Super Mario Bros. 64

Super Mario Bros. 64 is the 5th main installment in the Super Mario Bros. franchise, and is a 3d collect-a-thon following the events of the two brothers Mario and Luigi as they go on a quest to save the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach, who had been captured by the main antagonist of the franchise, Bowser (sometimes referred to as King Koopa).

At the beginning of the game, they are invited by the princess to come over to the castle for cake, but much to their dismay, Bowser had seemingly already arrived, and took the power stars, and must now collect them to restore the kingdom to its former peace. Notably, the game was designed as a launch title for the Nintendo 64, and thus marked the first truly 3d game in the franchise.

Hub
The game's hub takes place in an area known as Princess Peach's Castle, which consists of a total of 4 floors, including one basement. In order to progress to the next floor in progression, one has to beat the "Bowser Level" associated with the floor and obtain its key. They are as follows, in order of progression.

First Floor
Upon entering the castle, you first appear in this floor, and are greeted by Bowser stating, "Gwa ha ha! Nobody's home, now scram!" It takes the shape of a large cardiod-shaped room with 2 sets of stairs leading to 1 door each on each side of the room, and 1 set of stairs in the center leading to a much higher area in the floor. Once up, Mario or Luigi can either take a left turn, leading to the Bowser Level locked behind 8 Stars, take a right turn, leading to a circular room with paintings of Princess Peach locked behind 1 Star. In total, there are 6 courses, including the Bowser Level.

Courses

 * Bob-omb Battlefield
 * Whomp's Fortalice (1 Star)
 * Jolly Roger Bay (3 Stars)
 * Cool, Cool Mountain (3 Stars)
 * Big Boo's Haunt (14 Stars)

Extra Courses

 * The Princess's Secret Slide (1 Star)
 * The Secret Aquarium (3 Stars)
 * Tower of the Wing Cap (10 Stars)

Bowser Level

 * Bowser in the Dark World (8 Stars)

Basement
Upon beating "Bowser in the Dark World", Mario and Luigi will have to go downstairs into the basement that they can now unlock the door to. The floor begins in a basic circular room, with a 32 Star door to the left, and a curved hallway to the right leading to a door to a small maze with a variety of courses, 3 of them being behind another door. In total, there are 6 courses, including the Bowser Level.

Courses

 * Hazy Maze Cave
 * Lethal Lava Land
 * Shifting Sand Land (18 Stars)
 * Vindictive Virulent Velma (22 Stars)
 * Dire, Dire Docks (32 Stars)

Extra Courses

 * Vanish Cap Under the Moat (outside of the castle, in the moat)
 * Cavern of the Metal Cap (reached via Hazy Maze Cave)

Bowser Level

 * Bowser in the Fire Sea (34 Stars, as it is required you obtain at least 2 Stars in Dire Dire Docks)

Second Floor
Once you have obtained the key from Bowser in "Bowser in the Fire Sea", you must return to the First Floor and unlock the door at the top of the stairs. After ascending a spiral staircase, Mario and Luigi will find themselves in a large circular room. There are 4 total doors in the room, and a variety of paintings throughout the floor, usually depicting previous levels, but never enterable, with exception of the entrances to the courses as listed before.

Courses

 * Snowman's Land
 * Wet-Dry World
 * Rumiraged Waste
 * Tall, Tall Mountain
 * Tiny-Huge Island (45 Stars)

Extra Courses

 * Beyond the Mirror (70 Stars)

Bowser Level

 * Bowser in the Illuminated Crater (65 Stars)

Third Floor
Upon completion of Bowser in the Illuminated Crater, you can now ascend the stairs and unlock the door to access the Third Floor. This floor has 2 sets of stairs near the entrance, and a level on all 4 main sides of the room. The 2 most notable features of the floor are the massive grandfather clock that leads to Tick Tock Clock, and the infamous "Endless Staircase" that will prevent you from reaching the final Bowser Level without 90 Stars.

