A collaboration between a number of people has seen some early renders from Super Mario 64 surface, the most interesting of which shows screenshots from what appears to be an unused level. Considered to be one of the most influential 3D games of the 90s, the classic Nintendo 64 title was a landmark release that came along right when the gaming industry was becoming more advanced. To this day, it's a beloved entry in the Mario franchise.After all this time, many would be forgiven for thinking there was nothing new to discover. However, there are still some Super Mario 64 secrets around that many fans are perhaps not aware of. For example, voice clips from Looney Tunes cartoons were used as placeholders before Charles Martinet came in to record his iconic, albeit limited, lines. This latest discovery only perpetuates the idea that older games, no matter how many years gamers have been playing them, have yet to give up all their mysteries, and this one will be intriguing to a lot of fans.In conjunction with Twitter users Nintoid and Render_Archive, and the website Forest of Illusion, which is dedicated to preserving Nintendo's history, a company report from 1996 has been unearthed which contains some fascinating tidbits. Among sales information and some early renders, there are also a few screenshots taken from Super Mario 64. Upon close inspection, it appears that some of them pertain to a level that does not appear in the final release. The images show the titular plumber in an underwater level surrounded by giant eyeballs. Forest of Illusion has gone to the trouble of turning each screenshot into an animated GIF to give viewers an idea of how this cut content may have looked in motion.
At a quick glance of this area, it does appear to be quite spooky. While the series itself is generally considered to be family friendly, particularly suited for children, Mario games are no stranger to creepy or even disturbing content. Perhaps one of the most well-known instances is in the infamous piano jump scare in the N64 release where, when approached, a grand piano will begin to leap at Mario, showing a set of sharp teeth.
It's interesting to see there are still new things to discover about this game. Mario 64 is popular among speedrunners, many of whom are always looking for new secrets. But even two and half decades later, it looks as though this mysterious "eyeball" level has remained elusive until now.
Super Mario 64 was released in 1996 for the Nintendo 64.