How Nintendo's Mario Got His Name 103
harrymcc writes "In 1981, tiny Nintendo of America was getting ready to release Donkey Kong. When the company's landlord, Mario Segale, demanded back rent, Nintendo staffers named the game's barrel-jumping protagonist after him. Almost thirty years later, neither Nintendo — which continues to crank out Mario games — nor Segale — now a wealthy, secretive Washington State real estate developer — like to talk about how one of video games' iconic characters got his name and Italian heritage. Technologizer's Benj Edwards has researched the story for years and provides the most detailed account to date."
well that explains (Score:5, Funny)
the coin obsession... never met a landlord yet who wasn't in it for the shines
Re:well that explains (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, surprisingly enough numbers of non-paid amateur landlordery enthusiasts are dwindling.
Re:well that explains (Score:5, Funny)
There called Parents. Most have a basement where Slashdot readers live.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Where called Parents?
Re: (Score:1)
Right above in your parent post.
Re: (Score:2)
Where called Parents?
THERE called Parents! Can't you see It? Look where I'm pointing, dammit!
Re: (Score:2)
James Rolph aka Angry Video Game Nerd made an ameture video [cinemassacre.com] lampooning the guy Mario was named after. :)
Re: (Score:2)
There called Parents. Most have a basement where Slashdot readers live.
Correction: where a Slashdot reader lives. There is a statutory limit of one Slashdot reader per basement, for the safety of all involved.
Re: (Score:1)
Funny... I always thought the Donkey Kong character's name was "Jumpman" and he did not acquire the Mario name until the later arcade game "Mario Bros"
Re: (Score:2)
That was my first thought, too. Then I... you know... RTFA and that put things in place for me since they mention Jumpman several times. But for what it's worth, his name was officially Mario by Donkey Kong Jr. Mario Bros came later.
Re: (Score:2)
And IIRC was not originally a plumber but rather a zookeeper. At least, that's my vague impression of the depiction in the cartoon series "Saturday Supercade".
Mario didn't chase coins until Mario Bros. Before that he was trading off roles with Donkey Kong, first trying to rescue Pauline, then carrying a whip and sending snapjaws after Donkey Kong Jr. trying to free his daddy, and then shooting bug spray up Donkey Kong's butt.
And only when they went "super" did they obsess over a magical mushroom kingdom. (T
Re:That wasn't Mario (Score:1)
Before that he was trading off roles with Donkey Kong, first trying to rescue Pauline, then carrying a whip and sending snapjaws after Donkey Kong Jr. trying to free his daddy, and then shooting bug spray up Donkey Kong's butt.)
That wasn't Mario shooting bug spray up DK's butt - That was Stanley
Re: (Score:1)
Funny... I always thought the Donkey Kong character's name was "Jumpman" and he did not acquire the Mario name until the later arcade game "Mario Bros"
That's because you didn't read the article.
They were getting the US version of Donkey Kong to launch, the arcade game. They decided to name the char Mario, after they're landlord.
Donkey Kong was released in 1981.
Mario Bros was released in 1983.
Once again, google and the wiki are your friends.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mario_games_by_year [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
That's because you didn't read the article. They were getting the US version of Donkey Kong to launch, the arcade game. They decided to name the char Mario
He didn't RTFA but I did, and you're still wrong. Mario's original name was "Jumpman" in Donkey Kong. He did not acquire a name until the sequel one year later.
google and the wiki are your friends.
Yeah they are so I'm slightly surprised you didn't read them. Wiki confirms C64_love's comments. Mario originally had no name. He was just Jumpman (a name chosen for its similarity to "Walkman" and "Pac-Man") and his job was as a carpenter (hence the hammer).
He did not stop being a carpenter until Mario Bros, when he suddenly
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What about his obsession for mushrooms, flowers, and jumping on turtles.
Haha, yeah, seriously! My GF was playing a lot of Mario 1 and 3 lately, and we were blown away by how NONE of it makes any sense!
Like, it is seriously one of the most cracked-out video games I've ever seen. Sure, there's probably been crazier stuff, but for something so mainstream and popular, its surprisingly nonsensical!
