Color Code

A color code, also colour code and CC is generally the term used to describe a cheat code one can insert into a Super Mario 64 game to change the colors of Marios polygons.

How it works
Each code is assigned an 8 digit address and a 4 digit value in hex form (following RGB values, RRGGBB00). There are usually 4-8 lines of code that find a specific area of the body, and 2 are required for one part due to the fact that the hex code containing the color (which is the 4 digit value separated across 2 lines, with 00 being a placeholder) is separated across the lines. These hex values, using the addresses given (usually generated in a generator, if not, typed directly into a word processing document) recolor Mario's general area. The 8 digit value has two end values that determine which area of Mario will be recolored, usually in a pattern. There are 6 areas one can recolor: the hat and shirt (both at the same time), the overalls, the hair, the face, the gloves and the shoes. It is likely due to it starting out he needed to be colourised instead of texturised like later 3D mario games (and 3D games in general) to save space; a similar reason probably exists as to why the hat and shirt were merged in this way as well.

Definition
In the SM64 community, there are 2 definitions for the color code. One definition means the actual color code itself, the numbers and letters that make up the CC in the game, and the other is what the full model itself looks like without considering the numbers and letters.

Definition 1: The Numbers and Letters
Their explanation above is how they work, but this is also used when people are exchanging color codes to one another. Generally used when they need conversion and fixing up.

Definition 2: The Actual Model
Some use this to define the models themselves when they are describing a video or another similar occurence.

Different Regions
Due to how Super Mario 64 was localised, color codes are different by region. The PAL region has an entirely different address to that of the American code, however due to the accessibility of the rom and the number of codes created for the US version compared to the others indicates that the American ROM is mostly used for color codes.

Different Games
Super Mario 64 ROM hacks such as Super Mario Star Road and Super Mario Rainbow Road appear to have different addresses by the last 2 numbers that determine the area of color for Mario, as a result, the -20 trick was formed. For example, an address that says 46 turns into 26 due to the different addresses. This is referenced in episode 3 and 5 of Super Mario 64 Adventures.