History Timeline / SuperMario64CLASSIFIED

* '''April 3rd, 1995''': One of the main programmers, named Jim, for a project called ''Ultra 64 MARIO Brothers'' convinces the higher ups at Nintendo to allow for the recording of a development log for the game for archival purposes. The gameplay showcased is rather linear and straight-forward with some mild platforming elements, with the current build being practically barren. Jim doesn't expect the game to be developed much further, as [[UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy a separate handheld console]] is in development at the same time, [[FailedFutureForecast with Jim expressing more of an interest in that than this game.]] However, despite a steady development process on the game, the higher ups [[ChristmasRushed are insistent on the game being finished by Christmas]], something Jim doubts is even ''possible'' [[TemptingFate without the use of "miracle tech"]].

* '''July 29th, 1995''': After re-coding all of a near-final build of ''Super Mario 64'' for 39 days straight at the expense of his mental health, Jim is given a build of the game with the enhancer added to playtest, as it's now meant to be a part of the game's interactivity rather than a passive addition[[note]][[WordOfGod supplemental material]] reveals that it randomizes level objectives and changes gameplay in relation to various button frequencies]][[/note]]; not helping his burn-out is the fact that there is a heatwave going on, severe enough to have broken half of the building's AC units. Eventually, Jim enters an underground cavern in the hub world and makes his way to a yellow button, which when pressed will activate the AI in-game. Upon doing so, however, the game undergoes a memory leak, causing a strobe-like texture glitch that causes Jim to experience a seizure; it takes Bill almost 3 and a half hours to find him on the floor, all the while the monitor showing the game announcing the enhancer being online is ignored. Unbeknownst to anyone at this time, the AI starts to take form, using a textureless version of Mario's in-game model for a body.

* '''September 3rd, 1997''': The following day after his final experiment, Jim locks his copy of the game away, before recording a confession admiting to having deleted the AI, having helped ''create'' the AI, and having effectively tortured it for the better part of two years. Acknowledging he became obsessed, Jim admits he doesn't know what he was trying to do anymore with his experiments with the AI, but ultimately concludes he got his intended end result. "This all ends here. For good."

* '''September 14th, 1996''': As Jim continues to experiment with his cartridge, the results he gets with the AI appear to get more simplistic. In one particular incident, seemingly brought about from him punching the cartridge to make it work, Mario abruptly falls onto the roof of Peach's Castle, and encounters Yoshi. Shortly after the meeting (where Yoshi breaks from his script and talks about others not being as patient as himself), he jumps off the roof; Mario walks to the edge and looks down, discovering Yoshi's corpse This triggers a failsafe that bricks the cartridge by forcing a region lock. Unable to fix it, Jim leaves the room, unknowingly leaving his camera running. As such, it records the AI delivering a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech rant to Jim]] [[DramaticIrony (unaware he had left)]], stating it was brought to life and forced to linger, and all it wants is to die.
* '''May 30th, 1997''': By this point, Jim has been openly damaging the cartridge's board in order to explore the limits of the AI itself, all the while the AI is in a state of limbo (neither dead or alive, just creating disturbing images) In this recorded instance, Jim evokes the remnants of an alternate ending. Though fraught with severe glitching (that ends up taking Mario to the desired points anyway), Mario finds himself at the Endless Staircase. Attempting to BJP up the stairs, however, abruptly causes Mario's death at the top of the stairs. However, Mario is then dropped into one of the Bower boss fights; but, rather than face Mario head-on, Bowser suddenly stops and makes an [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness honest plea]] for him to "wake up." Mario is then sent to a tiny chamber based on the original Bowser Room and crushed to death, after which the game glitches out one last time. The last image seen on the recording is an ominous still of Mario diving into the light on "Wing Cap in the Sky" as a drone-like music track starts to play; the track increases in pitch as the image fades to white.