Courses

 * Tick Tock Clock
 * Mellifluous Mayhem
 * Rainbow Ride

Extra Courses

 * Wing Mario Over the Rainbow

Bowser Level

 * Bowser in the Sky (90 Stars)

Courses
The game is divided into 18 main levels, or "Courses" as they are referred to in-game, with 4 levels not included in the count that end with a boss, Bowser. Each course contains 7 Stars (the main collectable in the game), one of which being obtained by collecting a total of 100 coins.

Bob-omb Battlefield
At the beginning, of the game, both Mario and Luigi are not allowed to enter any course except this one, due to the other courses being locked behind doors that require a certain star count. This course takes place in the middle of a large battlefield, with a mountain where the king of the Bob-ombs, Big Bob-omb, resides. Scattered throughout the course are multiple trees with a spherical appearance, along with a variety of enemies, such as Goombas. Among the most prominent characters in the course are a Chain Chomp and a Koopa that titles itself as "The Fastest Koopa Alive", named Koopa the Quick.

Missions

 * 1) BIG BOB-OMB ON THE SUMMIT
 * 2) FOOT RACE WITH KOOPA THE QUICK
 * 3) WRECKING CREW
 * 4) 8 RED COINS ON THE BATTLEFIELD
 * 5) MARIO WINGS TO THE SKY
 * 6) BEHIND CHAIN CHOMP'S GATE

Whomp's Fortalice
This course is locked behind 1 Star, and begins on a large field. One of the main goals of the level is to scale the large fortalice, and defeat King Whomp. This level introduces the Whomp and Piranha Plant, alongside the mechanic of being able to break a wall using a cannon. Furthermore, there is also an owl that can carry you, unique to this level. This level is especially notable for holding an infamous secret wall only found in one other area in the game, known to hold a 1-up.

Missions

 * 1) CHIP OFF WHOMP'S BLOCK
 * 2) TO THE TOP OF THE FORTALICE
 * 3) SHOOT INTO THE WILD BLUE
 * 4) RED COINS ON THE SKY ATOLL
 * 5) DROP ONTO THE CAGED ISLAND
 * 6) BLAST AWAY THE WALL

Jolly Roger Bay
This is a course locked behind 3 Stars, and is the first water level players will usually encounter. It includes a variety of aquatic themed enemies, such as Unagi, and Clams. It contains the first sub-area, which is the pirate ship only accessible during "PLUNDER IN THE SUNKEN SHIP".

The Secret Aquarium
The Secret Aquarium is a secret level found in the painting room of Jolly Roger Bay. It is a large cubic aquarium with multiple coins throughout, with the objective requiring you to obtain 8 Red Coins.

Missions

 * 1) PLUNDER IN THE SUNKEN SHIP
 * 2) CAN THE EEL COME OUT TO PLAY?
 * 3) TREASURE IN THE OCEAN CAVE
 * 4) 8 RED COINS ON THE SHIP AFLOAT
 * 5) BLAST TO THE STONE PILLAR
 * 6) THROUGH THE JET STREAM

Cool, Cool Mountain
Cool, Cool Mountain is a course locked behind 3 Stars that takes the form of a large mountain completely covered in ice and snow, and is well known for its main subarea, a slide that holds 2 of the Stars in the level. The level begins near the top, and you are encouraged to take a trip down its icy slide to the base of the mountain, filled with enemies such as Spindrifts. Furthermore, this Course is also known for the mission where you have to bring a penguin back to its mother, most notably the fact there is no cap on where the penguin can be dropped, and thus there have been many references made to dropping the penguin off of the edge of the course.

