How the Mario Characters Got Their Names

[@GamingHistorian]

This video has some new information, mostly around the development of Donkey Kong, from my research at the National Archives. Hope you all enjoy it! Please give it a share if you learned something new.

[@lostfan5054]

Hey Norm!! Any chance you could do History of Squaresoft, and maybe explain the other great series (SaGa) they did.

[@ottoneiii4353]

ok, but who won the trial?

[@Str0b0]

Another sources say Nintendo lost the licence to (or was unable to licence) Popeye and that was the reason they changed it to Donkey Kong?

[@jamess9623]

@@ottoneiii4353 Nintendo won. It was established that Universal didn't even own the rights to King Kong as it had been in the public domain. Universal had gone around threatening all the companies using the Donkey Kong name and most submitted and paid royalties to Universal, including Coleco of the Colecovision. Nintendo stood their ground and went to court and won.

[@rayhero21]

Isn't their last name also Mario? I'd like to know more about that.

[@ErikaFurudo1337]

Basically Toad is like having a friend named: Human

[@closeben]

Well, there are people named Guy.

[@Yapsalot00]

hugh mann

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@closeben Fact

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

@@Yapsalot00 Hugh Mann. Now that's a name I can trust!

[@ElToland]

But "Toad" is short for "Toadstool", then a human should be called "Hu" or "Hum"

[@curseyoujordanshow]

I've always adored the idea that "Toadstool" was her formal name, sounding even regal considering she rules the Mushroom Kingdom, but that "Peach" was the name she went by with her close personal friends. It's extremely cute, but there's also something about it that makes her seem so much more real and relatable.

[@X_Leonhart]

I really think that her name was just originally changed in America for the same reason Puck-Man’s name was... It was so easy to make it sound like an offensive word.

[@ElToland]

I thought the same: "Princess Toadstool" being her "royal title" and "Peach" her name

[@Compucles]

Couldn't her full name be Peach Toadstool? "Toadstool" sounds much more like a family name or title than a given name.

[@DELTARYZ]

@@X_Leonhart All you would need is a marker and any arcade cabinet could be made to say FUCK-MAN

[@darthpaul99]

@@Compucles That’s how I see it her full name is Princess Peach Toadstool.

[@Exnem]

Mario Segale passed away pretty recently, I do find it funny that his reaction to the character being named for him is *_"wheres my money",_* it kind of fits the origin story told in Game Over. RIP

[@primal2020]

the stories make him out to be a grouchy real estate guy and that seems to be exactly who he was lol

[@Mantorok12]

if an acquaintance used my likeness to create a trillion dollar IP, I would be interested in a bit of compensation.

[@miguelangelhernandezsolis7849]

@@Mantorok12 but they didn't use his likeness only use his name and he didn't have the rights over the name Mario

[@poppinc8145]

He was being sarcastic. Otherwise he'd have actually asked or done something to get compensation.

[@Exnem]

@@poppinc8145 Eh, maybe. Or maybe he felt that way but didn't bother taking on a massive corporation with an army of well paid lawyers.

[@Emberheart_]

I'm kind of glad they never stuck with Ossan. Just imagine the localization: "It's-a me, mid-life-man!"

[@scaper8]

@2 Corinthians 4:7-11 Alright alright alright.

[@El_Omar2203]

Sounds more like a car brand than a name

[@LilXancheX]

@Mr. MXB mid-life crisis 64 😂

[@wchan39]

​@@LilXancheX Mid-Life Crisis Sunshine Mid-Life Crisis Galaxy Mid-Life Crisis Odyssey And so on...

[@LilXancheX]

@@wchan39 sure. Why not

[@sillywar601]

There's one thing I need to clarify about naming Peach "after a peach". So in Japanese, peach is pronounced as momo. Pink in Japanese is spelled with peach+color character, making it pronounced as momo-iro. So I don't think she was named after a peach, but rather after the color pink.

[@fixedfunshow]

A little late but in Japan her name is Piichi-hime, not Momo??

[@sillywar601]

@@fixedfunshow I don't remember the full context of the video but I meant peach fruit was momo in Japanese. I said what I said because when you look at the fruit, most people's instinct isn't thinking it's a pink color. I think when talking about peach color, it's officially a tint of yellow in English? So my thought was people would probably think naming Peach character after peach fruit would be weird considering her dress looks nothing like a peach fruit while people in Japan thinks it makes sense.

