After decades of speculation regarding his inclusion (or lack thereof) in Super Mario 64, a leak seems to have confirmed that L is real. The long-standing rumors that Luigi existed in some form in the beloved platformer have been given new evidence following a massive source code leak from Nintendo's records. The datamine seems to reveal that Luigi was, at some point, meant to be present in the classic platformer.

While Luigi only exists in the game's source code, this does confirm that, at some point, Luigi would have existed in the game. However, how Luigi would have been implemented according to the leaks is a far cry from the version foretold in the now mythical rumors surrounding his inclusion. Fans who grew up with the game have, for years, spread rumors on how to unlock Luigi in the game.

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L is Real

The original Mario 64 has a plethora of Easter eggs and hidden unlockables for players to find that, even today, are still being discovered. These include things like finding Yoshi atop Peach's castle after finding every star. Many players have long suspected there might be further secrets available in the game. Fueling these rumors was one Easter egg in the Castle Courtyard behind Peach's Castle. While the Courtyard at first seems to feature nothing, Boos materialize depending on how many stars you have. However, the Courtyard otherwise is unremarkable, save for a few signs and a fountain at its center. At the fountain, there is a massive star, accompanied by a sign that is too compressed and unclear to read. However, many fans claimed the sign read either "Eternal Star" or "L is Real 2401."

While the star statue the sign is attached to lends itself to the theory that the sign reads "Eternal Star," many more grabbed hold of the rumor it read "L is Real." This claim sparked the rumor that "L" represented Luigi, and that by saying "L is Real," that the developers were informing players that there was a way to unlock Luigi as a playable character in-game.

As for the number 2401, players speculated that it might represent the number of coins available in the whole game, and by retrieving every coin, players could unlock Luigi. However, fans have calculated that 2090 coins exist in Super Mario 64. Upon retrieving every coin, however, Luigi does not materialize.

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So Why is Luigi in the Source Code?

Nintendo Super Smash Bros Luigi Attacks Mario

Luigi's inclusion in the source code indicates that, at some point, Luigi was going to appear in the game. The reality is far more mundane: Super Mario 64, at one point, was a two-player game. A 2016 interview with Shigeru Miyamoto reveals the story behind Luigi's exclusion from the game. When asked about Luigi, Miyamoto explains, "Ultimately, due to memory issues, we had to take him out. Then we were going to include him in a Mario Bros. style minigame, but because most users probably only have that one controller when they first buy their N64...we decided not to." This explains the rudimentary model of Luigi found in the source code, as he was eliminated early on.

Perhaps due to the popularity of the rumor, Luigi (alongside Yoshi and Wario) was added as a playable character in the Nintendo DS version of the game. Ultimately, Luigi's inclusion in the original Mario 64 is an example of Nintendo shaving off features in order to hone what works best about the game. While it might be disappointing that Luigi was never really an unlockable secret in the game, the legacy of "L is real" is a testament to the video game rumor mill that took fans by storm in the early years of gaming culture.

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