When it comes to video game modders, few are as influential as the Super Mario 64 modder Skelux. Known for creating the phenomenomal Super Mario Star Road hack in 2011, he’s since been involved in a plethora of different projects and communities, including a remake/sequel in the Super Mario 64 DS engine, a multiplayer hack that let two players Super Mario 64 together, and an popular difficulty hack for Super Mario Odyssey going by the name Super Mario Odyssey Superstar Mode.
He was basically the Kaze Emanuar of Super Mario 64 hacks before the latter ever entered the scene, and a major reason the community professionalised and moved onto making fully fledged games in that engine instead of the level edits and tech demos they were previously known for.
Unfortunately, it appears his ROM hacking days may now be over. That’s because according to Skelux on Twitter, the cancer he thought he’d defeated may have returned, and he has no idea how much longer he has to live:
Tough pill to swallow, but the cancer is most likely back. Solid reality check on not knowing how long I've got, so I've decided to cancel all ongoing projects and release the source folders. I might still be available to work on stuff here and there, only if I feel like it.
— SKELUX (@BonerLich) August 22, 2025
Hence Super Mario Star World has now officially been cancelled, with the source code for the project now having been made available in another tweet. It’s an unfortunate end to an incredible looking project, and one which hurts even more given that he previously had to scrap half the game for similar health reasons in the past.
A shop feature was scrapped from Super Mario Star World
But there’s nothing that could be done here. As unfortunate as it is, your health is often unpredictable at best, and something that can be destroyed by all kinds of things that come from nowhere.
It’s a horrible situation, and a terrible reminder of just how awful cancer is in general. How everyone is at risk from it, and how so many amazing people see their lives destroyed due to factors entirely outside their control.
So all we can really do here is hope for two things.
First, that Skelux is wrong here, and that he can make a full recovery. We know the odds might be slim, and we understand this could just be blind optimism or wishful thinking on our part… but it’s all we can hope for here. No one deserves to suffer like this. No one deserves to go through this sort of hell.
In that respect, here’s hoping the best case scenario happens, and that he can finally live a peaceful life doing what he enjoys with his friends and family.
The second thing we hope for is for the community to finish the game in his memory. For Super Mario Star World to actually see the light of day, and for people to get to experience it like Skelux intended they could.
Thankfully, this wish is coming true. That’s because an influential Super Mario 64 DS modder called Hailbot (who also works on Super Mario Sunshine DS) has SKELUX’s blessing to finish the game, and is working to complete Super Mario Star World as we speak. Hopefully this means both SKELUX and his fanbase will get to enjoy the game that the former sadly couldn’t finish, and that the former’s magnum opus will be possible to experience in its entirety.
Still, Skelux’s work on Super Mario Star World is officially over, and his other projects have been cancelled due to these health issues. It’s an awful situation all around, and we can only send our support and condolences here.
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