[@JASpiring]

Yeah. The Japanese counterpart of the pink Ninja Steel Power Ranger is called Momoninger. Which means Pink Ninja. Super Sentai's first pink ranger is called Momoranger, literally Pink Ranger. They definitely use Momo for Pink. Momo means both the colour pink and the fruit peach, not unlike how orange is a fruit and a colour in English.

[@barbieblues7639]

Asian peaches are pink usually, while the yucky ones here in the states are yellow (too lazy to tag lol)

[@Mari_Izu]

@@fixedfunshow Could be a multi-reference, they named her after the color, but the fruit name in English sounded better than Pink.

[@Nintendrone42]

13:55 Looking at the court document, I see that Donkey Kong was almost named "Funky Kong", and now I'm imagining a timeline where the radical ape was the star of the the whole series instead of just a supporting character and the god of Mario Kart Wii.

[@adamk8639]

I love some of the variations... Custom Kong? Rookie Kong? And let's all be glad they didn't go with KONG DONG.

[@darreljones8645]

The court case also named another classic Nintendo character. The lawyer for the video-game company was named (I believe) John Kirby.

[@0._.0]

@@adamk8639 KONGUS DONGUS

[@JamesDavy2009]

@@darreljones8645 I thought it was Jack Kirby. I may be wrong.

[@gameyfirebro9645]

We wouldn't've gotten the DK Rap, then.

[@OneAndOnlyDanky]

I can’t believe Expand Dong dates back to before the first game ever released. Incredible

[@anthonygerardotorresgonzal6269]

Expand Dong: Origins!!

[@SamSquids]

This shouldn't Expand Dong... But it does!

[@sonicbro6446]

13:55 Kong dong XD

[@erzajumeidi]

@@sonicbro6446 One just cannot resist at nintendo

[@xshadowx32hd66]

my friend called the character "kinky dong" by accident and now it has become an inside joke since then

[@ThatFanBoyGuy]

My head canon believes that the Princess's full name is "Peach Toadstool." At first, the Princess was formal with Mario, using her formal title "Princess Toadstool," but after a few rescues from Mario, the Princess is not as formal, using her first name with Mario.

[@chadd990]

the only problem with that is I can't think of any royalty that identifies by their last name. King George Queen Elizabeth Princess Diana I don't even know the last names of these people, that's how uncommon it is.

[@Scarybug]

My hadcannon says Mario and Luigi's last name isn't Mario, it's Jumpman.

[@bubufubu]

When you really think about it, that would be ridiculously stupid. She's not a Kinopio nor did she marry one. She presides over that kingdom but her name is Princess Peach.

[@NoeLPZC]

That's how I saw it too.

[@Hamstray]

Princess Peach from the house of Toadstool

[@chiefchimp2789]

I really love the early 80's history of Nintendo. What an interesting time for that company. Greatness was right around the corner.

[@latexu9589]

20:26 When you think about it, Bowser is a pretty common name for a dog, because it's likely derived from an onomatopoeia for a dog bark, "bow-wow".

[@raafmaat]

pretty common? ive never come across a dog called bowser, and ive never heard the word bow-wow besides from that lill kid rapper back in the day lol Oh and that word onomatopoeia, also never seen that!

[@latexu9589]

@@raafmaat Or, it could also come from "bouncer", who are usually big and bulky, just like Bowser.🤔

[@Retrotude]

I wouldn't be surprised if NOA really did name Bowser after the Sha-Na-Na member, considering they followed up with naming the Koopalings after famous musicians.

[@ElToland]

Except Larry Koopa xD

[@Tinkererer]

@@ElToland That's Larry Mullen Jr., from U2.

[@PostAttraction]

Bowser was named after an American boy that said one day he was going to run Nintendo (America) one day

[@Dimumouto]

@@Tinkererer That was proven wrong. I've heard it on this channel and some others, but an interview with the guy who named them said 'he just looked like a Larry'. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6m3Z3ytitl_ibc It may not be a direct quote in this video, but its very similar.

[@ordinary_deepfake]

@@PostAttraction believe it

[@MelodyTCG]

Donkey Kong is actually named after Dr Donald kongnelius He was a surgeon who gave miyamoto his cybernetic enhancements, cementing him as a cyborg. As a sign of gratitude, miyamoto named donkey Kong after his nickname for the beloved doctor

[@That_Lady_Charlie]

thank you for your service, Doctor Kongnelius 🙏🏽

[@GGoAwayy]

Donkey Dong?

