Is L actually real?Over 20 years ago, when Super Mario 64 was released on the Nintendo 64, fans were disappointed to learn that Mario's brother, Luigi, was not a playable character. However, the discovery of a plaque at Princess Peach's castle, whose blurry text was believed to read "L is real 2401," led many fans to believe that Luigi was hiding somewhere in the game. Nintendo of America denied the text actually said anything and made Luigi playable in the 2004 Nintendo DS remake, seemingly ending the conspiracy.However, a recent leak of source code from over a dozen Nintendo games is reinvigorating the debate. The leaked code from Super Mario 64 mentions Luigi, giving credence to the rumor that he was at least considered for the game. Whether he was cut or remains hidden somewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom remains to be seen.
Released in 1996, Super Mario 64 was the first Super Mario game to feature 3D gameplay. It is considered one of the greatest video games of all time and is the Nintendo 64's best-selling video game, with more than 11 million copies sold by 2003. A remake, Super Mario 64 DS, was released in 2004 for the Nintendo DS. However, that game made Yoshi the original protagonist and Mario an unlockable character.