Missions

 * 1) SLIP SLIDIN' AWAY
 * 2) SNO' WAY HOME
 * 3) BIG PENGUIN RACE
 * 4) FROSTY SLIDE FOR 8 RED COINS
 * 5) SNOWMAN'S LOST HIS HEAD
 * 6) WALL KICKS WILL WORK

Big Boo's Haunt
This course, locked behind 14 Stars, revolves around a large mansion owned by a large spherical ghost named Big Boo. Throughout the course, you will explore a variety of rooms (one of which containing the infamous Mad Piano) in order to complete a variety of horror-themed missions. Notably, beneath the mansion is a large sprawling maze slightly flooded with water, alongside a large merry-go-round filled with Boos. The entrance to this course involves defeating a larger Boo in the Castle's Courtyard, which will then drop a cage that upon coming into contact in will send you into the course.

Missions

 * 1) GO ON A GHOST HUNT
 * 2) BIG BOO'S SCARY-GO-ROUND
 * 3) SECRET OF THE HAUNTED BOOKS
 * 4) SEEK THE 8 RED COINS
 * 5) BIG BOO'S BALCONY
 * 6) EYE TO EYE IN THE SECRET ROOM

The Princess's Secret Slide
This is a secret course that is locked behind a 1 Star door, which leads into a gallery. The rightmost painting in the room has no collision and will lead you into the course, and takes the form of a large spiraling orange slide. There are 2 Stars in the course, the first being obtained by completing the slide normally, and a second star being obtained by completing the course with a fast speed.

Tower of the Wing Cap
This course, reached by looking into the ceiling at the main carpet of the First Floor with 10 or more Stars, takes the form of a single tower surrounded by a variety of coins in mid-air. Notably, this course unlocks the Wing Cap, and also requires its use to obtain its singular star, obtained by collecting all 8 Red Coins.

Bowser in the Dark World
This is the first Bowser Level in the game, called Bowser in the Dark World, and is required for accessing the Second Floor of Peach's Castle. It is largely green in colour, and contains only one star obtained by getting all 8 Red Coins scattered throughout the course. The main objective is to reach the Pipe at the end of the course in order to fight Bowser himself. During this specific form of the fight, he will mainly shoot fireballs (whilst occasionally jumping, emitting a shock wave), and will die after 2 hits by grabbing him by his tail and throwing him. The entrance to this course is unique in that as you approach its entrance, the Peach painting in the hallway that the course is located in will slowly morph into a painting of Bowser instead, before a trap door is opened and you are sent into the level.

Hazy Maze Cave
Upon reaching the Basement, after taking a few rights (including avoiding the Lethal Lava Land painting), you will reach a room with an abnormal painting, which takes the form of a shiny metal liquid in circular form on the ground. The course does not require any Stars to access, with exception of the Stars needed to access and complete Bowser in the Dark World. The majority of the level is cave themed, with one of the sections of the level including a toxic gas that will slowly damage the player without the Metal Cap. Furthermore, there is a large flooded room in the course that involves controlling a large creature named Dorrie, which can either lead to a Star or "Cavern of the Metal Cap".

Cavern of the Metal Cap
This is a small course that has only 1 Star, obtained by using the Metal Cap (unlocked during the level) and going underwater to collect 8 Red Coins. Notably, if Mario and Luigi are swept away, they will be sent back to the outside of Princess Peach's Castle, at its waterfall.

Missions

 * 1) DON'T BECOME HIS LUNCH
 * 2) ELEVATE FOR 8 RED COINS
 * 3) METAL-HEAD MARIO CAN MOVE!
 * 4) NAVIGATING THE TOXIC MAZE
 * 5) A-MAZE-ING EMERGENCY ESCAPE
 * 6) WATCH FOR ROLLING ROCKS

Lethal Lava Land
This course is notably the first lava level in the entire game, and as is expected, has a large volcano in the center as its main feature, alongside a variety of rocks littering the stage, with a variety of collectables, such as Coins. Notably, this course also introduces Bullies as an enemy, alongside Blargg. The volcano at the center can be explored as well, requiring you to scale it, as would be expected. Notably, this course also displays the power of the Koopa Shell's ability to glide on lava.

