For several years now, PCG has been following the amazing passion project of programmer James Lambert, a huge N64 fan who decided to create a hardware version of "Portal," which was released in 1996. Portal 64: The First Slice is now out of beta and available for free download.

In the announcement video, Lambert shows off some of the new features of the latest build.

In the announcement video, Lambert shows some of the new features of the latest build, especially the mind-boggling effect of observing a room or a cell through the portal itself. I once called this the most impressive homebrew game I've ever seen, and certainly the N64 nostalgia helps, but I stand by it.

This is clearly the first slice (geddit), and while there is more to come, it is an incredible feat in itself: the first 13 test chambers of the game are all present and correct; Portal has 19 test chambers; Portal: Portal has 19 test chambers, and Portal: Still Alive (which, incredibly, has never had an official PC release) has 14 more.

Looking at Lambert's ongoing work and projects outside of "Portal 64," his love for the N64 is palpable. Lambert's work has been praised by N64 fans, others have reached out to bring the game into physical form, and the Portal N64 itself has been modified. Game packs and game boxes have been created and played by one enthusiast, and the following versions of the hardware have been created and played by another.

The Portal 64 project can be seen on Youtube, and the first slice ROM can be downloaded here: How about Skyrim running on the N64?