-Taylor
Re: (Score:1)
Pay Up. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
As someone getting out of the landlording business.... I can tell you that his obsession with coins may explain why he is so successful and still in it. Being a landlord, quite a lot of the job is fronting the cost on bills (or outright juggling them) until people get around to paying up.
Much easier for the penny pincher who holds tightly onto his war chest than someone who "floats" and doesn't stress it. Neighbors complain? Guess who they complain to. Something breaks, you know who fixes it.
I don't mean to
How Wario got *his* name (Score:1, Troll)
The game designers had a few beers, then turned the M upside down.
Same with Luigi and "Princess Peach". Peach in Japanese is "momo", but upside down that is "wowo". Hence "Luigi".
Re: (Score:2)
Re:How Wario got *his* name (Score:4, Funny)
It's hard to explain, but the long and short of it is that you have to understand Japanese.
Re:How Wario got *his* name (Score:5, Funny)
It's hard to explain, but the long and short of it is that you have to understand Japanese.
One day I will find a Westerner who learned Japanese for reasons other than casually dropping the fact into web forums.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
One day I will find a Westerner who learned Japanese for reasons other than casually dropping the fact into web forums.
Are you excluding the completely hopeless anime enthusiasts, and the western guys who learned Japanese in the hopes of snagging a hot Japanese girlfriend (yes, these groups overlap)?
Re: (Score:2)
Overlap? They are entirely coincident.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
That would be me. Just thought I'd mention it.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
It's hard to explain, but the long and short of it is that you have to understand Japanese.
One day I will find a Westerner who learned Japanese for reasons other than casually dropping the fact into web forums.
You mean you haven't met any who learned Japanese so they could train as Samurai in hopes of one day committing seppuku?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The game designers had a few beers, then turned the M upside down.
"Wario" is actually a combination of the Japanese word for "bad" (Warui) and Mario's name. Because he is the "Bad" Mario.
As for Waluigi, if you change the "R" sound to an "L" sound (as often happens in Japanese-English translations) you get "Walui". Combine that with "Luigi" and you get "Waluigi!"
The L & R thing is complex... (Score:2)
Well, the thing is that they don't have a separate sound for R & L. They have a set of five sounds (usually transliterated as ra / re / ri / ro / ru) that are roughly half-way in between L and R in terms of sound. The tongue further back in the mouth (like the R and unlike the L sound), but the tongue also touches the roof of the mouth (which is just the opposite of before; being like the L sound and unlike the R sound). So you can think of it as half-and-half because it has one trait from both the R
Re: (Score:2)
Disclaimer: I don't know Japanese, so this is second-hand.
From what I've heard, Wa in Japanese means opposite. W is also conveniently M upside-down (hence why it's Wario and not Wamario).
However, you'll notice that Luigi's counterpart is Waluigi.
"Wa" doesn't mean that. (Score:2)
> From what I've heard, Wa in Japanese means opposite.
I think you've been misinformed. Depending on the exact form used, wa means "harmony", "sum", "total", can be combined with other words to indicate things of Japanese origin, is the reading of the "ha" hiragana when it's used as the subject particle, can be added to the end of a sentence to make the speaker sound more feminine and for emphasis, used to draw contrast or compare things, can indicate a limit, and can even be used as a counter for birds
Re: (Score:1)
Yeah, the guy above me posted the correct meaning. However, since Slashdot doesn't let you delete posts once you've made them, and I was typing this comment at the time he posted his comment...
Mario (Score:5, Funny)
Speaking as an American of Italian heritage who also used to be a plumber, not only am I not offended by Mario, I hold him up as a role model. I mean, I lost count of the number of times I had to chase some damned monkey through the pipes. Happened all the time.
Re: (Score:1, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Speaking as an American of Italian heritage who also used to be a plumber, not only am I not offended by Mario, I hold him up as a role model. I mean, I lost count of the number of times I had to chase some damned monkey through the pipes. Happened all the time.
He's an ape! Show some fucking respect!
Re: (Score:1)
Eating mush shrooms?
and if I develop a game... (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
"that bitch financee who dumped me for a sailor, and then didn't marry him anyway but instead married some other dude"
Nah. Too long.
Re: (Score:2)
"that bitch financee who dumped me for a sailor, and then didn't marry him anyway but instead married some other dude"
Nah. Too long.
