11 Super Mario Facts About The N64 Classic

Feb 26, 2026 01:30 PM EST | Updated 8 months ago
Charles Martinet alongside Super Mario 64 character model for a gallery of Super Mario facts.
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Hello internet! Welcome to… a post about Mario! But this isn’t just any Mario. We are talking about Super Mario 64, the game that defined 3D platforming. Did you know that the “L is Real” rumor was actually kinda true? Luigi was in the source code! He was there the whole time, hiding in the data like a green ghost! It is a lore explosion!

And the backwards long jump? That is a glitch that broke physics. You can literally jump up an endless staircase by moving backwards faster than the speed of light. It is beautiful. It is broken. It is everything we love about speedrunning. We are peeling back the layers of the polygon onion to find out why Mario’s shadow is a circle. It’s not just a shadow; it’s a depth perception tool! It’s genius game design!

Super Mario 64 Princess Peach character model explaining the history of her name in Japan.
Mario standing in Bob-omb Battlefield highlighting the game's environmental tutorial and physics-based learning.
Mario in the castle grounds with text explaining Super Mario 64's 32-bit development code.
Split screen of voice actor Charles Martinet and low-poly Mario listing iconic catchphrases.
Mario performing the infinite stairs glitch using long jumps to bypass the seventy star requirement.
Mario making a peace sign with speedrun world record times for zero and 120 stars.
Luigi character render with text regarding his discovery in the 2020 Nintendo source code leak.
Comparison of Peach's Castle in Super Mario 64 and its appearance in Mario Kart 64.
Nintendo 64 game cartridges for Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64 shown as launch titles.
Close up of Mario running with text explaining why every object has a depth-judging shadow.

Super mario facts

Step into the Warp Pipe for a trip down memory lane with this deep dive into the technical wizardry and urban legends of Super Mario 64. Whether you’re here for the “L is Real” truthers or just want to know why Mario’s shadow looks like a circular void, this batch covers the 64-bit (or 32-bit, technically) secrets of the Mushroom Kingdom.

The Princess Toadstool to Peach transition is a key moment in branding history. She had an identity crisis! And the fact that the game launched with only two titles? That is a bold move. Nintendo bet everything on the plumber, and it paid off. These facts prove that even decades later, we are still discovering new things about our favorite jump-man.

If you are ready to collect some stars, fire up the console. We recommend looking at retro gaming facts, nintendo trivia, and speedrun history for more pixelated secrets.

Thunder Dungeon Staff is the byline for galleries our team makes together, led by co-founders Roy R. and Phil M. We've been curating internet humor since 2012: finding the funniest memes, pictures and posts, crediting creators wherever we can, and adding our own take. Roy or Phil reviews every post before it goes live.
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