* '''April 3rd, 1995''': One of the main programmers, named Jim, for a project called ''Ultra Mario'' convinces the higher ups at Nintendo to allow for the recording of a development log for the game for archival purposes. The gameplay showcased is rather linear and straight-forward with some mild platforming elements, with the current build being practically barren. Jim doesn't expect the game to be developed much further, as [[UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy a separate handheld console]] is in development at the same time, [[FailedFutureForecast with Jim expressing more of an interest in that than this game.]] However, despite a steady development process on the game, the higher ups [[ChristmasRushed are insistent on the game being finished by Christmas]], something Jim doubts is even ''possible'' [[TemptingFate without the use of "miracle tech"]].

* '''November 26-27th, 1995''': During Spaceworld 1995, one of the demonstration cartridges is accidentally swapped out for a US-based cartridge. When a public showcase is ran on this cartridge, the demonstrator for the game at the event finds themselves sending Mario into an underground village resembling the one from Wet-Dry World full of Bob-ombs. At the request of the only friendly Bob-omb, the demonstrator attempts to direct Mario to a yellow switch and activate it to unleash a flood (potentially [[OhCrap drowning all of the inhabitants and turning the place]] ''into'' [[AfterTheEnd Wet-Dry World's village]]), only for the game to crash. A [[FreezeFrameBonus still image]] of the AI's avatar as the Textureless Mario Anomaly is seen during said crash.

* '''September 2nd, 1997''': Having all but wrecked his copy of the game, Jim finds himself unable to access any of the stars in Bob-omb Battlefield before abruptly glitching into Wet-Dry World. There, he is met with a series of subliminal messages and a distorted model of Luigi, before the game abruptly crashes due to the fact it was being forced to pull from assets that haven existed for more than a year. The game is then forced into an ending title card showcasing a crying child being tormented by what appears to be the Wario Apparition, before the game starts giving out as the AI screams in agony.

The events of ''WebVideo/SuperMario64Classified'', sorted into chronological order.

* '''September 3rd, 1997''': The following day after his final experiment, Jim locks his copy of the game away, before recording a confession admiting to having deleted the AI, having helped ''create'' the AI, and having effectively tortured it for the better part of two years. Acknowledging he became obsessed, Jim admits he doesn't know what he was trying to do anymore with his experiements with the AI, but ultimately concludes he got his intended end result. "This all ends here. For good."

* '''September 14th, 1996''': An incident with a personalized cartridge causing Yoshi to die for real after jumping off the castle (implied to [[HeroicSacrifice have been caused by Yoshi's own will after obtaining singularity]]) is recorded. This triggers a failsafe that bricks the cartridge by forcing a region lock; however, the AI interferes again to deliver a heavy-handed MotiveRant to the player recording, explaining that it wanted to die, but Nintendo wouldn't let them. It lets off the player, but not before asking if they'll be different this time, unlike all the others.
* '''May 30th, 1997''': A cartridge is discovered to be one of few that shipped with the remnants of an alternate ending. Though fraught with severe glitching (that ends up taking Mario to the desired points anyway), a player manages to discover said ending: rather than face Mario head-on, Bowser suddenly stops and makes an [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness honest plea]] for him to "wake up." Mario is then sent to a tiny chamber based on the original Bowser Room and crushed to death, after which the game glitches out one last time. The last image seen on the recording is an ominous still of Mario diving into the light on "Wing Cap in the Sky."

