Nearly 25 years since the release of Super Mario 64 and fans are still discovering new things from it, such as the fact that the intro of the game features a familiarly iconic tune from Mario's history. Although Super Mario 64 has been out for this long, each time the legendary platformer is rereleased it's exposed to a brand new audience.
Most recently, Super Mario 64 has gotten the spotlight thanks to its release in Super Mario 3D All-Stars. This 3D Mario collection brought Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy to both old and new fans, with the All-Stars collection being the first time that Super Mario Sunshine saw any kind of rerelease. Super Mario 64 has been rereleased and remade numerous times since its original release, but Super Mario 3D All-Stars has given the classic game a new chance to shine on one of Nintendo's most successful consoles.
Now, 25 years later, composer HOUJIROU has discovered that some of the notes in the intro to Super Mario 64 sound exactly like the signature notes in the original Donkey Kong game. HOUJIROU put these notes from the game's intro in Garageband, and upon speeding them up, the similarities became immediately clear. It shows that even back then, Nintendo wanted to pay tribute to Mario's origins.
The original Donkey Kong has been referenced on many different occasions within Mario's lifespan. Considering that it's where the iconic plumber got his career started, it's no surprise that Nintendo would want to pay tribute to it. Donkey Kong has been featured in games such as Nintendo Land and as a stage in Super Smash Bros., and is also the basis for the Mario spinoff series Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong has garnered a legacy over the years as the starting point for Mario, and is still one of Nintendo's most iconic games.
Donkey Kong isn't the only Mario entry that Super Mario 64 pays tribute to either. Upon collecting all 120 stars, Mario can find Yoshi at the top of Peach's castle. From both of these references, it's clear that Super Mario 64 was made in tribute of past Mario titles. Super Mario 64 itself has since gained a legacy of its own, but it wouldn't be what it is today without what came before it. It's these little Easter Eggs that show the length of Mario's legacy over the years, and that Super Mario 64, for all of its legendary advancements into the 3D genre, has always remembered its roots.
Source: HOUJIROU