9 Elaborate Video Game Urban Legends Everyone Believed
2. Super Mario 64 - "L Is Real 2401"
The legend: Tucked away in the courtyards of Peach's castle stands a plinth adorned with a Super Star.
Beneath it, a plaque with blurry text etched on its front reads "L is real 2401", a secret, nonsensical message proving that should the player collect that exact number of coins and return to the monument, Mario's dearest brother would emerge (from thin air?) and presumably be unlocked as a playable character.
At least, that's the theory that the rumour mill ran with. The message accompanying Peach's garden furniture more likely said: "Eternal Star" which, given the context, makes just a little bit more sense.
Where it came from: Mario's first adventure on N64 marked a series of firsts. The transition to 3D, non-linear gameplay and meaningful exploration all slotted in seamlessly with Nintendo's new vision for its moustachioed mascot, but one proposed feature - co-op - didn't make the cut.
Having tried and ultimately failed to get multiplayer working, the Big N - which had intended to have Mario and Luigi both be playable in tandem - surrendered its efforts and cut multiplayer completely.
Luigi, therefore, took a hiatus for Super Mario 64, but that didn't stop hopefuls from believing Ninty had left behind a secret method of unlocking Mario's slender sibling.