[@benadamourful]

Naturally

[@GamingHistorian]

Incredible, thank you for this NEW information!

[@Cyril29a]

@@GGoAwayy Konkey Dong kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWGklY2Vg66jlbc

[@dwood78part23]

This is worthy of a series of it's own.

[@GamingHistorian]

Maybe Sonic characters next?

[@John-te7ex]

@@GamingHistorian Metroid characters maybe?

[@QuintessentialWalrus]

@@GamingHistorian I was thinking Zelda characters since lots of them have, as best as I can describe it, normal real person names and not made-up fantasy names.

[@Outta-hz1ej]

@@GamingHistorian I hope so. I've always wonder the WHY of sonic characters names. Who decided Miles Prower? Why was Eggman renamed Robotnik? And so on and so forth.

[@roweboat]

@@GamingHistorian yes, please! Also covering the backgrounds behind the localization is awesome as well!!

[@JJMcCullough]

I often used to wonder if the whole "the dictionary said 'donkey' was a synonym for 'stubborn'" was just a cleaned-up version of the dictionary saying "ass" was a synonym for 'stubborn' and then "donkey" being a synonym for "ass."

[@spartythespart]

Okay but, hear me out, if thats what it means, and if "Kong" just means monkey... Then technically Donkey Kong's name just means Butt Monkey

[@jabrown]

lmao it's J.J. McCullough, ayyy sup

[@DrawsomeDrawer]

Yoooo, didn't think JJ would be here

[@hkl614]

"Ass Kong Country" or maybe "Ass and Diddy Kong 's Adventures" both may very well have been huh?

[@rockhistoria2537]

@@spartythespart "Butthurt Monkey" I mean it just fits his character

[@Joemetheus]

I worked in the building where John Kirby lived, a lawyer who worked the defense for Nintendo in the Universal lawsuit. He was also the person who Kirby was named after, according to Shigeru Miyamoto. I only knew him as Mr. Kirby until his death in 2019, when suddenly it clicked as people started talking about his significance the day Memorial services were being held at his apartment.

[@ThatOneVideoGamer]

Oh wow. Mario.

[@rudeboyspodcast]

Jirard, I need your opinion on Chris Pratt as Mario.

[@kamengamer5372]

LETS-A GO

[@GamingHistorian]

If only we knew more about Mario. He's still relatively unknown.

[@aborted4196]

So long gay Bowser

[@ordinary_deepfake]

What about baby Bowser and kid bowser

[@dwaynezilla]

Miyamoto is just a treasure, hahaha. And seeing him drawing Mario characters looks so right.

[@JamesDavy2009]

It's like watching Michelangelo carve his Statue of David.

[@chadd990]

If I ever invent a time machine, I'll remember to steal his work.

[@TheDumontShow]

possibly the GOAT of all game designers. three of his games inspired an entire generation of gaming period.

[@erikhendrickson59]

@@TheDumontShow Alongside Koji Kondo's musical compositions they literally changed the media landscape of the entire world! Both Nintendo characters and their respective musical themes are instantly recognizable to literally BILLIONS of people around the world.

[@TheDumontShow]

@@erikhendrickson59 look, when you have a theme park built around your franchises, that's something no game company can ever match. But my thing is that Nintendo lost their way. It's the people that bought into them that made them. Miyamoto still has that spirit of caring about the fans and those who love games. That's why he is always gonna be so revered.

[@brownyuio]

I love how Doug Bowser was all “Hey! My last name’s Bowser! Neat, huh? :D” during that presentation and was never seen again.

[@johnpenguinthe3rd13]

The reason he was never seen again is because he's probably been planning on kidnapping a princess right now and bringing her to a castle. LOL.

[@DELTARYZ]

@@johnpenguinthe3rd13 The next Mario game is just going to have the actual Doug Bowser, live action footage, in place of Bowser. Nothing else is different. This will not be explained or justified in any way, and this will be the only appearance of Doug Bowser until the next Mario game.

[@vu1pix]

so long gay bowser

[@banobobot]

The Princess Peach/Toadstool situation is EXACTLY like the Doctor Eggman/Robotnik confusion. Its only until their transition to 3d where their Japanese names became mainstream.

