https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog daily 1.0 2026-04-01 https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/super-mario-bros-and-the-legend-of-drain-man monthly 0.5 2026-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/13bb69ae-b2d1-455a-a94c-9719242e7520/wart-birdo-mouser-mario-galaxy.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. and the Legend of ‘Drain Man’ - Make it stand out Not pictured: Clawgrip, because he didn’t fit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d6b84877-770d-430a-9f27-210f786288b9/the+wizard+1989.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. and the Legend of ‘Drain Man’ - Make it stand out What a fun poster! What a fun, misleading poster! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/493a2e87-ab3d-4755-b1da-3c0ad626e8bd/Screenshot+2026-03-31+at+4.35.10%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. and the Legend of ‘Drain Man’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6c910b5f-a605-425c-a6b1-d08f2fde1fb7/drew-mackie-retronauts Blog - Super Mario Bros. and the Legend of ‘Drain Man’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b1a51e10-73e9-470f-b6c0-8b63ef3a266e/clawgrip-mario-galaxy-movie.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. and the Legend of ‘Drain Man’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/power-up-etymology-history monthly 0.5 2026-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/383eaddc-7dc4-4182-b762-8fed066a346b/%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AA%E3%81%AE%E3%83%8F%E3%82%9A%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%82%A2%E3%83%83%E3%83%95%E3%82%9A.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Power-Up’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4f61450d-a54d-4ba1-9dc2-702dbdbf68ec/super-mario-powerups.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Power-Up’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d1c10160-3280-4d23-b21f-f54df27fc1e9/pacman-first-powerup.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Power-Up’? - Make it stand out Via the Arcade Flyer Archive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7965ee70-76f3-465c-85ea-7f89b81c2a64/arkanoid.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Power-Up’? - Make it stand out Via the Arcade Flyer Archive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/af50893e-d35d-469c-87b3-9189349d8ec7/karnov-powerup.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Power-Up’? - Make it stand out Via Archive.org. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/who-put-the-p-in-the-fire-flower monthly 0.5 2026-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/443eee68-956d-4bf1-8230-b02fbada87e5/prelim-fire-flower.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/be559d63-f8e2-4404-a87b-906dca05b802/p-flower-fire-flower-prerelease.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b1d54fa3-88ea-48f3-979e-47b3919c2cb5/super-mario-bros-prelease-graphics.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out All three images via TCRF.net. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a6e7cbd6-4dee-4573-8e91-7d6e609e110f/smb-mario-steal-lakitu-cloud.webp Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out Via Nintendo’s video celebrating thirty years of Super Mario Bros. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1ca91364-9f22-4e5d-a648-e9bb5d6e390d/smb3-magic-wing.webp Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a77bf010-5255-473f-8a34-a5e3665e6e4b/japanese-mario-3-p-wing-patapata.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out The Japanese description for the P-Wing reads as follows: “Patapata (Paratroopa) Wing: Your power meter fills up completely until you hit an enemy, allowing you to fly through the air at full capacity.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/32afb5e6-a1f6-4fc8-90ec-b0b297e8865d/power-meter-mario3.webp Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out The bottom most text calls it パワーメーター or Pawā Mētā. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1e36b8bd-64a0-4607-988c-5ad36cf879d1/pow-blocks-mario.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/39ee696a-b615-48de-a3c2-962d30474d09/pow-blocks-power-blocks-mario.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the Fire Flower? 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- Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fc70112d-bb92-4fc2-9615-26a8e6eda571/monkey-kong-urban-legend.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e5f5ee1e-9729-4690-8f27-7ef3527aade8/game-over-donkey-kong-name-origin.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3a33dec9-1024-43d5-bf4b-f1efbf6787b5/mario-mania-donkey-kong-stupid-monkey.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out Weirdly, those are the models for Mario and Donkey Kong from the 1983 Ruby-Spears cartoon Saturday Supercade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/db6ee675-d9ce-483d-bced-9b4fd4005907/donkey-kong-alternate-names.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out Via Norm Caruso on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b9af9b6b-47a8-47c8-ad51-6a9c448e3d9c/donkey-kong-etymology2.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/193713ae-426a-4856-a7f4-76ea86cc3911/kong-japanese-gorilla.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out No, it isn’t. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f2816e5a-5a74-43e2-9db8-81272ebc1358/congorilla-poster-donkey-kong.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8da9a04d-e219-4c99-85a7-a358d1f9529f/donkey-kong-etymology3.png Blog - Who Put the ‘Kong’ in ‘Donkey Kong’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/ff7-vincent-lucretia-sf3-remy-ending monthly 0.5 2026-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4f339106-208d-4e9b-9704-ce9acd8729d3/lucretia-cave-ff7.png Blog - A Crystalline Connection Between Final Fantasy VII and Street Fighter III - Make it stand out Lucretia’s cave as it appeared in the original Final Fantasy VII, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b1d6da08-3c91-4dfb-b760-38c64e0e0b4b/lucretia-cave-dirge.png Blog - A Crystalline Connection Between Final Fantasy VII and Street Fighter III - Make it stand out And the slightly flashier version from Dirge of Cerberus, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fd923444-b63a-4f56-959d-42ad3964f0b1/remy-ending-sfiii.png Blog - A Crystalline Connection Between Final Fantasy VII and Street Fighter III - Make it stand out Via vgmuseum.com. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d3e81aec-dde4-42d9-b731-91a9b7c6b7ed/remy-ending-sf3-saint-seiya.png Blog - A Crystalline Connection Between Final Fantasy VII and Street Fighter III - Make it stand out Via vgmuseum.com. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/first-nintendo-crossover monthly 0.5 2026-03-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b6595cf2-1b6b-43c6-a4bd-c13d74b9e6f7/tetris-nintendo-crossover.gif Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bc56603b-dbab-4a99-8bcf-b8b9a70117b1/manhandla-testitart-legend-of-zelda.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Translation: “A large Pakkun Flower with limbs in all four directions. It moves faster as the number of limbs decreases. Has a somewhat strong attack power.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/05bc4d01-d3a1-4b32-9f2d-deb37c4899c2/Screen+Shot+2022-01-24+at+11.30.36+PM.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Translation: “A big Unira. Due to its enormous size, its body shrivels when hit by a shockwave. However, it has a strong attack power.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4fb414c3-79bd-408d-a36f-832640ad292b/zelda-rupee-clu-clu-land-ingot.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Left: the ones from Clu Clu Land. Right: the ones from Legend of Zelda. Vive la différence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8261b708-0e76-4410-a52a-7b7892af376d/arm-wrestling-mask-x-baldbull.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1afceeba-4e0c-4848-ae49-7eed24742e1c/arm-wrestling-alice-and-ape.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4b075ae2-d0ed-47ab-9a89-35b1d009cdc8/arm-wrestling-texas-mac.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8ac91bbe-032d-4975-ba02-5c46db2b70e7/nitpicker-donkey-kong-jr-ice-climber.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5e3059ba-2e07-4fd0-b794-8f8ba6d6bb2e/bubbles-nintendo-pinball.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/198fc3b2-cb6f-4c37-87e7-0bce99a5a52f/green-bubbles-clu-clu-land-red-tamagon-devil-world.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fbe48705-27b0-4203-bf88-0d99f4bffcbb/family-basic-characters.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: Mario, Pauline, Fighter Fly from Mario Bros., one of the penguins from Pinball (and he’s apparently named Penpen, but I’m not clear if that’s something specific to this game or if he’s named that in Pinball as well), the roving fireball from Donkey Kong, a Shellcreeper from Mario Bros., a Side Stepper from Mario Bros., the Nitpicker bird enemy from DK Jr., and then a different bird, Achilles, whom I mentioned in the Clu Clu Land entry, although I have to say I have no idea why his name is Achilles or if he’s supposed to be from some other game and I’m just not tracking it. Anyone? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/de63bbe9-bf24-41ba-84ab-5167cfcf898c/mario-golf-ossan.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Left: Despite the fact that the default color scheme for the golfer avatar is white and blue, Nintendo marketed the game in the west with the version wearing the alternate color scheme, possibly in an effort to make him look more like Mario. Right: Ossan, as he appears in Captain Rainbow, is clearly not meant to be Mario at all. 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- Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7ca2bfee-2939-46de-a279-7666a03729e9/1981-dk-arcade-death-sprite.gif Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bdbfa118-f5d0-42a0-a975-fdfb74474f27/sky-skipper-gorillas.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bc1e8e4d-8a63-4e83-9a4b-ab3ea1cece95/sky-skipper-nintendo.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/03b4813c-b96f-4309-b7da-a07ed04a592c/shigeru-miyamoto-donkey-kong-doodle-bear.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Via Norm Caruso on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/791008c2-29e1-45a2-be5d-d35ca68e5eb3/crazy-climber-ape.gif Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Via Retrogame Deconstruction Zone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a8d39270-73ff-4db6-a5bd-60fe01974c47/super-donkey-poochy-prototype.png Blog - What Is the First Nintendo Crossover? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/subscribe-newsletter monthly 0.5 2026-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/42503a3c-487c-41c7-a101-45f3e5da594f/princess-peach-letter-super-mario-3.gif Blog - Subscribe to Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games, Newsletter-Style! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/toad-female-mushroom-retainer-super-mario-bros-anime monthly 0.5 2026-02-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/417f640f-2262-4a0f-9798-8d139e132c6a/mario-anime-airship.gif Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/597781d0-9cab-429d-89b0-b25fa6686290/mario-anime-lakitu-cloud.gif Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fda5ba81-463c-40dd-8f3f-987f4e268aae/bowser-mario-anime-mario64.gif Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a47bd23a-c747-480a-970e-c41d82149b32/toads-mario-anime.gif Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c854630d-47c0-41a7-b877-56b0e18465ba/super-mario-bros-japanese-boxart.png Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out The major difference between these Toads and the anime ones is that the latter are wearing undershirts. These are showing off the goods, outie belly buttons and all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/05bb023e-d2af-4511-8e16-e64c742ff305/mushroom-retainers-female.png Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Yes, the Mushroom Retainer in the original Super Mario Bros. manual looks oddly squat. No, I don’t know why. You’d have to ask Nintendo, I guess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d8f7fe2e-4399-49ed-897f-db6ce3b943ae/female-toad-maid-princess.png Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fcadd44f-73b6-42d8-9d07-ea05d3b05543/pulsating-mushrooms-mario-anime.gif Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7d47f024-78c9-4f3d-9e22-a7396202ba5f/mario-anime-soundtrack.png Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Note that except for Kibidango, the characters added to the upper portion of this image all come from the original Japanese Super Mario Bros. box art and not from the movie at all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/515a006e-4b6b-4285-8277-ca5488d2da2e/peach1.gif Blog - Why Did the Super Mario Anime Make Toad Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/legend-zelda-named-after-princess monthly 0.5 2026-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/81b9fe4c-d2e0-4509-b41c-e59ce4a1355a/princess-zelda-fitzgerald.png Blog - Was the Legend of Zelda Actually Named After Its Heroine? - Make it stand out Translation for the caption under the image of Zelda: It seems the name “Zelda” came from the wife of the author of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald. Her full name is Zelda Sayre, and she was known as an unparalleled beauty in Alabama and Georgia. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I am pretty sure that Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald was better known as a hard-partying flapper who suffered from various mental illnesses, but I guess don’t tell Shigeru Miyamoto that? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3fd7c497-d439-4e74-8377-ead885293290/princess-zelda-name-origin-fitzgerald.png Blog - Was the Legend of Zelda Actually Named After Its Heroine? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1e57e6bc-bf1f-41e1-8dc6-a8e81c7bd0bb/evil-prince-zelda-ii.png Blog - Was the Legend of Zelda Actually Named After Its Heroine? - Make it stand out Top: I’m still mad this little prig wasn’t playable in a Hyrule Warriors game, whip and all. I can say it because I’m gay, but he looks really, really gay, and I dig a gay villain. Bottom: This, I think we can assume, is Impa literally explaining to Link the legend of Zelda — as in the one who was put under the sleeping spell and who cause the royal naming tradition. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4702d8e0-9aa3-4d4b-895f-56588e88aac3/triforce-fushimi-inari-shrine.png Blog - Was the Legend of Zelda Actually Named After Its Heroine? - Make it stand out Translation: Does the Triforce have any connection to Fushimi Inari? I actually went to Fushimi Inari Shrine (ten-minute walk from Nintendo) before this interview with you. I prayed for this interview to go well, for Zelda to sell a lot, and for 64 Dream to sell a whole lot — just a modest three wishes. When I stopped by a souvenir shop, I saw the familiar triangle symbol on plates and pots around the store! Does the Triforce have something to do with the shrine? Miyamoto: No, not at all. It just so happens that the family crest of Yokoi Gunpei is the same symbol. We realized after the fact. It was seriously a coincidence. When we were first working on Zelda, we needed to figure out what to do for the items and thought, “Triangle power would be good.” The design was the nicest, and so we decided on that. First caption: The small “Triforce plates” at the souvenir shop by Fushimi Inari. Originally called the uroko “scale” crest or mitsuuroko, it is said to represent the snake deity. It is also the crest that represents the Hojo clan. Second caption: Fushimi Inari is the head shrine out of the 40,000 Inari shrines across the nation. Because these shrines are associated with foxes, some Nintendo mega fans refer to them as “Star Fox Shrines.” https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/dhalsim-name-origin-osaka-curry-restaurant-dhalsima monthly 0.5 2026-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/95fb2c05-2dfe-4312-a8ad-c366de784d5d/dhalsim-alpha2.gif Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7f13c840-85ff-453c-8fb0-97e5a6c5ae70/dhall-curry-osaka-dhalsim-street-fighter.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out The name of the restaurant as it’s written in romaji on the card, Dhall, and the commonplace Indian dish, dal, are both rendered with katakana as ダール, and there are points in this post where it’s not clear if a Japanese person is talking about the restaurant specifically or the dish generically. For what it’s worth, the Hindi word दाल can actually be written any number of ways in English. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/35770fe5-86ea-43b6-bd47-d8bda3ec0b3b/dhall-curry-osaka-dhalsim-back.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out You can see this area in Google Maps here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aeede5eb-ac55-487e-84b6-e16e4b5ba04b/original-street-fighter-ii-character-designs.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out A real bunch of losers! Not a Ryu or a Ken to be found, and even the one who looks like Chun-Li is not actually her. Great Tiger, the proto-Dhalsim, is the second from the right on the bottom row, in between the knife-licking psycho and the racist caricature that eventually became Blanka. It’s complicated. Read about that one here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d0d1ad10-6ca4-4ab2-807f-450204a5d90c/great-tiger-punchout.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Great Tiger sneering in the 1984 arcade version (left) and looking much more debonair in the 2009 Wii sequel (right). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4bccff18-041d-4c7e-877c-b93ffd4136eb/dhalsim-dhalisma-darushimu-darushiima.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Translation: Nishitani: Dhalsim’s name was taken from Dhalsima, an actual fighter from the India-Pakistan area. Akemi Kurihara: That kind of thing sounds fake even though it’s true. Nishitani: Zangief is the same. He’s based off a Soviet pro wrestler. This is the pattern we used. We wanted to give E. Honda a Japanese name. First, we thought something like Suzuki or Tanaka, but we figured westerners are more familiar with Honda. Balrog seemed really strong, so we gave him that name. Vega gives off a strong feeling in Japan, but in America, it’s Virgo/the Virgin and has a feminine image. This was pointed out to us later on. Kurihara: In the overseas version, Bison’s name is different. Nishitani: Well, Bison is too similar to Tyson and we could get into trouble. Things can be pretty strict over there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/15fdc099-d34f-40d8-983d-29a57775e161/dara-singh.jpg Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aa1671f5-eace-4440-821c-8e5ac2431367/wong-who-capcom.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out A big boy! Left: Wong Who’s sprite in the original Final Fight. Right: New art done for the Shadaloo Combat Research Institute as part of Street Fighter V. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9a869681-a7e1-4478-8b5b-c7e71ebc6c90/dhalsima-dhalsim-%E3%82%BF%E3%82%99%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B7%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1a69858b-df15-4479-90a3-37e100523d6a/Screenshot+2026-02-12+at+2.08.26%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out The Twitter user ShumaGolath asks Yasuda if he remembers the dal place near Capcom’s offices and specifically notes that it’s the alleged source of Dhalsim’s name. Yasuda responds, “Oh, you mean Dhall! I want to go to Dhall! I’m going to Osaka to eat dal.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/134ef1c0-f788-4457-8dbf-ffd7c8b4e9f7/dhalsim-buff-street-fighter-v.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/93b6d5b7-c12a-4a6b-881e-1420273c2694/samejima-san-street-fighter.jpeg Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fdb19385-56f5-439a-a930-1113a57a2996/darun-mister-dara-singh.png Blog - Did Dhalsim Get His Name from a Curry Restaurant in Osaka? - Make it stand out Left: Darun’s art from the first Street Fighter EX game. Right: His art from the Shadaloo Combat Research Institute files. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/beoulve-etymology-beowulf-final-fantasy-tactics monthly 0.5 2026-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f6741b82-eaf1-40b7-b2e1-bc753b26752f/ramza-beoulve-beowulf-final-fantasy-tactics.png Blog - Does Final Fantasy Tactics Have Two Characters Named After Beowulf? - Make it stand out Ramza Beoulve, the newborn baby duckling who ended up leading an uprising. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1167b085-e5d1-4fe4-a18e-efe1f470ea6b/beowulf-cadmus-final-fantasy-tactics.png Blog - Does Final Fantasy Tactics Have Two Characters Named After Beowulf? - Make it stand out Beowulf Cadmus, who looks like the leading man even though he’s not. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/agartha-final-fantasy-iv-agart monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4ee6ca9c-9d29-4997-9451-8398dfa3ac7c/agart-final-fantasy.png Blog - How a 1991 JRPG Foreshadowed 2026’s New Weird Tiktok Trend - Make it stand out From Walter Siegmeister's 1960 book Agharta, via Wikipedia. And yes, allegedly there’s an entrance in Kentucky, because Mammoth Cave is weird and creepy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1769829152175-OY99KEB0CX83N07YB9RK/final-fantasy-IV-agart-agartha.png Blog - How a 1991 JRPG Foreshadowed 2026’s New Weird Tiktok Trend - Make it stand out Pictured: Cecil (Dark Knight version) cheerfully waving next to the town of Agart and also the gaping maw he created in the nearby mountain, which he will use to experience the world of the dwarves. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/zelda-2-healing-woman-sex monthly 0.5 2026-01-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/005c7300-6f52-46a1-a214-a63a040996f4/zelda-II-prototype.png Blog - Is There a Sex Joke Hidden in Plain Sight in Zelda II? - Make it stand out Via Internet Archive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e69ed40b-4da5-4127-9eb6-bcf337593574/venus-queen-of-fairies-zelda.png Blog - Is There a Sex Joke Hidden in Plain Sight in Zelda II? - Make it stand out Via VGmuseum.com. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2ca34edd-c5db-45fc-80e7-444bfaae296d/poison-ivy-uma-thurman-great-fairy-ocarina-of-time.png Blog - Is There a Sex Joke Hidden in Plain Sight in Zelda II? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2cfb13c2-cebc-4a8b-9fbf-d32abb061e62/poison-ivy-great-fairy+copy.png Blog - Is There a Sex Joke Hidden in Plain Sight in Zelda II? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/122dc871-ec14-4d25-9626-0d0ce652c761/healing-woman-zelda-2.png Blog - Is There a Sex Joke Hidden in Plain Sight in Zelda II? - Make it stand out Via Internet Archive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/478c4f1d-9d25-4060-844d-44a319e14b55/zelda-2-fairy-spell.png Blog - Is There a Sex Joke Hidden in Plain Sight in Zelda II? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/why-does-donkey-kong-throw-barrels monthly 0.5 2026-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0a72be8e-27b3-4b78-82fc-709fca7d2a96/donkey-kong-barrel-throw.gif Blog - Why Does Donkey Kong Throw Barrels? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b3010aa0-8fd9-4430-995f-6ed9856b3ad0/prototype-donkey-kong.png Blog - Why Does Donkey Kong Throw Barrels? - Make it stand out Left: A sketch showing a protoype version of Donkey Kong with Bluto/Brutus as the one rolling barrels down the scaffolding. Right: A revised version of that image showing Olive Oyl as the damsel in distress but a Donkey Kong-looking ape as the new villain. (Both images via The Cutting Room Floor.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f4e8890e-5c01-4923-b91f-f84dc68bc43b/universal-nintendo-lawsuit.png Blog - Why Does Donkey Kong Throw Barrels? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4467400f-279a-4bed-83ba-0ac02b54591a/king-midas-donkey-kong.png Blog - Why Does Donkey Kong Throw Barrels? - Make it stand out King Midas of Lydia: the original Donkey Kong? (No.) https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/madonna-madeline-maduin-final-fantasy-6 monthly 0.5 2026-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3941dd80-0074-48a2-b3d5-e0a2a44c1ac5/terra-tina-finalfantasyvi.webp Blog - In Defense of Final Fantasy VI Calling Terra’s Mom ‘Madonna’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/how-did-final-fantasy-turn-shiva-into-a-literal-ice-queen monthly 0.5 2025-12-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d9d83ed5-9ead-41e7-903d-5dd8a00dace6/shiva-ffiv.png Blog - How Did Final Fantasy Turn Shiva Into a Literal Ice Queen? - Make it stand out The Final Fantasy IV version of Shiva. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bb8758a9-1826-4ead-8585-b88fcbcdfb7d/shiva-ffix.png Blog - How Did Final Fantasy Turn Shiva Into a Literal Ice Queen? - Make it stand out A sexier Shiva from Final Fantasy IX. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/838b844a-97ec-499a-a3e3-61b65f3ec572/shiva-devotional-poster.png Blog - How Did Final Fantasy Turn Shiva Into a Literal Ice Queen? - Make it stand out A devotional poster for the Hindu god Shiva. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a1f9c8af-c6b5-4605-ae1b-58da1a789e2c/shiva-ifrit-ffvii-remake.png Blog - How Did Final Fantasy Turn Shiva Into a Literal Ice Queen? - Make it stand out Shiva and Ifrit as they appear in Final Fantasy VII Remake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a052ce48-b4ea-443d-b9ea-9efa9686a0b0/lakshmi-final-fantasy-hindu.png Blog - How Did Final Fantasy Turn Shiva Into a Literal Ice Queen? - Make it stand out Left: Lakshmi in Final Fantasy VI, appearing as a beautiful woman that could just as easily be a version of Venus, Aphrodite or any other love goddess. Right: A traditional Hindu depiction of Lakshmi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/31c27578-56de-406c-9570-17c436086421/asura-ffiv-three-faces.png Blog - How Did Final Fantasy Turn Shiva Into a Literal Ice Queen? - Make it stand out Left: Asura in Final Fantasy IV. Right: A statue of a three-headed Asura at Kofukuji Temple in Nara, Japan, via Wikipedia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e28b9c5a-8100-4025-9f6e-3d60b1d9bf7c/treasure-of-the-rudras.png Blog - How Did Final Fantasy Turn Shiva Into a Literal Ice Queen? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/super-mario-rpg-2-concept-art monthly 0.5 2025-12-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e4347ba5-f0a9-4d6f-9544-fdf5299d4ab4/PM_Prerelease_Poochy.png Blog - You Will Be Visited by Three Ghosts… of Super Mario RPG 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f47852e7-868f-47e1-ba46-508076d3f818/PM_Prerelease_Nep-Enut.png Blog - You Will Be Visited by Three Ghosts… of Super Mario RPG 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/42224544-d356-49bd-a816-b37d39471351/PM_Prerelease_Forever_Forest_2.png Blog - You Will Be Visited by Three Ghosts… of Super Mario RPG 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/88618cbf-5666-422b-8140-bcafa43e4d1b/super-mario-rpg-2-concept-art.png Blog - You Will Be Visited by Three Ghosts… of Super Mario RPG 2 - Make it stand out Posted to Kurashima’s Twitter without much context aside from the fact that he was celebrating the release of the Super Mario RPG remake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aefa9710-09ad-41c1-9edb-6a7d4e7c6369/what-are-everyones-thoughts-about-the-cancelled-planned-v0-gxxhdc374hte1.webp Blog - You Will Be Visited by Three Ghosts… of Super Mario RPG 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6ed3309c-ca5d-49c1-bc33-000d333bab32/FkkHUm1WYAEn2p1.jpeg Blog - You Will Be Visited by Three Ghosts… of Super Mario RPG 2 - Make it stand out Posted to Kurashima’s Instagram with the caption まぼろしのMR2, “The Legendary MR2,” with that last part presumably meaning “Mario RPG 2.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/27a5d260-88aa-40f7-9d9f-e2ece87d513a/FkkHXXzWAAYs9lb.jpeg Blog - You Will Be Visited by Three Ghosts… of Super Mario RPG 2 - Make it stand out Posted to Kurashima’s Instagram with the caption ボツMプロジェクト, which I’m guessing is something like “Bots M Project,” though I’m not sure what that means. Peach’s letter reads something like, “Mario of the Mushroom Kingdom is in trouble. Marios of the world, please help me!” EDIT: I’ve since been told via Bluesky that ボツ or botsu probably means “rejected.” https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/esper-eidolon-eikon-final-fantasy-summoned-beast monthly 0.5 2025-12-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/053a38e3-810b-4eed-8b95-5ad01e34b3e2/maduin-ff6.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Maduin, an Esper in Final Fantasy VI and one of the few summoned beasts in the entire series that the player can control as if he were a playable character. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d26e5a39-b282-4e98-a6bd-7cc55a1179f2/ramuh-ff4.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Ramuh, the lightning-elemental summon from Final Fantasy IV, looking more or less human. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ff1ab269-9eb0-49c8-8519-4c255890e2ab/asura-ff4.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Asura, queen of the summoned monsters in Final Fantasy IV, looking considerably less human. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0409e8c3-af80-419e-9224-def42b7d71ae/leviathan-ff4.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Leviathan, king of the summoned monsters, looking not human at all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/210e0859-df1e-4ab8-a1a7-c6e33aa34ad3/terrato-ff6.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Terrato a.k.a. Midgar Zolom a.k.a. Midgardsormr, a recurring summoned beast debuting in Final Fantasy VI. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dced7563-6082-489f-af0c-b2ca284f3cba/oddy-id-bester-esper.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/755630b7-11d5-4eb7-8e99-3516c83e5d7c/esper-etymology.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4e618cc0-5738-4a4d-9746-1af0f36ce808/esper-phantasy-star.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Meet Thea, one of many Espers appearing in the Phantasy Star series. (Note the katakana “エスパー” appearing in the second line.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7c33e94e-a285-4933-ab3b-586f2c1c0bbd/carbuncle-ffv.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Carbuncle, looking more monstrous in Final Fantasy V than he’d look in basically any subsequent game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/270a4c16-5ad6-42df-b175-328359eb1f56/lakshmi-ff6.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Lakshmi (a.k.a. Starlet), a light-elemental summon originating in Final Fantasy VI. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/739dfa8b-d0bd-4ae8-904f-47720163c6be/shiva-ff3.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Shiva, the ice-elemental summon originating in Final Fantasy III. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5fecb84a-a455-420b-ba0f-a839824c1a8e/summoner-horn-final-fantasy.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/71b97a29-d2e0-4236-8351-746ab7280834/female-mutant-esper-final-fantasy-legend-2.png Blog - Esper, Eidolon, Eikon, Aeon: The Evolution of Final Fantasy’s Summoned Monsters - Make it stand out One of the uncanny espers from Final Fantasy Legend II. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/birdo-birdetta-name-controversy monthly 0.5 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4ced8e3b-4867-4889-86f9-baa96c5a6ca4/birdo-instructionmanual-thinks-girl-catherine-cassie-doki-doki-panic.png Blog - Maybe We Don’t Need to Call Birdo ‘Birdetta’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f4fc0c82-f24a-4a1b-9ee4-981eecd71a1a/birdo-trans-flag-colors-mario-kart-world.png Blog - Maybe We Don’t Need to Call Birdo ‘Birdetta’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/87aa7349-f9e3-4236-98a8-5e6427c8da6b/birdo-BS-super-mario-USA.png Blog - Maybe We Don’t Need to Call Birdo ‘Birdetta’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/doki-doki-panic-began-as-super-mario-game monthly 0.5 2025-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d7664f1e-4dc7-43f0-8e4a-57e2e8f03818/doki-doki-panic-super-mario-bros-2.png Blog - There’s Super Mario DNA in Doki Doki Panic - Make it stand out Detail from a 1987 phone card showing corporate synergy between Nintendo and Fuji TV but also putting Imajin and Lina next to Mario and Peach before Doki Doki Panic became Super Mario Bros. 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c7674bdc-abff-4345-9468-f297aa1f341d/pow-box-history-mario.png Blog - There’s Super Mario DNA in Doki Doki Panic - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: The POW Blocks from Mario Bros. (1983), Doki Doki Panic (1987), Paper Mario (2000) and Yoshi’s Island (1995). I don’t know how much you can shake up the design of a rounded square that says “POW” on it, but if anything, a lot of later Super Mario games use the red design from Doki Doki Panic, though many also use the original blue version too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d1307896-e937-4458-9e80-2496fafd4759/smb-star-doki-doki-panic.png Blog - There’s Super Mario DNA in Doki Doki Panic - Make it stand out The Japanese manual for Super Mario Bros. calls it スター (Sutā), from the transliteration of the English word star, whereas the Doki Doki Panic manual just refers to it using the kanji 星 (hoshi, “star”), but this item gets called a lot of things in English and Japanese. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d9f2dd7e-4d87-44dd-9c6f-3885fb6c5784/objects-with-faces-super-mario.png Blog - There’s Super Mario DNA in Doki Doki Panic - Make it stand out While some of the extra faces appearing in Doki Doki Panic are part of the game’s mask motif, The Lost Levels stuck them on items and background elements that hadn’t in the first game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bdc47825-9eb3-4bf3-a9c5-38eb60c018c0/howard-phillips-super-mario-bros-2.png Blog - There’s Super Mario DNA in Doki Doki Panic - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7a764cef-357b-408a-b33f-00c39dc34c9c/phanto-tag-super-mario-wonder.png Blog - There’s Super Mario DNA in Doki Doki Panic - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/how-kolchak-the-night-stalker-influenced-final-fantasy monthly 0.5 2025-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5fe1928c-1cdb-4e14-a9c8-768eb3a338db/kolchak-horror-heights.png Blog - How Kolchak: The Night Stalker Influenced Final Fantasy - Make it stand out A night out for Sol and Miriam. Yes, those are literally their names. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/42684ddb-31b2-4a6a-830e-645ac0316563/raksasha-final-fantasy-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - How Kolchak: The Night Stalker Influenced Final Fantasy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/wait-super-mario-galaxys-lubba-is-female monthly 0.5 2025-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c29f6fb6-1846-4c8c-bbce-68b2c89571cf/lubba-male.png Blog - Wait, Super Mario Galaxy’s Lubba Is Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/64a4cd6f-5f02-43ab-92d7-bacc279ce095/lubba-japanese-no-pronouns.png Blog - Wait, Super Mario Galaxy’s Lubba Is Female? - Make it stand out Translation via Project Goemon, with bracketed pronouns to show you where you’d be inserting them to make it read more like standard English: The boss of Luma (チコ or Chiko in the original Japanese), traveling around the universe. [She] builds Starship Mario for Mario, who is chasing after Bowser. Per Project Goemon, the word translated as “boss,” 親分 or oyabun, “usually has an association with male characters in media, although it is gender neutral.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3269a343-3322-40bb-a921-017eabe79d49/lubba-trophy-description-gender-auntie.png Blog - Wait, Super Mario Galaxy’s Lubba Is Female? - Make it stand out This translation, via Fatimah, does not insert pronouns the way many translations of Japanese tend to, but instead conveys a sense of what it’s like to write in Japanese sans pronouns: A Luma, the same as Baby Luma and Hungry Luma. Is a great help to Mario on his many adventures through space, supporting him. Lubba’s head is in the clouds, or rather, always floating off the ground. Lubba is like a sumo wrestler when they smack their belly, and is blunt like a local auntie. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b1d470aa-1ef7-43d2-94f5-b014133c11c3/foreman-spike-blackie-name-change.png Blog - Wait, Super Mario Galaxy’s Lubba Is Female? - Make it stand out Translation: The name of the character “Blackie” that appears in the family computer software Wrecking Crew will be changed to “Spike,” which is the same as the name in Europe and the United States. In addition, the name in The Super Mario Bros. Movie released on April 28, 2023 is also “Spike.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5bf072e4-4550-40b7-af0b-dea8275dbb8d/rosalina-storybook-mari-lu.png Blog - Wait, Super Mario Galaxy’s Lubba Is Female? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/how-nonexistence-connects-chrono-trigger-to-super-mario-bros-2 monthly 0.5 2025-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c1c2a3ce-c1a7-4be9-89cb-fa8c0ed1f5e1/masa-mune-chrono-trigger.gif Blog - How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Masa, Mune and their joined form in the middle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0ee400f2-6366-4778-b87b-50957d9e6174/doreen-chrono-trigger-dream.gif Blog - How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Doreen , meanwhile, dances alone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6336a386-fd0e-4cb2-8d1f-187c98dccbf7/super-mario-bros-2-story.png Blog - How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out The story as it is put in the instruction manual for Super Mario Bros. 2. A condensed version plays in the game’s intro. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cb040745-1e59-4cfb-8590-ce7795209005/subcon-muu-mario-2.png Blog - How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out The Subcon/Mū, clockwise from top-left: as they appear in Super Mario Bros 2/Doki Doki Panic, Super Mario All-Stars, The Great Mario Character Encyclopedia (via Super Mario Wiki) and the ending to BS Super Mario USA (via the Video Game Museum). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/78415829-0601-4d39-bd6d-e95bd172588b/zeal-lost-continent-mu.gif Blog - How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Since it eventually crashed into the ocean, is Zeal not itself a lost continent? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4ec7f3e1-30bc-4b31-8e5c-89dab66bd16f/chrono+trigger+nu.png Blog - How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out The many emotions of the common Nu (all negative). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8b11dbde-8ad6-49bd-b77d-0b4c9a09e665/dreamstone-frozen-flame-lavos-chrono-trigger.png Blog - How Nonexistence Connects Chrono Trigger to Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/darkstalkers-character-origin-universal-horror monthly 0.5 2026-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9598e24c-9806-4fef-8833-798f6852157f/morrigan-stage-dark-stalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Morrigan’s stage, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d47f67ec-9531-4f2f-a04e-951354655790/demitri-stage-dark-stalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Demitri’s stage, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7d9a854a-3abb-41ff-8fea-00b8bde655a9/talbain-stage-darkstalkers+copy.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out J. Talbain’s stage, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/13dff1b1-60f9-4573-8538-2d2ceabb4ace/demitri-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f2e7e266-7221-4ade-b630-e819915cedc3/morrigan2.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ab854e44-9162-4666-b67b-1b58d9a4aba0/jon-tailbain-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aaba941b-0857-4979-b38d-2a605d0d07dc/rikuo-win-pose-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a36b4a53-3b70-40d5-beca-c40acc7f9548/albath-%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AB%E3%83%90%E3%82%B9 Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via RenzoAdler on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e3d1facb-f8f4-4524-88bb-3b26b5a39f4a/victor-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/80b67c43-aeed-41cf-a70c-c7ff8ae5d1c5/anakaris-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a5a6e765-579b-48fb-b44b-96b3f89d213d/felicia-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4dbbec67-7967-40ed-a1bc-569bd9f2fec4/lord-raptor-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/81d206f7-2b2f-47ee-be78-acef5a1a78f6/bishamon-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f5dc9baa-b0f8-4d42-8cf1-1ef27c24556d/sasquatch-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/47672f01-f448-4c5b-b202-defe1dfe9e10/huitzil-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0d2574ba-7f42-413c-9aa9-b706698bb782/pyron-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2c5102dc-6ce6-4404-a31d-e46f81a90527/donovan-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/25a211bd-e3c5-4912-92e1-fa4183e2e503/anita-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/666a3326-8738-4b75-a92a-b145f64db213/hsienko-darkstalkers.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f21d2bd4-366f-48b5-9862-388bf41ffd9d/hsien-ko-stage-darkstalkers2.gif Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Hsien-Ko’s stage, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7f79f1e8-e714-431b-8e8e-5bb00f3eac9a/morrigan-castle-darkstalkers.png Blog - The Secret Origin of the Darkstalkers - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/mario-death-animation-origin monthly 0.5 2025-10-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/adce566b-2b69-4980-a334-7ecaa21949c0/1985-smb-death-sprite-fix.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8e796465-1d6e-44e8-9092-44885f481eac/super-mario-death-animation.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out To be clear, I fudged the timing and arc of these Mario death drops to match, just to show how this animation sequence remained a constant in his side-scrolling adventures. The “up and over” arc is slightly different in each, but I made them uniform to prove a point. (And if you’re noticing that the Super Mario Bros. 2 sprite seems oddly more detailed than the Super Mario Bros. 3 one, here’s why.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/44a278d3-bf3c-405f-a3e7-b42e26cf71a7/1986-milon-secret-castle.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8136c6cb-445d-4b60-a38d-d7a5b9fdac9b/1987-doki-doki-panic-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5c2bce28-21b8-47be-9651-f2964cd5d094/1986-hudsons-adventure-island-death-sprite+copy.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d35ab1f1-f9ac-498b-adad-16282c523a90/1987-mickey-mousecapade-death-sprite+copy.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7f9053ac-230f-4e7c-adf2-f5ae4f4af025/1987-rainbow-islands.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Weird how the human versions of the Bubble Bobble dragon characters look like Cartman, no? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/45b72cd0-ed07-4692-8c3f-ea1063725a16/1989-ducktales-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3a569ec4-068f-4db3-b687-56f87a71e295/1990-little-nemo.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/26e7b30d-7ddc-4ec0-bb6a-a5ba436aa5b9/1990-kid-dracula-death-sprite+copy+2.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7fc60760-670f-42dd-aa60-e49b6fd2feff/1992-magical-quest-mickey-death-animation.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c117292e-a94d-4c92-bd34-a11e4f8dd38d/1993-kirbys-adventure-FINAL.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out A confession: This one is not pixel perfect! I made all these using sprite rips, and while most were easy enough, this one featured a lot more moving parts, and in the interest of getting this post up, I decided to go easy on myself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/596748f3-05cb-4969-88ea-6c7e0a1a29d4/1993-aero-acrobat-death-gif+copy.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eca1efd3-37cd-4cd6-8534-dab1c6c1509e/1991-sonic-hedghehog-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/88783a02-7af0-4d52-8046-4d15d1aff62f/death-animation-donkey-kong-jr.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7ca2bfee-2939-46de-a279-7666a03729e9/1981-dk-arcade-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2b8e889c-7e97-41d0-96ab-0d2cc9897f2e/1983-mario-bros-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out And given the setting of Mario Bros., I guess we can assume it’s specifically sewer water down there? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/756872dc-92fa-45d9-b996-041598730c95/1984-balloon-fight+copy.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eda85b8b-5c3a-4376-b4b1-9cbbd82d6135/1985-ice-climber-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4d2eff83-171c-4468-a3c3-534a57c4dc57/1986-kid-icarus-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9fdfaacb-e70e-4edc-b892-35754ac38495/1983-nuts-milk.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/64905bed-28b1-432f-a831-fe47f39cab33/1984-ninja-kun.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/38d5bfc5-0ac8-4368-b75c-7e2b749f67c5/1983-donkey-kong-3-stanley-death.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ae01d48c-0c05-4aab-bdb1-055a77f6809a/wrecking-crew-mario-death-sprite.gif Blog - The Origin of Mario’s Trademark Death Animation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/super-drunk-bubble-bobble-alcohol monthly 0.5 2025-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e0b0f678-6f07-48de-b383-163def651f27/super-drunk-bubble-bobble.gif Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dbb40e07-02ab-4a06-a722-7ee12d92c1be/mom-dad-super-drunk-bubble-bobble.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7d2ef9fd-0901-47b3-b793-72cc40cc224e/drunk-bubble-bobble.gif Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/503f8548-6de1-422e-b799-076f582bdfe4/ninja-gaiden-nes-bar-alcohol.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Via NESmaps.com. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ac35abbe-6d38-4503-8db2-8dc8cc6c1201/mappy-land-bar-alcohol.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Via GameWTFs.com. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ab793c00-b076-485a-b462-5e241f10f1e5/deja-vu-shot-glass-selzter.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7990c2a6-f675-4487-b28c-39a84b03e805/bubble-bobble-famicom-manual.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Via The Gay Gaymer (!). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/df0a7e34-38a6-451f-8f32-e7ac6d6902e7/bubble-bobble-instruction-manual.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f19f430a-7fc8-49e5-bdd3-57cdda1f6e73/bubble-bobble-monsters.gif Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out The original Japanese names (clockwise from top-left): Zen-chan, Maita, Monsta, Banebou, Skel-Monsta, Drunk, Hidegons, and Pulpul. Center: Invader. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/310a1deb-ef92-498b-b081-205758b313c3/super-drunk-boss-battle-bubble-bobble.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/db718bdd-6c8d-4429-b237-1adeb08a61c1/Screenshot+2025-09-29+at+11.17.42%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/90958cd6-1715-4299-817f-5b8cfaabf46f/bubble-bobble-thunder-drug.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b82efa21-c059-4530-9fdf-70beedf009eb/dranko-bubble-bobble.png Blog - Why Is the Big Bad of Bubble Bobble Named ‘Super Drunk’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/chrono-trigger-epoch-sillbird-etymology monthly 0.5 2025-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a6d7bc35-9291-4980-83c3-70c1365056ce/chrono-trigger-sill-bird-meaning.png Blog - How Chrono Trigger Taught Me the Word ‘Epoch’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/final-fantasy-iv-elemental-fiends-name-meaning monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e264a3b3-5cea-4905-91e8-70fa7f03c92d/ffiv-elemental-fiends.gif Blog - Is Final Fantasy IV’s Barbariccia Named After… a Certain Organ? - Make it stand out Left to right: Dusty (Scarmiglione), Musty (Cagnazzo), Gusty (Barbariccia) and Trusty (Rubicante). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8cf2869f-8547-4bd0-a75a-21e728e8d586/scarmilglione-skull-face.png Blog - Is Final Fantasy IV’s Barbariccia Named After… a Certain Organ? - Make it stand out It’s harder to see in the original pixel art, but more recent remakes show Scarmiglione’s skull face very clearly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c1020dc0-931f-4a48-8ed7-39f24c77fd8e/devils-j-charles-wall.png Blog - Is Final Fantasy IV’s Barbariccia Named After… a Certain Organ? - Make it stand out The list of Dante’s Inferno demons as it appears in James Charles Wall’s Devils: Their Origin and Their History. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5a782ae1-4ed3-4e5c-92c1-6308cb8197da/barbariccia-valvalis-naked-ffiv.png Blog - Is Final Fantasy IV’s Barbariccia Named After… a Certain Organ? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c8eddf61-99fa-44c3-a86e-0927c16f786a/valis-fantasm-soldier-box-art.png Blog - Is Final Fantasy IV’s Barbariccia Named After… a Certain Organ? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d5de800e-cc07-45f1-ab14-698ae4292c39/calofisteri-name-origin-mystery.png Blog - Is Final Fantasy IV’s Barbariccia Named After… a Certain Organ? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d84b2cfb-6c9e-4a66-b129-6fa129bf0349/Denso-jin+Baruber+%28%E9%9B%BB%E9%80%81%E4%BA%BA%E3%83%8F%E3%82%99%E3%83%AB%E3%83%8F%E3%82%99%E3%83%BC%29.png Blog - Is Final Fantasy IV’s Barbariccia Named After… a Certain Organ? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/golden-axe-death-row-urban-legend monthly 0.5 2025-09-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/97f4cfa5-4b7d-4093-b5eb-61d9ff9f7e95/gilius-thunderhead-golden-axe.png Blog - The Strange Urban Legend About Golden Axe and Death Row Inmates - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/duck-hunt-dog-mr-peepers monthly 0.5 2025-08-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9fda98ff-bf9a-42f1-8600-23a328e964b1/duck-hunt-dog-laugh.gif Blog - How I Perpetuated an Internet Rumor About the Duck Hunt Dog - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bb00fbbc-0f7a-4864-a187-1f3b936df33e/mr-peepers-duck-hunt-dog.png Blog - How I Perpetuated an Internet Rumor About the Duck Hunt Dog - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8ba5a0a5-43e1-4b34-a4e2-6a20a4a53e0c/duck-hunt-mister-peepers.png Blog - How I Perpetuated an Internet Rumor About the Duck Hunt Dog - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/hylian-101-the-secrets-hiding-in-the-language-of-zelda monthly 0.5 2025-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/917985ea-8242-4083-9ad3-98eb86d63687/geldman-gerudo-legend-of-zelda.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out Link vs. Geldman, from A Link to the Past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4126a508-e696-4699-a3f9-ecb20684a19a/zelda-stalfos-fos-suffix.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out Link vs. Stalfos, from A Link to the Past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dc04a9c3-8c88-4d5b-85a8-7a3ae041074f/zelda-moblin-bokoblin-etymology.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out Moblins (and one Goriya) vs. townspeople, from Adventure of Link. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ec44c6d3-0b6a-40ab-9508-e1eb9a49b504/link-vs-lanmola.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out Link vs. a Lanmola, via Legend of Zelda. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/676be30f-6acf-47a8-8cd6-f428ce5fa724/tatrnuc-darknut-iron-knuckle.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out The Tartnuc in all his tarty glory, via the Japanese version of the Legend of Zelda instruction manual. (And yes, I will be devoting a whole post to the Pols Voice and its mysterious etymology. And no, I will not be doing the same to the Wizzrobe because come on.) Via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7dca822c-5312-4085-93e8-18f66fdbeff3/testitart-manhandla-super-mario-piranha-plant.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out From the Japanese Legend of Zelda manual, the description for the Testitart reads as follows: “A large Pakkun Flower with limbs in all four directions. It moves faster as the number of limbs decreases. Has a somewhat strong attack power.” And yes, BTW, I will also be doing a post on the Like Like’s baffling name. (Via archive.org.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/407e8545-c7e2-4023-a195-79aba319154d/zora-evolution-zelda.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out Left: The Zora as it appears in Adventure of Link, all toothy and monstrous: Right: The most famous Zora in Ocarina of Time, Princess Ruto who is much more humanoid, essentially nude the entire time and also sexy (???). Also why does a merperson have breasts? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/01225dd7-e7c9-4fbf-890b-917e260f3f4b/geldman-in-zelda-1.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out Via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e35bba4a-4037-4ad9-a868-5de99d55d2a4/zora-versus-zola.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out The first official Nintendo art of the Zora (labeled Zola), along with everyone’s favorite original Legend of Zelda monster, Rock (later renamed Goron). Via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bfa33707-7786-4dd5-8328-0ed269a63f96/landoma-moldrom-etymology-zelda.png Blog - Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda - Make it stand out Link and Zelda vs. a Lanmola, a Darknut, two Gibdos, some Keese aand what I’m guessing is an early version of Ganon that is not yet all that pig-like, via Legend of Zelda. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/mortal-kombat-character-name-origins monthly 0.5 2025-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/65cba84f-c37c-41d9-8bc4-1a49e6a76926/mk3-mustard-wins.png Blog - The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names - Make it stand out If I’m being honest, I actually think Ketchup and Mustard make better names for these characters, because they’re not trying to sound cool. The cooler you try to make your character’s name, the more they end up sounding like a variety of Axe body spray. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/93638880-9098-4e76-9f19-4926566fb554/kitana-mk2-bio.png Blog - The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1a4ce919-e838-465d-8e97-dc5e6e481ed8/kitana-kitsune-mortal-kombat.jpeg Blog - The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/52565855-f3e5-46e5-91ef-b87ec8804435/shang-tsung-shang-lao-mortal-kombat.jpeg Blog - The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/84a6b585-3008-433f-9808-83593b7102be/liu-kang-minamoto-yo-shin-soo.png Blog - The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/61e517dd-2b66-4420-b0bb-eb0eee939f2b/liu-kang-name-origin.jpg Blog - The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5f3a4e1b-d30c-41c0-881b-a25329e67be2/egm-ermac.png Blog - The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/king-art-of-fighting-snk-gay monthly 0.5 2025-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3a418a68-3385-4e18-ac41-a4c9a983e3d4/king-art-of-fighting-gay.gif Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/220faa5e-4b58-4db9-a096-76b3e02bf26e/king-art-of-fighting-gender.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/89bb0206-27c0-4a02-8ca9-3b6ca56a4a61/king-art-of-fighting-male.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ed565354-cb35-4448-8b19-c2f035cdce7e/king-art-of-fighting-gender-reveal.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7597fb72-400d-4984-b1f9-22830aace166/king-art-of-fighting-masculine-pronouns-he.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out “The Meutai Master.” I’ll note that the TV Tropes page for King identifies her as an example of a bifauxnen, which is a term I had not heard before writing this post. (Image via the Arcade Flyer Archive.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/073f95cb-8391-447f-94bb-22f961f7c349/Kof-xiii-king-win-portrait.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ac59f5b8-7b16-4c37-a045-e5669ec8de69/grace-jones-view-to-kill.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c0531180-3c04-4910-a162-3f514dc381a8/king-illusion-bar.gif Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Pretty sure that’s Duck King at the leftmost table. And passing through the center you cam see Sally and Elizabeth waiting tables. The bar’s name would seem to be a reference to one of her super moves, Illusion Dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7c5af893-6406-4db1-9034-bd6e948be556/king-of-fighters-alternative-lifestyles.