​Super Mario 64 didn’t just make history with its jump into 3D it also left behind a trail of mysteries that gamers are still talking about nearly 30 years later. And yep, some of them are so weird they’ll make you look twice at Peach’s castle.

The most famous theory: “Luigi is dead.” It all started with a blurry inscription on the castle’s fountain that fans swore read “L is real 2401.” Was it a clue? A joke? Nobody’s ever confirmed it, but the mystery has lived on since 1996.

Some players claim there are secret levels hidden behind the paintings, only accessible through impossible glitches or altered versions of the game.

And then there’s the cursed cartridge, a legendary creepypasta about a player who found a “possessed” copy where Mario acted on his own and the world became increasingly disturbing.

Super Mario 64 wasn’t just a technical leap it was the beginning of some of the wildest and most iconic theories in Nintendo’s universe. And while nobody has ever proven Luigi’s fate, one thing’s for sure: “L is real” has become pure gamer legend.​