[@bubufubu]

*Original names

[@banobobot]

@@bubufubu same thing in this instance lol

[@straawberryfieldsforever]

at least with Peach you can say her name is Peach Toadstool. But Eggman doesnt even go by his real name, because its Robotnik, not eggman. Eggman is actually the name Sonic and his friends decided to call him I believe

[@SmolAliens]

Real ironic that Universal went from suing Nintendo over trademarks to partnering on Mario-themed lands in their theme parks.

[@GodfatherXXI]

Yeah, money will do that.

[@Leahi84]

A Zelda version of this would be cool. I always thought Toadstool was Peach's last name.

[@spavatch]

Yeah, I always wondered why they gave the main male protagonist a female name ;)P

[@chrisjamesr77]

I heard Zelda was named after Zelda Fitzgerald.

[@Oldjp312]

Peach toadstool I mean I don't see it

[@Richard_Nickerson]

I always thought it was her title. That it was more like Princess Peach of Toadstool.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@Hamikon They know, they're trolling

[@speelbergo]

"I spent two weeks reading depositions at the national archives" Bless your heart...

[@johnjekyllson28]

Thanks to him, we finally know the full story behind the weirdest name in video games, after nearly 40 years!

[@joecoolmccall]

That's actually awesome

[@Deoxys911]

Did the court never ask him why he chose "Kong" specifically to mean/evoke a gorilla over the other possible options? I kept waiting for that detail to be mentioned in the video, but it wasn't.

[@Dr.Quarex]

My doctoral research was never this practical

[@KoalaTulip47]

Universal Studios then: Sues Nintendo for the name Donkey Kong because of King Kong Universal Studios now: now has a Donkey Kong ride in one of their theme parks in the same place as the King Kong ride. The serendipity of that is just hilarious.

[@viktornystrom5801]

In what I've always though is probably a coincidence, the word for an adopted child in Japanese is also "Youshi" (養子), and since you basically find Yoshi as a parent-less egg and "adopt" him in Super Mario World, I thought it might not be impossible to think of that as a possible origin for the name as well. Just a little interesting piece of info for you, there :)

[@latexu9589]

And in Yoshi's Island games, the exact opposite happens, when Yoshis take care of infant Mario.😉

[@ericriley1985]

The pronunciations are completely different. If you were to write out "Youshi" (養子) in katakana it would be ヨウシ with the "Yo" sound being stretched out and the accent on the "Shi" sound. Yoshi's Japanese name is ヨッシー with the accent on the "Yo" sound and the "Shi" sound being stretched out.

[@viktornystrom5801]

@@ericriley1985 True, but that doesn't mean it can still be a somewhat intentional pun, changing pronunciation and letters of the word to hint at a different word is after all the whole point with puns :)

[@katerobinson9632]

Evertime I tell the family a new episode of Gaming Historian is on KZbin, they come running full of excitement. Your episodes are informative and are always fun to rewatch. Thank you!

[@SynGirl32]

Two videos in a month, now THAT's a treat.

[@GamingHistorian]

I know, crazy! I shocked myself.

[@videogamebookreviews]

Let's not get used to it. :-)

[@charliepalmer3244]

I grew up VERY close to the Nintendo US headquarters in Redmond WA. It was there before Microsoft BTW, who has built it's headquarters around Nintendo's essentially. There has never been a pizza place in Redmond by that name, or Kirkland or Bellevue. Case closed, good work, and keep up the good work bud.

[@charliepalmer3244]

(I still live in Redmond btw, lol)

[@eccojedi]

@@charliepalmer3244 what’s the story with Digipen? Is it still there?

[@charliepalmer3244]

As far as I know. I get gas at a Chevron right next to Nintendo/Digipen off the freeway exit and I have seen cars there. I haven't known anyone that's been a student there for over ten years, but all looks normal there as far as I can tell. Matter of fact I'll probably get gas there tomorrow.....lol

[@motzorevived]

@@eccojedi Am a Washington resident, Digipen changed buildings a while ago. It's no longer by that Chevron gas station

[@nickwallette6201]

I know someone going to Digipen. :-) Can confirm, still a thing.

[@SonofMrPeanut]

0:16 "...I thought the Mario Kart 64 roster was perfect." We were this close to the Roots of Kamek, folks.

[@MacenW]

Hehehehehe

[@TheAbsoluteJay]

I was really surprised be Wario's origin, because it always seemed to me that it was much simpler than that, just flipping the W. As usual, awesome piece.

