A recently unearthed 28-year-old Japanese TV show has provided the first glimpse of a never-before-seen multiplayer mode for the iconic Nintendo 64 game, Super Mario 64. This revelation sheds light on Super Mario 64’s long-lost multiplayer mode and the elusive playable Luigi. The footage, discovered by Twitter user Yakumono, now on the Now In Game YouTube channel, reignites discussions about the game’s development and what could have been a groundbreaking feature.
Long-Lost Feature Surfaces After Decades
The footage, captured at an early public Nintendo 64 showcase in 1995, features a sizzle reel of various N64 games. At the 13:22 mark, the reel briefly transitions to a scene from Super Mario 64, revealing a room previously unseen in the game. In this room, both Mario and Luigi appear to be playable characters, running alongside each other.
Luigi vs. Mario: A Debate Erupts
The discovery has sparked a debate among fans, with some speculating that the green-clad character is not Luigi but rather Mario himself, with the green hue distorted due to the limitations of recording from a CRT television. However, others argue that the character’s distinct features and posture strongly resemble Luigi, making it highly likely that it represents the long-rumored playable Luigi mode.
A Glimpse into the Unreleased Past
The footage aligns with existing knowledge about Super Mario 64’s multiplayer mode, which was planned for the game but ultimately scrapped during development. This corroborates information from the infamous 2020 Nintendo “gigaleak,” which revealed a Luigi model resembling the one seen in the newly surfaced footage.
A Dream Deferred
In an Iwata Asks interview, late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata confirmed that Super Mario 64 had originally envisioned a multiplayer mode featuring both Mario and Luigi. Director Shigeru Miyamoto elaborated on the concept, describing a split-screen mode and a fixed-camera mode where players could experience the game’s platforming challenges together.
The Luigi Enigma
The fixed-camera mode seen in the resurfaced footage matches Miyamoto’s description, suggesting that the multiplayer feature was fairly advanced in development before being abandoned. While Super Mario 64 DS eventually fulfilled the dream of a playable Luigi, this newfound glimpse into the game’s history provides a fascinating glimpse into what could have been.
Conclusion
The unearthed footage from the 1995 Nintendo 64 showcase serves as a reminder of the many possibilities that never came to fruition during game development. While Super Mario 64 remains a beloved classic, this glimpse into a cut multiplayer mode adds another layer of intrigue to the game’s legacy.
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