Original artwork, not a still
Dear Mario, please come to the castle. I've baked a cake for you.
— Super Mario 64 ‧ 1996
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The cake is a bait-and-switch: a friendly invitation that turns out to be the setup for a kidnapping. Fans still quote it as the sweetest, most ominous way to start a game, and the cake became a running gag in later Mario titles. The note also set the template for how 3D Mario games open with a polite postcard before the trouble starts.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Super Mario 64Show the scene
The letter opens Super Mario 64 (1996), the first 3D Mario game. At the start, a note from Princess Peach is shown inviting Mario to the castle, where she says she has baked him a cake. It is signed with her name. Super Mario Wiki notes that the game's invitation implies she baked the cake before she was kidnapped, and that the final scene shows a two-layer cake with the words 'Thank you' and statuettes of Mario and Peach, so the promise from the opening is kept at the very end.
Sources (2)
- Super Mario Wiki: CakeSuper Mario 64 sectionReference checked
- Super Mario Wiki: List of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS quotesPrincess Peach sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
