The Personification of the A.I. occurs very rarely and is usually quite hard to notice due to the numerous procedures the A.I. will go through to mask its true identity. With its sightings usually linked to the White Eyed Chomp, the Personification of the A.I. will usually linger around in a copy until irreversible damage is caused to the cartridge. This damage can occur through the numerous self-destruction methods that Nintendo had programmed, usually involving the cartridge's data or connectors being fried. There is not one exact identity that the A.I. will go by in every copy.
A popular theory surrounding this phenomenon was that this personification routine was implemented by Nintendo as a way to entice many types of players into playing more of the game and to even increase ratings. For example, new players of Super Mario 64 would be assisted by whatever the A.I. decides to present itself as. Veteran players will be greeted with extra stars and new challenges through the A.I.
Remember a certain NPC you just can't seem to find anymore when playing Super Mario 64 now? Maybe some Toad that might've given you a star or even a key? Perhaps you have had an encounter with something far worse than you originally imagined.
Procedures[]
When the A.I has decided to insert itself more prominently into your copy, it will go through numerous procedures to make sure that there is no suspicion of artificial tampering. Through the act of datamining, there's been some discoveries that may be connected to these supposed procedures. There's only been a few cartridges that have been tampered with that display this data, all from different regions.
| # | J-NTSC | NTSC | PAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0x01 | 悠真 (Haruma) | Johnathan | Murphy |
| 0x02 | 悠人 (Yuto) | Garrett | Gary |
| 0x03 | 湊 (Minato) | Stanley | Stanley |
| 0x04 | 咲良 (Sakura) | Timmy | Robin |
| 0x05 | 莉子 (Riko) | Austin | Allen |
| 0x06 | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | Chief Snowman | Snow Chief |
| 0x07 | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | King Whomp | xxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| 0x08 | キングテレサ
(King Boo) |
Buster Boo | xxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| 0x09 | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | Koopa Krew | Koopa Crew |
| 0x0A | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| 0x0B | 天才ノコノコ
(Wise Koopa) |
Elder Koopa | Koopa the Wise |
| 0x0C | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | Big Blargg | Boss Blargg |
| 0x0D | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | Helper Toad | Friendly Toad |
| 0x0E | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| 0x0F | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | Pokey Posse |
| 0x10 | 出現 (Shutsugen) | xxxxxxxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxx |
Along with this array, there's other data that suggests there's predetermined models loaded into memory every time you boot up a stage. These range from currently loaded in object models to ones that are always loaded into memory. Most of these model pointers are similar to what the names describe in the name array, though there is no designated model for the human names. However, data related to Mario's model has been associated with these names, as well as even the remnants of Luigi's model.
Character Behaviors[]
Most of these characters have had at least one report of their manifestation within a player's copy, how they interact with the game and its player, and the repercussions of such an act. Due to the Personalization A.I.'s very nature, all of these behaviors are subject to change, but these characters typically follow a pattern similar to the descriptions below.
- The human characters can be seen roaming the game, typically attempting to lead the player to a 1-Up, red coin, Power Star, or an otherwise special area. However, they can also take them for themselves, either requiring the player to restart the level or entire game. A unique quirk of this behavior is that the player can help them reach their goal, which appears to have a beneficial effect, as players have reportedly had an easier experience upon doing so. Some have reported that they can be interacted with, usually having buggy dialogue boxes that amount to nothing more than gibberish. This is not the only anomaly to have this trait. They can also reportedly become unlockable playable characters, which tends to result in the game breaking down, or the character acting on their own accord, as it is not the player's vessel to control.
- Chief Snowman, King Whomp, Buster Boo, Big Blargg, and the Pokey Posse typically appear as boss fights reminiscent of the enemies they are based off of. This would be Mr. Blizzards, Whomps, Boos, Blarggs, and Pokeys respectively. While they tend to have the same behaviors as their counterparts, they can have unique attacks, such as the Pokey Posse hitting body parts off of each other at the player.
- The Helper Toad, Elder Koopa and Koopa Krew typically appear in a hub area of some kind and give the player unique dialogue that is usually more helpful than other NPCs. This could include a guide to a Castle's Secret Star, a hidden level, or exposition on the story of the game or copy. They can also give the player objects, such as Power Stars, keys to anomalous castle areas, or even Cap Switches or anomalous collectibles.
Upon interacting with any of these characters, many say that they would begin glitching out significantly, most commonly just disappearing but sometimes they can cause so much damage it can lead to the game crashing, deleting save data or activating the Contingency, with these more extreme results being more common if the player attacks or otherwise harasses these characters. This is likely due to the A.I. failing to prepare for such an event, as this phenomena may not have been an intended mechanic of it's coding.
Contingency[]
When the game detects the player's emotions becoming too strong in little time, or a sudden shift in emotions, the A.I. will perform one of its several contingency plans. The only ones documented before involved the pins that would connect the cartridge to the Nintendo 64 console would fry, making the cartridge a dud. Some other reports, though unconfirmed to be true, involved even harsher contingency methods, such as frying the entire cartridge's board or even the Nintendo 64.
It is uncertain why there are methods in place to purposely destroy the game. Theories suggest that they are in place to prevent damage to the player, or to the company's reputation. If someone were to encounter this anomaly, it could potentially destroy the secrecy of the A.I.'s presence in Super Mario 64, and Nintendo's secret would be revealed, which could lead to Nintendo's downfall.