N64‘s Super Smash Bros. Employed Unique Anti-Piracy Measure, Locking Players to Mario After 69 Plays
A curious anti-piracy tactic discovered in the nintendo 64 version of Super Smash Bros. limited players using illegitimate copies to only controlling Mario after launching the game 69 times.The detail was recently brought to light by Supper Mario Broth and reported by GamesRadar.
The method, described as a “delayed action” by Supper Mario Broth, allowed the game to function normally for the first 68 playthroughs. On the 69th launch,players would find themselves restricted to using only Mario in single-player mode,with any attempt to select another character resulting in the deletion of save data. Two-player mode remained unaffected.
This anti-piracy measure likely targeted the widespread availability of counterfeit N64 cartridges in the late 1990s. Common indicators of illegitimate copies included handwritten game titles on the cartridge and black-and-white sticker art, sometimes featuring text in German.
The tactic stands in contrast to more aggressive anti-piracy methods employed by other publishers at the time, such as hardware locks and disc checks, which often inconvenienced legitimate customers and were quickly circumvented by pirates. A more effective, and consumer-amiable, approach-allowing extended gameplay before prompting pirates to purchase the game-has proven prosperous for indie developers.
While the choice of 69 plays remains a point of speculation, the unusual method has garnered attention for its playful approach to combating software piracy.
