Every Copy of Super Mario 64 is Personalized: A Deeper Look

Join me as I talk my way through explaining Super Mario 64's Personalization AI, with my own personal opinions, anecdotes, and theories, but mostly, just going off all the information the wiki has to offer. I definitely do NOT expect to cover EVERY possible piece of personalization that's on the wiki, because really, there just IS that much, but I think I did a decent job covering most of it. Maybe in the future, I'll make a second video discussing newer discoveries!
Glossary and music used!
00:00 - Introduction
04:55 - All Standard Courses
42:40 - Removed or Other Stages
51:06 - Peach's Castle
01:02:39 - Miscellaneous phenomena
01:08:37 - Ending/Outro
SONGS USED IN ORDER
Bob-Omb Battlefield - Super Mario 64
Green Garden Theme - Bomberman 64
Rainbow Road- Mario Kart 64
Wario Apparition - PERSONALIZED Super Mario 64
Redial - Bomberman Hero
End Credits - Super Mario 64

[@Lasse3]

I had a personalized copy myself. When i started the game, everything seemed normal to me, but upon watching KZbin videos i realize that indeed my copy was nothing like what everyone else bought. That's when i realized i was instead playing Mario Cart, and not Mario 64

[@SuperKlondike64]

Didn't know Teddy Roosevelt played Mario 64

[@Crypticyokai]

OMG i think my copy is paper mario lol

[@ChrisPoindexter98]

Mario Cart, like a Cartridge! :) Cart and ridge...makes me wonder about their etymology, what the names originated from, and how they came to combine for these computer apparatuses.

[@peterosullivan4764]

I had a personalized copy myself. When I started the game, everything seemed normal to me, but upon watching KZbin videos, I realized that indeed my copy was nothing like what everyone else bought. That's when I realized I was instead playing Super Mario RPG, and not Mario 64.

[@Super_ATI]

I will admit, ive always been intreaged about persionalized copies of games and i always wanted to make a game around the persionalitation

[@joeycochran3894]

Someone should make a fan mod including all of these rumored features and randomizes them all at the beginning of each play through, so every play through is personalized

[@NEScRETRO]

That'd be amazing!

[@golfboyshi]

I would love that

[@RedoCasshan]

Genius

[@predeterminedtornado]

Yes please!

[@neswo772]

Imagine if the mod was working but some events were happening without being even coded in the mod haha

[@FourthDerivative]

My dad works at Nintendo and he programmed the AI. That's why my copy of SM64 was just Mario sitting there telling me to bring him a beer

[@STEALT_BLADE]

Lol

[@Nintendoes2]

HAHA nailed it

[@landonadams9935]

My dad also helped program the AI. In my copy, halfway through the game, Mario said he was gonna go buy cigarettes. Then he just disappeared and never came back.

[@thomasp506]

The main thing going through my mind with half of these stories, aside from "These kids are such liars," is "Oh yeah, this would all totally fit on an N64 cartridge."

[@linkums28]

Just making sure you know it's completely fake and a bunch of Mandela effects.

[@thomasp506]

@@linkums28 I know. I went through the whole process with this game and others. People trying to tell me you could unlock Sonic as a playable fighter in Smash Bros: Melee, or that you could find the Triforce as a gear item in Ocarina of Time. All lies invented by bored children.

[@teeXradd]

kids make up lots of stuff. I even used to. idk why kids do it, i guess just for some kinda amusement? one time when i was 14 (or maybe even younger) i made up a rumour about BO1 zombies that if you packapunched the M72 LAW (rocket launcher) it would later trigger a bossfight with a giant hellhound. Kid's imaginations are crazy man

[@808lli]

​@@thomasp506YOU CANT UNLOCK THE TRIFORCE AS A GEAR ITEM????

[@anilece60]

Every copy of "Every Copy of Super Mario 64 is Personalized" videos are personalized

[@josef3072]

it's true technically

[@GGamerLiam]

KZbin is a VIRTUAL app

[@mr.unlucky458]

Every comment of "Every copy of "Every Copy of Super Mario 64 is Personalized" videos are personalized" is personalized

[@jordanekl5383]

Every Coment on KZbin is personalized, hows that for mind blowing!

[@icantthinkofaname8139]

In the beginning of the background footage he has his hat, and there are 3 bombs. Anyone else see that?

[@elnaitho8257]

"Tick Tock clock brings feelings of anger and frustration!" I think anyone could've told you that

[@honkerdoodles2764]

yea

[@NatetheNintendofan]

Am I the only one who likes it

[@ARandomSpace]

Even the mighty Pannenkoek, destroyer of A presses, still struggles in TTC. It's that powerful!

[@game84cube]

Isn't it Wet-Dry World that gives off a negative aura or something?

[@Jakeviz_]

@@NatetheNintendofan yes

[@T26OG.]

My copy got crazy personalized. Not only was Luigi there, but so were Wario, DK, Yoshi, and Peach as playable characters. It became 4 player, and the castle turned to a board game. Each player would take a turn on the board until it went into a mini game segment. The 120 stars, are now the objective of the board game. Whoever has the most stars and coins, wins. It was so fun! My negative friends would always tell me things like "That isn't Mario 64!" Which I get it, the personalization was so extreme That it became an entirely different game. One of my friends had the audacity to say "Dude, this is Mario Party, it's a totally different game" Like I'm stupid. "Mario Party" is such a childishly made up name. Whats next? "Mario's Cement Factory"? Like that would ever exist... Clearly he switched the label on my game pak when I wasn't looking, as now that I look at my old childhood copy, it has some obviously fake "Mario Party" Label on it. People will lie about anything...

[@hectormontes7056]

I love that Oney’s Bowser Room is now an actual part of the SM64 creepypasta stuff

[@A_Black_Sheep94]

I was looking for this comment

[@grippygrippyhippyhippy]

Yup

[@handsomejack4125]

"LOOK! IT'S REAL!"

