In honor of the 30th anniversary of the release of Super Mario, Super Mario 3D has treated fans to some hidden Easter eggs: 8-bit hidden Luigis. The hidden Luigis are either fairly obvious or they’re easy to miss because the player usually cannot see them without triggering them at a specific moment.
While fans can’t collect coins or stars from the 8-bit Luigis, it’s still a fun surprise to see them unexpectedly appear behind a rock or on the wall. Fans of the game will need to pay close attention, though, since he can be hiding in the most unusual spots.
Once the ride on Yoshi starts, the gameplay is so fast that it’s tricky to spot this hidden Luigi. Luckily, slowing down or making a dinosaur swim faster is an option.
Within a few seconds of the ride, boosting rings can be found. Once gathered, a small 8-bit Luigi is visible on the water. Although most of the Luigi's are hard to spot, this one is quite difficult since the ride goes so quickly.
Right at the end of the level, after going by some Goombas and spiky balls, a giant Luigi can be seen in the water. The creators of the game were obviously going for a Loch Ness Monster reference, as fans can see Luigi mysteriously disappearing into the water.
While it’s easy to rush through the level, the best way to ensure that you will see him is if you wait in the corner of the castle long enough. Due to the sheer size of this Luigi, spotting this cameo is all about timing.
At the very entrance of the level, Luigi’s shadow can be seen casting on the wall, but it's not quite visible at the first glance. Players will need to do a high jump and crawl on the wall to see the shadow of a tiny 8-bit Luigi at the top of the wall.
After going through winding obstacles and see-through tunnels, a secret 8-bit Luigi can be seen hiding at the end of the second level. He is probably one of the most difficult to spot in the game since he is barely visible inside the post.
If you aren’t paying attention, the chances are high that you will miss him. To catch a glimpse of the hidden 8-bit Luigi, stand by the flag checkpoint while the pastel-colored scenery fills out the screen.
As players enter the Autumn scenery, Toad can be seen running by some big bees. By going over to the tree at the right, using the binoculars, players can spot a glimpse of 8-bit Luigi while aiming straight at the waterfalls.
Although he is almost transparent, Luigi is hiding at the top of the left waterfall. It’s hard to see him without binoculars, though, so it’s critical to not miss this step.
In this segment, Luigi appears twice. If you pay attention to the level’s intro, you can see him racing alongside the train. The second time he appears is when Toad is busy trying to avoid flying bombs while outrunning other obstacles.
Meanwhile, the 8-bit Luigi can be seen in the background winning 1st place in the train race on the track parallel to Toad. With so much happening at the same time, creators intentionally made Luigi nearly undetectable.
Running through giant Venus Flies, Toad is surrounded by greenery and underground waters. After successfully managing to jump from one green circular platform to another, she is finally at the end of the level.
A small, crouching Luigi can be found at the right corner at the bottom of the screen, as soon as Toad arrives at the checkpoint where the flag is.
Back to the jumping platforms - Toad is faced with more difficult challenges while trying to spot the hidden 8-bit Luigi. Near the end of this level, by going through a crowd of colorful ladybugs with angel wings on a bouncing mushroom platform, Toad’s only solution is to jump before the warp block.
Once she jumps continuously on the platform, Luigi pops out of the cloud for a quick surprise.
8-bit Luigi gives fans two chances to spot him in this area. The first time is right after Toad is catapulted by a cannon into the grass-filled area. Once she runs to the right, Luigi can be spotted as a painting in the grass.
The second 8-bit Luigi can be found only by using binoculars once again. Once the binoculars are focused on the pipe, another Luigi can be seen hiding above it right beside Sprixie.
On another two-for-one level, the first Luigi can be discovered at the gong. If the player hits the gong continuously a few times, it will trigger Luigi to appear as a silhouette.
At the end of the level, another 8-bit Luigi can be found right beside the goal. After moving to the edge, by tilting the camera at the perfect angle, a window will become visible where our beloved green friend can be spotted.
