In one of the most preposterous leaks ever, code for Super Mario 64 has revealed that Luigi was at some point in time considered to be included in the game. Preposterous in that Super Mario 64 was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1996, 24 years ago. It took 24 years for Super Mario 64 fans to discover this secret, something that's been rumored and meme'd about for just as long.

As for what's changed in the past 24 years that's allowed Super Mario 64 fans to finally discover this secret, it comes down to a major leak from Nintendo itself. Though, it's just one of many over the past several months. This leak specifically included the source code for games including Star Fox, Yoshi's Island, Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and others. But even among those incredible leaks, the gem of the lot was source code for a pre-launch build of Super Mario 64 named Ultra 64 Mario Brothers.

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The code for Ultra 64 Mario Brothers features a copyright of December 12, 1995, implying that it was a late-in-development build of what would become Super Mario 64. Luigi was apparently actively in development and still planned for Super Mario 64, but the development apparently ran out of time.

What exists of the Luigi code for Super Mario 64 is surprisingly robust. Luigi has texture files that could have transformed the playable Mario model into his brother. There are even voice files, though whether they're complete isn't clear. What's lacking is evidence of these files' implementation. There's no menu choice for picking Luigi and there's no evidence the game would recognize a difference between Mario and Luigi in-game.

Some modders have even taken the opportunity to swap in some of the leaked Luigi assets into Super Mario 64. The resulting half-Mario half-Luigi amalgamation isn't pretty, but it's maybe the closest Luigi will ever get to having a starring role in Super Mario 64.

The revelation doesn't mean anything material for fans of Super Mario 64. It doesn't mean that Luigi is hidden somewhere in the released version of Super Mario 64. But it is a very cool Easter egg of sorts. Luigi could have been in the game, but was ultimately left behind. Another sad story in Luigi's past, but one to which fans can at least say, "L IS real."

Super Mario 64 is available on Nintendo 64, Wii, and Wii U.

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