[@AitkrapooYT]

I’m really glad you mentioned this! When I was younger, I actually had a personalized copy too! The personalization was that when you put the game in, it was the entirety of shark tale on blue ray.

[@Drekel]

blue ray came out 10 years after the game. cringe, child

[@josephtang846]

@Drekel r/whoooosh

[@Drekel]

@@josephtang846 1st) not reddit 2nd) it's cringe

[@AreesDaOG]

That sounds like torture

[@AreesDaOG]

@@Drekel when you don't get the joke Also no bitches? 🥺

[@egg_ox]

I could never bring myself to get all 120 stars. It's just so hard when every level is completely made of ice; a huge oversight from the developers imo

[@HugeMamamia44291]

Sources: dude trust me.

[@somerobloxdude3699]

Imagine how Rainbow Ride or Tick Tock Clock would be if it were made out of ice

[@askmeaboutsugma]

@@somerobloxdude3699 What do you mean by ‘imagine?’ They already are made of ice

[@ElectrikStatik900]

Dude got a bootleg copy 💀💀💀💀

[@FingerSpazm]

What are you taking about? There wasn't a single ice level in Mario 64?

[@thatguyintherain3168]

I've thought this over and realized that kids sometimes unintentionally make false memories. I have a distinct memory of having a really cool automated Hot Wheels track but now that I've gone back and looked up their old early 2000s products up, the track never existed. Sometimes kid's brains make up memories and to them they're real.

[@A_Black_Sheep94]

It was probably a dream

[@FieryMeltman]

Not just kids. Everyone creates false memories, and we do it all the time. To begin with, human memory is not reliable at all, contrary to popular belief.

[@strixt]

​@@FieryMeltman Exactly this. Between the fragility of the human ego not allowing people to admit they're wrong and the wildly fallible mind, these little falsehoods spread like wildfire.

[@NIgHTMaReFortyTwo]

@@FieryMeltman Popular belief? I don't think anyone believes human memory is infallible. Its in no way at all popular belief.

[@FieryMeltman]

@@NIgHTMaReFortyTwo You'd be surprised. Many people place high value in personal experiences and testimonies.

[@DE23]

Honestly, Wario's giant mug trying to eat you is hilarious.

[@Levacque]

It's even funnier because it's clearly much better graphics slapped on top of Mario 64

[@platinumfactor]

Him: Every copy is personalized based on the players desires. Me: So that's why mine is just a copy of Sonic R.

[@dunkchara1393]

Haha

[@JUSTICE971]

LMAOO

[@Stusheep]

Sonic R really? Did you at least encounter sonic.exe?

[@lawrencelord9777]

LMAOOOOO

[@TheIrkenEmpire420]

Mine's a copy of Sly Cooper.

[@EleanorDrapeaux]

Nobody: Every single stage: "This stage is extremely rare, even in heavily personalized copies"

[@itsbright16]

Yeah

[@83assassin]

lmfao, the chances. I read this as he was saying it lol.

[@mid-boss6461]

To be fair. In gacha games, SSR units become a majority of roster over time.

[@Jakeviz_]

@@repentofyoursinsandbelieve629 just why

[@agentkazhira6440]

@@Jakeviz_ every copy of the bible is personalized

[@frickinfrick8488]

This theory is such a cool exploration of how we tend to misremember childhood experiences. It’s really interesting hearing people talk about the different things they remember about the game, how vivid they are and how many people remember the same thing. Obviously the idea that there’s a secret AI in this 90’s game pulling all the strings to make it happen is pretty absurd but I love how it reignites that childhood curiosity about what mysteries could lie in our favourite days before we datamined them and found everything there is to see. It’d be cool if someone made a rom hack collecting all these experiences and randomising them for each player.

[@isaiahsimmons5776]

where does the phrase come from tho

[@NIgHTMaReFortyTwo]

People definitely aren't talking about the things they misremember from games though. Its pretty much all just people lying to feed into a stupid meme. Maybe at most like 5% is peoples genuine misrememberings of games they played when they were kids. In fact given how incredibly stupid this meme is its more than likely they weren't kids then at all, because they're kids now.

[@lily91109]

I'm pretty sure speedrunners would have found the AI if it were really in the game. Can always rely on them to learn a game inside out.

[@Amara87387]

Considering I just watched a three hour video on the mechanics of invisible walls, yes yes they would

[@TheSuperCasual2914]

Guy speaking: “The year is 1998.” Me: “Eh, close enough. Continue your creepypasta.”

[@EleanorDrapeaux]

He totally said 1994, I can't be the only one to have heard it!

[@TheSuperCasual2914]

@@EleanorDrapeaux every “The year is 199X” is personalized.

[@TheSuperCasual2914]

@Pissed Off White Guy you bastard, I was only joking...

[@qwaaa915]

46:36 ok the sun painting is just the rainbow ride entrance texture thats why there are painings that are not reused sort of but also I think the stary night painting is just there to hint at the wall textures on the next floor after all its right at the bottom of that stair case.

[@lqu]

1996... im pretty sure he said 1996

[@chelseaadams5454]

I feel that if Nintendo really had such "personalization" technology, they wouldn't keep it a secret. They'd market the hell out of it! "Hey, kids! Play the new Mario 64! Now with new Nintendo Personal software! It's not just any Mario game! It's *your* Mario game!" And, it wouldn't just be Mario either. I guarantee you that if Nintendo had such technology, they would slap it on nearly every game franchise they own. Zelda? Personalized. Smash Bros.? Personalized. Pokemon? You guessed it! Personalized! Nintendo is notorious for showing off any new technology (whether it be hardware or software) they develop. Also, there'd be crappy third-party personalized games as well. Oh, and Sega/Sony/etc. would also have their own versions of personalized games...but they wouldn't be as popular for one reason or another.