[@smbcollector]

Resident Super Mario collector, here! Allow me to identify the figures being shown here for those interested: The Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi figures are from 1994 and were originally sold packed in small boxes along with Mars candy. The Peach in a Wild Wing kart is a “Pull & Speed” Mario Kart Wii pull-back kart made by Carrera circa 2010 (they also made a nearly identical slot car, so it could potentially be that as well). The Bowser is a “Super Mario Brothers Trophy Figure with Scorecard” called “Bowser Guards Princess Toadstool” made by Hasbro in 1988. The Wario action figure was made by Jakks Pacific in 2014 as a part of wave 1-1 of their “World of Nintendo” line of 4-inch figures. The 8-bit Donkey Kong figure was made by Jakks Pacific in 2015 as a part of wave 1-5 of their “World of Nintendo” line of 2.5-inch figures, and also in 2019 in a Walgreens exclusive “Mario and Donkey Kong” 2-pack. I’m a longtime viewer, Norm! Thanks for the insightful video!

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

Only in Japan, probably.

[@smbcollector]

@@sheilaolfieway1885 Nope, none of these products are Japanese.

[@inknation2912]

“Jokingly called it…Donkey Dong” It’s like a precursor to EXPAND in a way

[@xshadowx32hd66]

expand dong: origin story

[@nicholaslienandjaja1815]

Donkey Dong Country

[@Rotog]

Sometimes I just remember how silly “Donkey Kong” is. It’s like the greatest name ever.

[@bmac4]

Just makes me think of that old Futurama quote. "I know that Monkey! His name is Donkey!" "Monkeys aren't donkeys, quit messing with my head!"

[@nickfarace9339]

Hey man, according to that document he could have been Kong Dong. Expand Dong is real.

[@kenrickeason]

Songs were made off that name 😂 DONKEY KONG synonymous with everything now.. 😂😂

[@nicholaslienandjaja1815]

Fun fact: One of Diddy Kong’s beta names was “DK Lite”, and King K. Rool’s beta name was “Krudd”.

[@gezeo750]

Man I love your Mario content! The nostalgia just washes over me and it just feels like home. Thanks for this.

[@KronosTheDeejay]

Quite possibly the most informative and thorough gaming show ever. No exaggeration. Your show is soothing and never boring, and always keeps me hanging on for the next piece of information. Thank you, Gaming Historian, for all you do and all that you are.

[@imjoesmama]

Players heard the iconic line... "So long gay bowser"

[@cswrye]

I have heard that Peach's current official name according to Nintendo is Princess Peach Toadstool--"Princess" being her title, "Peach" being her first name, and "Toadstool" being her last name. Likewise, Bower's current official name is King Bowser Koopa--"King" is his title, "Bowser" his first name, and "Koopa" his last name. I wonder if this is true or if it's just a fan theory that got spread around to reconcile their current names with their historical names.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

It was written as "Bowser, King of the Koopas" in the 7th and final letter in Super Mario Bros. 3.

[@revengeofbcraig5755]

Those are full names the fans give for Bowser and Peach. Peach’s official name is Princess Peach, they just took her Japanese name and swapped it out for her Americanized name, Princess Toadstool and refer to that ever since. They never combined Bowser or Koopa either and still use his name or allowed some adaptations to use his Japanese name, like the DiC cartoon and the live action movie.

[@Diwasho]

@@Justin-Hill-1987 If Bowser is the king of Koopas then why does much of his army consist of Goombas, a mushroom species that should be governed by Peach/Toadstool?

[@Belphegirl]

@@Diwasho Apparently they’re traitors

[@Diwasho]

@@Belphegirl I think I heard something like this, but how is it that the entire species is traitorous to its native kingdom? Are they former Toads who transformed into Goombas when they decided to be evil? I know Paper Mario has friendly Goombas but it has its own canon, as far as I know no friendly Goombas exist in the main series.

[@jjinc1957]

Every time Norman puts up a new video, it’s an event for my child and I; popcorn and all. Thank you for the moments and memories, as well as the incredible videos you create every single time!

[@wickedlee664]

Same! My son and I love these.

[@joelman1989]

Why did my eyes get watery reading this? Maybe because I’m a new dad and would love to have this kind of relationship with my kid eventually.

[@Dogeathotdog1]

@@joelman1989 its awesome being able to share parts of your childhood with your own kids.