Missions

 * 1) BOIL THE BIG BULLY
 * 2) BULLY THE BULLIES
 * 3) 8-COIN PUZZLE WITH 24 PIECES
 * 4) RED-HOT LOG ROLLING
 * 5) HOT-FOOT-IT INTO THE VOLCANO
 * 6) ELEVATOR TOUR INSIDE THE VOLCANO

Shifting Sand Land
This course takes the form of a desert area, of course having a large pyramid that can also be explored alongside the rest of the course. Notably, the main boss of this course is Eyerok, which is also located in the pyramid. Scattered throughout this course are Pokies, which are also introduced in this course. Although the course is locked behind an 18 Star door, the room in which the painting is located in will initially look empty until either Mario or Luigi jump into the back wall of the room.

Missions

 * 1) IN THE TALONS OF THE BIG BIRD
 * 2) SHINING ATOP THE PYRAMID
 * 3) INSIDE THE ANCIENT PYRAMID
 * 4) STAND TALL ON THE FOUR PILLARS
 * 5) FREE FLYING FOR 8 RED COINS
 * 6) THE PYRAMID PUZZLE

Vindictive Virulent Velma
This course takes the form of a large, green, and poisonous swamp area. Notably, scattered throughout the level are a variety of bridges to allow Mario and Luigi to traverse the level without the Metal Cap. However, certain areas of the level are completely unreachable without the Metal Cap, and thus certain stars require that you have it. To locate the course, you must enter the 22 Star door near the Toad. Upon entering the door and reaching the center of the room, a trap door will open and you will be sent into the level.

Missions

 * 1) BURNING BRIDGES
 * 2) THE ODD ONE OUT
 * 3) ASCENDING THE VIRULENT TOWER
 * 4) UNDER THE VENOMOUS OAK
 * 5) 8 RED COINS BENEATH THE SWAMP
 * 6) UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

Dire Dire Docks
This is a well known course, especially as a result of it being one of the few courses completely required to beat the game. It is notably the second course themed around water, and is divided into 2 main sections. Beneath the water lies enemies such as Bubs, and a Manta Ray. To enter it, you must have 32 Stars to unlock the Star door, and enter the blue portal guarding Bowser in the Fire Sea. Once 2 stars have been obtained in the course, the portal will be moved back and you can now enter the Bowser Level.

Missions

 * 1) BOARD BOWSER'S SUB
 * 2) CHESTS IN THE CURRENT
 * 3) POLE-JUMPING FOR 8 RED COINS
 * 4) THROUGH THE JET STREAM
 * 5) THE MANTA RAY'S REWARD
 * 6) INSIDE THE CAGE

Vanish Cap Under the Moat
This course is accessed by draining the moat surrounding Peach's Castle by completing a puzzle in the basement. Once the puzzle has been completed, you can now access the course, which requires that you use the Vanish Cap to pass through surroundings. The course begins with you having to go down a slide, and by pressing the Cap Switch at the end of the course you can unlock the Vanish Cap in every course that has it. Scattered throughout this course are enemies that will shoot fire at the player, to demonstrate the Vanish Cap's invincibility to it.

Bowser in the Fire Sea
This is the 2nd Bowser level in the game, and involves you ascending a fiery landscape in order to enter a funnel that contains Bowser himself. As the name of the level suggests, at the very bottom is a large pool of lava, and thus contains a variety of enemies sharing a similar theme. The battle with Bowser is similar to the first, with exception of Bowser being able to turn invisible AND the stage being much more unstable as a result of it being situated on a thin rock pillar, turning whenever Bowser jumps.

Snowman's Land
This course is well known for its entrance, in that in order to see its painting you have to look in the mirror in the mirror room of Peach's Castle. It is the 2nd course themed around snow, and contains a mini-boss known as Chill Bully. One of the initial goals of the level is to scale the large snowman that watches over the level, and afterwards you will be required to enter an igloo to collect 8 Red Coins. Located within this level are a variety of enemies such as Spindrifts.

