR5August 26, 2024
The dev's post features screenshots that show as much, all with the nostalgic GameCube flair from their engine. There's even footage highlighting a first-person point of view with the Minecraft assets and UI on display - and it instantly transports me to my childhood when I watch it. Something about meesedev's engine and the way it runs Minecraft makes me feel like I'm 10 years old all over again, playing the Cave Game that started it all.
Unfortunately, I won't ever get to experience the heart-warming Minecraft magic first-hand, as meesedev's engine won't launch "until all content is original." There's no telling when that'll be, but it's exciting to consider what everything will look like once the dev finishes swapping Mojang's blocky assets out for their own. No matter what, though, it'll surely be impressive - more so than Minecraft is on the Switch, anyway.