[@ycg7575]

It’s funny growing up I heard Donkey Kong’s name came from a mistranslation error from Japan to America where in Japan he was called Monkey Kong and the localization team messed up and called him Donkey Kong instead. Japan love the name and decided to keep it. This is the version I remember hearing when I was little. It’s cool to hear where it really came from

[@AndrewANIMETOYS]

That's what I remember, I thought it was mistranslation

[@robbiewalker2831]

@@AndrewANIMETOYS I recall this misconception was in “I Love the 80s Strike Back”.

[@teemum]

I also heard this story and up until now believed that was legitimate.

[@nicholaslienandjaja1815]

Monkey Kong Country

[@nousernamehere1]

21:03 "Soo long gay Bowser"(Bowser explodes on impact and dies)

[@nicholaslienandjaja1815]

Now: “Bye, bi!”

[@enriquemedina3631]

Your Patreon outro is nostalgic to me because it reminds me of the PBS kids “viewers like you, thank you”.

[@MerkhVision]

That pbs ending was a fundamental part of my childhood! Lol

[@gamephreak5]

I freaking hate PBS. Never donated to that crap hole network!

[@hrtlsbstrd]

@@gamephreak5 You showed them!

[@weirdotzero7065]

"the iconic line... 'So long Gay Bowser'" A man of culture.

[@Wonkyman]

I always just heard it as “So long-a Bowser.” In the same vein as “It’s-a me”

[@thisisfyne]

@@Wonkyman Clearly, you've misheard

[@Omar_E11]

@@Wonkyman It's supposed to be "so long K Bowser"

[@skyking2325]

@@Omar_E11 no it actually so long a boswer

[@skyking2325]

@@Omar_E11 ok so we are both wrong Charles martinez said it's so long kinga boswer info kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJebZZeondtlptE

[@davidbartel6823]

I always thought Bowser was named after the flamethrower attachment for tanks in WWII, seeing how he does breathe fire

[@jabrown]

Good observation! Now I'm thinking this must be it!

[@sgt.jimmyrustles8234]

It's ironic. Princess toadstool eventually went away as they went with the Japanese name, but Nintendo has doubled down on Bowser. It's more common to see Bowser than Koopa, and there are more references to Bowser in Japanese, than there are to Koopa (not the species) in Western releases. Technically DIC cartoons and such got it right! Also the Mario Pinball machine from gottleib has both the DIC king koopa and our well known Bowser both on the same cabinet.

[@robbiewalker2831]

In the Super Mario 3 cartoons, he was sometimes called “Bowser Koopa”, because of how the Koopalings were his children at the time. He was also referred to as Bowser Koopa in the Nintendo Comic System lineup of Mario comics.

[@latexu9589]

18:54 Strangely, the name mixing with Waluigi works even better than with Wario, because it seamlessly combines "warui" with "Ruigi", Luigi's Japanese name. (because in Japan, letter "L" is pronounced "R", for some reason)

[@dachickensandwich]

It's because there is no L sound in Japanese; the closest thing is their "R" sound

[@ClaireZhasa]

True story, when I was like 8, I lived next door to a short Italian man with a thick mustache named Mario, he was a plumber and even had a brother named Luigi who was a bit taller than him. Luigi was a carpenter.

[@nostreamgia]

What?

[@ClaireZhasa]

@@nostreamgia biggest difference was that Luigi was the older brother

[@locogato3488]

O-O

[@nostreamgia]

@@locogato3488 😂

[@noirlavender6409]

"it was outside of seatle washington, not new york" bold of you to think that Shigeru cared at all for US geography

[@acarbonbasedlifeform70]

Thank you for this episode of the Naming Historian!

[@humb1s3rvant]

I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to watch a 20min video, be thoroughly entertained, and not see one interruption trying to sell me something. Thank you, kind sir

[@KingPBJames]

30 years after Nintendo feared their game being mocked "Donkey Dong," the internet went full circle to EXPAND DONG, the ultimate humiliation in Smash Bros.

[@JawnGG]

I love these deep dives into the history of games. It is always a great day when there is a new Gaming Historian video!

[@Mike_oliver1313]

It’s always a great day when we get a new video from gaming historian!!

[@evanhanley6437]

This is absolutely incredible. Love all the little touches with the music and the dialogue.

[@lrgogo1517]

About the explanation for Peach’s name: A common word for _pink_ in Japan is _momoiro,_ which literally means ‘peach-colored.’