[@gooolixx]

imagine a personalised smash bros though..... that would be so cool

[@mikaylamcdaniel5241]

Like Mario maker?

[@chorizord6974]

@@gooolixx That'd be a copyright nightmare lol

[@Big5mokE719]

100%. I didn't even know this theory existed but now that I do I feel dumber. I think the flat earth theory has more punching weight than this lol

[@ThomasAndSkye]

they'd have to keep it secret so other gaming companies don't steal it

[@toad_of_the_sky]

We definitely have the technology to make games personalized/slightly randomized now, I don't know why more game developers don't add this, it would be so cool.

[@jecoBEE]

Prob cause it could go extremely bad like promoting suicide

[@toad_of_the_sky]

@@jecoBEE well, there would obviously be some limitations in place

[@alchemistofsteel8099]

What are you on about ​@@jecoBEE

[@jecoBEE]

@@alchemistofsteel8099 im saying that AI isn’t perfect and can lead to many accidents

[@patrickbatemangaming9951]

I love how my guy is talking like this is a very real thing that happens and not a bunch of kids stories trying to sound cool to their friends

[@itsthebluspy5890]

Ngl, I want a heavily personalized, to the point it's dangerous, copy of Super Mario 64.

[@jolteonrpgplayer2751]

Same

[@Pr0t4t0]

Totally! Wait, doesn’t the AI personalize it toward your desires? Ok everyone who agrees with this needs to get a copy of the game and a camera

[@predeterminedtornado]

That would be a dream come true for me

[@therobloxiangang3218]

I just want one that's personalized at all

[@user-hd8rm8nu4p]

Wdym, “to the point it’s dangerous” it’s not like Mario’s gonna jump out and kill you

[@NintenJoeGamer]

I just watched an hour long video consisting of lies made up by little kids and what they've told their friends, I like it.

[@ThomasAndSkye]

I know it's most likely not real but I just like believing in it

[@stussymishka]

@Detailed InfoDisplay lmfao

[@NintenJoeGamer]

@Aidan Milne yeah but acknowledging the fakes is funnier :p

[@tylorkenniston1192]

I’m not watching the whole video but the chain chomp being able to be set free mentioned early on I definitely was able to do on my original copy of SM64 and in emulation I cannot replicate 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@professorcube5104]

i think this is how these rumors start, children wanting to act cool tell lies to their friends or something, we all did this when we were young, don't lie i know you did it

[@NanoCharat]

I LOVE water and as a kid I always wanted to go behind the glass and swim with the fish near the Jolly Roger Bay painting. Eventually I found the secret aquarium level but I died inside because I was little and didn't understand how to get oxygen there. When I came out, I was glitched inside the fishtank wall like I always wanted. Had to reset the game though because I couldn't get out. I spent so much time trying to recreate that when I was a kid because no one believed me lol It was probably just a positioning glitch with spawning back into the overworld, but it made me really happy back then and I thought it was magic.

[@picivyvortac2641]

This concept actually reminds me a lot of the thing in Undertale, where every playthrough has a unique seed. Occasional small dialog options and tidbits are in each one. Some really specific ones have references to gaster. It's a cool idea someone should have done back in 96. It would have field the rumors to the moon. Can you imagine if there were a 1/100 chance that blarg would be in your lethal lava land? Or a 1/1000 that you'd swap the red mario skin for green Luigi skin?

[@markwhat6828]

I wish someone could make a mod of sm64 with this feature to make this whole thing real

[@laureeeee]

Every copy of Undertale is personalised. Kind of.

[@picivyvortac2641]

@@laureeeee true. More like that please. Though I would like slightly larger things to happen. Slightly different dialogue or an extra gaster acolyte probably wouldn't get any schoolyard talk. I don't think the extra stuff in Undertale would have been noticed without the infinite monkeys of the internet.

[@hubguy]

In a sense this is what roguelikes are. Each run not being the same as the last, though it has to keep the main structure of it intact so it's beatable and actually enjoyable to play lol

[@balls_gaming]

@@picivyvortac2641 well, what it is is the fun value, a number from 1-100 randomly picked at the beginning of a playthrough, it affects a few things, like the ghaster followers, meetign the mistery man, sans prank calling you, getting a wrong number call, stuff like that

[@troffdiga1067]

"Bob-Omb Village" is a Nintendo 64 dev kit demo. The sombrero man is a test for joint-based animations common in the early N64 era, and the bomb-ombs are just an interaction demo. That's why there are so many supposed videos of it, because it exists, just not in the way people think it does.

[@JetixR]

Wait, N64 Dev Kits are publicly available?

[@troffdiga1067]

@@JetixR No, but a number of them have been recovered. It's worthy saying that the dev kits consisted of two parts: a SG workstation and the console itself, there are a number of workstations around so a lot of demos have been recovered.

[@JetixR]

@@troffdiga1067 Ok

[@l33g3ndar33]

Every sombrero is personalized...

[@Bootystank99659]

@@l33g3ndar33 every Mexico is personalized

[@Truecrimesolvesnoend55468]

No, they didn't find me

[@phrastro7075]

dang it

[@nlafleur75]

Mods in Luigi's actually model in mario 64

[@lumking1750]

m a rio MARIO luigi M A R I O

[@askaed9300]

How's your brother Super ?

[@lumking1750]

@@askaed9300 His middle name is super

[@Lord_Yeetis]

17:17 This one is likely based on the King Boo boss fight in the DS remake. And cold cold crevasse sounds identical to the boss level for Chief Chilly in the remake as well.

