James Lambert, the mind behind the now-defunct Portal 64, has released a new video, urging fans not to direct their frustration towards Valve. The cancellation of Portal 64 came about after Valve’s legal team instructed Lambert to cease his efforts on the Nintendo 64 version of their iconic portal game.
In the video shared by Lambert, he discloses that he foresaw this outcome. Lambert empathetically states, “I don’t hold them responsible, and I don’t think you should either. Don’t harbor resentment towards Valve in this situation. It’s likely that the project was destined for removal from the outset.” The developer also emphasized the near-impossibility of the fan remake of Portal being compatible with the Nintendo Software Development Kit (SDK). Lambert invested two years in the project and utilized the video as an official announcement that Portal 64 has met its demise. “I can’t claim I didn’t anticipate this eventually; it’s their intellectual property on a Nintendo console. I had hoped to see it through, but this was not unexpected,” Lambert added.
Portal 64 utilized Valve’s IP address and was being developed using Nintendo’s official Software Development Kit, LibUltra. Had the project succeeded, it would have represented a full restoration of Valve’s original first-person puzzle game, Portal, playable on the Nintendo 64. Lambert considered transitioning to Libdragon, but the magnitude of the work involved made it a challenging prospect.
Despite the setback, Lambert remains composed about the situation and expresses readiness to embark on a new venture. He stated, “I’m satisfied with the progress I made. I’m contemplating creating an original game and simultaneously developing it for the Nintendo 64 and PC. This way, it becomes an intriguing project compatible with N64, while also providing a means for easy monetization and a broad audience.” Lambert intends to continue sharing Nintendo 64 hack videos on his YouTube channel.