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/204413e1-75d0-4dbe-bada-021eaee1657d/art-of-fighting-gay-ezgif.com-resize.gif Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/37c065fe-504e-4e1d-ac8f-519f0b9fe641/ryo-king-2003+copy.gif Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7b5f8e4c-f2e8-4fed-8b28-e7fb586f1254/cynthia-rothrock-king-snk.png Blog - Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/tonberry-final-fantasy-etymology-origin monthly 0.5 2025-07-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2ed07b2c-f7b4-43b9-a855-0baf3ee10768/tonberry-origin-final-fantasy.png Blog - A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry - Make it stand out Left: The pixelly goodness of the Final Fantasy V version. Right: The smoothed-out version from Final Fantasy VII Remake. I want to kiss his shiny lil head so badly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c559efd9-5307-4094-9d81-8385942cf61c/tonberry-revenant-wings.png Blog - A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry - Make it stand out The version of the Tonberry from Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings has a fishtail and somehow looks even cuter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0ddfdf6b-4f67-498f-bd46-f03c7f69e115/seamonk-comparison.png Blog - A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry - Make it stand out Illustration comparing alleged seamonk to a giant squid by Danish zoologist Japetus Steenstrup, via Wikipedia. Left: Steenstrup’s take on the alleged seamonk as reported French professor Guillaume Rondelet. Center: An example of the Loligo genus of squid. Right: Steenstrup’s take on the seamonk as reported by French naturalist Pierre Belon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/79784988-27f7-46d3-93c0-b280b740d9cc/umibozu.png Blog - A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry - Make it stand out Illustration of the Umibōzu from Fifty-Three Parallels for the Tōkaidō, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, via Wikipedia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/751028a1-96aa-4883-9999-fcbba1a2c0ea/kizakura-sake-kappa.png Blog - A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1dfd4103-70dd-4b6b-846f-c75009848b76/kappa-ffvi.png Blog - A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry - Make it stand out Concept art for a party of four kappa, by Yoshitaka Amano, via the Final Fantasy Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ca394139-6658-4d58-be52-a6336035e899/sagojo-ShaWujing.png Blog - A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry - Make it stand out Left: A woodblock print of Sha Wujning from an 1835 Japanese translation, via this site. Right: An explicitly kappa version of Sagojō, via some Japanese children’s book retelling of Journey to the West, via this site. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/shy-guy-bazaar-super-mario-2-mario-kart-world monthly 0.5 2025-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7b42f3a7-f398-4918-b732-639f6b501d8f/shy-guy-bazaar-carpet-phanto-cobrat-panser.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Image via this Looygi Bros. video on differences between the 3DS and Mario Kart World version of this track. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b497cc63-68d5-40f0-9ac7-f8d9bf08c530/shy-guy-bazaar-phanto-carpet-tapestry.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out The original tapestries don’t come back in Mario Kart World, exactly, but Phanto at least gets a new one, complete with a key, and I honestly think I like this one even better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5caa0743-b174-43dc-968e-1f5793064133/shy-guy-bazaar-smb2-masks.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Left to right: A Swoop (which originated in Super Mario World and not SMB2) but then a Phanto, a Shy Guy, another Shy Guy, a Snifit and then what I thought was a Tweeter but which more than a few people have conjectured is actually the mask worn by Grape in Princess Peach: Showtime. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8c834a53-614d-4a3c-b951-18a4eca36a68/shy-guy-bazaar-green-snakes-mario-kart-7.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ac4ed870-1c1d-4e4d-85fd-f261d6241247/mario-kart-world-shy-guy-bazaar-cobrat-green-snake Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a4662f59-001d-480f-af5a-e37f531df717/cobrat-smb2-%E3%82%AB%E3%82%99%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B1%E3%82%99%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AD-smusa.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Left: The Cobrat (Japanese name: ガラゲーロ or Garagēro) as it appears in the instruction manual for Doki Doki Panic. Right: The updated art created for Super Mario USA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/665e4d5e-28f4-4829-b245-e5b745a182de/super-mario-3-all-stars-grass-king-cobrat.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8d0fa9f7-5b65-4bc3-9a68-fef5da00907e/hisstocrat-mario-world.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2acffd8f-894b-438d-a76a-b09cac91d9c7/tryclyde-smb2.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/30566164-6128-4d6c-b5fe-21ca0bb92b08/carpet-flyer-smb2-mario-kart-world-cobrat.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ed29568a-4560-4267-b56d-a17abf30dbb1/apu-barts-nightmare.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9f0a7caa-5fe7-489e-ac81-b0fbcedc5470/gao-shy-guy-bazaar.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/33874905-0dee-4173-a5e2-8c053f74f90d/shy-guy-bazaar-tokotoko-carpet.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/07056665-1f55-457d-a67a-85ce976e78ed/mario-kart-world-moo-moo-meadows-turnips.png Blog - Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/streets-of-rage-ash-gay monthly 0.5 2025-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2ee6b7ef-4536-44c8-b896-5a7d4e263ea4/ash-gay-streets-of-rage.gif Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out I will point out that in the time when Mai Shiranui’s bosom bounce was a much-discussed phenomenon, Ash’s bulge was animated with a little jiggle. (Via LGBTQ Video Game Archive.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9a47eb82-cb3e-4092-832e-faf24b72857e/ash-giggling-streets-of-rage.gif Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out I’m unsure what to call Ash’s leg coverings. Are they… tights? socks? Some form of fetish legwear I’m just not familiar with? (Via LGBTQ Video Game Archive.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cb8ccf5b-62a1-4786-bf0f-1afff63afe7e/ash-bare-knuckle-III-gay.gif Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out He runs like a cheetah! … a really gay cheetah. (Via LGBTQ Video Game Archive.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5e45903f-2d1b-473e-9f52-6f88030ef51c/ash-streets-of-rage-tom-of-finland.png Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out Just looking at this art, you wouldn’t necessarily guess that Ash’s function in the game is as an effeminate joke. He’s dressed exactly the same, but he’s posed (and built) like a Tom of Finland character. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2b64484b-d18a-4db3-afb2-c3bed3a2c350/nora-room-ash-poster-streets-of-rage-4.png Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out Via artist Julian Nguyen-You’s Artstation page. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/59c2caf2-83c5-45cd-b16a-6e1d78de4ef4/nora-streets-of-rage-4.png Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/82902c8d-1b04-4b9b-80a5-d4ada9b2a4fa/ash-ending-bare-knuckle-iii.png Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d05bea22-79f1-4d2e-b564-688684f18211/go-go-ackman-3-general-blue.gif Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/77d32874-86f6-42ea-a8f3-aeea8cfd5058/sfa2-birdie-mensroom.gif Blog - Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/pauline-donkey-kong-nintendos-first-leading-lady monthly 0.5 2025-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/22d6ff33-13bd-44cf-bddc-6cd12e2aa099/pauline-donkey-kong.gif Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Pauline’s classic “running in place'“ animation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7a4d12ce-ddd5-424b-aa07-de3af4c82cde/olive-oyl-donkey-kiong.gif Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Okay, full disclosure: Animating sprites is really hard and, despite my best efforts to mimic Pauline’s run, I could only get pixel Olive Oyl to look like she was dancing like Linda Belcher at a wedding. But you get the idea. Olive’s proportions make her a challenging, I think but Willaert’s original sprite is good. Go check out her video. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/158f3ec8-75da-43b1-b1ea-ab3fbf84c180/donkey-kong-miyamoto-art.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Note how she doesn’t actually look all that alarmed to be kidnapped by an ape. (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/622b36ab-527b-4244-b137-e709a6f4d587/donkeykong-pauline-bezel-art.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out A detail of the bezel art. (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/16c1c380-bd54-4934-b170-4eebd38f5730/pauline-miyamoto-concept-art.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/981933b0-b607-4991-876f-bee019a3a454/donkey+kong+flyer+cabarga.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ff62ee5d-8596-47ee-8f6f-bb4cc65903c8/fay-wray.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8f4bc469-7d1d-4974-8455-7df9b86db496/donkey-kong-flyer-beautiful-girl.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f2a067f7-ad75-47d9-9460-53e7d663bb52/donkey-kong-little-mario.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via Gaming Historian on Twitter, who perused and photographed the actual court documents. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fee078bf-aa21-44b4-98a8-3ab50fbe2e61/donkey-kong-pauline-louise.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/24813415-73fe-46ce-9c34-11d2c4342162/donkey-kong-pauline-figurine.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ebcba09a-d939-4df4-9ed3-5b19bb4c8a9e/donkey-kong-pauline-coloring-book.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out I will point out that Pauline has never looked quite so Farrah Fawcett-esque… which is notable because Farrah’s hair flips always reminded me of Princess Peach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9254ecd5-3848-469d-825d-ef816c3633a1/pauline-mario-mania-saturday-supercade.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out This is what I like to call Pauline’s “Francine from American Dad” era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0cc0ffd5-1d0d-4716-8295-df90a4b7fc56/Lass_of_the_Lumberlands_lobby_card_7.jpg Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via Necessary Storms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ea105eaa-356e-45c5-8f5e-35e96486ffff/donkey+kong+atari.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/36b84c8d-dafe-4ec3-bb1b-f0208d8ce250/lady-donkey-kong-separate-character.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out And yes, I will discuss the separation that exists in Japan between this version of the character and the one wearing the red dress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d5a117cd-ebbc-4360-9eb5-6b1288389cc7/sheriff-betty-nintendo.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3cdc2561-53ea-4050-a4b1-d4ba5f7e3e36/sheriff-betty-pauline-donkey-kong.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Both of these actually come from a high-res re-creation of the original Sheriff decals by retrogaming enthusiast UDb23, but they’re accurate to how the original cabinet art looked. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a566e2b9-fe9c-4e1e-81d7-26767ed73a4e/sheriff-japanese-flyer.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out I’ve highlighted all the references to the heroine as Lady (レディ) in blue. This is the only way she’s referred to in this text, and I asked Fatimah if it seemed more like it was referring to her as “the lady” or as if Lady were her name. “In this case, it looks like her name is Lady.” However, regarding that last mention of Lady, Fatimah writes, “[That] part is talking about all the unique characters you’ll encounter such as ‘sheriff, ruffians, condor, lady, and more.’ It feels like one of those things where their descriptor is also their name or became their name.” (Image via the Arcade Flyer Archive.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8cf3c9b5-d12c-49fe-8f31-ec457d24cbf5/mario-pauline-sprites-family-BASIC.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4162f13e-2245-42f7-b95f-da65b5c97847/mario-pauline-family-basic-manual.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out From the Family BASIC manual v2.1, via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dfad746b-fd56-4495-b524-f6175e9255fb/mario-pauline-family-basic-manual2.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out From the Family BASIC manual v3, via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/15ad5179-1f51-4bea-bb5e-cf8c512115d7/nintendo-vs-pack-pauline-female-mario.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Shades of the costume changes in Super Mario Odyssey. (Via archive.org.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a63a780f-6c34-41d6-b29d-191b339d6122/kate-willaert-pauline.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a579915f-6471-47c8-a625-c02491212756/711px-Donkey_Kong_Fun_With_Music_02.jpg Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via Lost Media Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7e0a03d1-a4ef-41cd-9e3a-a54d62354246/Donkey_Kong_Fun_With_Music_04.jpg Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via Lost Media Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e4cd5c41-0e79-42c3-8483-c0d71bbeb280/DKSA_Pauline.jpg Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2ffc80bf-2d5b-4668-a396-01ed5e51ba39/donkey-kong-new-pauline.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cbcd1620-0086-4dbe-81b0-651f0fdd0aef/lady-pauline-two-separate-characters.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Translation by Fatimah: Lady From: New York Personality: Demure First Game Appearance: Donkey First Female Character in the Mario Game Series “I am Mario's first-ever girlfriend. I was terribly frightened when Donkey Kong kidnapped me out of the blue, but I knew Mario would save me.” (She’s always wearing a pink dress.) (Reunites with her beloved Mario after Donkey Kong is defeated.) Pauline From: New York Personality: Outgoing First Game Appearance: GB Donkey Pauline, the Glamorous Beauty “Kong was trying to forcibly drag me back to his hometown... All I could do was scream for help at the top of my lungs.” (Pauline is a trendy beauty.) (She called out to Mario for help.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ab5378a2-3cf3-4c68-a0d3-06b8b21509a4/pauline-singing-trick-mario-kart.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4388621b-4e5a-4ac7-820e-1336736ea7c3/nintendo-famicom-basic-sprites.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/785d5eec-0f20-44ea-920f-4f1335d6a425/donkey-kong-clementine-pauline-pigtails.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7553e622-1408-4f0c-953a-bbc9c08f9130/donkey-kong-jr-woman-green-dress.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/acd6668c-2900-4faf-883d-a17515aa8519/dk-jr-alternate-art.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/063f0cee-05bb-4b9b-b884-8bf8add42d06/human-kootie-pie-mario-3-cartoon.png Blog - Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/eagle-street-fighter-first-gay-character monthly 0.5 2025-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/16ebf35e-f2ba-4828-bac2-ffc1278958c8/birdie-street-fighter-before-after.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Left: Original formula Birdie. Right: A more ripped, more punked-out brawler — and with a tan, no less. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9e023298-96d3-4778-8e69-c1074da69888/eagle-street-fighter-1.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Normally I’d make a gif of a fighter’s idle stance, but in Street Fighter 1 this is it: an unmoving neutral pose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8ebe6c92-9446-4363-be7a-60f78322a66b/eagle-sf-loss-quote.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cb855667-6c79-48b6-a04a-175f8fba26d8/eagle222.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1a4c6a20-a32b-429a-bffe-98271b35aff7/eagle-gay-capcom-vs-snk-2 Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a4f6b7f2-debe-4e4d-b4f9-87ab4f44aecc/freddie-mercury-darth-vader.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Freddie Mercury: not gay but nonetheless riding on the shoulders of a sequin-bedecked Darth Vader, as one does. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c78d7b90-912c-4707-8e86-e184313dcda4/eagle-gay-quote-street-fighter.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Oh, I guess someone is actually willing to make time for losers after all? (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2ff30377-98a5-4253-a775-03298ffdb96e/marisa-manon-street-fighter-6-gay.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0ac5648a-6627-40d6-99dd-1109e33b1f90/zangief-gay-vega-mirror.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/13627f59-481f-407f-bb15-d978a1bea3fd/eagle-stage-UK-street-fighter-1.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d0afb487-8a9e-4799-85fb-aef9e876cfa0/cammy-stage-uk-super-street-fighter-2.png Blog - How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/zelda-fairy-fountain-mario-3-water-world-music monthly 0.5 2025-12-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/48e64837-d121-470e-af3a-6109de38876e/water-world-fairy-fountain-same-music.png Blog - Was the Zelda Fairy Fountain Music Inspired by a Track From Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/926bc068-cc61-4108-b20b-39e36a382de4/journey-frontiers-looks-like-mega-man.png Blog - Was the Zelda Fairy Fountain Music Inspired by a Track From Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/long-live-wart monthly 0.5 2025-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/31a07652-801c-4519-89eb-b457c77bc125/mario-advance-wart.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out Wart, Super Mario Advance-era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/80b33485-4546-40f3-8642-706ea5dafdb7/links-awakening-wart-mamu.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out Mamu, per the remake of LInk’s Awakening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7ede4bd9-6de6-4bc9-9dba-2392fc40be46/supermariousa1.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out Classic vegetable-plucking and -chunking action! Featuring a pose for Wart that I believe is unique to this book’s cover and is not available on its own, unblocked my Mario’s hand. It’s a great rendition of Mario, at least. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b1f2a347-172f-452c-aaed-2e863c0f5398/supermariousa2.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out I know it’s bad form to dunk on something made for children, but this maze… if we can call it a maze? It is maybe one of the easiest activity book activities I’ve ever seen. What child would need for than ten seconds to “solve” this? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3151557f-2b80-4d71-857d-3740e81823bb/super-mario-bros-2-japanese-activity-book.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out It’s Mouser, everyone’s favorite rodent terrorist! Seeing the multicolored blocks that appear in boss rooms rendered this way, I now wonder if they’re meant to be the LEGO knockoff N&B Blocks that Nintendo began marketing in the 1960s. They also make a random cameo in Super Mario Land 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d4627beb-979a-44df-8548-c46dffc23331/supermariousa4.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out For whatever reason, Mario is only paired with Toad for this literary adventure. Luigi and Peach don’t show up. You have to wonder why. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1e444a2b-7f0a-4125-a391-e8d77c8c93c8/supermariousa5.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out Again, it’s a maze sure to challenge only the dumbest child, but it does give us what I’m pretty sure is unique artwork of a terrified Toad. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/de9a1522-cb31-4fef-af18-ce5f63f91588/supermariousa7.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out Okay, now we’re talking. This maze actually seems like it might challenge the dumbest child. Also, I’m surprised how much less menacing the illustrated version of Phanto looks compared to how demonic he looks in the game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bdc74285-b94b-4af0-88e3-66da7ccca772/supermariousa8.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out I will refer you to my guide to the origin of the names of the Super Mario Bros. 2 enemies for tidbits about these guys here. It is notable how the lowly Ninji went from being more or less forgotten alongside Panser and Porcupo only to get a comeback in the past few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/48f97ea0-6bda-4a17-a783-88a3649d7615/supermariousa9.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out At least Birdo is given a flower motif and an egg-shaped maze. My Japanese is not bad, but I think Birdo is telling Mario that she’s using the bathroom?? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0ff7a255-dcb1-4430-8778-192e9d652846/supermariousa10.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out And finally we get a showdown with Wart and two of underlongs but weirdly not Tryclyde, who I assume was on vacaction. Note that this is the same Wart post the west got with Super Mario Advance. It wasn’t new art. just new to us and recycled from the release of Super Mario USA. As far as I know, however, that illustration of Wart getting bonked with a vegetable is unique to this book. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/806aced8-2579-4654-a888-30409f00a1f3/supermariousa11.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out And we conclude with one more appearance by Birdo, plus a showcase of the other volumes in this series, which I will not be be buying because they lack references to Super Mario Bros. 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/adc0363e-aa8e-4632-ab56-f880cae0413f/Nintendo_recruitment_book_Daisy_DK_Wart.jpg Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out Not 100 percent sure on this, but I think the idea is that Daisy is speaking to Wart in a foreign language and Donkey Kong doesn’t understand what’s being said. Points for giving Wart a princess phone, however. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/25495c8f-25eb-4a34-852d-2907fc335da9/shy-guy-bazaar-sarasaland.png Blog - Long Live Wart! - Make it stand out Daisy’s logo on that Arabian-inspired turret?? Imajin would be rolling in his grave! https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/cammy-sarah-bryant-nina-williams-amnesiac-brainwashed monthly 0.5 2025-05-28 https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/is-mario-amp-luigi-superstar-saga-one-big-fart-joke monthly 0.5 2025-05-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ef2eea34-9e54-4ec1-b716-07ec02fa1625/mario-luigi-superstar-saga-farts.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Not actually Princess Peach being attacked with a fart machine, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a6f6fabf-4ba9-485f-9592-380042803445/superstar-saga-key-art.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Beans of note (from left to right): Popple, Fawful, Cackletta, Peasley, and Queen Bean. Not pictured: farts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b6d45868-8739-441e-9a96-1447e0493b74/laughing-bean-motif-superstar-saga2.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Left to right: Beanbean Castle throne room, Chucklehuck Woods and Beanbean Town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3bd30880-f54d-4482-967f-6a0f258db1ef/he-gassen-fart-scroll-cat.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ddd5cc68-0622-4fa1-98e4-40d5b1c5a146/pinoko-black-jack-farts.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6d30a1df-6f26-4059-8bd3-ae7fbc8ade93/wario-fart-attack-smash-bros.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out I’m still kind of stunned Nintendo made a game where you can fart on Princess Peach. Image via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/01f35115-de12-48ce-9163-efbb78731103/warioware-he-who-smelt-it.gif Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out The microgame “He Who Smelt It,” from WarioWare: Smooth Moves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/49803d43-1501-4e00-b562-d213789421db/zelda-wind-waker-pig-fart.gif Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9b5ce705-5791-487f-a445-c33735ad4d06/earthbound-fart-joke-chaos-theater.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c1d0e293-df51-44f3-9c48-f2bfe8f292c4/earthbound-scatch-n-sniff-promotion Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Via my own scan that I did for a blog post back in 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/efc65efc-8301-46b7-816d-b3bd4164a6c8/super+mario+kun+bowser+fart.png Blog - Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke? - Make it stand out Via. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/akira-nishitani-capcom-data-east-lawsuit monthly 0.5 2025-05-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c5f61ee7-72f7-42a6-8a52-57de646accfa/chun-li-feilin.gif Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Street Fighter’s Chun-Li vs. Fighter’s History’s Feilin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4c440f13-4990-486b-bb4a-c0edef591efe/fatal-furty1.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Terry Bogard (not Ken) vs. Michael Max (not Balrog) in the first Final Fight game, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/05fa37a8-c391-410d-8323-edc9d2556269/artoffighting1.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Ryo (not Ryu) vs. John Crawley (not Guile) in the first Art of Fighting, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6b989ee1-27b0-4149-b36b-9f5727317f57/fighters-history.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Marstorius (not Zangief) vs. Ray (not Ken) in Fighter’s History, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ca8d76aa-8e27-4ca2-8f3b-322fddca3c36/akira-nishitani-street-fighter-characters-not-inspired-by-other-sources.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c27f08e2-daf3-487e-9c38-4dd59b63f221/blanka-head-bite-pro-wrestling-amazon.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Check out the big Blanka post for more info, but basically Pro Wrestling features The Amazon, a green, Creature from the Black Lagoon-type character, and one of his special moves — which Yasuda specifically recalls Nishitani using on him, is a vicious head bite, just as Blanka does in Street Fighter II. A winner is you! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e4732c7f-32a7-4b77-b145-3e21df81122b/guile-somersault-kick-flash-gif.gif Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2b4a376c-f368-4782-9b39-f8dd1e19cc48/hanzo-fuuma-world-heroes.gif Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Hanzou (left) and Fuuma (right). Their fireballs may not look like Hadoukens on screen, but the control inputs to execute them are identical. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/515d4e29-8118-49ef-84de-21266f3b22fb/balrog-ending-super-street-fighterII.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/15366087-eb7a-410f-b3b1-ea21be35037f/chin-lu.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d0655c26-dce8-4b2f-b5e6-8e22e5184f59/chun-li-matthew-yeomans.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/04a9588b-e9fa-4a49-b2df-6a83e3505d7f/fighters-history-design-document.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3635776b-3c43-4d02-9f4b-80f411d2609e/fighters-history-design-document-white-house.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5f2ad9e2-0e78-4881-8108-5ea1e46c45de/amer1.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out I suppose this guy could have evolved into the Ray character, but with substantial differences. I kind of wish they’d gone ahead with the geography-defying “theme park” version of America depicted in the background, honestly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/361ee7c8-1531-4009-9d2f-c05cfd162f2f/amer2.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out It’s interesting that the two lead characters — the Ryu and Ken, basically, are both Americans. There’s no equivalent of this guy in the final version of the game, unless I’m mistaken. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b30d99bc-f73d-4c75-80ec-efba9d357fac/witch.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out There seems very little witchy about this alleged witch character. It doesn’t seem too much of a stretch that she evolved into Feilin, although this version might have been even closer to Chun-Li, who would eventually get the Great Wall of China as her stage in Street Fighter Alpha. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3ae53862-7329-405a-8951-e556883a68ec/kunoichi.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out I’m not sure any version of this female ninja character remains in the final version of the game, though the emphases on leg movies vaguely recalls Yungmie, the “oops, all kicks” character from the sequel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/880f89e5-8bcb-4ef5-901a-78a880570519/ryoko.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out After World Heroes snaked them with the whole “fighters from different time periods” gimmick, you have to wonder how Data East felt about ADK also getting their own female judoka. The World Heroes version, also named Ryoko, debuted in the sequel, which it arcades mere weeks after Fighter’s History did. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/64b11f85-dc19-4f23-8d73-a8d6ed9c1c45/punk.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out It is interesting and possibly even telling that Matlok was conceived of as a character who would never be mistaken for Guile but then evolved to get closer and closer to him. Had Data East stuck with the original idea, I’m not sure people would have figured him for being a Guile knockoff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c64c06ff-a81a-4f53-ae06-38da95597145/thai.