[@beorthwulf7109]

There's... No way the 64 cartridge holds THAT much memory

[@andrewstovall2139]

Well no cartridge holds everything on this list

[@Stusheep]

@@andrewstovall2139but every Cardridge would need the CAPABILITY to have everything, how else could the AI reimplement them

[@andrewstovall2139]

@@Stusheep oh I always thought every cartridge was just spliced together resulting in every cartridge being different

[@Stusheep]

@@andrewstovall2139 but then they wouldn’t be personalised

[@painlesschunk]

To be fair, vanilla SM64 is around 6mb, while the maximum file size for an n64 rom is 64mb.

[@_cfmca]

“Huh, Weird... My copy is labeled “Half Life 3” On the title screen... Oh well it’s probably not important!” *Proceeds to throw away*

[@shookengie370]

"Freeman you fool!"

[@craftman_yt]

oh no. anyways. THANK GOD my copy of portal contains PCs that apperantly contain HL3. I dont know how to access it tho.

[@STEALT_BLADE]

FREEMAN YOU FOOL, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE1!1!#!!1

[@MEHLOW]

Narrator: “Small chill bullies” Cat: “meow”

[@cheatorcompletor7884]

I think it's a little kid

[@Seadog87]

@@cheatorcompletor7884 Nah, it’s a cat

[@_alarmclock]

28:50

[@_alarmclock]

also 29:21

[@Bossking_-ov7hb]

I find that the Skeeters (water strider enemies), the Heave-Hos, and the town are the main things that give me that feeling of a negative aura. Something robotic just shouldn't be in a stage that involves water, and I've always found the Skeeters creepy, especially when they start chasing after you when they go on land, and the thought of the town's inhabitants drowning is very disturbing to me.

[@ecstaticwooper368]

Skeeters in SM64DS are precious though

[@HydroxTheCat]

and the fact the skeeters look worried instead of angry like they logically would be, they look like they're skeeting against their will

[@AudreyGalaxy]

i was like “there’s no way this is a thing” and then they started talking about how the jumping boxes jumped super high in personalized copies and i literally froze and said, out loud, “do they not do that for everyone?”

[@WilfredCthulu]

I've talked about this in my own stuff before but I've always clearly remembered when watching my cousin play this at a super young age, that the painting to LLL was in a basement looking area, however it was a narrow hallway with red carpeting, then you'd take a left turn down the hallways and the painting was on the wall to your right. I still see him jumping into it to this day and it still bothers me that I remember it like that.

[@b1nary_f1nary]

All pretty small insignificant details that exist in the castle that could easily have been misremembered and mixed up

[@WilfredCthulu]

It really wasn't a small difference but ok.

[@jesusramirezromo2037]

@@WilfredCthulu Human memory isn't like a machine It will change overtime, you'll beggin merging memories and events in your mind, leading to false memories you still vibiddly remembered

[@DJPeterJames]

@@jesusramirezromo2037 memory is amazing like you said we all think what we remember is true but we change a memory every time we recall it.

[@Kawamura2]

First time I played this game I was in my early 20's, back when it was new. I have a memory of being able to play as Luigi right out the gate, as in being able to choose Mario or Luigi at the start. Then I played the game again a few months ago, and oddly enough, Luigi isn't an option. It was a false memory, and you don't have to be a little child to develop them. All humans will have false memories throughout their lives. It's unsettling to think that something you remember vividly and believed to be true for so many years can be false, but it's just part of being human. Our brains have been likened to organic hard drives by some and while the analogy is for the most part a decent one, it's not an exactly true, because we store data in our brains differently, and are far more susceptible to corruption than a computer hard drive is. It's just a limitation of being human.

[@groeppoe]

Meanwhile, former Mario 64 developers are laughing their asses off over us turning our brains into mush over this hahaha

[@riahlexington]

It’s fake

[@NatetheNintendofan]

@@riahlexington WRONG

[@isaiahsimmons5776]

@@riahlexington every hoax is personalized

[@blackzero786]

Wonder what the developers would say if people were talking about the Ice Bully Minion that was removed from the "Final Version". It was essentially the Ice Stage Variant of "Bully the Bullies".

[@SonicRetros]

@@isaiahsimmons5776 Everything that is “personalized” is Fake.

[@wolfygirlowo]

my copy was so personalized that it only ran on the nintendo ds isnt that crazy?

[@Henry00]

9:55 I think people misremember other games and put them in Super Mario 64. For example, swimming behind the eel bringing them to a subarea (in your iceberg video, a maze with many eels). That sounds a lot like the Deep Pythons from Majora's Mask, which are giant sea snakes/eels that infest the Great Bay and lurk in the depths of Pinnacle Rock. They will relentlessly attack Link. To defeat them, first you have to lure them out. The end of those twisting caverns look like nasty dark goop. I believe there is a wooden crate there too. There's a lot of that in this video.

[@joevaghn457]

Yeah, loads of Mandela Effects, and corrupt childhood memories.

[@DeathScyther006]

nah I just did it in my game. You're just lucky that my capture card isn't working at the moment.

[@chillgamer7743]

@@DeathScyther006 can you do it again?

[@cubster16]

Good point

[@joevaghn457]

@@chillgamer7743 probably not

[@pancakes8670]

I want someone to mod some of these additions into the game. They sound like great add-ons, like the Prince Bomb-omb and the star sky level

[@SSJKamui]

I agree. And to be honest, I tried to look up if its possible to integrate an AI Customization of stages in unity games after watching the video.😅

[@blusterkong1996]

Look up B3313. It should scratch a couple of those itches

[@RahXenoeph]

LOL at the bowser room that Oney admitted he faked, just to get some cool points at school.

[@stinkysoup2884]

It's better than the person who made crayon drawings and played them off as real, at least.

[@steelydan739]

It worked lmao

[@Graffels]

I thought Chris O'Neil just didn't want anyone to know what he saw in the Bowser Room in his personalized version of Mario 64? He seemed very on edge in the Crash 2 LP when he talked about it.

[@ARandomSpace]

"The Chomp Caverns contain smaller Chain Chomps and also Scuttlebugs" Can we make a Scuttlebug Jamboree there? Can we make the Jamboree with 0x A presses?

