kotaku.com
Nintendo 64’s anti-piracy measure locks players into a single character after playing the game 69 times, as revealed by Supper Mario Broth.
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Key Takeaways
- Nintendo 64’s anti-piracy measure locks players after 69 times.
- Pirating N64 games involved buying knock-off cartridges.
- The anti-piracy measure was called “delayed action.”
- Players could only play as Mario after 69 attempts.
- Nintendo likely did not choose 69 for comedy reasons.
The anti-piracy measure allows players to boot the game 68 times before any restrictions are applied. On the 69th play, players can only use Mario, with other characters causing all save data to be erased.
This measure is a mild punishment, as players can still engage in two-player mode, even though single-player options are limited. Nintendo’s approach contrasts with more severe anti-piracy measures used by other companies.
Originally reported by kotaku.com as “Super Smash Bros. On N64 Had A Very Funny Anti-Piracy Trick” on 2025-09-23 16:48:00.