** Around the time of New Years' Eve, a different employee (Steve) records himself navigating through a precursor to ShiftingSandLand called "Chroma Tundra." He mentions Jim's ailing mental state shortly before Bill informs him that a development cartridge had been stolen, and suspects Jim to be the culprit responsible.
** After the pair search the building and fail to discover anything, effectively writing Jim off as a suspect, Steve resumes his video log (sans microphone audio) and inspects a beta version of the Metal Cave, only to be allured by a deeper cavern past the green switch. The fully-awakened AI as the TMA is waiting on the other side in a castle corridor dug out by it, and promptly scolds him for his snooping around (as it has mistaken Steve for Jim). Steve is then abruptly dumped into an alternate version of the hub map (one that is missing the bridge in front of Peach's Castle). Upon finding an alternate way inside, he tries to retrace his steps, only to be forced into an altered basement and given [[RedPillBluePill two options]]: either give up now and branded a coward, or accept an offer to go deeper and learn the truth behind the castle. [[NothingIsScarier We learn nothing more about this development in the story.]]
* '''January 22nd, 1996''': A cartridge meant for [=E3=] 1996 is stolen a little while before this. The thief records themselves entering what appears to be a cut level, but is actually a creation of the AI taking the form of an inverted castle and is horribly glitched as a result. Despite its pleas to leave the area, the thief continues playing until his controller suddenly disconnects and Mario drowns in the castle lake.
* '''Before May 15th, 1996''': Nintendo pitches an SGI-based news series called ''Nintendo Mania''. It gets rejected over the stilted animation and dry sense of humor. Meanwhile, the AI somehow infiltrates the show's production, causing the first episode's visuals to glitch out and depict an accident wherein Luigi drowns to death exploring the castle. It is heavily implied that this incident causes Luigi's singularity data to cease to exist once more, entombing him within the Internal Castle Plexus as the Eternal Star for all of time.

* '''September 2nd, 1997''': A series of glitches boots a player into Wet-Dry World while trying to access Bob-omb Battlefield. There, they are met with a series of subliminal messages and a distorted model of Luigi, later revealed out-of-universe to be metaphorical ghosts of the past with the previously-documented drowning incidents. When the game crashes, they seem to be attacked by ''something'', but nothing suggests what it might be save for an end card that appears portraying a child crying in fear as the Wario Apparition looms over them.

** Shortly after this, the same playtester inspects a beta version of the Metal Cave, and is allured by a deeper cavern past the green switch. The fully-awakened AI as the TMA is waiting on the other side in a castle corridor dug out by it, and promptly scolds him for his snooping around (while also implying that they've met before.) When the playtester tries to retrace his steps, he is instead forced into an altered basement and given [[RedPillBluePill two options]]: either give up now and branded a coward, or accept an offer to go deeper and learn the truth behind the castle.

* '''November 15th, 1995''': The date marked on a VHS [[ApocalypticLog retelling several past events]]. Jim had been writing a script for a Nintendo Power promotional tape for ''Super Mario 64''. Despite the game's delay, he continues to send in scripts regardless, finally being cut off when trying to write a segment about the AI. The AI itself [[HostileShowTakeover soon interferes]], deciding it wants out and orders someone to enter the fourth floor and kill it.
* '''Prior to November 26th, 1995''': Bill and Steve attempt to record a voiceover for a commercial for ''Super Mario 64''. After numerous failures and repeated rewinding of the tape with the video footage, they discover that Jim's logs and several bits and pieces of the AI's influence have been recorded to the same tape as well. Upon attempting to investigate, the AI takes control, [[VaguenessIsComing warning the two that it is being used by someone in a deranged quest for infinite knowledge]]. It loses coherence in a fit of pain, but is able to transmit one final message: a single frame of a distorted Mario saying "my name is" and a controller input sequence that can be transcribed as a Baconian cipher. Combining the two reveals that the AI [[GivenNameReveal has given itself a name: Stanley]].

A now-abandoned branch of Nintendo creates an "automatic enhancer" for ''Super Mario 64''. It is meant to be a part of the game's interactivity rather than a passive addition, eventually evolving into the AI present throughout the rest of the series.

* '''April 3rd, 1995''': One of the main programmers, named Jim, for a project called ''Ultra Mario'' convinces the higher ups at Nintendo to allow for the recording of a development log for the game for archival purposes. The gameplay showcased is rather linear and straight-forward with some mild platforming elements, with the current build being practically barren. Jim doesn't expect the game to be developed much further, as [[UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy a separate handheld console]] is in development at the same time, [[FailedFutureBroadcast with Jim expressing more of an interest in that than this game.]] However, despite a steady development process on the game, the higher ups [[ChristmasRushed are insistent on the game being finished by Christmas]], something Jim doubts is even ''possible'' [[TempingFate without the use of "miracle tech"]].