Missions

 * 1) THE SNOWMAN'S BIG HEAD
 * 2) CHILL WITH THE BULLY
 * 3) IN THE DEEP FREEZE
 * 4) WHIRL FROM THE FREEZING POND
 * 5) INTO THE IGLOO
 * 6) 8 RED COINS IN THE HOUSE

Wet-Dry World
This course is the 3rd water-themed course in the game, and is known for being one of the 3 courses in the game to utilise the mechanic of changing depending on how you enter its painting. It consists of 2 main areas, similar to the previous water level, one of which consisting of a submerged city.

Missions

 * 1) SHOCKING ARROW LIFTS!
 * 2) TOP O' THE TOWN
 * 3) SECRETS IN THE SHALLOWS & SKY
 * 4) EXPRESS ELEVATOR--HURRY UP!
 * 5) GO TO TOWN FOR RED COINS
 * 6) QUICK RACE THROUGH DOWNTOWN!

Rumiraged Waste
This is the 2nd desert themed course in the game. Notably, compared to its predecessor, Shifting Sand Land, this course is built more on a desolate theme, and thus does not contain very many structures above the ground. As a result of this, some of the stars will be located under the main area instead. Scattered throughout the course are enemies such as Pokies, along with the prevalence of cacti throughout the stage. Looming over the course is the Angry Sun, which unless defeated using the Metal Cap, will be a constant threat whilst above the ground.

Missions

 * 1) TAKE A HIKE
 * 2) THE DESOLATE DUNE'S SECRET
 * 3) BENEATH THE WASTE
 * 4) SPELUNKING WITH METAL MARIO
 * 5) THE RUMIRAGED OASIS
 * 6) ANGER MANAGEMENT

Tall, Tall Mountain
Tall, Tall Mountain, as the name suggests, involves you scaling a large mountain, and scattered around it are multiple large mushrooms. This course is known as a result of the slide hidden in the stage that is required to obtain a star, along with the monkey named Ukiki, which will attempt to steal Mario or Luigi's hat and will taunt them as well. Throughout this course are enemies such as Chuckya, as well as Fly Guys.

Missions

 * 1) SCALE THE MOUNTAIN
 * 2) MYSTERY OF THE MONKEY CAGE
 * 3) SCARY 'SHROOMS, RED COINS
 * 4) THE MYSTERIOUS MOUNTAINSIDE
 * 5) BREATHTAKING VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
 * 6) BLAST TO THE LONELY MUSHROOM

Tiny-Huge Island
This course is themed around being able to enter a pipe in order to enter either a smaller or larger version of the course. Similar to the previous course, it involves scaling a mountain on an island, of course surrounded by water. Enemies (which will vary in size depending on where you are in the stage) such as Fly Guys, Goombas, and Piranha Plants. The boss of this course is Wiggler. In order to access the course, you must have 45 Stars to bypass the Star door located as marked on a previous map.

Missions

 * 1) PLUCK THE PIRANHA FLOWERS
 * 2) THE TIP TOP OF THE HUGE ISLAND
 * 3) REMATCH WITH KOOPA THE QUICK
 * 4) FIVE ITTY BITTY SECRETS
 * 5) WIGGLER'S 8 RED COINS
 * 6) MAKE WIGGLER SQUIRM

Beyond the Mirror
This is a basic platforming-based course unlocked after obtaining 70 Stars and entering the mirror room of Peach's Castle. A box containing the Invisible Cap should be present in the room upon doing so, and the course can be reached by entering the door on the other side of the mirror. The geometry in the stage notably displays a variety of uniform colours. Upon completing the course, you are awarded one Star.