[@SSJKamui]

One classmate in elementary claimed, mario 64 contains "collect every coin existing in the level" stars

[@dasutanehineri]

when i was a little kid i'm pretty sure thats what i thought the 100-coin star was. i'm kind of just a fucking idiot though so it doesnt surprise me

[@dombjomb]

I love how people still talk about the “Bowser Room” even though Chris O’Neill from oneyplays talked about how he made it when he was little and how dumb he thinks it is, and I’d have to agree lmao

[@Joob_Toob]

No no I've been to the bowser room in real life, bowser was there and he sung do the mario to me

[@bruxtle]

@@Joob_Toob did he have the super show voice?

[@Joob_Toob]

@@bruxtle yes he did, he was quite the funny fellow

[@glacierwolf2155]

Man, I wish for a Bowser Room in real life. Stone walls, metal grate-shaped windows, red carpet, brick pillars adorned with turtle shells, lights shaped like fire, and a red bed with a spiky headrest, with a white pillow shaped like a cloud platform laying on a blanket with Bowser's insignia. That'd be pretty rad.

[@alexstein2691]

You realize everyone thinks you’re a lame buzzkill right?

[@Randomzs]

“The Mandela effect” roll credits

[@foreverpyrite]

Litterly a recipe for this madness: 1tbs Trolls 2 cups of creepypasta 69420lbs of childhood creativity 14 lq oz of lying for popularity Bake it in the Oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 23 years worth of misremembering. Cool with nostalgia and serve in a semi-comprehensive video. You get this.

[@shidder]

I'm not sure if anyone pointed it out but I believe that most of the personalization theories come from people dreaming about SM64 when they were younger and having a vivid dream about something and waking up to thinking it is real (this happened to me once and I believed something that didn't exist existed in a game).

[@Thedukeofderps]

The Audio Artifacts, The specifically worded scripting, and the musical choices add up to a truly ethereal and Spooky yet fun experience.

[@WaterLemon147]

Me: „Oh i know this is fake“ Him : „pyramid cutscene“ Me: „what is he talking about that is literally in the game“

[@DiagonalTanooki]

It's odd because i have cheap cheaps in my copy unless those cheap cheaps are just enemies that look like cheap cheaps

[@DiagonalTanooki]

@@churupinha3510 huh thats odd how nintendo does that instead of using cheap cheaps

[@mid-boss6461]

@@DiagonalTanooki guess they weren't going to cut the fish budget.

[@cloudyswildride]

Me with the chilly bullies in snowmans land

[@MrMarxy]

@@cloudyswildride wtf those are real what

[@19Szabolcs91]

The 999 coin thing should have been called out right at the start, since no coins spawn at all during the Fire Sea Bowser fight

[@NEScRETRO]

I never knew this

[@galladegamer3579]

I think it may be talking about the entire stage

[@carsonschill1635]

There is not 999 coins in that stage

[@staceyrhodes7487]

@@carsonschill1635 ??? there is in my copy?

[@DaSheepKiller]

Broke: Kids were lying to each other, seeing hacks & Machinimas, all leading to people developing false memories of the game. Woke: THE GAME HAS A SUPER ADVANCED AI THAT PERSONALIZES THE GAME ACCORDING TO ITS PLAYER

[@herobane6488]

I REMEMBER THE GIANT GOOMBA! It took place in the dark world, where the second triple-goomba configuration was. however, the goomba died in one hit when i ground-pounded it. it didn't act any differently from a goomba when i fought it, but the walk animations were slowed to compensate for the bigger steps the goomba took

[@marx4538]

on one hand, i think "this is all stupid there's no way this is possible and all of this is just your average rumors that don't take the tech at the time and the developers' view of the game seriously", but on the other hand, it's so fun and comfy to listen to this shit and think that some people actually have memories like this. it's especially comfy due to how you talk about all this and the background music, great video.

[@virtuallylightblue]

so true yuuka kazami from touhou project 5: mystic square

[@DBSS13]

I have a childhood memory that bothers me to this day and I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere yet. So basically I remember that during the final Bowser battle a text box randomly appeared just saying ,,L is real", but as children do, I didn't think much of it. But then, during the ending scene when Peach should appear, Luigi busts through the fucking window instead, starts sucking Mario off,

[@hubguy]

32:28 I ascribe to the idea that the painting is so small BECAUSE of that implemented idea. Rather than removing that code and all that, they just shrank the painting to Mario heigh so he always enters in the middle

[@Thedukeofderps]

NGL I have watched this video and the Companion Iceberg like 20-30 Times each and will continue to do so.

[@l33g3ndar33]

People: Every copy is personalized is an allegory for each player's life leading to the discovery of SM64. Each one it's own personal journey lending to how the game is interpreted. Look at how each of us have such strong emotional attachment to the time in our lives when we discovered it. It's impact on modern gaming has become a keystone for what 3d platforming should be. Nintendo: We just wanted to make a fun 3d game about a plumber jumping into artwork guys.

[@Tinlion09]

"Artificial intelligence? We...the console could barely handle _spheres._ If we could implement an AI that turned our bing bing wahoo plumber game into a personalized, life-altering spirit journey, then Sony would have been able to trigger the goddamn _Singularity_ with their hardware." -John Nintendo, CEO of Super Mario 64 (1974)

[@TheQuashingoftheTub]

Can attest to this. I have a vastly different experience playing as an adult as I did playing as a child. I grew up with 64, Sunshine, and other Gamecube games in general, so while 64 was a bit aged, it was still really fun to explore the quiet and lonely world. It wasn't nearly as influentlial to me as the likes of other 64 games or even Star Fox Adventures(of all f*cking game I'll never understand why SFA is my fave but it just is don't @ me) These days it's just really archaic and frustraring for me to play, regardless of which platform I pull it out for. I still typically have fun exploring, as I still find new stuff each time, but getting 100% om All Stars was... taxing. Tiny Huge Island's 100 Coin Star can piss off. Wet Dry World is still my favorite level. I don't think that'll ever change lol

[@GeistInTheMachine]

@@TheQuashingoftheTub SFA was a great game. Different. I liked exploring it as a kid and watching my dad play it because he was better at getting far in it. Actually, I think he beat it. We're estranged now and he hates video games now (religious fundamentalist influence), so I cherish the memories of when my father was my dad.

