Why Super Mario 64 Is So MYSTERIOUS

Super Mario 64 has taken a turn the past few years. Liminal space this, personalized copy that, why is SM64 a hotbed for so many theories? In this Video Game World Tour, we look at all that and more.
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[MelancoliaI]

I had the strategy guide, and distinctly remember saying that you could possibly use the boosted triple-jump Yoshi gives you at the end to 'find something new.' Don't remember the exact wording, but there you have it.

[CountMonsparkle]

Fun fact: When you first visit Jolly Roger Bay, there is a mystic fog and the sky is damp and moody. After collecting a few starts, the sky clears and the fog vanishes forever. No other level does anything like it, and it's subtle touches like these that can really highten the atmosphere.

[AlexanderFromTheStarDimension]

I heard somewhere that, in the game's early days, someone sent fan mail to Nintendo inquiring about the impracticality of the castle, and an employee responded saying Peach's Castle in SM64 was actually just a secondary backup castle to store Peach's paintings! So, if anything, the castle is actually supposed to be an art museum!

I believe it's thought that Bowser had something to do with the paintings, but if anything, maybe he just applied magic to the surfaces of Peach's existing paintings to allow for transporation?

[joshslater]

The thing I like about Mario 64 is the primitive and liminal feel of every location. The levels have been designed simply to host obstacles for the player to avoid, so you never stop to think about the logistics of the world or why things are placed where they are or what relation it has to other levels. Peach’s castle for example doesn’t feel like a proper castle, which adds to the unusual feel.

[Diwasho]

I dunno, I don't really get the sense that the sand cave is untouched by humanity when the first thing that greets you at the entrance is a signpost that someone else has already put up there for others to see.

[econenby]

Dorrie really is the modern Sisyphus. Doomed to constantly swim laps, but we must imagine Dorrie is happy.

[Lichcrafter]

Hazy Maze Cave always seemed a little out of place to me. In the cavern with Dorrie, there's a pool of water similar to the one you use to enter the stage, that transports you to a new area. Kind of like a level within a level. And if you get swept out the cavern by the river, you somehow end up in the waterfall outside Peach's castle. Huh? Was the cave behind the waterfall this whole time, or are there portals aside from paintings? Another addition to the many strange parts of the game.

[florianklink]

Before I watched this I thought "yet another Mario64 is so scary" video. Gotta admit it ended up being pretty good. It didn't come over as forced creepy, but more neutral and interesting. Good video!

[Omeganed]

I just got in that mood and started watching one 'Why Is Mario 64 Creepy' video after another, and this was the first one that really sold me on it. The house at the end of Rainbow Ride feels like a surrealist painting.

[ojhat]

Wet Dry World IS my favorite world of Mario64. You talk about the underwater town, but even further than that, one has to wonder the constructions Above the town, and then also, pay attention to the skybox of Wet Dry World, unique only to it. While it's long been known that it's an edited photo of a real place IRL, the fact that it implies there's this vast watery-based civilization all in this world is just... captivating and mysterious.

As a famous Youtuber by the name of NintendoCapriSun often quips in his LPs when encountering these chill zones and comfy nooks or untouched crannies "I would sleep here."

[Truekingr]

I remember I was 6 years old and getting terrified at that endless hallway

[chillboi]

i've been an sm64 machinimist for 3 years now (basicly making short movies with sm64) and i've always felt some sort of mysterious feeling whenever recording inside the castle area, thank you for this amazing video

[bababouibababoui]

I love Jolly Roger bay, I get crazy nostalgia mostly bcos I associate it with a certain morning I was playing Mario 64. My mum and grandma (especially as my grandma lives in another country so it was a rare visit) looking at coffee, my brother and dad asleep in their rooms, the rest of us in the living room. I hear the theme play as I open the DS playing and I’m sat on this chair we’ve had longer than I’m alive.

[jsbarretto]

"People have been playing the game for almost 2 decades..."

Sorry to tell you this, but it's much closer to 3 now!

[cuhgaming]

I'd just like to thank you. Your content is calming and relaxing, perfect for my anxiety, and the nostalgic topics give me a sense of comfort. Im so glad I stumbled upon this channel.

[theoriginalchuckler]

I’ve just found your channel, and I have to say: This is some Grade A level content. I’ll definitely be looking out for any future things you do.

[yunghunt]

I think the star statue being a unique asset as in thats the only place you see it almost implies it's not just some set dressing and that it has some interactive purpose

[lonelyonionagain.]

Your videos are very well edited! Wish more people could see this!

[alleycat]

Yesss. I always felt this way about this game. Like there were so many mysteries yet to be solved. And especially some places like wet and dry world just felt overall mysterious. Stand tall on the 4 corners level in the sand world was one of my top favorites. I really felt like I uncovered some huge mystery there, loved it. One of the best games ever.

[welfare_ninja]

(conspiracy theory) 9:48 the darkness of Big Boo's Haunt could be because Mario's pupils were also shrunk making less light enter the eye