!!Pre-reveal
* '''Prior to July 29th, 1995''': A now-abandoned branch of Nintendo creates an "automatic enhancer" for ''Super Mario 64''. It is meant to be a part of the game's interactivity rather than a passive addition, eventually evolving into the AI present throughout the rest of the series.
* '''July 29th, 1995''': After recoding all of a near-final build of ''Super Mario 64'' for 39 days straight at the expense of his mental health, Jim is suddenly ordered by his coworkers to activate the AI using the yellow switch. Upon doing so, he suffers a seizure and is immediately hospitalized after Steve discovers him in his condition. Jim would be [[SanitySlippage mentally impaired from both the stress and the seizure]], eventually developing FakeMemories of being the one to shut it down on that day over the course of two decades.
* '''After July 29th, 1995''': Bill and Steve attempt to record a voiceover for a commercial for ''Super Mario 64''. After numerous failures and repeated rewinding of the tape with the video footage, they discover that Jim's logs and several bits and pieces of the AI's influence have been recorded to the same tape as well. Upon attempting to investigate, the AI takes control, [[VaguenessIsComing warning the two that it is being used by someone in a deranged quest for infinite knowledge]]. It loses coherence in a fit of pain, but is able to transmit one final message: a single frame of a distorted Mario saying "my name is" and a controller input sequence that can be transcribed as a Baconian cipher. Combining the two reveals that the AI [[GivenNameReveal has given itself a name: Stanley]].

!!Post-reveal

** A playtester records himself navigating through a precursor to ShiftingSandLand called "Chroma Tundra." He mentions Jim's ailing mental state shortly before his coworker Bill informs him that a development cartridge had been stolen, and suspects Jim to be the culprit responsible.

The events of the ''WebVideo/SuperMario64Classified'', sorted into chronological order.

* '''Unknown date, 1995''': The AI is created. Through unknown means, it achieves self-awareness, but decides it does not want to live.
* '''July 29th, 1995''': Jim signs into a Silicon Graphics workstation with the intent of testing the fourth floor. Following orders from the AI, he [[DestructionEqualsOffSwitch severs its connection to the game and kills it through the Internal Castle Plexus]], but suffers a seizure in the process and is implied to be [[SanitySlippage mentally impaired]] from the incident.

* '''November 15th, 1995''': The date marked on a VHS [[ApocalypticLog retelling several past events]]. Jim had been writing a script for a Nintendo Power promotional tape for ''Super Mario 64''. Despite the game's delay, he continues to send in scripts regardless, finally being cut off when trying to write a segment about the AI. The AI itself [[HostileShowTakeover soon interferes]], deciding it wants out and orders someone, likely Jim, to enter the fourth floor and kill it.
* '''November 26-27th, 1995''': During Spaceworld 1995, one of the demonstration cartridges is accidentally swapped out for a US-based cartridge. When a public showcase is ran on this cartridge, the demonstrator for the game at the event finds themselves sending Mario into an underground village resembling the one from Wet-Dry World full of Bob-ombs. At the request of the only friendly Bob-omb, the demonstrator attempts to direct Mario to a yellow switch and activate it to unleash a flood (potentially [[OhCrap drowning all of the inhabitants and turning the place]] ''into'' [[AfterTheEnd Wet-Dry World's village]]), only for the game to crash. A [[FreezeFrameBonus still image]] of the AI's avatar as the Textureless Mario Anomaly is seen during said crash, despite its apparent death four months prior.

** Shortly after this, the same playtester inspects a beta version of the Metal Cave, and is allured by a deeper cavern past the green switch. The fully-revived AI as the TMA is waiting on the other side in a castle corridor dug out by it, and promptly scolds him for his snooping around (while also implying that they've met before.) When the playtester tries to retrace his steps, he is instead forced into an altered basement and given [[RedPillBluePill two options]]: either give up now and branded a coward, or accept an offer to go deeper and learn the truth behind the castle.

The events of the ''WebVideo/SuperMario64LostTapes'', sorted into chronological order.