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out On the flipside, it’s also telling that muay thai fighter Samchay always seemed to have a version of Sagat’s Tiger Knee move. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/14b03a1e-3390-490b-8f83-ec430dc7eefa/smaurai.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out I guess it’s a novel idea to have a character that has a sword but just doesn’t use it in battle? I suppose it’s possible that Data East just kept sanding off the edges of this samurai-looking guy until they ended up with the game’s “Ryu,” Mizoguchi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/26d156b4-61eb-476f-9e38-f5ec9e0a618e/roman.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out This wrestler character seems further from Zangief in terms of moves. The Trevi Foundtain background still remains in the game as Marstorius’s stage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7bd27114-22e0-4779-917d-34f5ad328b42/terminator.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out It’s not as if they would have been the first to insert an unlicensed facsimile of an Arnold Schwarzenegger character in a video game… But great word choices here. “Hunging bear.” “Dead howling.” “Giving a butt of head.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5a4b7cfe-2618-4fbb-9d1e-76c8fd39053d/egyptian.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out My only note? “Skirt.” Between this guy, Anakaris from Dark Stalkers and Titi/Chaos from Martial Champion, I wonder if there’s ever been a fighting game character from Egypt who wasn’t rocking the trappings of ancient Egypt. Is there? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0ed4ee89-fa00-49c0-a9ac-abb10950ec52/yogi.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Can anybody explain to me what a “saulnaought shot” is? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2eacf152-7230-4363-889c-3d84a24c405e/genesis+king+fighters+history.png Blog - Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit? - Make it stand out Genesis King is represented uniquely with what looks like pixel art. But is it original to this design document? Or is this a character Data East is pulling from another one of its games like it would eventually do with Karnov, the actual final boss? I need to know! https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/melon-bug-super-donkey-yoshis-island monthly 0.5 2025-04-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bd97d270-cbe5-4b4f-90d7-ffab69664858/zelda-ii-final-battle-sage.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out “Hi, Link! I’m making you fight your shadow self for reasons that will not be explained!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8b1b2741-4790-4401-b107-02866df12525/melon-bug-yoshi-island.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1eb130a8-0873-4e86-b6f9-8fcf3cda852a/super-donkey-beta-DK_sprite.png Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out According to The Cutting Room floor, this set of sprites is dated 1991. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dc76b62c-9f16-4b66-99b0-cbbef136a717/bpss-saru-yoshis-island.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out The filename indicates that this guy’s name was apparently called Boss Monkey (ボス さる or Bosu Saru), similar to how Bowser was originally Boss Creeper (ボス クリーパー or Bosu Kurīpā). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6bf22072-f205-4cad-a0c9-64e38278e57b/donkey+kong+new+look+mario+kart.png Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Not a whiff of that ‘90s, Rare-era attitude. Is this Seth Rogen’s fault? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/67b4b7f9-80d3-4f1a-8d45-22963fefafdd/donkey-kong-remodel.png Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out The many faces of Donkey Kong 3.0. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d4aef768-fc91-48ef-bdfd-f148ac2f9f1e/yoshis-island-puzzle.png Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out The theme for this artwork is “what if everyone just posed for no real reason?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/685711b7-c2bc-4389-bf5a-9bfd020b771b/super-donkey-mario.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/87827a28-eeeb-4620-8a8a-13393179574e/link-super-donkey.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/94e0e19a-1ddb-40d5-8e98-60ea70364ccf/mustache-baby-mario.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8881d1e9-a573-4bcf-b27c-94dd968fb441/yoshis-island-wizard-baby.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2b1db4b6-c8bc-4478-8906-844a0e7814d7/bandit-yoshis-island-pikku.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/243e64ce-0600-47bf-9c1f-29ecb9106f56/rocky-wrench-vehicle-yoshis-island.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7096eb62-be1c-45f4-a62d-271be8e1a51e/skeleton-yoshi.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/814e366f-2a31-4ce0-87e6-4fdd76358e57/hookbill-prototype-birdo-yoshis-island.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/491d1d73-9e00-42ac-b612-9c6d22ef18b9/lakitu-plane.gif Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a8d39270-73ff-4db6-a5bd-60fe01974c47/super-donkey-poochy-prototype.png Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/60164998-b22b-4428-9a5b-f8575c5d318a/diddy-dixie-redesign-calendar.jpg Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Separated sclera = adult? Conjoined, Sonic the Hedgehog-style sclera = juvenile? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/25653162-6577-4b79-9fa9-999717eb1be0/sky-skipper-stanley-the-bugman.png Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out “I should not be!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e551d0aa-2460-4521-9592-342d32b66354/sky-skipper-arcade-flyer.png Blog - How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/super-mario-magic-mushrooms-hallucinogenic-amanita-muscaria monthly 0.5 2025-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ccb0b5cf-e018-488c-a34b-7ee4260677e4/super-mario-bros-magic-mushroom.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1e333675-86c1-4d4c-b85f-db475a4bb149/smb-japanese-manual.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Via the Legends of Localization page comparing the English and Japanese versions of the manual. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2ca17195-06ec-41df-9f9f-762a92f4b61a/super-mario-mushroom-evolution.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Super Mario mushroom evolution! Clockwise from top-left: Super Mario Bros., The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros. 2. For the purposes of this post, I’m considering The Lost Levels to be a minor visual tweak to the original game, and not a complete graphic overhaul the way SMB2 and SMB3 were. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f49ac381-8264-4f3c-b9ff-c274be3656de/super-mario-amanita-muscaria-pattern.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: Super Mario World, and then the Super Mario All-Stars versions of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3. Only the SMB2 one would lack eyes, despite the fact that all the vegetables in the game do have eyes. Illogical! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4cd4cc64-02a3-45e7-9c5c-5fd5e50c59d6/amanita-muscaria-super-mario-mushroom.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out This is the Euro-Asian variety, which looks the most like the Super Mario version, although subspecies sport other cap colors — yellow, orange, tan, peach — and warty “spots” with different textures. (Via Wikipedia.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b56d73f1-d48c-4bcd-a609-51b51743f652/amanita-super-mario-rpg.gif Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out FWIW, the original Japanese name, ポピン (Popin), does not allude to hallucinogenic mushrooms in any way that I can tell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cce369df-75a9-41e5-a5ce-dbfca7a61ec8/Walter+Jenks+Morgan+-+The+Fairy+Ring++-+%28MeisterDrucke-161624%29.jpg Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out The Fairy Ring, by English painter Walter Jenks Morgan, circa 1870–1880. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9468a123-bd61-411a-8132-531373655c25/amanita-shaman.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Most searches for this photo this only turn up content regurgitating the claims of the connection between the amanita and Christmas. As a result, this shaman too has become a meme. But yeah, the popularity of the Sámi-Santa connection has made it harder to research this photo specifically and this subject in general. EDIT: Per a comment posted below, I’m seeing her name as Tatiana Urkachen, shaman of the Siberian Tungas tribe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/760a0fdb-5fe7-43e3-9792-e97b9c7219a4/amanita-mushroom-christmas-card.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out This is just one example, but seriously, just do an image search for “vintage mushroom christmas” or something thereabouts, and you’ll be astonished how much comes up. Or perhaps you won’t be surprised, considering how well the colors mesh with the season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/18463c28-1104-45f9-9d46-1b0cdfdca6a6/vintage-mushroom-dish-towel-70s.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out I like this artifact from the age of mushroom decor so much that I framed it. It’s hanging in my laundry room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c9299cf7-d691-4212-b95c-9440f0b19716/smurf-mushroom-house-amanita.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Per the Japanese Wikipedia page on the Smurfs (or スマーフ, Sumafu), it doesn’t seem like the cartoon series was especially popular in Japan, but Peyo’s original comics were popular enough receive Japanese translations up to and beyond the 2011 CGI movie. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3e2997a3-4ab5-47dd-ad13-1784a9e13791/mario-amanita-mushroom.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9ff3c161-ba66-444f-bff3-0e3e2b97dd5e/touch-fuzzy-get-dizzy.gif Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/495ed838-7761-4170-838f-1fb6a32f5aea/mario-mushroom-lamp-reading-letter.png Blog - Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/dr-wily-vs-albert-einstein monthly 0.5 2025-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/717d8bc0-e8bd-4b9c-8f69-f14f41ce12eb/dr-wily-pixel.gif Blog - Dr. Wily vs. Albert Einstein - Make it stand out Those eyebrows are how you know he’s evil. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2001843c-59dc-44bb-ae51-92af21632e55/dr-wily-einstein.png Blog - Dr. Wily vs. Albert Einstein - Make it stand out Based on the hair, that seems to be proto-Wily on the right. The proto-Dr. Light on the left is short and squat, but I think he actually has Albert Einstein eyes, oddly enough. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e6c9f615-7c49-4006-b9f3-7a5e7c67ce94/dr-wily-albert-einstein.png Blog - Dr. Wily vs. Albert Einstein - Make it stand out Aside from the shock of gray hair, Einstein’s eyes are one of his most noticeable features, and I think the Wily design took away his glasses to show off his eyes and make it clear who the character was supposed to resemble. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/83eb2d49-9946-46a1-9acd-a8dd3cc285e2/dr-wily-albert-einstein.gif Blog - Dr. Wily vs. Albert Einstein - Make it stand out Not especially subtle, I have to say. (Via.) https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/organ-grinders-mario-donkey-kong-monkey monthly 0.5 2025-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/399f9765-5eef-40ed-94d4-78501f09452c/Screenshot+2025-03-30+at+5.36.51%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out I don’t know if they’re ever referred to as such in the game proper, but the Nintendo Power Player’s Guide for Yoshi’s Island does identify these guys as Grinders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3e501f47-36e1-43b6-b210-49f570b28199/grinder-ukkiki-yoshi%27s-island.gif Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fffa39bd-df1c-4da5-8ed2-bc499bbe6bf6/organ-grinder-monkey.jpg Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out Illustration of an organ grinder and monkey, dated 1873. Via New York Public Library digital gallery, via Ephemeral New York. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bbf5e1a3-7353-4f4b-b892-56496827dabe/donkey-kong-jr-arcade-flyer.png Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ec3d39fa-a4e7-4324-b35d-cd4fd927a213/mario-segale-mustache.png Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out Please note that this is not an image of Mario Segale, because apparently none exist online showing his mustache phase. Instead, I’m giving you this image of Captain Lou Albano from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Fun fact: The handlebar mustache is sometimes called the spaghetti mustache specifically because of its association with Italian men. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/afcc77cf-cae4-411d-8710-ce023c2ef41e/organ-grinder-super-mario.png Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out Not a photo of a real-life Mario and Donkey Kong, contrary to what you might think. (Via the Library of Congress.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d9d6526d-dbd8-41f9-85bd-9c037d3ddc1c/grinder-ukiki-mario.png Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out Left: art of a Grinder from Yoshi’s Island. Center: Ukiki as he appears in Super Mario 64. Right: Ukiki now, sporting the Grinder’s big puffy cheeks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bbff5fce-8b19-4e67-af4e-7e4807c43346/grinder-kong-yoshi-island-beta.gif Blog - Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/time-magazine-birdo-transgender monthly 0.5 2025-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ce463e7d-00f6-479e-8e0f-d5ff1b1126a7/time-magazine-super-mario-issue.png Blog - Did Time Magazine Declare Birdo Trans? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/620335ee-aabb-47ec-8ea7-fd4e5d49adfe/birdo-transgender-time-magazine.png Blog - Did Time Magazine Declare Birdo Trans? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e497e760-ddc1-4548-870d-057dc9cde903/ramayana.png Blog - Did Time Magazine Declare Birdo Trans? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f4fc0c82-f24a-4a1b-9ee4-981eecd71a1a/birdo-trans-flag-colors-mario-kart-world.png Blog - Did Time Magazine Declare Birdo Trans? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/chocobo-origin-kyorochan-pyoro-horseclaws-nausicaa monthly 0.5 2025-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/78d60665-3090-4ee0-b879-0a49909ab46c/pyoro-kyorochan.png Blog - The Chocobo Was Not Inspired by Nausicaä, Apparently? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a5467f66-5874-4371-88ec-49663489e8e3/chocobo-origin.png Blog - The Chocobo Was Not Inspired by Nausicaä, Apparently? - Make it stand out Left: Yoshitaka Amano concept art for the Chocobo in Final Fantasy III. Right: The Final Fantasy VI Chocobo sprite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/132b60e6-2b09-4478-aea6-baefaebf4265/horseclaws-nausicaa.gif Blog - The Chocobo Was Not Inspired by Nausicaä, Apparently? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/00b67ec2-2052-4a2b-8146-a8813a08ff91/nausicaa-horseclaw-chocobo.gif Blog - The Chocobo Was Not Inspired by Nausicaä, Apparently? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/503d285a-5d29-4f97-8deb-a4842295b47a/final-fantasy-chocobo-kweh-wark.png Blog - The Chocobo Was Not Inspired by Nausicaä, Apparently? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a99ee1f2-72fa-4c40-b081-e4627e31ded2/chocobo-pyoro-kyorochan.png Blog - The Chocobo Was Not Inspired by Nausicaä, Apparently? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/chrono-trigger-character-name-origins monthly 0.5 2025-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cf4323b8-8799-462d-816f-1b4958e42dd3/crono-chrono-trigger.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2761ec66-b10f-4a7e-9f4e-f5f568407710/marle-chrono-trigger-gif+copy.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d3d05267-caf5-4010-a659-c3043b133c21/luca-chrono-trigger.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fc3212bd-dd1d-4d33-b15b-fbb93cdd53eb/frog-chrono-trigger-gif.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a6248b34-538b-44de-84fe-a6ac695d9e7e/robo-chrono-trigger.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8cdf3040-f217-4644-899f-ed1a93906928/ayla-chrono-trigger.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a44080f4-8d0f-492e-8e99-c232db8a306f/magus-chrono-trigger.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2bba2daf-c44e-42c8-bd8c-f778591dedbc/guile-chrono-cross.png Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Not Magus! But a reasonable facsimile thereof, with a little of Jareth the Goblin King thrown in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c255768a-8f03-4831-9367-296eb11c809f/schala-chrono-trigger.gif Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fbb6b3aa-9124-4fd7-9aeb-480d67abffc0/norstein-bekkler-chrono-cross.png Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4daca8e4-0774-444d-93cb-d6051bb3580a/chrono_trigger-campfire.png Blog - On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/how-warioware-brought-the-satanic-panic-to-nintendo monthly 0.5 2025-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8bbae8a7-861c-4c9a-a83b-665736f77079/ashley-red-wario-ware.png Blog - How WarioWare Brought the Satanic Panic to Nintendo - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/891f8449-ce27-484c-9577-dbe407733b24/ashley-granted-kids-to-hell-nintendo-power.png Blog - How WarioWare Brought the Satanic Panic to Nintendo - Make it stand out Via archive.org, but I futzed with the layout to make it fit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9be8c210-2b76-4edf-9737-1dd87d6cb9ce/dancing-devil-dvil-world-nintendo.gif Blog - How WarioWare Brought the Satanic Panic to Nintendo - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7413ed84-9580-4cb8-b050-1017e7cc9487/emily-the-strange-rosamond-nate-the-great.png Blog - How WarioWare Brought the Satanic Panic to Nintendo - Make it stand out Left: Illustration by Marc Simont appearing in 1974’s Nate the Great Goes Undercover. Right: An Emily the Strange graphic from 1998. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/apparently-william-f-guile-is-street-fighter-canon monthly 0.5 2025-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8e38ffbf-7d9a-45dc-969b-3ce9b9a88323/guile-polnareff.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Left: Guile. Right: Polnareff. Don’t tell Paul Phoenix he wasn’t invited to the high hair party. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d3dc111e-0876-470b-9d9a-f87b399271ea/guile-full-name-dogtags-william-f-guile.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Dogtag closeup via this post on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e0ee6ba2-16d9-4667-94a5-f679c6726092/street-fighter-v-dogtags-guile-f-williams.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Dogtag closeup via this post on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e453a7cb-3204-4ed0-8bdc-048d6d74af68/guile-last-name-street-fighter-6.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Inset added for clarity! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e268b82f-04e2-48cf-b437-5931739c4da9/street-fighter-6-guile-dogtags-last-name-williams.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Again, inset added for clarity. This image was provided by Bluesky user @roto13.bsky.social, who responded to my request that someone zoom in on and check out Guile’s model. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3b566546-5b7f-48dc-bde7-c365023437d1/gunloc-guiles-brother-street-fighter.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/15aa52da-0621-4eb0-9595-6959101f1c75/gunloc-guile-brother-slam-masters.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4cb790be-bcfc-4342-a83c-7e7edd7ce43e/lucky-colt-slam-masters.png Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out The gist is that he’s the quickest fighter in the CWA (Capcom Wrestling Association) but he gets too excited in matches and loses often. Like most of the playable wrestlers in Saturday Night Slam Masters, Gunloc has a different name in the Japanese original: “ラッキー・コルト (Rakkī Koruto) — or Lucky Colt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d4ce9295-dfca-4165-9747-e134baba98bc/cammy-street-fighter-kylie-minogue.gif Blog - Apparently ‘William F. Guile’ Is Street Fighter Canon? - Make it stand out Via Fighter’s Generation. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/aerith-final-fantasy-v-lemure monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a1c71f9f-26d1-4243-bf67-3d22eb59ef8c/aerith-ff5-lemure.png Blog - Does Aerith Make a Stealth Cameo in Final Fantasy V? - Make it stand out Top: original sprite. Bottom: sprite from the 2013 iOS remaster. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9888c5c4-3ed8-48ae-9271-3bd25cc4c879/aerith-ff.png Blog - Does Aerith Make a Stealth Cameo in Final Fantasy V? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/24dfa1e3-99d7-444e-bfad-0b347f869c1a/ffv-aerith-prototype-rozana-lemure.png Blog - Does Aerith Make a Stealth Cameo in Final Fantasy V? - Make it stand out Written beneath the sketch is ロザーナ or Rozāna, a possible name for this character early on. (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0ebd26bb-adf9-4b7f-80d2-4a290aebd76e/ribbon.jpg Blog - Does Aerith Make a Stealth Cameo in Final Fantasy V? - Make it stand out Left: Official art for the ribbon item from FFII. Right: Official art from FFIII. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/final-fantasy-vs-dungeons-dragons monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a05aa0c0-13ed-46e3-87b9-da3840662613/hexas-secret-of-mana.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4678cf2f-6788-4048-9efb-ecd9ae09f713/kali-marilith-final-fantasy-secret-of-mana.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Left: Kary/Marilith in Final Fantasy Adventure; Right: Kary/Marilith in Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster, which I will be using throughout this piece, just because I’ll be referring to design characteristics and these better reflect the concept art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/adb85e86-1705-4e84-98a2-618b17bb4c11/marilith-D%26D.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1e96e1b9-a800-4eed-80b0-853a227cae0f/final-fantasy-beholder.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Left: The Beholder, as Dungeons & Dragons depicts it. Right: The Beholder, as Final Fantasy briefly depicted it but no longer does. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b9cb85b6-3c65-4bd6-9f49-2ff3ca2c485d/ankheg-final-fantasy.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/724aff89-9a0c-411f-86d7-393189d2f296/black-flan-final-fantasy.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Left: The FF1 version of the Black Flan. Right: The look the Black Flan had from FFII onwards — but doesn’t it look weirdly like Ultros? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/21de5013-5f16-437f-8d1e-a1221f66c4ff/mind-flayer-final-fantasy-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d010d929-521d-457a-9318-d5f88f20e188/ocho-final-fantasy-dungeons-dragons-otyugh.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/49abf7a5-7014-428a-b0a3-6f4283393db0/ochu-concept-art-final-fantasy.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/42684ddb-31b2-4a6a-830e-645ac0316563/rakshasa-final-fantasy-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/26bd2dc4-f0c9-42b7-bc3a-4542441baeac/rhyos-gorgimera-final-fantasy-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f21f38a9-6bd5-4aff-8851-4082015db226/tiamat-final-fantasy-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3b75a0a5-2206-41f0-a695-5f5f556d2ec2/behemoth-final-fantasy-tarrasque-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Top: the FFII version of the Behemoth. Bottom: The D&D Tarrasque, per the Monster Manual II. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d744559e-a23a-4e86-9cbe-fa66af53a279/bomb-final-fantasy-gas-spore-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8b2f103c-ae93-4869-a544-784d3777603d/mindflayer-dnd-final-fantasy.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Does the Mind Flayer’s catalogue of arcane magicks include one for dispelling lawsuits? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4a6e8b16-6fd8-4861-84aa-44e4bdb6746e/mimic-dragon-quest-dungeons-dragons.png Blog - Final Fantasy vs. Dungeons & Dragons - Make it stand out Left: The Dragon Quest version of the Mimic. Right: The Secret of Mana version of the Mimic. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/phanna-pamaela-origin-secret-of-mana monthly 0.5 2025-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/09af472e-84a6-4adf-84c9-c1598edb49fb/phanna-pamaela-secret-of-mana.png Blog - Secret of Mana’s Mysterious Blue-Haired Girl - Make it stand out Full translation forthcoming, but it’s contrasting the demure Phanna with the more outgoing Primm. (Image via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7fab278f-a719-40c1-b5d8-c40fc52dd810/palamena-visions-of-mana.png Blog - Secret of Mana’s Mysterious Blue-Haired Girl - Make it stand out The sweetest squirrel-girl in video games (not verified). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e7971819-0617-47bc-ba1a-2b9a1449d5ac/paemel-palamena-drag-visions-of-mana.jpg Blog - Secret of Mana’s Mysterious Blue-Haired Girl - Make it stand out Not a Blue Mage but a blue Red Mage. Blue-haired girl necessitates blue mustache, obviously. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3e272c43-bc93-4305-95f5-2ab22e87130d/palamena-red-mage-visions-of-mana.png Blog - Secret of Mana’s Mysterious Blue-Haired Girl - Make it stand out A double video game allusion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/94c4ec61-9d3b-4b2b-a4c1-a5be9adbd49b/secret-of-mana-villains-empire-sheex-geshtar-fanha.png Blog - Secret of Mana’s Mysterious Blue-Haired Girl - Make it stand out The Secret of Mana villains per the 2018 remake. Left to right: Geshtar, Fanha, Vandole, Sheex and Thanatos, along with the bigger, badder boss forms in back. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/dyluck-name-origin-secret-mana-visions monthly 0.5 2025-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/87461a8a-afb7-48c0-b939-62cd84a83605/dyluck-secret-of-mana.png Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out Luckless Dyluck, video game dreamboat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8e3a6989-c2ab-4e54-86d9-a5de4747c68f/seiken-densetsu-emergence-excalibur-secret-mana.png Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out Translation: The prologue to a grand battle spanning generations unfolds at last... The island of Bardos remains under the reign of terror wrought by the demon Vargas. Countless knights have challenged Vargas to battle, and all have been defeated. The only way to defeat Vargas is to take up the holy sword Excalibur, embedded deep in the earth, and slay him with it. The legendary holy sword, Excalibur, possesses its own will and serves only a master of its own choosing. And now, a young man has taken his first step into battle. The curtain is set to rise on a grand epic… For the first time in Japan, the party members joining you will move independently! In order to defeat monsters, you must recruit comrades to fight alongside you. However, if careful consideration is not given when choosing your companions, you could end up in big trouble! What's more, each member of your party has a unique personality. Some are reliable allies, whereas others are cowardly and run when faced with a monster. Your choice of allies is the key to victory. Never before has there been a game like this! I could and should write a whole separate post on this game which was never released but which nonetheless resulted in the creation of the Mana franchise as well as other titles. For now, you can read more about this “lost” game here, here and here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6cc7b80e-09be-4c4c-a7b2-45d7cca11ee1/booskaboo-vuscav-trials-of-mana.png Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out The turtle formerly known as Booskaboo, as he appears in Trials of Mana. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a19c4d2e-67d3-45f1-ba7c-9f64909245a4/sumo-hero-final-fantasy-adventure.png Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/42591acd-ba54-4cda-a61b-4406e042fb38/secret-of-mana-final-fantasy-adventure-2.png Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c6bc1aa1-ae04-46f7-b702-15733bb813fa/hinna-fuji-elena-mana-maidens.png Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out Mana maidens, left to right: Hinna, Fuji and Elena. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dd678934-691f-4168-808a-ffbdd9e7e70a/LGR_0342_%E9%BB%92%E3%81%AE%E8%B2%B4%E5%85%AC%E5%AD%90_%E7%9C%9F%E3%83%92%E3%82%99%E3%82%AD%E3%83%8B.jpg Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f4e41a66-275a-4cf5-8d3e-c4e9fb821d7b/primm-dyluck-thanatos.png Blog - Justice for Dyluck: Sacrifice and Star-Crossed Love in Visions of Mana - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/ahriman-veteran-name-origin-final-fantasy monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/310aeaed-713e-411a-88a9-a9a39ba4e75e/ahirman-veteran-battle-ffiv.png Blog - Why on Earth Was This Final Fantasy Monster Named ‘Veteran’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c4c22c22-5e81-4e18-870d-598bf52f2625/beholder-evil-eye-final-fantasy.png Blog - Why on Earth Was This Final Fantasy Monster Named ‘Veteran’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/prin-prin-guinevere-name-ghosts-goblins monthly 0.5 2025-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e17d965a-75ea-4c79-b7ac-9b9bfe0fb40a/arthur-prin-prin-ending-kiss.gif Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4b92b3c5-35cb-449b-b602-47977bde921e/ghosts-goblins-ending.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Strongth! (Via vgmuseum.com.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a369ae1e-9386-4b95-9ce4-f3440942c9a2/princess-prin-prin-measurements.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Via vgmuseum.com. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/95bc0846-b37f-4a5a-bc13-60d1b8db2aa0/guinevere-prin-prin-instruction-manual Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c3ce123d-64e5-4e32-aa33-d3d9f0b30413/ghosts-goblins-intro-explained.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Translation: Arthur leaped into action to save his dear princess when Satan suddenly attacked. While he obtained a map in battle, the losses were great with many dead and injured. I was one of those who survived but my wound from battle was deep and I was being treated by Princess Guinevere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ca993b68-865e-491a-8806-83574b873c0c/ghosts-goblins-resurrection-prin-prin-date.jpg Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Not a graveyard, not a medical emergency. (Via famicoms.net.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/34d00a89-04d4-4cf2-a4fb-b66686fa3422/ghosts-goblnis-picnic.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Via @YS51577346 on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9158c7b7-3409-4fbf-91e6-2bda2b467de7/ghosts-ghouls-ending.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/230ee822-9176-4892-834f-56c24e8f92c4/ghosts-goblins-princess-of-hus.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/97436bd8-8ee8-499c-9a09-622a03295289/ghouls-ghosts-princess-tamara.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/039651cc-539a-4371-ab94-0f59045f9be6/prin-prin-ghosts-goblins-reiko-hayama.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c738a2ff-088c-4c00-b6f2-7f8ab01011c0/chun-li-bwh-measurements-street-fighter-ii.png Blog - Wherefore Art Thou, Princess Prin Prin? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/ghosts-goblins-religion-censorship-nintendo monthly 0.5 2025-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/15d58227-08be-4f29-afb5-ea5fe7e009f4/makai-gargoyles-quest.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out The makai of Gargoyle’s Quest, a spinoff to the Ghosts ’n Goblins series, looking very much hellish despite technically not being hell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f7303938-8edd-485b-b442-6896304bfd2d/Screenshot+2024-12-27+at+9.33.20%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a9393405-a29a-4806-b352-f3d746da75dc/ghost-goblins-flyer.jpg Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Via the Arcade Flyer Archive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a77d9582-51bb-41ff-a3e3-47c75db0b275/ghouls-ghosts-ending-genesis-loki.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6de1e44d-e218-4f94-9064-e8a15dbc3a42/ghouls-ghosts-prince-darkness.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out I’m honestly not sure if Sega of America had an official ban on religious elements. It would explain the name switch, but if you know, please tell me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d1563d10-bc85-4db5-8711-d14df0eba0fe/ghouls-ghosts-nes-crosses.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/13a9fa11-66ad-4c15-ac7e-ebe7d8098945/ghouls-ghosts-ankh-tombstone.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/985fa237-dc8b-4499-a658-b275615b5903/ghouls-ghosts-resurrection-graveyard.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/03f79b40-4b6c-4af4-99e6-0ba67e477e97/The_Emperors_of_Makai.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out From bottom to top: a lowly zombie, Red Arremer, Astaroth, Lucifer, Sardius and Hades. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1a48ca8d-aad6-449c-9c1d-f91187fdd6e1/ghosts-goblins-arcade-marquee.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a3b9fddc-fbd3-47ba-ad15-fddab621aea7/ghosts-n-goblins-arcade-marquee-misspelled.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ed305020-b27a-4a16-906a-e69c797cb722/little-girl-ghouls-ghosts.png Blog - Ghosts ’n Goblins vs. Nintendo’s Ban on Religion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/nintendo-devil-religion-ban-warios-woods monthly 0.5 2025-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/61873b18-1749-401d-8552-7aacd0ca5106/fauster-akuaman-warios-woods.png Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9be8c210-2b76-4edf-9737-1dd87d6cb9ce/dancing-devil-dvil-world-nintendo.gif Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Git down, disco devil! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e1b62d42-7faf-45ff-b87a-f1fb1ee6b26a/link-christianity.png Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out From A Link to the Past onward, Link would no longer carry that shield. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7e8028fe-f3df-405a-bddf-b7c2a92b6a10/link-zelda2-cross.png Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/871ca40e-1372-41ef-93a3-2df011fec38a/warios-woods-bosses.gif Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1b141a3c-9225-4f77-9214-2e02a64c160a/warios-woods-bosses-snes.gif Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d59da399-fec9-46e4-ac52-2ed5f23f49f4/Screenshot+2024-12-21+at+2.14.04%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f5300015-88fa-4379-9565-13248bc382aa/KC+Mario+warios+woods.png Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/be474541-3811-4f6a-9810-02a3604ed438/abata-warios-woods.gif Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5aa8894b-7737-412e-8af5-bbeb1b08d664/warios-woods-ending.png Blog - The Devil in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/rosalina-glinda-homage-super-mario-galaxy monthly 0.5 2025-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1ecb89e9-26b9-41cb-9ee2-8bc086b01794/rosalina-glinda.png Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c50d3963-2336-4286-9d79-651397f4da6e/glinda-rosalina.png Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1cc270f0-dd67-4792-ab41-fdb8d3a42a58/glinda-bubble-gif.gif Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d4d19882-f239-4a17-a18c-753f53674359/rosalina-cosmic-witch.png Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7ea13eff-5756-4efc-9829-7f91f91e215c/rosalina-storybook-peach-daughter.png Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out It’s one big DWAI, but some people think this castle in the background is the Peach’s castle and that the mom she’s remembering might actually be Peach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/af1da4cc-159e-4967-8de5-9a25e98efdfe/rosalina-peach-daughter-relative.png Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c39bb407-955a-40b6-a188-a7fe5e388e5b/witch-rosalina-witch-peach.png Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out Major props to whoever thought Witch Peach should be holding one of the wands from Super Mario Bros. 3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/11305a42-b4f3-4d3e-9059-e246459d8819/sarissa-warios-woods-witch.gif Blog - Is There a Wizard of Oz Reference Hidden in Super Mario Galaxy? - Make it stand out Based on his expression, I’m guessing Toad does not support feminism? https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/video-game-names-mysterious-etymologies monthly 0.5 2026-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b8b133d4-e86c-4532-9a38-65e6d2ee582d/remy-sf3-vincent-ice.png Blog - The Wanted List: Video Game Names and Terms With Unknown Origins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c25b9ea3-864e-43ad-b558-9660c1c573d5/Screenshot+2026-03-23+at+1.26.09%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - The Wanted List: Video Game Names and Terms With Unknown Origins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/37b81d6e-e0c6-4f9b-ae25-44e863d2b9b5/wild-gunman-outlaw.png Blog - The Wanted List: Video Game Names and Terms With Unknown Origins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/tower-babel-super-mario-bros-3 monthly 0.5 2024-11-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/694ba695-c47e-4dc6-b49e-ca8eaf9c401a/sky-land-smb3-map.png Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/45be663c-d2ae-48ac-b15e-7874dc5b425d/tower-babel-Coenraet-Decker.png Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2d9d388a-0b35-41bf-a242-ef73a6c432b2/gustave-dore-confusion-tongues-tower-babel.png Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e380c786-d5f1-46c3-8a62-5b7a2a7aff28/bedford-hours-tower-babel.png Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f1483ea9-b119-4291-ad11-a5119f575e2f/valckenborch-tower-babel.png Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8182e201-a863-4f31-9880-eb090c03ec03/smb3-sky-tower-babel.png Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ca8c76e6-fb0e-4fbe-851d-1e5e7f5eeec2/Screenshot+2024-11-13+at+2.35.09%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eb294553-089c-4ff1-966f-cfb0fe56e6ed/dry-bones-dance.gif Blog - Does the Tower of Babel Make a Cameo in Super Mario Bros. 3? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/martial-champion-titi-chaos-name-change monthly 0.5 2024-11-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/94dac16f-6b5a-4789-a7ba-4fc9f142536a/martial-champion-egypt-chaos-titi.png Blog - Don’t Call Her ‘Titty’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ef24d33b-bbed-4520-93a9-6dbfd9221c88/titi-chaos-martial-champion.png Blog - Don’t Call Her ‘Titty’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/954aa817-a858-457b-9e7a-ded3ba77fa34/rachael-martial-champion.png Blog - Don’t Call Her ‘Titty’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c3b253a6-7240-4a72-bb7c-b2df286ec566/martial-champion-arcade-flyer.jpg Blog - Don’t Call Her ‘Titty’ - Make it stand out Via The Arcade Flyer Archive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a0d5b979-ac7b-4856-896a-41422990863a/martial-champion-france-stage.png Blog - Don’t Call Her ‘Titty’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/fighters-history-street-fighter-chun-li-feilin monthly 0.5 2024-11-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c5f61ee7-72f7-42a6-8a52-57de646accfa/chun-li-feilin.gif Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2d9ccf75-228e-48e0-91e6-173f66d4125f/feilin-chun-li-clone.png Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Via Archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6538dc93-d26f-4df7-9987-ff4234aeca72/mitsuko-adelman-data-east.png Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out (Also I am fascinated by Mitsuko’s bangs.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/51c3e1e3-1a90-4092-aaa0-10bf1d3cac83/matlok-jean-guile-fighters-history.gif Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ad8bd411-3bff-49b7-afb4-ed6406de663e/samchay-sagat-fighters-history.gif Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c3090c35-2646-4d43-bd87-448e898441ec/marstorious-fighters-history-zangief.gif Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9546ecf8-4d4a-4ccd-9bc5-fbf46ccccd81/ray-mizoguchi-ryu-ken.gif Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b28b70ae-1536-4097-87d3-bcb3ce44bacf/feilin-fighters-history-chun-li.png Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/df71b424-1a8f-43af-b207-5c78abe95f8a/yungmie-fighters-history-chun-li.gif Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d46b6001-8bc6-4ff8-b23d-cfc3134c4c54/ryo-art-of-fighting-ryu-street-fighter.gif Blog - Fighter’s History: Legally Not a Street Fighter Clone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/street-fighters-surprising-crossover-with-red-earth monthly 0.5 2024-10-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/77357d09-ffee-4cef-9845-a353cf027124/menat3-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e5efb633-eb76-495b-a0ca-cebb0c11569a/ravange-red-earth.gif Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aa7f2359-7189-4393-9485-c98850a4c7ca/ken-street-fighter-alpha-2.gif Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out From left to right, per Resetera: Lord Raptor, Hsien-Ko, Mei-Ling, the Unknown Soldiers, Morrigan, Victor Ortega and Biff Slamkovich from Saturday Night Slam Masters, Eliza, Captain Commando, Ginzu and Carol (also from Captain Commando), Strider Hiryu, Linn Kurosawa from Alien vs. Predator, Felicia, and finally Pure the Mage from Adventure Quiz. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4b8b2d65-f631-4ee6-aeae-fbd8539ed6d0/hsien-ko-street-fighter-alpha-2.gif Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3c06cb83-149a-48d0-9dd6-dbe6e9e025a0/tabasa-tessa-red-earth+copy.gif Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e3fbeb00-a4f4-4855-89d6-853788fc7f00/world-map-redearth.png Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/75b7c2be-f2f4-48e0-9db4-f27df44c3346/lavia-red-earth-harpy-sprite.gif Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d985aaf7-b1f3-4735-8dc1-b7622e1ba279/felicia-darkstalkers-blanka-ending.png Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9e902185-059f-48fb-83f3-f64b29e0c73a/felicia-fourth-wall-breaker.png Blog - Street Fighter’s Surprising Crossover With Red Earth - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/street-fighter-sodom-name-origin monthly 0.5 2025-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/271aa05e-7f28-4d82-b19c-057fc8fb129c/sodom-street-fighter-gay.gif Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ab71170a-834a-482a-9044-5c19f9346f01/Screenshot+2024-10-02+at+10.33.10%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Street Fighter IV: Andore vs. Rolento in the foreground, but Sodom versus Mike Haggar in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/00e0933b-ac98-4862-beb2-9afd1292ed9f/gustave-dore-destruction-of-sodom.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out The Destruction of Sodom, by Gustave Doré, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/814b9bd5-14f5-4a07-af6a-d6f0458dd181/street-fighter-89.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out An early flyer advertising Final Fight under its original name, Street Fighter '89, (via). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0d0bb12a-b028-42ab-889e-b9fea0ec4bf7/sodom-death-kanji-drawn-incorrectly.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Left to right: Sodom’s original Final Fight art, the Sega CD version with the misshapen kanji and finally his look in the Street Fighter Alpha games. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/838f02f8-def6-482e-be8c-5ab0d80f7b17/sodom-die-job-death-car.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via Flying Omelette. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/19c878c8-e1a2-483a-8c27-02efea1a319e/sodom-street-fighter-go-clack-jaw-boots.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via Flying Omelette. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c293194b-0e6a-4de3-b790-143c2fe19ddb/sodom-street-fighter-never-never-not-oh.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via Flying Omelette. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7aae9155-ab14-437e-bae1-6ade58b9dbf3/eight-car-gay-need-say.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via Flying Omelette. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/531b6aba-1d30-48fe-8260-3c1e14a4954f/sodom-win-quote-bad-japanese.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via Bison2WinQuote. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d3aa3fed-dbff-4cb5-8664-f4bfa163dd47/sodom-mutt-achy.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via Bison2WinQuote. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4bafa4b4-09d0-4f8d-bf14-acc81ac0d888/sodom-street-fighter-dont-touch-my-moustache.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via Bison2WinQuote. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6e0d68b1-ab98-484c-82a3-88128bace241/sodom-street-fighter-6-truck-kiss-ache-away.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via this Reddit post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6a3b2f12-da45-4a41-9833-537f77a5c3f4/street-fighter-6-gomorrah.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via this Reddit post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e63c40f7-63e5-4e31-a179-dfc355f42d95/sodom-street-fighter-alpha-semi-truck.gif Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b49be34c-18ad-4d00-ad5a-968bdc5e2530/eagle-street-fighter-gay.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7b4f205a-c236-4c7d-b363-dd59c5f21571/final-fight-gay-guy.png Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via The Cutting Room Floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0daeeb15-9657-424a-828a-c1b642e52d7c/final-fight-jake-gay.jpeg Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/77d32874-86f6-42ea-a8f3-aeea8cfd5058/sfa2-birdie-mensroom.gif Blog - Why Does Street Fighter Have a Character Named ‘Sodom’? - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/street-fighter-shotokan-ansatsuken monthly 0.5 2024-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e149bf7b-fdaa-4672-b988-7c1e4eebab1f/ryu-street-fighter-shotokan.png Blog - Ryu and Ken No Longer Practice Shotokan Karate - Make it stand out Ryu’s profile in the instruction manual for the Super NES port of Street Fighter II Turbo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/714acaa8-09af-4df5-ab61-143ad2949929/1993-sf2-ryu-fc-clipped-for-3djoes_orig.jpg Blog - Ryu and Ken No Longer Practice Shotokan Karate - Make it stand out Back of the box bio for a Hasbro line of G.I. Joe-themed Street Fighter II toys. (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/51171d5d-be33-4c8c-9cce-2983ea646e9f/ryu-street-fighter-topps-card.png Blog - Ryu and Ken No Longer Practice Shotokan Karate - Make it stand out Bio on a 1993-era Topps trading card featuring Ryu. (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/04366735-705d-4fb1-b2c3-aae0dc1e662c/ryu-street-fighter-not-shotokan.png Blog - Ryu and Ken No Longer Practice Shotokan Karate - Make it stand out Translation: Studying martial arts from a young age, Ryu and Ken are gifted martial artists who developed their own unique styles. The two rivals set out on a journey to become the best in the world of martial arts. Facing off against the strongest and most skilled Street Fighters from around the world, who will be the one to claim the title of ”The Strongest Man in the World”? Will it be Ryu, or Ken?! Ryu: Studying martial arts from a young age and developing his own unique style, he was dubbed a ”martial arts prodigy.” Risking life and limb, he set out to be a Street Fighter, aiming for the title of the world's strongest. Ken: Like Ryu, he's a prodigy martial artist, studying from a young age and developed his own unique style. He's able to stand toe to toe with Ryu. He is also aiming for the title of ”Strongest Man in the World” and set out on a journey. (If you want to know the history of Ryu and Ken’s names — and why Ken’s is being represented with kanji here, rather than katakana, read this post.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d6a0fdcd-50a6-4b23-b433-41074fa7f95e/gen-street-fighter-ansatsuken.png Blog - Ryu and Ken No Longer Practice Shotokan Karate - Make it stand out Translation: It would be more accurate to call him an assassin rather than a martial artist. He studied Chinese martial arts from a young age and developed his own style called Ansatsuken. Considerable skill is necessary in order to break through his Ansatsuken and defeat him. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ab3dd542-de00-4524-aeb3-ff3073bf45a7/fist-north-star-ansatsuken.png Blog - Ryu and Ken No Longer Practice Shotokan Karate - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cf431b5a-63e5-404d-87d3-9601bb782067/fist-north-star-hokuto-shinken.png Blog - Ryu and Ken No Longer Practice Shotokan Karate - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/sheng-long-mistranslation-street-fighter-gouken monthly 0.5 2024-09-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/970d2894-59d9-4805-b5cc-26e966a8f412/street-fighter-you-must-defeat-sheng-long.png Blog - Sheng Long, Street Fighter and the Legacy of W.A. Stokins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fce12c2f-91c7-454a-9495-4d0a27f6b893/street-fighter-sheng-long-egm-prank.png Blog - Sheng Long, Street Fighter and the Legacy of W.A. Stokins - Make it stand out I have some suggestions for the layout editor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/41b9dda3-adb4-4a69-aba6-fa5b56072819/egm-sheng-long-prank-1997.png Blog - Sheng Long, Street Fighter and the Legacy of W.A. Stokins - Make it stand out For the record, the layout on this page is much better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bc1a92e2-57a5-4696-84e5-3664452dacd0/sheng-long-shadaloo-combat-research.png Blog - Sheng Long, Street Fighter and the Legacy of W.A. Stokins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2bd3b7fe-7f27-49bf-9b0f-6321f906c850/sheng-long-ken-flaming-shoryuken.png Blog - Sheng Long, Street Fighter and the Legacy of W.A. Stokins - Make it stand out Left: Sheng Long's flaming Shōryūken in Thailand, per the EGM prank. Right: Ken's flaming Shōryūken in Thailand, per Street Fighter Alpha. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/27e53e5d-71bb-408d-8026-c9aa6dafccc5/mortal-kombat-ermacs.png Blog - Sheng Long, Street Fighter and the Legacy of W.A. Stokins - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/impa-legend-of-zelda-origin-instruction-manual monthly 0.5 2024-08-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/67a947ad-a180-474c-9ba8-a6f06000d62d/impa-ocarina-of-time.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a74101df-b45b-45f5-8741-9d10880a49c6/zelda1-prologue-impa.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out Overlaying text onto a graphic backround was apparently still new technology in 1987, so if you’re having trouble reading it, it’s reprinted here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/206c0cef-3960-496e-899d-b29638fb72db/impa-legend-of-zelda.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a685e690-0c24-4d15-b980-f3b596b61fc4/zelda2-prologue-impa.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/86f7209a-f71d-4ff6-9ea2-fdf0d57b9a3e/evil-gay-prince-zelda2.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out Think “Little Lord Fauntleroy gone very, very bad,” in a way that make me wish he’d become playable in a Zelda title, whip and all. Maybe for the next Hyrule Warriors? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ba766ae8-28a0-4a9f-8da2-6edafdb8f4a9/mario-zelda-sheets.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out I slept with Impa every night! These sheets were… not particularly comfortable, in addition to being off-model. The early 90s were a great but strange time to be a child who liked video games. (Image via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cd0f3d5f-b79e-4d59-937a-3abd9d9e1498/pols-voice-zelda-name-origin.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1ad19232-7cbe-465f-ba59-6b1d9dd04074/submit-link.png Blog - How Impa Jumped from Background Lore to the Zelda In-Game Canon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/ganon-name-origin-zelda monthly 0.5 2024-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/422f5978-90e2-4671-a82a-a1f5ca0eab13/smash-melee-intro-triforce-ganon.png Blog - We Don’t Know Where Ganon’s Name Comes From - Make it stand out The three Triforces are equal, but characters associated with them apparently aren't. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/39631b5f-9613-4edd-8431-bb25e53e3744/game-over-return-of-ganon.png Blog - We Don’t Know Where Ganon’s Name Comes From - Make it stand out If this doesn't trigger your childhood PTSD, then play the audio clip below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8be7ccdc-2007-4d64-9db3-67595a435b43/ganondorf-dragmire.png Blog - We Don’t Know Where Ganon’s Name Comes From - Make it stand out If you're curious about how much the English localization for A Link to the Past added atop the Japanese original, this site has some interesting comparison. Spoiler: It's lots! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/251c976f-1898-432d-93ad-6635ef15bab4/Retronauts_ganon-episode.png Blog - We Don’t Know Where Ganon’s Name Comes From - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b37b5f28-d2a3-425b-94e6-62697c6779ff/canon-camera-kwannon-logo.png Blog - We Don’t Know Where Ganon’s Name Comes From - Make it stand out A popular Chinese representation of Guanyin gives her a thousand arms, and this branding image for the camera reflects that. (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/16989051-7732-458b-8914-e18588568cb5/ganondorf-christopher-lambert-pearl-steven-universe.png Blog - We Don’t Know Where Ganon’s Name Comes From - Make it stand out Strong noses make for strong fighters. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/you-cannot-grasp-the-true-form-of-giygas monthly 0.5 2024-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d735b6e7-c668-4958-b94d-1120b5404221/war-against-giygas-title-screen.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out The title screen to the English version of Earthbound. You have to wonder if the prominence of the sign reading “GAS” might have influenced how players pronounced the second syllable of Giygas’s name. And no, despite what you might guess, this screen is apparently not a digitized version of an pre-existing image but instead was an original composition by art director Koichi Oyama, made specifically for the game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bffc38f9-2ece-4a47-ad39-473868bd5f0f/umaro-final-fantasy-vi-gigas.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out For what it’s worth, the original Japanese text does not mention the word gigas, and this site translates it as “A yeti who loves bone carvings / His strength can mow down massive trees / ...but he's fairly rowdy.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4671cc68-22a7-49c1-84d4-29c2ad22bc5b/earthbound-giygas-geek-nintendo-power.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out See the rest of the spread here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3e578c2f-7c5b-4b0c-8079-e5396d9aa3cc/mother-2-electronic-gaming-monthly.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out Whoever wrote these captions should go to jail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f623c5bb-7d64-4d76-a5e8-e3e724cc2dc8/giygas-abortion.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out As a childless adult, this is how I see literally every expectant friend’s ultrasound of their forthcoming child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2869e1e1-86f4-414f-ad27-fa93a61c2eac/earthbound-giygas-devils-machine-cervix.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c6567f7b-452f-41c1-b36e-d77585aa91fd/earthbound-cave-of-the-past-vagina.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d8c2a6dd-4480-44e9-b6f3-c5d0247c8dc2/giygas-female-threed.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4b7883fc-9691-48a4-8e64-d030389ab10e/mysterious-woman-earthbound-giygas-threed.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b972a5c5-7f95-41a2-a088-44df478ea673/earthbound-beginnings-giygas-giegue-mewtwo.png Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3bfe432a-5e9e-4fa5-b184-202a4198e18b/ric-ocasek-moonside.jpg Blog - You Cannot Grasp the True Form of Giygas! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/birdo-gender-trans-female-male monthly 0.5 2025-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8bd837ca-21ed-4165-820a-66c9e7cfaaa9/birdo-mario-kart-8-dlc.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out It’s not quite all the colors of the rainbow, but they for sure have pink, light blue and white covered. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d67bd3c1-dc71-45a5-a5e1-729f8517e661/vivian-trans-paper-mario.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Queer gamers love reading into characters and situations, but it’s hard to interpret Vivian’s statement here any other way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/24c56dea-0034-472b-869c-85bbd57e9f05/birdo-trans.gif Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Via Supper Mario Broth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4e828248-0e88-4091-b64a-49c1bb61b5c5/doki-doki-panic-art-super-mario-usa.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Top: The box art for Doki Doki Panic. Note the rare depiction of the orange, closed-snout Birdo. Bottom: The box art for its remake, Super Mario USA, which seems to consciously re-create the Doki Doki Panic art, with every visual aspect being more or less in the same place without the drawing having been traced or reproduced. They went through the trouble of redrawing it all to look the same. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4ced8e3b-4867-4889-86f9-baa96c5a6ca4/birdo-instructionmanual-thinks-girl-catherine-cassie-doki-doki-panic.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Translation of the Japanese: “Thinks they're a girl and spits eggs from their mouth. Call them Cathy and they'll be in a good mood.“ (The preferred name is sometimes translated as Cassie. The original Japanese, キャシー, can be translated as either.) Notably, it’s two feminine names here, the latter being an affectionate nickname for the former. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cb8b5028-123e-4ad2-ba48-adf548927862/birdo-mario-mania.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/65fa3002-570b-4de0-a55b-05d48e977097/ostro-birdo-supermariobros2.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d4e9cd47-d383-4fff-8834-d5c0fc884f7c/birdo-ostro-name.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eba3169b-7301-4624-9394-efbdc8a247ea/nintendo-game-pack-card-scratch-off-birdo.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out A very off-model Birdo appearing in a Topps-issued, scratch-off Nintendo Game Pack card. (Via Super Mario Wiki.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f1d78c71-15ad-4794-ac2d-fd89f951a411/mario-allstars-title-screen-birdo.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Birdo can stand *and* sit. Clearly, she’s multitalented. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f769f929-df2c-4dcf-a815-eb93da7f7608/bs-super-mario-usa-birdo-trio1.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Two thirds of the Birdo Trio, alongside Wart and Clawgrip. (Via Super Mario Wiki.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/26972e34-5c2a-42c1-be44-68ef9e585be0/birdo-dream-house-bs-satellaview.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4ae7a4b4-2b13-432e-b400-15cbfd0d6401/birdo-trophy-smash-melee-translation.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Translation: Spits eggs from their mouth. Mario and Peach can ride on the egg and attack by throwing it back. Also uses fireballs as a feint attack. Thinks they're a girl and likes being called “Cathy.” These images, BTW, taken with permission from TMK’s Mario in Japan specials on Smash Bros. Melee. Would recommend all their Mario in Japan specials, if you’re into what I’m doing on this site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e09d86e1-b319-4f20-b81d-302ff434b294/birdo-yoshi-romantic-couple.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Translation: Yoshi's girlfriend is actually their boyfriend?! They're off to the races with an egg in hand!" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/41d324a0-d969-4a38-a596-d0507d5f9813/captain-rainbow-birdo-lip-tracy.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Left to right: Lip, Birdo and Crazy Tracy — three of the reject Nintendo characters appearing in Captain Rainbow. Even if Birdo’s sequence is rough, it nonetheless seems kind of homophobic that this game was never released outside Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e19eecc0-f6d0-4937-9e70-6ee68b71b288/birdo-trophy-smash-brawl-translation.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Translation: A pink dinosaur who thinks they’re a girl. Likes being called “Cathy.” Their trademark is their wide-open mouth and the red ribbon adorning their head. In Super Mario USA, you can return fire by jumping on eggs Catherine spits out and throwing them back. Sometimes they also use fireball feint attacks instead of eggs. (Images via TMK’s “Mario in Japan” special on Super Smash Bros. Brawl.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/65566f59-4835-41be-8f71-7b9e37c6afb3/birdo-trophy-smash-wii-u-japanese-translation.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Translation: His (her?) debut wasn’t in a Mario game, but Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. In the west, the protagonist was changed to Mario and the game released under the title Super Mario Bros 2. With the title changed to Super Mario USA in Japan, he (she?) became part of the Mario Bros family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1f96e63b-9734-46ea-831e-cc080a6ba081/birdo-golf-kiss.gif Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/78cf6d99-4ea7-4bf2-b86a-b5796e8c09bd/DrewMackie_May2023_RGB.jpg Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out What I’m calling “Birdo Triumphant” — by Drew Green, a cool gay artist you should hire to make art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/59095226-e597-44cd-a6eb-2879f2cab1af/figment-birdo.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/45843a64-4c9e-4588-be2a-7fa645a2f96a/snowths-muppets-birdo.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/91bd747d-3718-4a3b-9ca0-0b60f6981870/birdo-manga1.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out This is Birdo’s first appearance, and even though Mario initially mistakes her for a cow, her Real Housewives intro phrase is “I am Catherine, lady of the heavens!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/006eea99-4939-4fa3-9034-393e3694183b/birdo-manga2.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out The second go-around with Birdo begins with her nonchalantly peeing off the side of a cliff. (She will later do this on the boss character Fry Guy.) Her response to Mario is “And what are YOU looking at?” Mario responds, “Hurry up and hand over the crystal ball, you freak!” Birdo doesn’t like this and counters with “Hasn’t anyone ever told you to be gentle with a lady?” And finally gets the last line: “Are you actually a girl?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7f555050-7723-4c4a-8eab-4c67b412a632/birdo-manga-super-mario-usa.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Continuing from the previous page, Birdo spits the crystal ball at Peach and then declares, “I laid an egg, so that makes me a girl. Plus I got a big bow.” Peach responds, “So does that make me a guy for not having a ribbon?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d5f90e13-8a1c-43ca-83c7-f41b6a50aaff/birdo-manga4.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Later, after Peach has been kidnapped by Wart and Birdo has replaced her in the main party, Mario promises her that if she helps them defeat the big bad, they’ll set her up with someone. It’s Yoshi (rendered “Yossy”). Toad chimes in, “He’s male, but he lays eggs like you"! Birdo is impressed by this info, and the next panel is a cutaway to Yoshi, making cookies a la Yoshi’s Cookie, suddenly getting a chill. It’s another joke about Birdo being the booby prize of Marioverse females. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aa2540c9-19d9-4b68-b9aa-8c8f7aa6f773/birdo-manga5.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out However, there may be someone who is even less appealing to our heroes. This trio of Birdos explains “We’re actually males, you see~” and while Mario, Luigi and Toad initially brush them off, Wendy O. Koopa appears, announcing “I’m heeere!” The last panel has our three heroes suddenly applying female cosmetics, saying “Guess it’s time to become queers too!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cda703e0-a017-48b5-82eb-0f5c0198245e/robirdo.png Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/039de923-de1b-47cf-97f0-487ad2528bf4/durmite-birdo+copy.gif Blog - A Complete History of Birdo’s Gender - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/ms-pac-man-disappear-pac-mom monthly 0.5 2026-01-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7fa5a5c9-c6ea-482c-8e74-fb352f54e95b/ms-pac-man-arcade-marquee.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/83e1bb1f-6011-47c0-829a-36232b48fd84/ms-pac-man-flyer2.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8fa36abf-8264-4195-84ac-a098bd211951/ms-pac-man-flyer1.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d522b3ad-7975-4907-b3d1-dd12bfecac12/ms-pac-man-animated-pixels.gif Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9870899c-35e7-4c1e-b269-adbbc1e1d1a2/ms-pacman-flyer3.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Another more “grown up” take on Ms. Pac-Man from when the game was still new in arcades… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0a41e7c6-64ad-4452-9224-e56e0ef3fa9a/ms-pac-man.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out And a more family-friendly version of her, after she’d been made to conform with Namco’s styling for Pac-family characters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/270b8f57-220f-4a5d-a38b-f3a5ec65115f/pac-mom.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Her eyes aren’t even right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6dddf776-da0a-441e-8561-b8e9be65f317/ms-pac-man-pac-mom-replacement.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Left: The original opening screen of Pac-Land, with Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man. Right: The revamped version in Pac-Man Museum+, with Pac-Mom and Pac-Sis, both of whom suck. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ea9c983d-5250-4389-a0b1-a916b5eda280/pac-and-pal-miru.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f1f3b419-8d69-466d-9ba1-cdea743ba0b6/miru-ms-pac-man.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Via the Pac-Man Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3eecb87e-1582-4dc0-843c-2761f8f1b9c6/pac-girl-ms-pac-master.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Left: Pac-Girl (but also Ms. Pac-Man?) Right: Ms. Pac-Master (but also Pac-Mom?) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a2e9e4a0-a413-4755-87dd-0a5facf8df93/ms-pac-man-girl.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/06016285-e8af-42ff-95f0-43fc48181fe7/pac-marie-ms-pac-man.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e85f5db9-7198-4a2f-a508-a43b9df91ce6/ms-pac-man-hair-prototype.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out This is unholy. (Pixels re-created from this tweet.) Unless I’m mistaken, there was no version with a closed mouth created. I tried to make my own to animate an example of what this could have looked like in motion, but I just don’t think this model lends itself to being animated. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9965ba91-13cb-490f-bbd6-022c7dd92cb0/crazy-otto-time-magazine.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Crazy Otto mislabeled in Time magazine, via Neon Rocketship, which scanned all the relevant pages of the feature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/80e882c9-c782-46c5-9389-3bdafec721c3/lady+bug+arcade+cabinet+art.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fc9ed922-be8d-4795-ab57-3e5a139fe71a/ms-pac-man-versus-pac-mom.png Blog - Where Did You Go, Ms. Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/princess-peach-showtime-comparison-super-princess-peach monthly 0.5 2024-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/140b0ae2-f5f0-48e2-aa9c-8d3eb0e5aa41/peach999.gif Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/82b43b9c-b97d-49f5-820d-4cae3f1a9b73/super-princess-peach-emotions.gif Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out The four elements: happy, sad, angry and HP restoration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e7b47ea6-d96f-4412-9234-16a4ed183d49/grape-princess-peach-showtime.png Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out “Ha ha! Only the chosen one can stop me! … the chosen one being the person patient enough to complete a series of mini-games of varying levels of quality.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/761a4cde-15f6-42e5-a943-b648dccec9d1/pastry-chef-peach.png Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out Peach’s greatest challenge is wearing shoes that aren’t cute. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/280b3801-ed3f-4d17-8f97-4a1a1094fb19/princess-toadstools-castle-run.png Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out Instructions for the Japanese version of the game, which is just called Peach. Via Mario Wiki, where you can see more. I just love the determined look they gave Peach in this art, which seems to be unique to this product. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bb539a7d-aedb-4623-bf5c-e72a6a25c4a5/princess-peach-perry.png Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/53fee51b-744f-480e-91bd-2ffcea60471b/blizzaurus-princess-peach.gif Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out I realized I there wasn’t a decent gif of ol’ Blizzaurus online so I made one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d23827b2-f7bc-438c-9c0e-9388eb98952c/blizzaurus-dragon-princess-peach.gif Blog - Princess Peach Can’t Get a Break - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/bowser-wife-clawdia-koopa-flurrie monthly 0.5 2024-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/32f0c60d-7f8c-4d47-8fae-0214a09d6bc7/flurrie-thousand-year-door.png Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out Not a Goomba, not a Koopa Troopa, not a Shy Guy, not anything you’ve seen in a Mario game before… unless…? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/581a0319-9889-46ce-a878-e9a882d6206a/flurrie-bowsers-wife-wendy-ludwig.png Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out That combo of a wink and a “kissy” mouth? Especially with a little heart coming off it? That’s a Wendy O. Koopa trademark. But the hairdo is a tamer, more stylized version of Ludwig’s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/58b250da-5c98-4e2f-baca-f01aabef03aa/clawdia-koopa.png Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out The bottom-left portion of this comics page made the rounds, being passed off as some sort of proof of Clawdia’s existence, even though she’s visually inspired by this version of Bowser and not Nintendo’s canon model. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c0ee5b19-0b37-4bd4-93cf-c1d988723069/madame-broode-female-bowser.png Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out The build, the muzzle shape, the big, creased eyebrows… even the spiked bracelets. It’s like someone slipped a rabbit skin over Bowser’s body. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8fd46d20-2001-4ebb-8bec-6a70bb0da6fa/fiona-shaw-lena-koopa.png Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f5a509db-a249-4ed5-ba46-98a163a0320f/kammy-koopa.gif Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4a8c6f82-f3c0-44f4-9395-df89c2f089a3/screamy-paper-mario.png Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/25927da2-46be-4eef-b1c1-915825247bcf/bowsers-wife-clawdia-koopa.png Blog - The Legend of Bowser’s Dead Wife - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/nina-skalka-simpsons monthly 0.5 2024-02-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0602bd06-58ef-45e9-bd23-441ec31e2f90/tanya-simpsons-fun-book.jpg Blog - Since When Is There a Simpsons Character Named Nina Skalka? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c94c71d3-616b-4c96-90ae-7b01b73b0ea8/nina-skalka-simpsons.png Blog - Since When Is There a Simpsons Character Named Nina Skalka? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/valentina-margarita-jimmy-buffett monthly 0.5 2024-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b8925bae-ca24-4f40-9f92-f15bf113fb0f/valentina-super-mario-rpg+%281%29+copy.gif Blog - Is Valentina from Super Mario RPG a Jimmy Buffett Reference or Not? - Make it stand out A gif of Valentina’s 16-bit days, before Nintendo tamed her bouncing bosom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/db245d42-b25b-4b30-8c77-9666e925e929/valentina-mario-rpg-original-design.png Blog - Is Valentina from Super Mario RPG a Jimmy Buffett Reference or Not? - Make it stand out Via Jiro Mifune’s no-longer-existent Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/27ee3ac1-70ff-43e0-975b-440c49910e3d/Screenshot+2024-01-02+at+2.33.54%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - Is Valentina from Super Mario RPG a Jimmy Buffett Reference or Not? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/37f6f190-a8d0-480d-908f-4857e9912959/Screenshot+2024-01-21+at+6.42.44%E2%80%AFPM+%282%29.png Blog - Is Valentina from Super Mario RPG a Jimmy Buffett Reference or Not? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/884a3b41-8b68-4f5c-9677-aa57c316aee7/margaritaville-japan.png Blog - Is Valentina from Super Mario RPG a Jimmy Buffett Reference or Not? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0bf7ca63-331e-423d-a32b-622671c73fe6/valentina-super-mario-rpg-remake.png Blog - Is Valentina from Super Mario RPG a Jimmy Buffett Reference or Not? - Make it stand out Valentina 2023: Less bouncy but every bit the couture icon. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/localization-strangeness-in-the-super-mario-rpg-remake monthly 0.5 2024-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6dc28656-9830-42fb-bb7e-7705d37eb1fd/terrapin-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fb407996-654f-4fb3-914d-c25a0e48ddf2/spikey-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/20509f6e-72d9-4d2f-bc08-817eef1a7350/Frogog_super-mario-rpg.gif Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f8af8c61-2638-4d75-bbf3-ba070317debe/octolot-super-mario-rpg.gif Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c128c608-add7-4d74-81c7-d4af68aac874/guerilla-donkey-kong-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a4bce614-d6cb-4e5c-9da9-a14f7ca27be9/buzzy-beetle-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c8a92d84-f3e3-48e7-8bb8-086d1e9f828d/pulsar-super-mario-rpg.gif Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/428d1279-51ff-4c34-ae0c-649502a12275/huhwhat-mario-rpg.png Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/26dd7e63-6d24-464c-becd-b59506ffb460/bahamutt-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7aad0777-0d97-4f80-997e-41f64836c957/thropher-mukumuku-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a867fa2d-c050-4b68-ae7b-71a0bfb13acb/obs64_2023_11_07_15_02_00.jpg Blog - Localization Strangeness in the Super Mario RPG Remake - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/met-mega-man-buzzy-beetle-mario monthly 0.5 2024-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c56f7c72-ff86-4f3e-8d01-8ce953104dcd/street-fighter6-met-mega-man.png Blog - Hard Hats in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Mega Man Mets in Street Fighter VI. Does my avatar look like Metro City’s beefiest accountant? Yes. Yes, he does. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0a8274fd-86a1-49a7-ab1a-2d69e6b7599a/met-mettaur-mega-man.gif Blog - Hard Hats in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out A Mega Man 2-era Met. (In Mega Man 1, they didn’t have feet.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5b15adef-79b1-445e-8e04-d24ffdf34125/buzzy-beetle-mario.gif Blog - Hard Hats in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Go, Buzzy, go! (In actual game play, Buzzy Beetle is not this high-energy.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b4d3e36b-69f1-45a9-b540-596ea2cc778f/buzzy-beetle-turtle.png Blog - Hard Hats in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Buzzy Beetle (not actually a beetle) per New Super Mario Bros. U. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e19b3e36-4a0b-484c-ad6d-f6d4a3698f22/Perfect+Ban+Mario+Character+Daijiten-buzzy-beetle.png Blog - Hard Hats in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out In addition to classifying Buzzy Beetle/Metto as part of the turtle clan (カメ族), it also notes that it has “a shell that is harder than those of other turtles,” making it also a turtle. Full translation to come! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/03ced143-f1fa-4e71-b4d1-2374ce2bd9c2/mega-man-1-localization.png Blog - Hard Hats in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/297a91c8-ce12-417a-a112-9dfb1f50708f/mega-man0-1-japanese-manual.png Blog - Hard Hats in the Mushroom Kingdom - Make it stand out The Rockman 1 instruction manual, complete with authentic folds, via Reploid Research Lavatory. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/christmas-even-on-shooting-star-summit monthly 0.5 2024-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/05d8f274-2c61-4ce6-9fd5-b9149e0acf51/star-hill-supermariorpg.png Blog - Christmas Eve on Shooting Star Summit - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/78b504d1-833a-4db0-82b9-67bcdd90f9ab/shooting-star-summit-paper-mario.gif Blog - Christmas Eve on Shooting Star Summit - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/koopa-vs-kappa monthly 0.5 2023-12-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/42d639af-bc92-4a39-b21e-4edc4a1dec83/koopa-troopa.gif Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8321417c-0843-4497-86f4-d4909b95ac1e/kappa-ukiyo-e.png Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out A 1853 illustration of a scene of a man being confronted by a kappa outside Odawara Station. By Yoshikazu Utagawa, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/89694675-3758-462a-a407-f2ad6a9befaf/utagawa-kappa.png Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out An 1843-1846 illustration of Rokusuke Keyamura being confronted by a kappa. By Kuniyoshi Utagawa, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/83ecc98e-37ba-454b-be24-142bbfb13275/kappa-in-video-games.png Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out Not a coincidence: Kappa enemies in Ganbare Goemon (left) and Pocky & Rocky (right). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eab4c4a4-219f-4e8e-b05c-86fc9929e6ec/kappn-animal-crossing.png Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out Kapp’n: not really a turtle and not really a Koopa either. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c91c5bbc-a64c-48ac-a210-78e671055885/smb3-king-transformed-kappa.png Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/93795498-12c1-4346-920f-f59e9d064910/smb3-king-kappa.png Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out Via the Super Mario Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e2d696f6-b23f-4e60-baa6-1ec112fd317e/kappa-moumtain-super-mario-world.png Blog - Koopa vs. Kappa - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/bowser-vs-king-koopa monthly 0.5 2024-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/313983c0-9b0d-4816-aa61-e11dae5e6476/bowser-laughing-gif.gif Blog - Bowser vs. Koopa - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8f68e2bb-b0b2-4ffc-af42-5a7180b48f16/bowser-evolution.png Blog - Bowser vs. Koopa - Make it stand out Left to right: The earliest known concept art for Bowser, “Boss Creeper” version; Shigeru Miyamoto’s “blue hippo” rendition for the SMB box art; and finally the reworking Yoichi Kotabe did for The Lost Levels, essentially finalizing the character’s design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/68615d27-eaa1-4234-8319-acf126017e47/koopa-troopa-bowser.gif Blog - Bowser vs. Koopa - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e39ba18c-39bf-4226-a8bb-a35385345379/bowser-king-koopa-super-show.png Blog - Bowser vs. Koopa - Make it stand out Left: Bowser, King of the Koopa, as he appears in the SMB instruction manual. Right: King Koopa as he appears in the cartoon, and based on the coloring and lack of hair, I actually think the artist designing this version of the character only had the manual to go on, otherwise they would have designed him with hair. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/935958c4-9616-4d80-b0ab-1dea9876437b/bowser-letter-super-mario-bros-3.png Blog - Bowser vs. Koopa - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a939752c-6e79-4b98-911f-4f948139d9e8/bowsers-castle-super-mario-world-koopa.gif Blog - Bowser vs. Koopa - Make it stand out My edit of the map sprite for Bowser’s “Coney Island disco place” in Super Mario World. In the original Japanese version, the sign reads “Koopa.” In the English localization, it’s been changed to say “Bowser,” and it’s one of the first in-game references that the character has nis name. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8b8d1339-0aff-4498-8fc8-8fa8470c791f/Retronauts_bowser.png Blog - Bowser vs. Koopa - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/alice-balloon-kid-warioware-lulu monthly 0.5 2023-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7708ba9e-484f-4a2b-9220-9c1339487efe/alice-balloon-kid.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Alice: cute as a button, clearly a girl. (Via The Gay Gamer.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7ab2fb51-b055-437f-8501-75d50e13b5b8/alice-balloon-kid-gb.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bf93d8b9-e0fa-47cd-8a70-568c5db5fe8b/balloon-kid-ugly-art.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1932293f-64ac-4532-ad79-c332f6b15187/lulu-alice-ononnoko.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Left to right: Lulu, Alice and Onnanoko. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/af2079dd-bcab-4b13-977d-bf0a700fd31b/red-suspender-dress-japan.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Left: Chibi Maruko-chan. Right: Wakame in Sazae-san. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ca1c612e-6bc7-403a-b9ab-190fd73a4655/lulu-balloon-fight.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out These masked evil-doers are apparently called Balloon Birds, I have learned. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/12493e08-1d92-4de5-b3ca-59b7b25f4029/lulu-balloon-kid.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7c44df4a-382e-4f2c-8cd7-4b0059c346c4/balloon-fight-fish-warioware-lulu.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Notably, this fish tries to eat her later. Callback / fish justice. The same fish also appears on the box art for the Japanese release of Balloon Fight, but colored incorrectly compared to how it looks in the game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fcfa3c8d-2d5d-4a98-a205-67f60694a91b/lulu-warioware-alice-balloon-kid.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1d413bbb-7bcd-4aa9-ba32-cd9c602d86fa/donbe-hikari-shin-onigashima.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out It is, unfortunately, “Donbe and Hikari,” not “Hikari and Donbe.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f03b69d1-f9e3-4b3e-b020-da1d40b551f9/cractus-wario-land-warioware.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Left: Cractus in Wario Land 4. Right: Cractus in WarioWare: Move It! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/71caeb48-3289-4db6-bda4-9625df9f7457/mario-co-ltd.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/314de828-901b-4fcd-90bd-a5ecb4c588f5/oiram-repus-balloon-fight.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3e859f79-7b2c-432d-b5bf-56715c694230/oiram-repus.png Blog - Is WarioWare Hiding an Homage to a Forgotten Nintendo Heroine? - Make it stand out Both these images via the Balloon Fight wiki. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/mallow-name-mario-rpg-marshmallow monthly 0.5 2024-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4d1be989-9136-45bb-857c-83ca895a291e/mallow-figurine-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Mallow’s Name Is a Better Pun in the Japanese Version of Super Mario RPG - Make it stand out Via Nintendo of Japan’s Instagram account. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/446817c1-1c2b-4391-9669-7792b604a612/nimbus-land-marshmallow.png Blog - Mallow’s Name Is a Better Pun in the Japanese Version of Super Mario RPG - Make it stand out It’s lost somewhat in the cleaner rendering on the Switch remake, but the 16-bit version of Nimbus Land really does look like marshmallows and candy. (Yes, I edited the castle so show off those marshmallow-looking steps. That’s some good fluff!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5c2d5cb3-612c-4a16-b313-1faca7c884aa/mallow-mario-rpg-remake.png Blog - Mallow’s Name Is a Better Pun in the Japanese Version of Super Mario RPG - Make it stand out From Nintendo of Japan’s website, where the auto-tanslated text states, “Maro is a fluffy boy who thinks himself a frog.” And that’s just perfect. No notes. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/olrox-drolta-castlevania-nocturne-historical-inspirations monthly 0.5 2023-11-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a1f92c80-2958-475c-a943-5ba107f5400e/castlavania-nocturne-olrox-drolta.png Blog - Localization Drift and Hidden History in Castlevania: Nocturne - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8987859e-736c-4ecb-bdbf-ca55c88a184c/count-orlock-castlevania-orlox.png Blog - Localization Drift and Hidden History in Castlevania: Nocturne - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/96fd5bfe-09a6-427b-9d61-988a98e9bf65/drolta-castlevania-bloodlines.png Blog - Localization Drift and Hidden History in Castlevania: Nocturne - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/princess-daisy-history-mario-wonder monthly 0.5 2023-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b160c663-8d1b-43d1-84e9-2a02592ae560/daisy-super-mario-wonder.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out She’s running excitedly away from B-tier status. Take that, Waluigi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3205545f-41fa-4aec-8368-867d929de618/mario-land-SMB-size-comparison.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out A pixel-to-pixel comparison of Super Mario Land (left) and Super Mario Bros. (right). And yes, believe it or not, the one on the left is big Mario. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/138a67d6-b9b0-421a-b3fa-a5f555ae736b/super-mario-land-instruction-manual.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out When Super Mario Land was made available on the Virtual Console in 2011, both the Nokobon and the Chibibo enemies were given localized names, Bombshell Koopa and Goombo, but it’s interesting that previous English-language editions did not do this. All new enemies retained their original, Japanese names as well, lending the translated version a sense of “otherness.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a51a79ad-8c08-4b8e-b0d8-5c18a78eabb6/super-mario-land-box-art-uncropped.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out In conclusion, Sarasaland is a land of contrasts. Thank you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f5b74685-184c-481c-a90d-6f4dca0ad8e9/daisy-tomboy-princess.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out Translation: “Deijī-hime (Princess Daisy), a slightly tomboyish and energetic princess.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b9f6b4c7-9b8a-4c72-92a5-d053f0030a12/princess-daisy-nes-open-tournament-golf.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f34ad24e-e539-4779-8ba2-c8cd9d31b1cf/nes-open-tournament-golf-title-screen-daisy.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out The earrings are maybe a giveaway that it’s Daisy? But they really made it hard to tell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1bde3fd9-0073-42d1-8ab0-311f90eafadc/princess-daisy-old-face.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out Left to right: Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, Mario Party 3 and Smash Bros. Melee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e8cc1a03-559d-4775-b4d1-a7802dd007cf/princess-daisy-stole-my-face.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out Left to right: Azalea in Mario Golf for Game Boy Color, the new Daisy as seen in Mario Party 10, and the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Daisy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6a86300e-3363-4b1a-94f1-4fe976ca0a7e/super-nintendo-world-daisy.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out Via the Super Mario Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9dccb1eb-8bde-4b91-aff0-966a879f48f6/tiaramisu-terrormisu-wario+copy.gif Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out Tiaramisu, looking like a red variation on typical Peach pricess model. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ed672204-39b6-4d22-8369-dc433dd86e6f/wario-terrormisu-tiaramisu.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out And masked and unmasked versions of the demon Terrormisu, now in pink and looking more blatantly like a bad copy of Peach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/50b3fa6c-79c9-40c1-897b-0682c370d54b/super-mario-odyssey-sarasaland.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out Left: a detail from the Super Mario Odyssey concept, showing mountains that are thought to be the ones seen in the Super Mario Land box art (right). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c57692e8-0f90-4808-99e4-8421f66409b2/bowsers-fury-kittens-daisy.png Blog - Princess Daisy’s Long Road to Being Playable in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Make it stand out From left to right: a pink cat that isn’t Peach, a blue cat that isn’t Toad, a calico cat that isn’t Daisy, a green cat that isn’t Luigi and a black cat that isn’t Rosalina. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/mach-rider-gender-metroid-barbarella monthly 0.5 2023-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/967c6a39-5f75-458e-8dfb-f11737e3569c/samus-metroid-endings-nes.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Left to right: five hours or longer, three to five hours, under three hours and under one hour. At least on a conceptual level, this is actually somewhat racy by Nintendo standards back in the day. Maybe they figured anyone who could master Metroid in less than an hour was mature enough to see Samus in skimpy underwear? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/989a1779-eed9-42a8-b645-a3bcc5aee60c/mach-rider-japanese-box-art.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/70dd310d-95ee-46fa-bb3a-1963d38a4040/mach-rider-male.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/041d60fe-e7ce-4dbe-a04a-a50ad9c14f45/mach-rider-gender-reveal.gif Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5cafb02d-68ba-4b42-95cd-06280bb9b077/jane-fonda-barbarella-poster.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/83920785-bc5a-48d4-8373-a73b9d246c4a/mach-rider-barbarella.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/424b094c-5225-4d11-a2ad-1767261c5557/BARBARELLA-samus-aran.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/357a7820-1e4f-4759-a732-0368d45ef2b4/mach-rider-smash-melee-trophy.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9f4633c7-53bf-4742-a822-fc04b0d98d19/captain-rainbow-mach-rider-female.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fe06438d-a7c1-4880-b54f-a3c4e5036b31/barbarella-dildano.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Barbarella and everyone’s favorite sci-fi character, Dildano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8f9f0ae7-c790-4b4b-be3e-43d83321e493/wario-land-4-shokora-ending-all-forms.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Left to right: the “boyish” Shokora, the Peach-like Shokora, the Wario-like Shokora, and terrifying Baby Shokora. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0b448726-d649-44a8-9834-46a0ebd3ec6a/mach-rider-female-nintendo.png Blog - Sci-fi Stripteases in Barbarella, Metroid and Mach Rider - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/super-mario-wonder-prince-florian-haru-anime monthly 0.5 2023-09-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c1dd56e8-7fac-4de2-ab56-cfb46c68f359/super-mario-wonder-prince-florian.png Blog - Is Super Mario Wonder’s Prince Florian a Nod to the Mario Anime? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c383250f-d506-4ee3-ab96-16f70db568a0/haru-prince-florian-wiggler.png Blog - Is Super Mario Wonder’s Prince Florian a Nod to the Mario Anime? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/310c8d0a-fd5d-46bd-aa15-6dd20257b344/prince-florian-prince-haru.png Blog - Is Super Mario Wonder’s Prince Florian a Nod to the Mario Anime? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/69f07a13-ce72-4195-9f42-b41ed8d5ba57/smb-power-ups-smb-wonder.png Blog - Is Super Mario Wonder’s Prince Florian a Nod to the Mario Anime? - Make it stand out From the SMB instruction manual. Mushroom : Flower : Star :: Peach : Daisy : Rosalina :: Mushroom Kingdom : Flower Kingdom : … Star Kingdom? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4d0853ed-d875-4a13-9938-65e324203b9e/prince-haru-super-mario-wonder.png Blog - Is Super Mario Wonder’s Prince Florian a Nod to the Mario Anime? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5b1bb47b-fe7f-4c52-9f47-6a2c0dcd1846/Retronauts_526.png Blog - Is Super Mario Wonder’s Prince Florian a Nod to the Mario Anime? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/secrets-of-the-super-mario-rpg-shaman monthly 0.5 2023-08-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/984cfc5a-fe83-418f-ab25-152697ea3174/shaman-supermariorpg.gif Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/57233d2a-0de4-4a52-870b-0579d5a1666c/Megaglove2.gif Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out A properly executed timed hit means Mario gets a second punch in Super Mario RPG. (Via Super Mario Wiki.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/93808208-2c10-436e-98bd-6ecae9f5ff0b/timed-hit-paper-mario.gif Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out And Mario’s partner pulls off a similar trick in Paper Mario. (Via Schmuplations.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/43c48443-35dc-4e64-89f6-350f9c22fa26/SMRPG_Hobgoblin.gif Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/15265055-a0a7-4313-a13d-e6fbc3029a50/SMRPG_Jester.gif Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cbc58afb-7880-4bd3-9a32-745140132f90/SMRPG_Carroboscis.gif Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/67c5ea0d-3616-4d23-8659-a01480835344/super-mario-rpg-shaman.png Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/39f8a66d-0d7e-47b1-b19c-b872c888a2a0/merlon-family-shaman-paper-mario.png Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: Merlon, Merluvlee, Merlee, Merlar, Merle and Merlow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c34f114d-2c80-4a61-8a83-f4328448267a/merloin-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Merlon, extra stylized, as he appears in Super Paper Mario. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/35eefd13-4d88-4891-959e-f15dcaa2306e/Screen+Shot+2023-08-28+at+11.44.26+AM.png Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/792f4925-bff8-46a6-88d3-572e9f26be2d/Screen+Shot+2023-08-28+at+11.59.01+AM.png Blog - Secrets of the Super Mario RPG Shaman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/clu-clu-land-bubbles-gloopy-gender monthly 0.5 2023-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2cf98031-4a5c-4577-b059-281756a34689/vs-clu-clu-land-bubbles-gloopy.png Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out And in the case of this English-language arcade flyer for Vs. Clu Clu Land, the character is still Gloopy, not Bubbles. (Via Giant Bomb.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fb418b84-4605-4748-aa5d-1ac8158bb8bb/pink-video-game-female.png Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: Peach in pink in Japanese promo art for Super Mario Bros. (even if she wore red and white in-game); Zelda promo art for Legend of Zelda (even if she wears whatever color Link wears in-game); Lolo and Lala before they became Kirby characters; the extremely gendered Ms. Pac-Man. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e9448c08-6ae1-4b1b-bcc8-d0f26e252869/clu-clu-land-bubbles.gif Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out Around and around she, he or they go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a2667b29-646f-4e81-93ad-8372ef740196/clucluland-gloopy.gif Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out What’s that waggling? I think it’s two feet and a skinny tail, and not a fisht-like tail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f49f604b-f6c9-4c80-8db2-8b12109fdbdc/clucluland4.gif Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out Bubbles’ trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee. I’m assuming the “mysterious” is a reference to the fact that we don’t really know what she is. It’s in this depiction that you can best see her long and very not-fish-like tail. BTW, this article detailing all of the characters considered but ultimately rejected for a playable spot in Smash Bros. is a great read. Would recommend. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6ace3213-9290-40e5-a643-b5e1b2764270/clucluland-soundwaves.gif Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out I mean, this could be lots of things, and included in that is an electric attack? But also other games use little lightning bolts or the like to visually convey “this is an electric attack.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/38bbbc6e-8103-4c80-8f79-37011eb534ca/bubbles-gloopy-nintendo.gif Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b9d509f0-9ae0-4116-b0aa-ecd34c128b43/pauline-playable-famicom-basic.png Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5e3059ba-2e07-4fd0-b794-8f8ba6d6bb2e/bubbles-nintendo-pinball.png Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out Just look at that big, toothy grin. (Via the Super Mario Wiki.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4472441e-fdde-45d5-a6a8-a737cf1d1c1b/clucluland-zelda-rupees1.png Blog - Nintendo’s First Playable Female Protagonist Isn’t Female in Japan - Make it stand out Left: sprites from Clu Clu Land. Right: sprites from Legend of Zelda. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/why-did-nintendo-change-foreman-spikes-name monthly 0.5 2023-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b1d470aa-1ef7-43d2-94f5-b014133c11c3/foreman-spike-blackie-name-change.png Blog - Why Did Nintendo Change Foreman Spike’s Name? - Make it stand out Translation: The name of the character “Blackie” that appears in the family computer software Wrecking Crew will be changed to “Spike,” which is the same as the name in Europe and the United States. In addition, the name in The Super Mario Bros. Movie released on April 28, 2023 is also “Spike.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/343f62f9-43e4-47bd-b4bc-649f0f517f8c/wrecking-crew-foreman-spike.png Blog - Why Did Nintendo Change Foreman Spike’s Name? - Make it stand out (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ec401855-a3ba-4855-9ad7-df2a90d3979c/wrecking-crew-blackie-japanese-manual.png Blog - Why Did Nintendo Change Foreman Spike’s Name? - Make it stand out (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dceb827f-feab-4961-b70c-aeda480f6a4c/foreman-spike-history.png Blog - Why Did Nintendo Change Foreman Spike’s Name? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/who-is-foreman-spike-proto-wario monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3d81131b-1115-4083-9c7a-3c0651b215c5/foreman-spike-wrecking-crew.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out A scan of character art of Foreman Spike appearing in 1994’s Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encyclopedia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/541e530f-1860-47f5-80f1-28d269f84f82/foreman-spike-mario-movie-sexy.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out The Super Mario Bros. Movie version of Spike, a.k.a. “hot mean beard dad.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d83998ef-32e3-4198-a4d9-4a84ec4e03ab/wrecking-crew-sprites.gif Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Left to right: Mario (in red), Luigi (in pinkish-red) and Spike (in brownish-red). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c6e09a5a-7e23-4de0-a597-d6e066b0747f/bluto-wario.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Bluto: Beefy and bearded (like Spike!) but also big and bellied (like Wario!), via the Popeye Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/33b1e482-e36f-4643-8ce6-a77861bed2a5/DfgqCMGUcAAzX4X.jpeg Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Via me on Twitter, because I post this as often as I can. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6abacfc7-1634-46e3-9be9-9784b399ea5c/wario-red-nose.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Team red nose! Clockwise from top-lef: Waluigi, Jimmy T, Tingle and Booster. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/564cb8ed-d10d-4117-9dcf-4000c9ed5abf/foreman-spike-mobile-golf.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Via the website for Mobile Golf, where the description for Spike reads, “This character has been around for a long time. Actually, despite his appearance, he is a hard worker and seems to be quite skilled, but...?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3f16a374-a875-4e3b-971b-a29f89be8aae/golden-mantis-foreman-spike.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Via Super Mario Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/90115401-692c-401e-8ec8-d302815d4baf/foreman-spike-mario-movie.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out The one other decent shot I could find of the movie version of Spike, va the Super Mario Wiki. Considering how horny the internet is for hot dad types in kid’s movies, there is shockingly little imagery of the movie version of Spike available online a week into the theatrical run. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4c1d47fd-d461-461f-bc84-a699526a650b/VS-wrecking-crew-flyer.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Via the Super Mario Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f1b93853-16ca-4407-9af6-e6a262220f5b/800px-VSWreckingCrewScreensFlyerJP.png Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Via the Super Mario Wiki. In the second screenshot, you can see there’s a player character with a green hardhat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1aa160eb-6e8c-4411-b3ea-be2869c11061/foreman-spike-wrecking-crew.gif Blog - Foreman Spike Was the Original Wario - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/toad-smb-gender-history monthly 0.5 2023-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/db90bc02-ef1d-4bc5-819a-b750aaee7cee/valiant-comics-mario-cloud-nine-stop-watch.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d6bd2a33-a15b-42c4-8d8f-e819108d4af9/Screen+Shot+2023-04-05+at+10.50.12+PM.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out From the SMB2 instruction manual, via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6769ce0e-a790-4037-ae47-0702faa5537a/smb2-official-nintendo-licensee-art-sheet.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Official, Nintendo-issued SMB2 art disseminated to licensees for use in merchandise, via the Video Game History Foundation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e27fc679-27d8-45ce-82b7-fccf82c73b0f/smb-mushroom-retainers-mushroom-people.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Mushroom People vs. Mushroom Retainers, via the SMB instruction manual. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/44f077c6-2f06-4fe8-95ff-7c5d292abad2/Screen+Shot+2023-04-07+at+10.14.52+AM.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d8f7fe2e-4399-49ed-897f-db6ce3b943ae/female-toad-maid-princess.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Via archive.org. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5f5905cf-90aa-407c-9d91-c5806acdc67d/toad-sprite-smb-female.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Notably the same color scheme as Peach’s SMB sprite, but that’s probably because they’re matching the color scheme of the dungeon levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ad098a1d-5023-404a-a161-e1a964f3abeb/smb-japanese-box-art.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Try not to overthink the implications of these captive Toads having belly buttons. Unless I’m mistaken, they never would in official Nintendo art again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2b31bc0b-9eea-4fe7-90a8-64d2fab2ce99/toad-egm-gender-article-1997.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f368e011-4603-4f13-b476-3728a3f87959/toad-gender-egm-2.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ecf2bf80-029c-4151-b439-4d04b853317a/is-toad-gay-article-video-game-magazine.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6d888f31-c064-4dce-947e-61d3ec274518/toadsworth.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1bfbfa1f-fb06-44b9-9837-f201d67013b6/toadette-female-toad.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1ac58432-0e86-4b8e-a0c5-b7f86d771c9e/toadette-turns-into-peachette.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1213fb57-8df0-41fc-90d1-06404510ed4f/99349612-6cdb2600-28c2-11eb-8c5c-827202724951.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/beac9efe-9049-498c-a702-16fcd5967a7c/mario-maker-toad-toadette.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aff4f5a3-8daa-407f-b085-05e8d4627a8f/evil-smurfette-debut-comic.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out In her debut, evil Smurfette was not yet blond. Read into that what you will. (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/79750135-5059-41d1-b532-1d55b98a22ac/wanda-mario.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/673575bb-3a6d-4aaf-8450-e6dad1dafe0b/wanda-mario-wario+copy.gif Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Wanda, wand-toting fairy wearing a dopey red hat, from Maro & Wario. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c6e27a7f-8eb3-4e75-9e67-9106c96d247a/not-wanda-warios-woods.gif Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out And *not* Wanda, a different wand-toting fairy wearing a different dopey red hat, from Wario’s Woods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f039b22f-832d-4426-be94-dc58770306b5/mario-wanda-activity+book.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b74aad09-f5e2-4b2f-8f7d-ab92a3e47482/toad-mario-tennis-rainbow-racquet.png Blog - A History of Toad’s Gender… One Way or Another - Make it stand out Long live the rainbow racquet! https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/smb3-tanuki-fly-ringed-tail monthly 0.5 2023-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a327b94b-036e-44a0-955d-40bab63d3d17/kasaobake-videogames.gif Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Left: The one-eyed, sandal-wearing umbrella monster from Pocky & Rocky. Right: The peculiarly similar one-eyed, sandal-wearing umbrella monster from Super Mario Land 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0d9a907d-8c5c-4448-b57a-a8dc2edc24c0/nintendo-power-smb3-issue10.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Subsequent Nintendo materials spelled raccoon correctly. (Via archive.org.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1f342c17-42bd-48aa-8a0f-ead1e107c1f0/Screen+Shot+2023-03-08+at+1.20.15+PM.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out The header reads “And when you have a tail…” then instructs how to make Mario fly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/82941213-8678-4bb6-824d-c175890306cc/Screen+Shot+2023-02-05+at+4.31.10+PM.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out “Tanuki Suit / Transform into Tanuki Mario. Looks like Shippo Mario.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5825822a-1cda-4e6d-b2ca-dae097926d17/Screen+Shot+2023-03-08+at+1.26.24+PM.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out “Flap flap... When playing as Shippo Mario or Tanuki Mario, you can press A to jump and then mash the A button to gently float down from midair.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/14e6bbc0-b847-4743-9317-6ba9039cf279/tanuki-means-raccoon-japanese.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out The Nintendo Power Mario Mania guide, released to promote Super Mario World about eighteen months after that first SMB3 feature, explicitly (and erroneously) stated that tanuki means “raccoon” in Japanese. (Via archive.org.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2fb41a9b-aad0-42e2-93c1-9feff43b655e/smb3-tanooki-mario-statue-mario-confuse-enemies.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Top: SMB3 instruction manual showing how Statue Mario can “trick” enemies. Bottom: SMB3 ending showing the same thing, more or less https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ee346917-5be2-4721-9f8b-fa9401b7b589/villa-incognito-smb3.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/251358ed-54cd-4fe2-a4fe-5e2389c33122/kuniyoshi-tanuki.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out All four images via these two posts on the Kuniyoshi Project website. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5ab3a190-6c3b-45f9-9d68-655ddb9db77c/yoshitoshi-tanuki-scrotum.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ea03a7f9-d456-4229-a0c0-26399bc07eaf/nintendo-power-mario-comic-cape-achute.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out “A cape-achute… What a concept!” from the Nintendo Power Super Mario Adventures comic. (Via archive.org.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e2bd9418-7f43-48e7-92f5-8a2c57b8826f/tanuki-tail.jpeg Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out A raccoon dog / non-yokai tanuki, sporting not a ringed tail, but a nice one nonetheless. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6ea4936b-ed9b-4f2f-8011-3b076035d3a6/tanuki-in-video-games.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Left to right: Tom Nook from Animal Crossing sporting a somewhat accurate tanuki tail; “A Message From Mario” tanuki stamp from the SMB3 instruction manual, with ringed tail; and Rocky on the western box art for Pocky & Rocky, which is so Americanized that you could imagine them giving him a ringed tail, but they don’t. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/62fdb129-3c42-4c4b-b353-b4c6de212ce8/arale-dr-slump-tanuki-smb3.gif Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Via Hardcore Gaming 101’s Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5dcf1edb-f56c-4152-9bf5-46605756e328/test8_AdobeExpress.gif Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out I made this gif comparison and then realized that Kaelan Ramos essentially did it already in video form, but still. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bf3bd2f4-29c7-4c6b-a067-71717d5f9bf5/tanooki-mario-3d-land.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Super Mario 3D Land-era Tanooki Mario is so very stoked on his culturally inaccurate tail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f46e56f5-438c-444f-8385-4077da9cf1ce/tanooki-peach-tanooki-rosalina-super-mario-3d-world.png Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bdd82974-7867-499c-8847-230bc891df00/json-super-mario-land-2.gif Blog - Did Super Mario Bros. 3 Change Our Understanding of the Tanuki? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/star-maze-mario-land-2-owen-pallett monthly 0.5 2023-03-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/96bee302-38cd-4ab1-9d68-3907c2eae7f4/wario4.gif Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out A star is born. Obviously. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/84da7e54-cf0c-40d8-a2ac-042df80e7c38/fire-flower-evolution.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Fire Flower evolution, left to right: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario Land 2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c3394fde-0d8e-4add-821f-937b96bf16b1/pumpkin-zone-super-mario-land-2.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out One of many “zone” maps navigated to from a larger world map, Super Mario World-style. Also why isn’t Pumpkin Zone a track in a Mario Kart game already? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bdf1eff5-f1cb-4886-9177-ac0d2530ad31/owen-pallett-six-golden-coins.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/46d8b770-0f93-42c2-8844-942851e85c6d/Screen+Shot+2023-02-11+at+1.30.38+PM+%282%29.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2c0ba2a3-5414-4620-ad40-8c05c436a887/Screen+Shot+2023-02-11+at+1.28.30+PM+%282%29.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Neither Yoko Shimomura nor Squaresoft are listed as having anything to do with “China Love,” but “Son of a Gun” lists Carly Simon as a writer, even though she wasn’t actively involved in the production of the track. She’s listed because the track samples “You’re So Vain,” which she wrote. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4080b513-c98c-497d-b507-debd40f795a7/mario-land-2-tatanga.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b1d1fa14-752a-4770-b43d-e550efc75f38/tatanga-super-mario-land.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/af66171f-f068-41b0-9e98-2710d57bf53a/tatanga-mario-land-2.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bbe6fec9-a07d-44c0-83e2-31be02f0fee9/Screen+Shot+2023-02-18+at+11.25.23+AM.png Blog - The Indie Pop Legacy of Super Mario Land 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/yoshi-name-etymology-nessie monthly 0.5 2023-11-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b4f6ad66-9832-431f-a0f1-dbadb00539e3/SMRPG_Bahamutt.gif Blog - Yoshi vs. the Loch Ness Monster - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/280bf690-f19b-46ce-a645-3337730b5079/yoshi-yossy.jpeg Blog - Yoshi vs. the Loch Ness Monster - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/62c46812-763b-4c7f-96c3-65f32015c657/dorrie-evolution-mario.png Blog - Yoshi vs. the Loch Ness Monster - Make it stand out Left: Dorrie as she originally appeared in Super Mario 64. Right: The Yoshi-fied update she got starting in Super Mario 64 DS. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f38e1263-d05e-49cb-8792-363cbc2aeebb/SM3DWBF_Screenshot_Cat_Plessie_Kittens.png Blog - Yoshi vs. the Loch Ness Monster - Make it stand out Plessie in Bowser’s Fury, and I can name as many reasons for why he looks like Yoshi as I can ones he seems to be styled not to look like Yoshi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5d4066a6-939c-45b5-9197-1d7d715d7452/boshi-washi-evil-yoshi.png Blog - Yoshi vs. the Loch Ness Monster - Make it stand out Mario : Wario :: Yoshi : Boshi / Washi. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/how-final-fantasy-taught-me-the-word-jihad monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0c2d6777-5a77-4bce-b64d-cdc378b78aaf/final-fantasy-ending-book.gif Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out I couldn’t find this gif online so I made it specifically for this post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1c8fdd03-9c08-46a1-aa66-b7d0de6bf901/warring+triad-floating+continent.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out The Warring Triad (statue version). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f462b33c-082f-4f70-a081-b45997bb7d47/Screen+Shot+2023-01-19+at+3.11.49+PM.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/21e737c2-3c56-439d-bf11-1dfd1d9b6084/warring-tried-ffVI.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out Left to right: Fiend, Goddess and Demon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d10e9e22-18c1-4c0a-8127-bdab03a9a590/final-fantasy-VI-final-boxx.