[@am05mhz]

So momotaro can mean pink boy or peach boy 🤔

[@AJWRAJWR]

It's interesting that the Japanese associate peach-coloured with pink though.

[@GRAF_22]

Love every episode of gaming historian, but this is probably one of my most beloved episodes ever

[@AllTimeScary]

A new video, let’s a gooooo!

[@AxxLAfriku]

I don't have any friends because they are ashamed of the videos I upload. Are they really that bad, dear all

[@dogfromthepurplezoneoffici5182]

@@AxxLAfriku im ashamed aswell and I would never be your friend

[@DiestroCorleone]

Norman, the work you do for gaming history in invaluable. Thanks for such amazing content.

[@darrelwilson]

Great content. Keep it up!

[@AspectCave]

a

[@LivingwithPerks]

21:06 SoLongGayBowser!

[@alfonsothesupremecreatordo425]

It said: So long, King Bowser!

[@LivingwithPerks]

@@alfonsothesupremecreatordo425 Now it does cuz Nintendo edited it

[@moltenfreddythepiratechann7148]

13:54 big kong is an actual arcade game bootleg of crazy kong which is an officially licensed version of donkey kong that was only released in japan in 1981.

[@TheHiddenChest]

This would make for an amazing series, I'd love to see a part 2, or one about Zelda!

[@joshjohnson3442]

Lol when Mario is regular sized, I still call him Little Mario

[@Jared_Wignall]

Great video Norman, I really enjoy the content you’ve put out over the years. Keep up the great work!

[@RubyBlueUwU]

It’s kinda nice that Mario feels like it could be derived from “mr video” to be honest, it may be unintentional but it feels like a spiritual nod to his first ever name.

[@CCCeramics]

When I saw the title subject for this video, I wasn't excited to watch it since it's trivia I am already familiar with and sounded more like something a listicle writer would cover. I should have known better since it's Gaming Historian. I love that you were able to untangle some of the fanciful stories from the facts, and even more that you have things like actual documents from the Universal court case backing up some of your conclusions. Add in the unique illustrations and the images from magazines, interviews, and journal/sketchbooks... very entertaining and satisfying. Keep up the good work!

[@aarons_guitars]

You gave a good explanation of peach and bowser, bc I remember seeing their names change as time went on and never knew why.

[@PrimmsHoodCinema]

Lil Mario

[@Little-Weed]

Yeah

[@deanfranz]

Super Mario 64's recton of "Peach" as a nickname was perfect. Well done, Nintendo.

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

Comparable to how the English version of Sonic Adventure does it with Eggman's name, in addition to solidifying it in Generations with a good joke about it.

[@roweboat]

I always assumed when younger that Peach was her nickname and "Princess Toadstool" was her official title. I always thought super mario rpg would have benefited using Peach, cuz its ya know... text boxes and all.

[@RobotacularRoBob]

@@TackyRackyComixNEO As a longtime Nintendo fan myself who is Rusty on my Sega/ Sonic Canon, you'll have to elaborate on this knowledge for us Nintendonuts.

[@i0rpheus15]

@@RobotacularRoBob Dr. Eggman = Original Japanese name. Dr. Ivo Robotnik = Western translation, same deal with King Koopa/Bowser and Peach/Princess Toadstool. Like Nintendo, Sega made both names canon with Dr. Ivo Robotnik his actual name and Eggman a mocking nickname given by Sonic

[@bubufubu]

*Nintendo of America Her original name, given to her by Miyamoto, is still Princess Peach and it's not a nickname.

[@SirSoliloquy]

Watching your videos is always an interesting experience… the tone is more reminiscent of older-style, pre-internet documentaries, and for some reason that always makes me expect that I’m not going to hear anything new about the subject that I hadn’t heard a thousand times before. Then you go on and hit me with three things I’ve never heard before every single minute and I’m left flummoxed.

[@NoobOS_YT]

19:13 WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU BOWSER

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

@6:38 "So the whole name Luigi thing is just a coincidence" It would appear that everything in Nintendo was a coincidence.

[@rightnote1]

I'm so flappin' happy that you're still making videos! All of them, SO good! I've played these for my students as an example of doing thorough research and presenting a very enjoyable product! Keep it up man!!!

[@8thLife]

Such a great breakdown, thank you for taking the time to put all of this together!

