Luigi Has Finally Been Found In Mario 64

When Mario, our favorite mushroom-mashing plumber, made his way to 3D in Super Mario 64, he infamously did it without his loyal brother Luigi. The green-clad sidekick never made it to the game, despite accompanying his brother through adventures since 1983. His absence, and ways to make him appear in-game, have become somewhat of an urban legend. But after the recent Nintendo leak, it seems our missing Mario Brother has been found after all.

25 years later, fans have pulled apart development files for Luigi's models that were part of the leak and are now showcasing them eagerly online.

Uncovering Luigi's hidden model isn't entirely unexpected. In an interview originally featured in the official strategy guide (and preserved by Shmuplations), Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that Mario's brother was meant to be featured, but ultimately had to be scrapped due to memory issues. This interview also reveals that Yoshi was almost removed from the game as well when an event centered on him didn't come out the way the team wanted it to, but in an effort to not waste the model, he was kept in for the ending.

Luigi has come a long way since his Mario 64 snub, starring in three entries of his spooky standalone series, Luigi's Mansion. Still, it's endearing to see the duration of some fans' enthusiasm for him. It's anyone's guess what other secrets fans may find through this latest leak.