For nearly two and a half decades, Nintendo fans have been trying to verify that Mario’s brother Luigi was somehow hidden away in the files of Nintendo 64 classic Super Mario 64. Thanks to this weekend’s so-called “Gigaleaks”, Luigi’s Mario 64 files have been verified, finally proving one of the longest-running gaming myths to be true. How good does that feel?
Very good, judging from internet fan reactions.
Mario 64 was supposed to have multiplayer. Mario and Luigi running about together in three dimensions was supposed to be a thing, but as Mr. Iwata and Mr. Miyamoto discussed in 2009, Nintendo wasn’t able to pull it off back then.
But how can there be a modern, 3D Mario game without Luigi? That’s the question that drove countless fans to hunt for the plumber’s taller, greener brother in Mario 64 for all of these years. Driven by their passion for Mario’s player two, and a strange statue appearing in the game that may have read “L is Real 2401”, fans tried everything they could think of to unlock Luigi.
Where decades of searching failed, this weekend’s Gigaleaks succeeded. Files and textures for Luigi were found among this weekend’s Nintendo 64 leaks. Skimming through the textures from the leak, fans discovered the green L that rests atop the better brother’s hat, along with special images representing Luigi’s moustache and sideburns. He was in pieces, but fans rebuilt him. They had the technology.
super luigi 64 in Real pic.twitter.com/2mbm8wlnK3
— axo #BlackLivesMatter (@axoonium) July 26, 2020
He’s beautiful, isn’t he? Here’s a shot of him next to his brother. Not a huge difference, of course. It’s mainly a body stretch, colour swap, and switching out that scalloped mustache for something a bit more well-groomed.
At long last, after two decades, a rumor that plagued schoolyards across the world was finally put to rest. Official models of Luigi in Super Mario 64 have leaked.
L is indeed real. #LIsReal2401 pic.twitter.com/gjCB9K5mrc
— Choctopus ???? (@ChoctopusYT) July 26, 2020
And so, after nearly a quarter of a century, L is real. CuckyDev on YouTube has a video of Luigi wandering about Mario 64 as if he owns the game and everything.
Luigi fans around the world are taking to Twitter to celebrate this most wondrous of revelations.
Some are just shocked that something good has actually happened in 2020.
All of 2020 up to this point was just building up the karma necessary to unlock Luigi in Super Mario 64 pic.twitter.com/Rwkx3RMB5N
— Nitroid❗ (@Nitroid) July 27, 2020
But over the past couple of days, I’ve also seen spectacular new fan art.
“We’ve been looking all over for you, bro! You must have overslept– Come on. Let’s get you tidied up– we have so much to show you!”#Luigi #Lisreal #Mario64 pic.twitter.com/dORUhOuVgM
— Radicube (@Radicube64) July 26, 2020
I’ve read speculatory comics. (It probably didn’t happen this way, but we can’t really say it didn’t, either.)
My response to Luigi being revealed-
They have unsealed the hushed casket… pic.twitter.com/x2QrHLbeVQ
— Ultra 64 (@SuperUltra64) July 27, 2020
And taken weighed in on Luigi-only beauty pageants.
Fuck this “best Sonic design” shit, what’s the best Mario 64 Luigi Design? (Poll in replies) pic.twitter.com/L6WKwmpi60
— Thwippy (@thwippy21) July 27, 2020
Others celebrated via the magic of dance.
Luigi doing the awesome win dance! Model ported by @greendev123 pic.twitter.com/h3CsGizPXF
— Nova (@Marionova64) July 26, 2020
And someone even took Luigi camping.
beta luigi is at my campsite pic.twitter.com/2BaQYkCsAG
— Roald from Animal Crossing (@AC_Roald) July 27, 2020
It truly is a celebratory moment for longtime Nintendo fans. They kept believing L was real. And he was.
Just beat Mario 64 with 16 stars for the first time and with the official Luigi model.
Totally not gonna cry. pic.twitter.com/MGAkviPV9z
— ★ Marissa ★ (@aflorablepuns) July 26, 2020
I have yet to find anyone celebrating with an elaborate Luigi cake, but surely it’s only a matter of time.
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