Bowser in the Illuminated Crater
This is the 3rd Bowser Level in the game, and thus at the end of the course is a fight against Bowser. To access the stage, you must have 65 Stars. The course notably uses mainly flying enemies to impede your path, most of which shoot either shoot fire or are made of fire, such as Fly Guys or Fire Snakes. As the name suggests, the course takes place in a massive brightly coloured crater, presumably in space. The fight with Bowser himself notably displays him having reduced gravity, along with the invisibility mentioned in the previous Bowser Level. He also does not fire anything other than occasionally blue flames, which upon impact with the ground will split into 3 Sparkies of the same colour.

Tick Tock Clock
This is a course themed around scaling the interior of a large grandfather clock. Throughout the stage are a variety of mechanical parts such as clock hands, and conveyor belts, and the entire course is suspended over the void. The course largely consists of mechanical themed enemies, such as Bob-ombs, Chuckyas, and Heave-Hos. One of the mechanics of the course involves the fact that the time the entrance to the course displays will affect the speed of the mechanical hazards (3 being slower, 6 causing random movement, 9 being faster, and 12 causing everything to come to a complete stop).

Missions

 * 1) ROLL INTO THE CAGE
 * 2) THE PIT AND THE PENDULUMS
 * 3) GETTING A HAND
 * 4) STOMP ON THE THWOMPS
 * 5) TIMED JUMPS ON MOVING BARS
 * 6) TIME-STOP FOR 8 RED COINS

Mellifluous Mayhem
This course is themed around a variety of musical instruments, especially a piano. As would be expected from the general appearance of the level, falling into the void is a constant hazard throughout the level. Furthermore, all enemies in this course (with exception of the Thwomps) will shoot fire. As a result of this, the Vanish Cap will be frequently used throughout the course. Initially, the goal of the course is to platform to the highest point in the stage, as would be expected.

Missions

 * 1) IN SOUND SHAPE
 * 2) PERFECT HARMONY
 * 3) SHAKING A LEG WITH KOOPA THE QUICK
 * 4) POLYRHYTHM
 * 5) ROCK AND ROLL
 * 6) MUSICAL 8 RED COINS

Rainbow Ride
This course, as the name may suggest, involves riding around on several rainbow coloured flying carpets, avoiding a variety obstacles such as flamethrowers and a variety of enemies such as Fly Guys and Chuckya.

Notably, it is the final main course in the game, and as such is one of the most difficult courses in the entire game. As a result of the level's sky-theme, it is suspended entirely over the void, and making one mistake can potentially result in you having to start over on the Star being attempted. Also as a result of this, the 100 Coin Star in this course is sometimes regarded as one of the hardest Stars to obtain in the game. The entrance to the course is also infamous for requiring that Mario and Luigi navigate a maze.

Missions

 * 1) CRUISING ACROSS THE RAINBOW
 * 2) THE BIG HOUSE IN THE SKY
 * 3) RED COINS AMASSED IN A MAZE
 * 4) SWINGIN' IN THE BREEZE
 * 5) TRICKY TRIANGLES
 * 6) SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

Wing Mario Over the Rainbow
This course is the 2nd course to be themed around utilising the Wing Cap, and as the name suggests is heavily themed around rainbows and the sky. It is the only course in the game to be a sequel to a previous Cap Stage, and thus does not unlock any new Caps. Just like all similar courses before it, the objective is to obtain 8 Red Coins.

Bowser in the Sky
This is the 4th and final Bowser Level in the game, and thus is the most difficult out of the 4. As a result of this, it is also the final course that will be played in order to "beat" the game. The layout is similar to all Bowser levels before it, involving a parkour course that has to be completed in order to each Bowser himself.

The fight with Bowser includes him having all abilities previously mentioned before, with exception of being able to tip over the stage and being able to fire both normal and blue flames. However, during the fight, he takes 3 hits to defeat rather than 1, and once he has been hit twice, will destroy the surrounding stage to cause it to be star-shaped, reducing the size of the area. Once defeated, Bowser will drop a much larger Star which will not add to the main count, and the ending sequence will play, marking the end of the game.

