Have you played a game that even though it has passed so many years after its release, it remains good and impressive instead of being outdated or boring? This is exactly how we can classify Super Mario 64. Unveiling to the world an innovative way to control our beloved Italian with the analog control, the courage to launch a polygonal 3D game in a cartridge, and a gameplay that is an inspiration source even nowadays. I’m sure we all feel the same in thinking It’s still fun to get a red cap with wings and fly through the huge playground that we usually call stages without a destination!

The funny thing is that I believe we probably haven’t seen everything that SM64 offers...

 In this article, I will list some of the things you might not know about this wonderful game. Let’s start with probably obvious information, and as we advance you may find one more reason to go out to eat a delicious cake!

STRETCH MARIO’S FACE:: I’m not kidding when I say that many of my friends did not know this functionality in the PRESS START menu, thinking it was just a passive scene. If you think you could not do anything interesting there, here’s a big surprise for you: Use the C button to move the camera around the head of Mario, A to bring up a magic cursor to distort the Mario’s face and, the best part of all, press R to fix the distortion. Some people would say it’s too obvious to consider it an Easter Egg but, who knows? It’s fun, after all!

RAPID EYE MOVEMENT:: Lots of people know that whether we stop to control Mario for a few seconds, he will fall asleep (with some exceptions)! Few know that if we wait a little, Mario will lie on the floor to sleep more comfortably. But only a fraction of these people know: If we wait a few more minutes, Mario will start to dream and talk some random words … Mamma-mia … Ravioli … Spaghetti … Saving the world makes you hungry! (you can’t hear it in the Japanese version)

BUBBLY BOX::  It isn’t the most notable fact but it deserves a place here. There is an unknown possibility of putting a small box (those containing coins inside) in a stretch of water, more precisely in Shifting Sand Land. To achieve this, we must cross on foot the entire stage, carrying the box. It has an unique behavior: If you throw the box to the oasis water, it will sink and drop small bubbles in an almost random order. You can swim with the box in hands, too.

FLYING FISHES:: If you continuously jump on a shallow stretch of water, a blue fish will appear at some point!

ALPHA BETA JAPA:: Super Mario 64 is known to have large differences between the Japanese version (the first) and the American version. Some things had to change due to technical problems, remains of beta versions, others were added. One of the most notable is the change in the third zone of the frame design, Jolly Roger Bay composed entirely of bubbles instead of a sunken ship. Interestingly, this one was used for the NDS remake in 2004! Go figure!

TAKE ME TO THE STARS:: November 24th, Nintendo Co., Ltd., officially unveiled the Nintendo 64 at the 7th Annual Shoshinkai Software Exhibition. Also on hand was a 50% complete demo of Super Mario 64 for play by attendees of the show. It is known that Super Mario 64 has suffered lots of changes between its “Alpha” and “Final” versions: Different interface, sound effects and stage design. One of the most relevant and curious element from SM64 Beta is:: the map! They could appear and disappear, maybe by pressing the L button. They are very similar to those maps used in Super Mario 64 DS. You can view a video showing this and more beta elements here.

Ok, guys, this is the end of the first (and probably the only) chapter of the Super Mario 64 trivia series! Even though it is turning 20 now, we have say that it’s a timeless game and all the future generations should play it again and again! Bye Bye!

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