FWIW: It seems to me if she was really that flaky, she did you a favor...
Re: (Score:1)
And now she's your landlord? Man, that's got to hurt.
Article summary (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Article summary (Score:5, Insightful)
It looks like the author was basically trying to confirm a story that was already reasonably well-known. The end result is that he came back with nothing new because nobody at Nintendo either knew about or was willing to acknowledge the connection to this real estate developer. The man in question, the actual Mario, is claimed to be reclusive. I suspect he's reclusive because he's trying to avoid being pestered by gamers and those in the gaming press.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, that's how most reporting and historical documentation works. Nothing new.
However, up until now all we had was one unsourced reference in a book which was copied many many times. We didn't even know how credible the claim was, especially considering that senior developer Eiji Aonuma thought [gamespy.com] differently. Now the author has proven that a guy called Mario Segale was a landlord for Nintendo and Miyamoto has acknowledged someone at NOA coming up with the name. That's definately worth something.
Re: (Score:1)
Excerpt from the Article:
Miyamoto: Well, I called him "Mr. Video". My plan was to use the same character in every video game I made.
Iwata: So you had that plan right from the start? Why did you intend to use him in every video game you made?
Miyamoto: Well, I thought the
Re: (Score:2)
Except that it's wrong.
Notice all the factual errors in all the accounts.
In the book, How to Win at Video Games [amazon.com], the author says something to the effect of
Imagine my shock when he was named "Mario" in Donkey Kong Jr. and even more surprise when they trademarked the name for Mario Bros.
Re: (Score:2)
This reminds me of Bob Newhart's sketch "Rocket Scientist", which came out in 1960:
Really? (Score:5, Funny)
Most Racist Video Game Character Ever (Score:1, Interesting)
At least that I know of.
But it's ok. At least he's not in the Mafia.
Re: (Score:2)
You must not play a lot of video games. In fact, I think I'd say Bowser is more racist than mario, what have you been smoking?
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I'd think for the racism label to attach, one would need to demonstrate some negativity. Otherwise it is just stereotyping, which while based on race, may or may not reach the stigma necessary to earn the title 'racist'.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
At least he's not in the Mafia.
Maybe not the character. But the article is about the man who inspired it. He's a real estate developer who has a tight-knit family circle and avoids media exposure. My first thought was, "Sounds like mafia." Then again, in the origin story, he came in demanding his overdue rent but then left without breaking any kneecaps.
Re: (Score:2)
My first thought was, "Sounds like mafia." Then again, in the origin story, he came in demanding his overdue rent but then left without breaking any kneecaps.
That's what they always do. You leave, then have your enforcer show up to do the actual knee-capping.
You know it's called Mario Brothers.... (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Okay, okay, stop me if you've heard this... (Score:3, Funny)
Not Japanese? (Score:1)
I always thought it was just some Japanese Nintendo worker's idea of a typical Caucasian name.
Nowadays (Score:2)
Nowadays, such practical joke would lead to cease and desist letters, followed by a lawsuit for $4,000,000,000 of compensation, damages and libel, and finally royalties for licensing the use of his first name in videogames, tv, cinema, songs, or any other media.
Re: (Score:2)
Monkey Kong (Score:4, Insightful)
It doesn't explain how Donkey Kong wasn't named Monkey Kong.
Re: (Score:2)
I read somewhere that 'Donkey' was a poorly translated 'Stubborn'.
Re: (Score:1)
Literal translation of "ass?"
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
DK's name comes from a bad translation of "stupid monkey."
Re: (Score:2)
Not according to Snopes.
http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/donkeykong.asp [snopes.com]
Segale and his current influence (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
-Do you know Mario?
-What Mario?
-The one who fucked you behind the closet.
It rimes in Portuguese. =/
Re: (Score:1)
Does rhyming make something funny in your culture? I totally don't get the joke.
Guess what?
CHICKEN'S BUTT!!!
Yeah, it happens in our culture, too.
Game Over (Score:1)
The real Mario (Score:2)
No article on Mario would be complete without this. [pbfcomics.com]
...or from a 1953 movie... (Score:1)
Take a look at this still [linternaute.com] and see if it make you think of Mario!