Programmer uses computational analysis to decipher Super Mario 64's blurry castle plaque

Deciphering a Long-Standing Mystery

For over 30 years, fans of Super Mario 64 have speculated about the text on a blurry plaque located in the game's castle courtyard. The plaque's illegibility has persisted through modern reissues of the game, preventing clear identification of its message.

Computational Analysis Employed

Programmer Mochi64 utilized open-source computational analysis software to investigate the plaque. This method did not involve graphical upscaling, which is ineffective due to the image's inherent blurriness. Instead, the software analyzed millions of word and font combinations to find the closest match to the plaque's pixels.

Proposed Text Revealed

The analysis suggests the top line of the plaque reads "Eternal Star" and the bottom line reads "We hope so." While this is not an absolute confirmation, these phrases provided the closest possible match through the extensive computational comparison process.

Dispelling Old Rumors

This finding addresses a long-standing rumor from the 1990s that the plaque read "L is Real 2401," which was believed to hint at Luigi's presence in the game. This rumor gained traction despite director Shigeru Miyamoto's statements about abandoned two-player mode experiments due to memory constraints.

Contextual Interpretation

The phrase "Eternal Star" aligns with the plaque's location beneath a giant star statue. The second phrase, "We hope so," could be interpreted as a developer message encouraging players to collect all stars within the game. Official confirmation from Nintendo is unlikely.