[@IbishuCovetDXi]

I mean I originally played SM64 on the og xbox My copy was very weird

[@csciabar]

So clunky to control mario. This kept me away from 3d platforming. Camera system is a joke. 2d platforming actually plays consistently. This is why mario kart 64 was my favorite game on the system. I have a mario shrine in my room and its not due to this game.

[@BeyondBaito]

I like that you don't just go through it going "but obviously all this is fake and made up" and you roll with it.

[@NEScRETRO]

it was a bit of a trade off. I knew that repeatedly reminding the viewer that it's fake would break immersion and flow, but I also knew if I didn't, I'd get a lot of comments from people telling me it's fake... like... yeah... it's really funny how many people out there think that I would think this is 100% fact, but the comments are there lol. either way, I'm happy with how I handled the video, and it's only a google search away to show that none of this is factual.

[@ZeroKitsune]

@@NEScRETRO I mean to be fair...there are people that actually believe this stuff. Somehow.

[@blocks4857]

Haters will say it's fake

[@Samwow]

​@@NEScRETROi like that treating as real lets the viewer get immersed, makes this whole thing feel like its from a universe where this kind of game altering AI is just an accepted and known part of the game that rather than a creepypasta

[@Ovyron]

The thing is I didn't KNOW if it was fake, so I kept watching out of interest because, how come I didn't know about all this after all this years?? It was surreal, but kept me watching for an hour and ten minutes. I even watched another 27 seconds of it, maybe it all would be revealed as made up. It wasn't. I don't even know if people actually made up these reports, or if it's meta and the author made up that all these people made it up, and presented it as real, definitively the best way to deliver!

[@victormurori4367]

Dude threw a baby penguin off a cliff and killed the only witness

[@alexios7147]

As a kid I remember not being able to play Mario 64 at night because it gave me the creeps, and I think I know why. If you look into the concept of "liminal space" the entire game is the perfect example of it, people have noticed this phenomena in source games as well

[@staryoshi06]

It's not really liminal spaces, as that has a rather specific meaning that has been diluted by internet trends. The creepiness mainly comes from the emptiness of the worlds due to hardware limitations of the time. Doesn't help that garry's mod (one of the source engine games known best for this phenomenon) is: 1. Based on a game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, and thus a lot of maps use assets suited for this setting. 2. A sandbox game, meaning that maps are often intentionally empty and with quiet or non-existent soundscapes to make space for the player to create their own scenarios.

[@VinnimonCinnimon]

This is funny because I'm being dead serious, but me and all my siblings played mario 64 and during the battle with the Whomp King you had to ground pound the bandage on his back. But the difference is that the bandage is on different spots on his back after every hit. We got the game again about 7 years later and were super confused when we played and the bandage didn't move. We looked it up on KZbin and couldn't find it. We played a bunch of different versions of the game to no avail. So for this weird theory thingy to be an actual phenomenon is funny to me.

[@danius88]

Mandela effect

[@themisfitowl2595]

It also sounds very Banjo Kazooie ish to me, where a ton of the bosses had weak spots that moved around his body.

[@VinnimonCinnimon]

@@themisfitowl2595 As kids we never got very far in Banjo 😂 the furthest I could remember seeing is Gobi's Valley and that's bc our god mom would play while we attended school. The only boss I can recall from back THEN was Conga

[@themisfitowl2595]

@@VinnimonCinnimon lol. I think it's cool that you had a parent who played games with you. Mine were more into the classic arcade games and could never get into the 3D games. I must have sunk an entire full month of my actual lifespan into playing Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie. Those games were my childhood.

[@comicrandomness3289]

Lol i could see you and you're siblings screaming the bandage moved there but it's in the same place.

[@ralphbelmondo4495]

My personalized copy had two screens and no analog stick. It also had Luigi and Wario for some reason... Weird...

[@ARandomSpace]

I gotta check with you to see if you got the DS version. Was Yoshi playable? Were the graphics improved from the original? Were there 150 stars? Could you beat it without Mario?

[@lkjbhvgcfjhgfcgvhbj439]

Was waluigi in it? I remember 4 doors, mario, Luigi, Wario, and...?

[@ralphbelmondo4495]

@@lkjbhvgcfjhgfcgvhbj439 The last door was for a star that you get a key for.

[@cringeman6518]

@@lkjbhvgcfjhgfcgvhbj439 And Colonel Sanders, I remember him throwing chicken legs as an attack

[@SoupyMittens]

For me instead of peaches castle I had Hyrule castle instead...

[@newphilmz3605]

Just like someone in school found the Mew under the truck and evolved it into a mewthree. Must be true, kids don't lie.

[@polaris-san6170]

Around the 28 minute mark while you're talking about chill bulls you can hear a cat meowing. Maybe a minute later, little dude doesn't sound happy. Pet that cat

[@NEScRETRO]

My cat gets very bothered when I'm recording audio because she thinks I'm talking to someone else and not giving her attention! I assure you she gets so much love. Possible cat reveal in the future!

[@Punykirby]

I like how the video is narrated as if all this is true, as it makes it much more uneasy Once again a great video, my only complaint is a few of the pauses are slightly too long, but besides that its a well made and informative video also James did nothing wrong, justice for James Goomba

[@DasAntiNaziBroetchen]

"I like how the video is narrated as if all this is true, as it makes it much more uneasy" It makes me uneasy too, but in the angry "I can't believe people believe this shit" kind of way.

