Title: The Lengthy Journey of a Log in Super Mario 64: 36 Days of Relentless Motion, With No Reason to Do So
Meet a diehard Super Mario fan who pushes the boundaries of creativity.
Roam the daunting heights of Tall, Tall Mountain in Super Mario 64, where Mario faces a colossal climb. Along the way, an agile log twists, posing a challenge for the player to steer Mario across while it rolls left and right. By carefully manipulating the log's movement, it's possible to force it to clip into the level's architecture, reaching distances unimagined.
"36 exhausting days of constant manipulation to hit the log's max reach, with no conceivable purpose," Super Mario fanatic Supper Mario Broth declared on X and Bluesky.
This intriguing tidbit left a mark. "36 days of nonstop manipulation to reach the log's limit, with no currently known purpose," echoed in my mind ever since.
According to a fascinating YouTube video, the log's manipulation stems from a rounding error in the game's code. The log's speed-related floating point precision exceeds its position, enabling a slow, continuous drift to the left. By manipulating Mario to follow a meticulous 34-frame loop, the video's creator paved the way to a find: a movement of approximately 2 micrometers per second.
By cycling this sequence 2.8 million times, its creator traversed 36 days. Rest assured, this was a team effort with the help of precise speedrun tools.
This bizarre achievement originated from Supper Mario Broth's extensive research. Their post about the log reached 170,000 views. The YouTube video, though, only garnered 3,432. A titan of Mario-related esoterica, Broth has been uncovering Mario's secrets since 2013.
Supper Mario Broth offers a delightful reprieve amid the digital world's increasingly despicable offerings. In the face of X's MAGA influence and Meta's grotesque transformation, Broth's content is a refreshing change.
Did you know that Super Mario Galaxy makes Mario's head shrink in drowning animations, so it doesn't collide with the water? Or that Princess Peach shares the same number of eyelashes as Marios mustache curves?
Last October, Broth faced hardships. A YouTube video, now unlisted, pleaded for financial aid to continue his quest for Mario's secrets. His fans responded, ensuring he could continue unearthing Mario trivia.
Three months have passed since Broth's appeal, and here I am - diving into the Tall, Tall Mountain mystery.
Why did Broth post this? What hidden purpose underpins the log's slow drift into the cliff? "This has no currently known purpose," speaks volumes about the deeper mysteries of human existence and the depths of Mario fandom.
In the future, tech enthusiasts might replicate Supper Mario Broth's technique to explore uncharted paths in other gaming titles, showcasing the limitless potential of technology and creativity in video games. Despite the minimal views on the YouTube video, the fascination with Mario's secrets continues to thrive, indicating a growing curiosity about the future of tech in gaming.