History
While working on Star Fox (1993) for the SNES, Shigeru Miyamoto conceptualised a Mario game utilising technology like the Super FX, as a result of the codename of the chip, "Super Mario FX", before later reformulating it for the upcoming Nintendo 64, due to its more expansive control scheme. Development of the game was started on 7 September 1994 at the Entertainment Analysis & Development, with a development team roughly between 15 and 20 people. Initial development revolved around perfecting Mario and Luigi's movements and the camera system, and in one of the early prototypes they could chase a yellow rabbit that had been named MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages) after the CPU of the Nintendo 64, and was initially run on an SGI Onyx. In 1995, a half-built prototype of the game was displayed during Nintendo Space World, and featured a total of 32 courses, with plans to extend the count to 40. However, due to a variety of reasons, it was cut to 14 (and then later slightly extended to 18). Images of the build indicate a variety of placeholder textures, and the layout of Peach's Castle was heavily changed between this version and the current.

Around this time, a deal was struck with Nintendo by a company that remains unnamed to this day, with the promise of enhancing the game in a variety of ways. Although what was promised is still unknown, it was accepted after several weeks of on and off discussion.

Delays
The game has gone through a total of 2 delays, both for different reasons. Initially, the game was planned to be released on Christmas in 1995, but was later delayed to the summer of 1996, partly as a result of the decision to cut most of the stages. Furthermore, in February 1996, Luigi was removed from the game due to the same reasons as the removal of a variety of stages, much to the dismay of the developers. However, once the time for release came, there was the sudden decision to further delay the game by Miyamoto. The rash decision was later elaborated upon in a recent interview with Miyamoto. "'Initially, development was smooth. But I soon realised just how much the game lacked, and the amount of flaws some playtesters were suddenly noticing cannot be properly described in a way to give it justice. I, and many others on the development team, could not stand for this, and we had to postpone the game further by another year.'"

After this delay, the decision was made to revamp a majority of the game, and recent updates to the hardware of the Nintendo 64 allowed for the addition of a variety of content, including Luigi. Other things that saw improvements were level designs, the physics of Mario and Luigi (patching a variety of bugs, including one, that according to interviews with developers of the game, granted near unlimited backwards momentum), and a complete overhaul of the camera system. The previously removed multiplayer mode was also added back in this time period.

Release
On 29 August 1997, the game saw its initial release in Japan to positive reception, with many praising it for its revolutionary course design and revolutionary graphics. Soon, the game released in North America on 2 November 1998, with similar reception. Finally, on 7 April 1999, it was released as the PAL version.

As would be expected, a variety of rumours about the game quickly spread, the most common being about the presence of Wario in the game, with many claiming various ways to unlock him, with varying difficulty. These methods could range from being collecting every single coin in the game and then ground pounding a specific spot 80 times, or somehow collecting 144 Stars.

2023
Early into 2023, a creepypasta began spreading relating to the existence of an artificial intelligence in Super Mario 64 that could modify the game, in order to personalise it in a variety of ways to enhance the experience of the game, inspired by a variety of rumours from the initial release of the game. The story itself preyed on a few of some of the least known secrets in the game, such as a 1-Up hidden in Whomp's Fortalice, claiming that the reason many did not see these secrets was because only certain copies had them. Furthermore, related stories further built on the idea of Wario's presence, claiming that the artificial intelligence could add him to the game and make him playable.

Very few truly though it was the truth, due to the unlikeliness of such a thing, but many agreed the concept could be built upon in a variety of ways, spawning a variety of communities and a few wikis dedicated completely to this trend. Later, as a result of this trend, a reviewer asked Miyamoto about the presence of the topic of the creepypasta in question, to which he replied the following: "'You know, it's funny you mention that. A feature like that was once going to be added, but after the final delay of the game, we had decided it was simply unneeded, as we were now confident that we could fulfill the desires of the players without it.'"