[@kolchian5139]

I was gonna comment the same thing lol

[@hobnobs_gaming]

@@DasAntiNaziBroetchen Yeah a lot of the things that he mentions are just fake and it’s just the Mandela effect. But a few things he says are true like the lower pitch boo laugh which actually happens when some times entering the house on big boo’s haunt.

[@Mythological_Artisan]

@@DasAntiNaziBroetchen its just intertaiment

[@zaksilva-sampaio7876]

@@Mythological_Artisan entertainment*

[@brandonvicbossmorgan]

Wait wait wait so basically this is a comprehensive look at M64 that collects and categorizes every bull $*it lie we heard as children? This is the video I never realized I wanted.

[@felipimacedo]

Once my cousin told me a code to unlock something in Mario64 - I don't remember what was unlocked, but I remember the code involved pressing various buttons in a set order, including both Z buttons. I think this is an instance where the personalization extends to the hardware itself, so amazing!

[@TheGreenThunder1607]

I couldve sworn there was a Star obtained when opening chests in the Backyard in a certain order. The crazy thing is, that this star exists ins Mario odyssey! When i Played that, i was like "oh yeah, i remember this" but when 3D all stars came out there was only the Boo level

[@FionaRedWolf87]

I wonder if the AI takes requests. How much would I be tempting fate if I asked my cartridge to “make it spooky”?

[@NEScRETRO]

You may be able to bribe it with the souls of children!

[@tomcaniff6437]

He always comes back....

[@lucidhighway4403]

I love how you brought back the "More on that latter" thing from the previous video where people pointed it out, and i really liked it, its some nice attention to detail in a way, and just embracing the "meme" it became in the comment section Aside from that, i absolutely am in love on how long this video is Maybe it's just me, but personally i LOVE long videos, specially on this topic, its just so interesting hearing someone speak about this interesting topic to this length,it's so nice, specially on this great quality you have!! Amazing job, cant wait to see pther content of yours, you get better with each video!

[@galladegamer3579]

Also the "It's totally real, like comment subscribe" meme

[@Vulnresati]

A man stands in the corner. He walks closer, and you slowly back up cautiously. His gruff face grimaces under his hat. He takes his hands out of his pockets and lays them at his side. What he says next you never forget. As his lips move, a low haunting voice cuts into the thick air. "More on that later."

[@mearawa]

I listen to this video again about once a year, that's how you know its good!

[@ivth3058]

This whole video reminds me of the schoolyard rumors my friends and I would tell each other. My friend INSISTED on several secret unlockable characters in SSB Melee; including Sonic, Tails, Birdo, Toad, and what was described as an 'Evil Fruit Loop.' Keep in mind I was a dumb little kid, but I wrote all of them down and tried to unlock everyone when I got home. Good video, man.

[@Armund_Wolffe]

#EvilFrootLoopForSmash

[@Infrared-nyne]

An evil fruit loop LMAOOOO

[@GooberPipebomb]

"This Stage is rare, so not much is known"="i can't think of anything that would be in this fake level"

[@Cilvathorne]

Where was this deep dive a year ago when I really needed it? The KZbin algorithm definitely is special

[@scrubsweep]

28:54 "meow" Rare cameo by NEScRETRO's cat

[@Drayiss]

Man this stuff is just so fascinating to me. Taking something as simple as old, reconstructed memories, and turning it into a whole theory with genuinely fascinating lore. It kinda reminds me of SCP or even Godzilla NES. I really hope more of these “recollections” get added to the wiki and stuff!

[@loxyloafcake5184]

Your cat meowing in the background was easily the highlight of the video.

[@zmyr88]

what part got to listen to it now

[@babyseatbanans1214]

29:22 the cat makes a really good point here that I haven't heard being said anywhere else, life changing

[@Charliedunlap08]

I was wondering if anyone would make a comment abt this

[@MotherCryptid]

I think it's kinda fun how our minds create all these scenarios ultimately. I have always been pretty imaginative and have issues with maladaptive daydreaming, so I always have a "trust but verify" approach to anything I remember. For instance, I was 5(?) when my parents got the game. I remember my mom playing it, hell I even tried. But I always remembered her finding Luigi at the top and not Yoshi for whatever reason. I also remembered her using the cannon and shooting past the barrier and dying (the one that gets you to Yoshi). I know this isn't true, because I played through the whole game to prove it happened. Of course, it didn't. That doesn't make diving into these fun theories (however false they are) any less intriguing! Thanks for making these videos and kind of compiling all of these theories together!

[@Sudafedz]

If only DS had been personalized. Then maybe I could've experienced some wierd shit.

[@cadecarls6959]

I’ll never know if it was, but I distinctly remember my brother playing as Waluigi when we both were very young. I never knew how he did it; and he never did either; but I never was able to see Waluigi again. That is the only thing I can think of for DS personalization. I have faint memories from the n64 version but I don’t have super crazy stores from the N64 version

[@buzzytrombone4353]

Waluigi is in the game, I unlocked him.

[@Sm64wii]

@@buzzytrombone4353 it’s fun to talk about this sort of stuff, but that isn’t true. He isn’t in the game code anywhere

[@buzzytrombone4353]

@@Sm64wii Neither is most of the shit this guy mentioned in the video.

[@drcheesenut896]

@@buzzytrombone4353 Yes... we all know that. This is a video explaining the theory and everyone's accounts of it, never said to be 100% true anywhere

[@aeterborne]

28:53 "Small Chill Bullies." *mrow*

[@kingkeesietv]

If there’s one thing I can say about my copy of the game it’s that I remember the “L is Real” being way way clearer then most of the images I see now from others

[@milescox1792]

It's so interesting how popular randomizers have taken hold in major franchises like Zelda, Pokémon, and older versions of Mario games, and that this theory could be realized, using this video as a script. You could actually have randomizers that are completely identical to this using romhacks, if someone put the effort into it. I hope I see something like that in my lifetime.

