These big Nintendo leaks aren’t just for curiosity’s sake; there’s a real practical element to them as well, like the fact modders have been able to find lost and unused enemies in titles like Super Mario 64 and get them back in the game.
Like Motos here. Motos is an enemy that was designed, created and present in Super Mario 64's code, but for whatever reason wasn’t used in the final version of Nintendo’s classic platformer.
Because he’s in there, though, modders Arthurtilly (code) and AWiseguyEh (model & animation) have been able to breathe life into the enemy and drop him back into the game to see how he looks and plays.
“The model, animations and all the code was present” Arthurtilly says. “The code suggested that he shared a lot in common with bullies (referred to as “Otos”) and would have been present in Lethal Lava Land, so this is where I put him.”
You can see why he might have ultimately been cut—the Bully performed a very similar role, if smaller in stature and with King Bob-Omb’s penchant for throwing—but whatever, it’s cool getting to not just learn about “what ifs” like this, but actually get to see them in action.