You Can Play Mario Vs. DK: Tipping Stars Via Web Browser Thanks To Its Code
"Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tipping Stars" is a puzzle game for the WiiU and Nintendo 3DS that tasks players with guiding marching toys to the end of stages, past obstacles and enemies. This game might not sound familiar to many readers, as fans largely skipped over the title due to the series' limited popularity and the WiiU flopping. Unfortunately, however, there is some bad news for gamers who want to play it on their Switch — the game was never ported over to the current-gen system like many other popular titles were. And because Nintendo is in the process of shutting down the WiiU and 3DS eShop, it will soon be hard to even play on the original hardware.
However, one savvy programmer has found a way to play the game without access to a physical copy or the Nintendo eShop. Noclip programmer JasperRLZ amazingly managed to get the game working on an internet web browser. That's right; no console is needed to experience this sixth entry in the "Mario vs. Donkey Kong" series. And what's even more surprising is just how simple it was to get this last-gen title to work on a web browser. Still, gamers shouldn't expect to play the entire game to completion without a corresponding console, as a full version is not being distributed.
Some modified code was all it took
Earlier this month, programmer JasperRLZ announced that he was able to port "Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tipping Stars" to the web browser. JasperRLZ wrote that this was possible because the game was written in HTML and JavaScript code with a modified WiiU interface. But it still took a bit of work. He notes that it took him 1400 lines of shim code to get everything working. Shim code is when lines of code are edited to work with a new API. So, in this case, the "Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tipping Stars" was edited to work with a locally-hosted web browser API.
There is a game called Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars for the Wii U. It is, inexplicably, written in HTML and JavaScript, with some custom APIs designed for the Wii U. But that means, with about 1400 lines of shim code, I can do this: pic.twitter.com/1VkXip0wUA
— Jasper (cohost.org/jasper) (@JasperRLZ) April 17, 2023
Accompanying the announcement was a video proving that the port was indeed real. It showcases the first level of the game, Rolling Hills 1-1, being completed without any hitches. But how does the web version incorporate the touch screen? Those who played the game will know that the WiiU and 3DS versions utilized touchscreen controls to build bridges to let the Mario robots across. Well, that isn't a problem for the web version. JasperRLZ ingenuously managed to get the mouse cursor to function as a stylus.
Although JasperRLZ's build has not been released to the public, onlookers were amazed that the feat was even possible. And it's probably for the best, as Nintendo has an army of lawyers ready to pounce on anyone distributing Nintendo software without its permission.