[@stingraystingray4766]

I can not express how much I appreciate your use of sources and making sure that you cite where you get your information from, even verbally. With your permission I’d like to use this video as an example to students how citing sources is part of the real world. I’m a high school English Language Arts teacher by the way if you haven’t figure that out already. Great video!!!

[@balrogdahomie]

17:22 I’m glad that people have been making Konkey Dong jokes since the beginning, lmao

[@ADDatWorkProductions]

Really fun idea for a video here, it's always impressive to see the extra effort you put into your work Norm!

[@jb_0029]

He's the best video game historian

[@JessmanChicken86]

Love the historical credibility with this channel. So professional and honors the search for the truth.

[@joshzumstien6289]

I thought I knew most of these stories going in but you provided a ton of facts that I had never heard before. Great research and presentation as always Norm, keep it up 👏!

[@hotrob4000]

This is you are number 1, gaming historian! Well done! All the best!

[@ironiceire]

Fun fact: a “bowser” is the name used for a mini tanker that people attach to the trailer hitch of cars, they were mostly used to smuggle green (agricultural) diesel across the Northern Irish (UK) border during a civil war in the 1970s-1990s known as the troubles

[@YoshiONE2ONE]

Honestly, Bowser being named after a little soup dish is extremely fitting with his character when you think about it lol

[@bubufubu]

The word/name "Bowser" has absolutely nothing to do with Korean bbq or hot rice soup, thus it has no connection to the original name of the character (Kuppa/Koopa). What you're referring to is merely a localization, likely offered up by someone at Nintendo of America.

[@criznittle968]

The overwhelming quality of content in GH videos brings me back every time - the moment i see a new upload. This was easily one of the best too, just imagine the work that goes into researching and compiling everything, it's outstanding TV worthy stuff

[@CrashFan03]

8:34 I always thought of toadstool being her last name and peach being her first name

[@ThechicagoRedshow]

Dude, real talk your videos are so awesome. I love coming across your stuff and just learning more about my childhood gaming favorites. awesome work

[@CorndogNinja]

Very impressive presentation! I enjoyed how thorough the explanations were, especially Donkey Kong. It was fun to see the different alternate names that were considered or used.

[@anthonysabino]

When the world needed him the most…he returned🙌

[@R0BB23]

As a side note: Its not only that Luigi sounds like ruiji, but Japanese replaces L sounds (which don't exist in Japanese) with R's. So a more direct translation is ruiiji (ルイージ). Which still isn't exactly the same as ruiji and double vowels do change the pronunciation a bit. But just wanted to point that out.

[@dallinvader2382]

20:58 but everything changed when the fire nation attacked

[@Goatman_Gamer]

Toad being named Toad is like if there was a guy named Human.

[@DungarooTV]

Well research and excellently presented as usual. I wish you would release videos more often but can appreciate these episodes takes a lot of time to make.

[@Andrew-hn3jp]

Always amazing to see you upload a new video! Scotland is watching. Always mate!

[@RetroHousecr]

Epic as always Norman, keep it going :)

[@topwargear]

Mario Segale: Give me rent! Bully Nintendo: You'll get your rent when you fix this damn game!

[@KevinFrost]

"So long, gay Bowser!" Tell me I'm not the only one that hears that.

[@d.9258]

Your videos are always fantastic. Great information and professionally put together. Great job!

[@FDestroy3r]

Damn we can read anything on the internet. I once read that Donkey Kong was a typo of "Monkey Kong" and that they kept the name. Incredible ressearch that you've done here, very very well done sir!

[@engineerminded3388]

I remember seeing that on Snopes. They said it was false.

[@lk-pheo962]

I remember a art book. It was called "Learn to Draw Nintendo Villains" or something. I last saw it back in elementary school but ill never forget that Bowser was called "Kerog" in that book.

[@domino1518]

Funnily enough, "Kerog" is actually the name of the frog enemies in Bubble Man's stage, in Mega Man 2.

[@1993Southparkfan]

Whoever made that art book must not have played a Mario game before.

[@bubufubu]

@@domino1518 *Bubbleman's stage, in *Rockman 2: Dr. Wily no Nazo

[@latexu9589]

21:04 "So long, gay Bowser!" can never be unheard. Fight me if you dare!🤣

[@Lexilove2016]

"Hey man you wanna play Super Middle Aged Guy Brothers later?"

[@BlueKnight85]

This video was really interesting, as I had known some of the info already beforehand but still learned lots of new stuff!