[@aquasoul8871]

This do be the exact video I’ve been waiting for after literally watching the iceberg yesterday...

[@ProGremlinPlayer]

Same

[@JimboSaggins]

How is "do be" a replacement for "is"?

[@aquasoul8871]

@@JimboSaggins don’t ask man my IQ’s like 10

[@supremeshitass8127]

same m8

[@whitegenome22]

@@JimboSaggins Twitter language.

[@AWSMProdigiousGamer]

I really wish game developers really did catch on to this trend and started actually implementing insane things. "Bro, I heard if you collect every shine in Mario Sunshine 3 times and then fight Bowser without taking damage, you unlock Peach as a playable character!" "You're such a liar, we all grew past those kinds of things" Developer: *Maniacally laughing*

[@WaterKirby1994]

Remember when Pokemon actually did that stuff? Lorelei's home getting Pokedolls added every 10 times you enter the Hall of Fame in FRLG, Mirage Island, The Crazy Stuff you had to do to catch the Regis in RSE, Celebi in Crystal, & Mew in Gen 1? Don't forget Pokerus, the encounter anomalies in Gen 4 games, the list keeps going. Sonic Series did it a few times as well, remember the Chaos Chao? Getting Amy in Sonic Advance 2? Super Sonic in Sonic the Fighters?

[@ZazzVGC]

beautiful video. I love the narration, the topics, the music and the overall vibe. I've watched it a few times already and i never want it to end. Good job

[@spiritualcalmality8631]

"The year is 1998. You're a baby with no concept of video games. A super advanced AI has taken a hold of Super Mario 64 but cannot produce baby formula. You scoff at the game and go back to your bottle."

[@enemigoconlanzadewarioland3653]

Everyone talks about mario 64 personalized copies but no one talks about wario land 4 personalized copies

[@galladegamer3579]

You want fun? WARIO SHOW YOU FUN

[@Ninjereto]

Yeah

[@CamilleLeon21]

*But the real question is, which personalized copy of the game features the typical white bottom bar of emulator gameplay?*

[@galladegamer3579]

Mine had it

[@Tinlion09]

In commonly reported but extremely rare instances of personalization, the AI will place an "Unregistered HyperCam 2" watermark in the corner of the game's display at all times. Several dozen players have also reported that, when this occurs, an incredibly rare effect often manifests that severely lowers the game's FPS, lowers the game's audio quality, and generates a positive/negative/mid-sized emotional aura that compels the player to record their gameplay and share it publicly.

[@Flare8295]

FYI the music that plays when the Wario Apparition chases Mario is The Endless Staircase not the BGM playing when explaining the Wario Apparition itself

[@dhi1145]

Listening to this really captures how vast and mysterious SM64 was to us as kids

[@Everdred]

28:53 small chill bullies “mreow!”

[@grimreaper451]

I remember metal puddles in hazy maze cave that were enemies that you couldn't kill. They were slow and were just in the way. Don't remember Mario getting shocked like he was saying in the video just normal damage and getting knocked back.

[@williamangliss5063]

Yeah same, I got the same metal puddles that didn't do anything crazy, just took normal damage

[@typhondst3363]

"In certain copies of the game, players have reported being able to enter Whomp's Fortress." Me, thinking he means the stage itself: "No sher shitlock." Also me: *moment of realization*

[@Drsunshine777]

I'll hand it to you, you've got alot more dedication dedication to the bit than most people, making an hour long video about stuff made up by 10 year olds on the creepypasta wiki. I salute you sir

[@SpringDavid]

We need a mod that actually add this.

[@DiagonalTanooki]

The closest you got is mario chaos edition

[@chuviis3508]

@5UP34 yeah but it would take a hard time making it work

[@Mahou_riruru]

@a dog • 200 years ago not

[@nijihime8342]

I remember as a kid that Dory ate me, I was terrified of her for years. I was very confused when other kids said that she can't eat you. Now I play the game on an emulator, I tried to get her to eat me, but she hasn't yet.

[@God0fTime]

I think I remember something similar tbh

[@antoinemayrand7348]

I like the "yet"

[@renegadesofanarchy289]

My guess is that you might be combining memories of Dory with the fish that eats you in Tiny-Huge Island.

[@dustymightmeme9345]

This is basically showing how kids remember tons of things wrong. If you really believe you remember it. You remember it! That's what happened with the Bloody Mary stuff where you go to a mirror and say "bloody Mary" three times in a row. Some kids remember seeing a creepy face in the mirror because they remembered it wrong and thought it really happened

[@pinkdarkboy7127]

Anytime I'm wrong about something from now on, I'm just gonna say that it's true in my personalized version. Everyone should do that when they're wrong at work from now on, too. "Well, the wall may be 7 feet tall in your version of the blueprints, but in my personalized version, it said 7.2 feet, JONATHAN."

[@youtubeneedstochange4414]

I'd love to see an animated version of this video with Mario traveling through all these strange stages.

[@absolutisguy4171]

Someone should make a rom hack of these already. It’s basically inspiration throwing itself at people.

[@courtjester8055]

Rumors like this are really funny because it just proves that people are more readily willing to believe in delusions than to admit their memories are wrong and scratch their ego. The whole berenstain/berenstein bears thing is another really funny example, where some people would rather invent a whole alternate universe to explain their feelings than to just be like "oh, my mistake, I spelled it wrong I guess haha."

[@aarongreenfield9038]

Kids went from having an hour a day to play games, to not even having an hour left out of the day where they're not playing some kind of game.

[@SoupyMittens]

ok boomer

[@j-rex229]

This is the most "35 year old millenial" comment I've ever seen.