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out It’s an elevator that is going nowhere good! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0cd250b9-09c1-405e-9fd7-522b43876484/Screen+Shot+2023-01-18+at+7.54.14+PM.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out Full disclosure: I ignored all of this advice because I couldn’t imagine heading into the final battle without Terra and Celes in my party. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2a396a26-9459-406c-8252-472c66048b82/Fiend_ffvi_concept_art.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out Translation, via Fatimah: “The kanji here is 神曲演出. 神曲 is literally ‘godly song’ but the dictionary says ‘incredible/great song.’ 演出 is ‘production’ as in ‘producing a play’ or the like. I'm a little confused and I'm assuming it's referring to something.” Image via the Final Fantasy Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d8abeef7-6fe5-40dc-a82e-664e5c77bd59/Goddess_ffvi_concept_art.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out Translation, via Fatimah: “Goddess Sophia / Fallen god’s wrath, god of silence/reticence and knowledge.” Image via the Final Fantasy Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/649c72da-829e-4883-8f73-3e23b2686dcb/Demon_ffvi_concept_art.png Blog - How Final Fantasy Taught Me the Word ‘Jihad’ - Make it stand out Translation, via Fatimah: “騎神 literally means ‘equestrian god,’ but I'm gonna say something more like ‘mounted god’ or like ‘centaur god’ is what they meant based off the design. I can't make out the last word, I know the kanji in the middle is 高, but the ones I’m thinking for the other two aren’t adding up.” Image via the Final Fantasy Wiki. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/bahamut-behemoth-etymology-final-fantasy monthly 0.5 2024-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ed9c3db9-d489-4728-be92-1fc8cc092965/behemoth-bahamut-etymology-final-fantasy.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out Bahamut vs. Behemoth: a battle for etymological supremacy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f8feb566-b24c-44f6-9a73-437598bcaebd/bahamut-islamic-cosmology-qazwini.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out In this illustration, (image via Wikipedia), Bahamut is depicted as a giant fish that is sometimes interpreted as a whale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/87e8e6bd-7c31-448b-b206-08116dc6f64a/ffiv-behemoth-battle.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out Fighting a Behemoth in FFIV’s Lunar Subterrane. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ae8928a3-c479-4d96-8a9c-35059cfc560d/amano-behemoth-final-fantasy1.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out Via the Final Fantasy Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/904a7659-8d25-4e53-b704-2963146b959c/live-a-live-distant-future-behemoth+.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out It’s an extraterrestrial because it’s a canon immigrant from Final Fantasy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/16f03cdf-e92d-4deb-b555-6d79176f1802/tiamat-final-fantasy-six-heads.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out Because six heads are better than four. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d209ec9c-77d6-4f63-806a-a4d45e81b9be/bahamut-rat-tail.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out Screenshot from this playthrough of the Game Boy Advance remake of FF1. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/60512fe1-bbb6-46ca-9a20-a967eaa60ec4/rats-tail-radish-red-lss-dsc_5527.jpeg Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out Delicious tail vegetables! (Via.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d190e281-9fb1-42a6-94e8-bcc083f98351/Screen+Shot+2023-01-08+at+4.42.42+PM.png Blog - Bahamut and Behemoth: One and the Same? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/sahagin-etymology-sea-hag monthly 0.5 2022-12-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8c20c0a3-b64d-42df-831a-65d88e4cea1e/sahag-ff11.png Blog - Sea Hag or Sagahin? A Quick History of an RPG Water Monster - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/24fc2827-718c-4b50-8296-3b8b8ee925ca/water-thug-sahagin-secret-of-mana.gif Blog - Sea Hag or Sagahin? A Quick History of an RPG Water Monster - Make it stand out He says “blorp.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/24b6a32d-6158-445e-82a4-b17765ee2766/Screen+Shot+2022-12-26+at+1.35.11+PM.png Blog - Sea Hag or Sagahin? A Quick History of an RPG Water Monster - Make it stand out Illustration by Dave Sutherland, from the original Blackmoor rulebook. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1bca7f79-6393-438f-bbe5-26312216c1a9/Theatrhythm_CC_Sahagin.png Blog - Sea Hag or Sagahin? A Quick History of an RPG Water Monster - Make it stand out A Sahagin appearing in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b5e8c935-e8be-40fc-bbc1-ad48f2689547/seawitch-final-fantasy.png Blog - Sea Hag or Sagahin? A Quick History of an RPG Water Monster - Make it stand out Neither sea hag nor Sahagin. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/meet-mega-mans-brother-bruce monthly 0.5 2022-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/726a5541-b2d9-48e6-80bd-3624b5f3263d/Screen+Shot+2022-12-08+at+4.10.06+PM.png Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c9226b68-3b34-4734-b182-30fa4f55b84c/Screen+Shot+2022-12-08+at+4.15.11+PM.png Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bffd23a4-83c7-4516-903e-1b3734db3318/rockerman3-instruction-manual.jpeg Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Translation: “The man of mystery, ‘Blues,’ appears in certain stages to challenge Rockman to battle. But just what is he? An enemy? An ally?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b8fa8ef0-077c-4ad6-866d-65c9849bf6d6/rockman3-instruction-manual-blues-protoman-hair.png Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Do we ever see Proto Man’s hair aside from this? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b9f08b10-7eea-4677-8dc0-a3652351d517/mega-man-3-ending-gif.gif Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e74873fb-e275-4676-8d3a-0ffee2b88127/mega-man-3-ending-proto-man.png Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/db34051a-c554-4eb7-a2f1-091e3c2af94a/mega-man-3-ending-japanese.png Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Translation: “#000 Blues / Prototype robot, went missing just before the shutdown of the circuit.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/527fca81-14b8-42e1-8922-721af5f0e439/proto-man-mega-man-bass-ending.png Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Let ‘em have it, Bruce! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/262536b2-bcf4-415e-bc78-72e1ff3e1d44/Screen+Shot+2022-12-08+at+4.03.32+PM.png Blog - Meet Mega Man’s Brother, Bruce - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/the-story-behind-super-mario-rpgs-valentina monthly 0.5 2022-11-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b8925bae-ca24-4f40-9f92-f15bf113fb0f/valentina-super-mario-rpg+%281%29+copy.gif Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bbd9b09c-b052-4111-962b-016380b59ea9/super-mario-rpg-birdo-battle.gif Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out I’d like to think that Birdo’s origins as a midboss in a cloud area prompted her appearance in this part of Super Mario RPG, but it may have been as simple as “is feminine, has eggs.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/95d8b111-18c8-4e88-a4fd-5daa51e0d1eb/EwIk8WrU8AACsWG.jpeg Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Via Kazuyuki Kurashima. And note there is an addition “general,” appearing to the upper left of the four recognizable ones and representing the kind of staff or rod weapon that magic users in RPGs usually wield. This character was completely cut from the final version of the game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/413c3f68-59a6-4e34-bf5e-9b4667079af3/Screen+Shot+2022-11-28+at+11.17.14+AM.png Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out That’s definitely Valentina, or at least a scribbly prototype of her, parrot headwear and all, although at no point in the game does she wield a bow and arrow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b3225f47-8e86-4cbd-a2ed-3b9a8023a3ae/Valentina-supermariorpg.png Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2f606957-04ce-4181-afdb-3f0940aa6d21/Screen+Shot+2022-11-28+at+11.52.19+AM.png Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/94ce01e2-25f6-40f4-8787-808a53837eb5/SMB-pixel-axe.gif Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/df33a1ce-93c5-4657-9039-42e50bb22f51/cheep+cheep+female.png Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/debaa5e3-995c-4455-b97c-ddd41445a461/wario-cameo-booster-tower-mariorpg.png Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3e1b97af-5073-46f3-b2c1-00738e665d5b/booster-smrpg.gif Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2e5c4c8e-ad01-495f-a20d-19e394194aa1/cid-ffiv-amano+copy.png Blog - The Story Behind Super Mario RPG’s Valentina - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/princess-peach-prototypes monthly 0.5 2026-01-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/989e3d0f-d559-48b3-bafe-c0f047b04234/smb-box-art-famicom-japanese-version+%281%29.jpeg Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Japanese box art for the original Super Mario Bros., featuring a proto-Peach who looks like she’s wearing jammies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2981daa0-baba-4533-a2ae-15a1d28880c0/yoichi-kotabe-princess-peach.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out The allegedly cat-eyed Peach, via Iwata Asks. I guess you’d have to be a little stubborn in the face of constant attacks from the Koopa Kingdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/749056dc-7b5e-4ed5-8999-0da7ae580834/japanese-smb2-flyer-lost-levels+%281%29.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out From a flyer for the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c2ecc418-f1ad-4e92-8e98-3eef05c37da8/princess-peach-smb2-instruction-manual.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out From the instruction manual for the western Super Mario Bros. 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dd13986c-0262-4a6b-8ceb-dfd1470646cf/gaku-miyao-princess-peach.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cd65be01-f2df-43be-9565-71ef9e69887b/proto-peach1.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cef2ddf9-039b-4f7a-8132-ffecc44c009e/proto-peach2+%281%29.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7718f214-a9ad-4a28-ac95-35f0167e135c/princess-peach-smb-sprite.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out “BLAARGH! I am the princess of blocks, I have the color scheme of pizza and I want to kiss you with my misshapen mowf!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/50467a5b-1dd0-43f1-a585-9e7a1d51058d/ugly-peach-smb.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Unclear on the context, exactly, because this is just one panel of the comic, but my translator is giving me this text as Mario saying, “Let’s see here... It’s said the reason you won is because of ‘thousands of thousands of Mario’s lives were sacrificed for this piece of shit!’ Could we get a word?” And then Ugly Peach responding, “I’m gonna rip your balls off.” Yes, that is what my translator sent me. Am I being punked? Image via the blog Famicom Story. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/18e6b3fa-91b1-46cc-951a-61908730f1c6/peach1.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/84e1b725-49e1-419f-8c86-53aa7fa3ab5b/peach2.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7e9da8bf-5679-4f0a-9435-dd11b23efa5b/peach3.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/254e9cba-ec6e-4c66-83b5-a88ca56f5c69/smb-peach-original-sprite-prototype.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/88e767d3-a1d1-4e6a-9883-51ffa8202b47/prototype-princess-peach-sprites-smb.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out I remade these pixel-by-pixel, but they’re essentially the same as the ones over at the Famicom Story post. I just subbed out the red that person used for a pink, since it looked like the concept art might be going for more than a pink. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/adb2b1c1-a517-445a-b49d-e8e632de4fc8/princess-peach-mushroomhead.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/66f8cf54-b492-4b4a-86b9-08e9091fc793/smb-concept-art-capital.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out This is a color-corrected screengrab from the news segment. In this video, you can see it at the 4:11 mark. I’ve no clue who the old man in the bottom lefthand corder is supposed to be, though I’d guess he’s the often-suggested, never-shown-in-game Mushroom King. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dc63fda3-3b02-41e7-8db8-27f7f1557ce8/princess-peach-princess-diana.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/34513ff9-0320-49cc-b666-c5ca06e182fc/princess-peach-farrah-fawcett.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/985c2c3f-8056-4ec8-99fd-822873bb8469/princess-peach-lost-levels-sprite.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Peach’s Lost Levels sprite, alongside what she’d look like in pink. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c6841ef9-90fc-4021-9e2c-e52d0ee9985f/lucias-wing-of-madoola.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b683b60b-86ab-4c5c-922e-220f1da02dc5/E_qcKg-XsAI86o2.jpeg Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/61ea93d9-a1c3-4adf-ad60-38ee8bfa8fd2/heather-thomas-zapped-princess-peach.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7ea8125d-279f-47a1-b5ad-22ec383d459c/midori-yamabuki-princess-peach.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/802d406e-912b-4c93-bb7f-d872d0a8cbac/midori-yamabuki-dr-slump-princess-peach.png Blog - A Parade of Princess Peach Prototypes - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/goomba-etymology-english monthly 0.5 2022-11-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/500c6594-86c2-454b-a506-3dad1492520d/goomba-walking.gif Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Goomba’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f086d994-63ab-4123-bb36-d3ebf91271ca/super-mario-super-show-showdown-in-brooklyn.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Goomba’? - Make it stand out “Mommy, why does everyone have different line weights if they’re supposed to be in the same scene? Is this even series canon?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eb4a1020-6d4c-4f9a-bdab-0a59aef8c12b/bella-gomba-german-portobello.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Goomba’? - Make it stand out See Google image search for more examples. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cc0d5f39-c086-4409-a15f-dc5feea35c1a/supper-mario-broth-prototype-peach.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Goomba’? - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e74ea47a-ccc4-4736-98ab-6e90bdd0bb6a/princess-peach-prototype.png Blog - What Is the Etymology of ‘Goomba’? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/extended-capcom-darkstalkers-universe monthly 0.5 2022-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a4998f4f-ff49-4580-935b-d83ec68f3ace/morrigan-mvc.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation, and please notice how Morrigan’s finger waggle ani ation is not only well-done but also something a character like her would do in between throwing fireballs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/99b228fb-285d-40e4-be7a-c2977214c6a1/super-puzzle-fighter2-turbo-character-select+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/27d0f939-9f7d-4e9f-bb82-8303347965cb/arthur-mvc1-assist-animation+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation, and this is not actually from Marvel vs. Capcom 3 but the first one, where he appears as an assist character. But you get the point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a3154bd2-ccb2-47d4-9695-4d6fff01f0cc/redarremer-walk+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aea03ba0-e178-4179-af09-3f4da8ae6bc5/The_Emperors_of_Makai.png Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Villains Wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/80594755-52e0-4181-b5e3-b18bab179671/ruby-heart-mvc2-victory-animation.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/177af7f2-3a62-43d8-a9de-9b15dac737ba/amingo-attacks+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b6433f46-0158-4ad8-aab4-60c5f37f7d20/tessa-wz-lk+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/00635141-5fc2-4cbb-9878-16ff532021bf/tessa-wz-walk+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d584b021-c2ab-423b-a3d4-a933bdae606b/lavia-fly2+%281%29+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b72fb7e2-53b3-4b57-b34c-f60e4c09aa07/BoF_Deis.png Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via Capcom Database. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aa824e24-4449-40ae-964b-2dc5f80979b7/jill-jump+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/09baac0c-2bbf-4e25-8889-3aaf1eac09c0/devilot-marvelassist+copy+2.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/345f363b-9dcb-4b6e-9d70-8f9abd048669/Marionette_Breathing-2.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via Darkstalkers Fandom wiki. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/14646425-6faa-4c2f-8b83-f26d02969587/tumblr_inline_ntzz9aQFMk1ry30s1_250+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via this Tumblr. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/303a0ff7-1aed-4df7-b7cd-7f07f4f61f5f/hsienko-meiling-darkstalkers+copy.gif Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Via The Fighters Generation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eaf20b13-aa77-4376-b154-f1bb1edfb218/darkstalkers-gay-victor-midnight-bliss.png Blog - The Extended Capcom Darkstalkers Universe - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/jeep-popeye-kibidango-super-mario-anime monthly 0.5 2025-04-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/136bc02f-9f6b-40c4-8c8c-df7eb263021e/tumblr_m04qznahw61r0ralmo1_500.gif Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Via Brother Brain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/993888a3-405c-4ca2-96bc-bc9636bd9105/mario-chain-chomp-gif+copy.gif Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0b491ba7-2ee0-4c5d-a336-e327d18cab2b/undodog-mario-maker.png Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/77fe60d4-78a2-4458-8b04-5cab4e779b2c/polterpup.gif Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fb5be22a-9169-4b3c-816e-26946e36302e/belome-mario.gif Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c425339a-29b7-4a2d-a079-39b0d7c030e9/eugene-the-jeep-popeye.png Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/848e8f77-a0c3-4e2b-9beb-5f81b8ea9507/popeye-whats-a-jeep.png Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out The Popeye “Wha’s a Jeep” cartoon from August 9, 1936. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/88da1bfa-daaa-4690-8b2b-12bdeb404ff9/LADX-bow-wow+copy.gif Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5d552470-09d6-4a1a-a2e6-70882cf24ab5/prince-haru-mario-anime.png Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a9a7fb60-8057-472a-befd-010c7e9c6878/prince-pine-yoshi%27s-safari.png Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cdc6474b-c6b3-4e1b-963b-03e31192149a/peasley-gay-mario.gif Blog - Dogs, Popeye and the Super Mario Bros. Anime - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/jone-candies-john-candy-castlevania-credits monthly 0.5 2022-10-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a11bad49-f476-4cb0-8fea-6bc380647c78/castlevania-trans-fishers.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/67fb1d1b-243f-41dd-aadd-d14d3809df79/castlevania-vram-stoker-james-banana.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7c06027d-0556-4b73-a8db-b96d35c33dcd/castlevania-christopher-bee.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/828e9486-4958-49d5-8421-678881111bfa/castlevania-belo-lugosi-boris-karloffice.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/926b22a1-973c-42b7-9108-5da00d6ceada/casetlvania-love-chaney-barber-sherry.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/edcc87a5-a035-414f-b372-ed894a7aec35/medusa-megaera-the-gorgon-hammer-film-kidicarus222.jpeg Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Barbara Shelley (not Barber Sherry) as the woman who didn’t realize she was the Gorgon (not named Medusa). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/34799b48-0181-4592-afd2-1b900e9f7e66/mix-shrecks-love-chaney.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3bf6fc18-3f34-4c94-91d6-c4e8f4d5bd29/castelvania-green-stranger-cafebar-read.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cbe62b7e-f4a2-4358-ba7f-1da00074e52e/castlevania-andre-moral-jone-candies.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/acf2f584-fbc4-4ef0-bfdc-0d3aabf7e700/castevania-simon-belmondo.png Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/39abf555-08c3-4440-b29e-15ab788e2e94/haunted-castle-arcade-box-front.jpeg Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/974f6b3e-fd23-4bc4-bfab-cd8984262182/haunted-castle-arcade-box-front1.jpeg Blog - Is There a John Candy Joke in the Ending to Castlevania? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/castlevania-sypha-belnades-fernandez-velnandez-velnumdez monthly 0.5 2022-11-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/64bc4caa-5f98-4b8d-9ea8-b757a547b33c/sypha-statue-castlevania-3.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6d1b296b-da90-4cb1-814a-6a5e522c0886/sypha-japanese-manual-1.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f7cf5634-18a7-4727-ba1e-157129658208/sypha-japanese-manual-2.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Translated (but in a way that kinda sorta preserves the fact that the text does not gender Sypha): “Rumors of their death circulated within the Eastern Orthodox Church, but they had been captured by the boss at the end of the forest, the Cyclopes. Sypha, like Ralph, is a vampire hunter. They usually attack with a holy staff and have the same speed and jumping power as Ralph. Their attacks include fire, freezing, and lighting bolts that are quite powerful and can be used for ranged attacks. However, their armor is weak, so they take heavy damage from enemies. Settling battles quickly is the key to victory.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a515f1eb-362f-497d-9f67-90091ecfd887/Castlevania_III_-_Dracula%27s_Curse_-_NES_-_Manual-5.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/93638358-9c8e-4dc1-bcad-640d813dd2dd/castlevania-take-him-with-you.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0a9e7e69-84fb-48ce-85d0-d38f71ebc07f/Screen+Shot+2022-10-02+at+11.40.05+AM.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out From the June 2006 issue of Nintendo Power. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/464fcce0-7c5b-481e-8f23-1dcde3aa5105/carrie-fernandez-carrie-belnades-castlevania.jpg Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Translation: “Carrie, a descendant of the Fernandez family, is said to have once fought alongside the warriors of the Belmont family. She awakened her exorcism abilities when she witnessed the death of her adoptive mother. Years later, sensing the imminent return of the Demon King, Carrie sets out for the Demon Castle to seal off Count Dracula using her exorcism.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/73b85828-6f07-4699-a381-db69a8ad365a/syfa-velnumdes.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5b9e2965-41d0-44ab-b2d6-c28329b6e393/sypha-velnandes-correct-spelling.jpeg Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d255d338-8797-4610-8ce1-b7057d7fe791/captain-n-castlevania-sypha-male.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Simon Belmont, meet your… great-great-great-grandmother? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/af146b52-8220-464d-8350-f45254d4926d/camilla-fernandez-castlevania.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1d87c03c-18dd-4483-af57-b5e6f2724b63/sypha-belnades-male-nintendo-power.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b28da10d-02c3-4f30-b2f9-78cc231c6ecd/trevor-c-belmont-ralph-belmont-castlevania.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/518a2ec4-325c-4692-afec-f20ab2038f36/simon-belmondo-castlevania.png Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out If you’re interested, I also have a follow-up post where I explore the joke credits at the end of the original Castlevania here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a7e164e4-e861-402e-9743-c01c602f2e96/sypha-ending-castlevania-iii.gif Blog - The Many Mysteries of Castlevania’s Sypha Belnades - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/golden-axe-equals-signs-double-hyphen-japanese monthly 0.5 2025-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8c7ec73b-ece4-4c7d-b7c0-6515b6e1c72b/ax%3Dbattler-golden-axe.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c150fa49-b4f4-44d6-82c9-60759e2d2327/tyris%3Dflare-golden-axe.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f5cfc762-b3ff-45ea-b553-63a3669a2b7d/gilius%3Dthunderhead-golden-axe.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/204fe104-305b-4aae-8164-d877b5efc4e7/death%3Dadder-golden-axe.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0e4e20a4-b187-4079-b103-12a5ff7cea24/waldorf-astoria-double-hyphen.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out The double hyphen is sometimes used in stylized branding as well, probably most notably with the Waldorf Astoria hotel, which I explain in the miscellaneous notes section. (Image via Wiki Commons.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/17a04fe3-2ece-4ad3-ad24-686f165ae27b/golden-axe-character-select.gif Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Via VGJunk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/057d8112-59dd-4044-b6f2-9ec695dab34c/ax-battler-golden-axe-game-gear.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/95f3ab86-f860-4bba-93a3-7fd7717c6ab1/ax-battler-golden-axe-game-gear-japanese-box-art.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d42c4836-112e-421f-b4ea-bd0fd738d254/golden-axe-chickenleg.gif Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5032c95c-c2db-40a3-adce-b900051b250e/waldorf-astoria-equals-sign.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9fd41ed9-5480-48db-bd1a-fd1f1f94e672/golden-axe-blood-intro-censored.gif Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1e7d37f4-3fc9-4298-a086-1a85da036fa1/golden-axe-japanese-art.png Blog - What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/how-popeye-changed-video-games monthly 0.5 2025-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c8531c07-a6da-4c10-85c5-1721ce9ab2b9/popeye-olive-oyl-nintendo-arcade.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/85aea225-a745-41e9-9773-62e68bd3f448/popeye-spinach-video-game-power-up.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/19f05e64-e4a8-4957-aaf5-e36d08e1e009/bernice-whiffle-hen-1.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0790c403-7180-45c1-9d74-5878d81759af/bernnice-whiffle-hen2.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9dbc1074-71eb-4cc0-8c1c-6114ec528c01/Popeye-June-26-1931-firstspinach.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out June 26, 1931: First mention of spinach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d4b2f05b-2fc0-4057-87b4-88ed2f32c069/Popeye-February-28-1932-bowlspinach.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out February 28, 1932: First actual appearance of spinach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b69a7bcb-28cc-469c-9001-2d112f83027f/Popeye-July-3-1932-spinachpower.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out July 3, 1932: First explanation of the power of spinach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/63e74e32-4c1b-404e-97bd-fc4167031354/popeye-magazine-issue-1-japanese.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6d21792a-6593-4c13-ade7-4d2f84cc1981/popeye-magazine-mario-inspiration.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/36a68d7b-4584-4d44-92aa-0dfb06732310/kate-willaert-popeye-magazine-mario.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Via @katewillaert on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8ccbea3c-f8e1-4b64-8885-3f86f30d0133/popeye-magazine-font-nintendo.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Via @katewillaert on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e7ee6ae4-91e4-4eb9-914f-b4349e67169c/popeye-arcade-nintendo.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a3590b2c-6108-4327-9fdf-552a96a5a9f3/popeye-NES-instruction-manual.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f65039ae-eb85-4d16-9382-017b91635aaf/bluto-brutus-nintendo.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eeb01565-b4e7-428b-a03f-a98337aa9603/drew-mackie-popeye-thrilling-tales-of-video-games.png Blog - How Popeye Changed Video Games - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/unpacking-the-sounds-of-earthbound-arcade monthly 0.5 2022-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/089b8a87-9e7a-4ae4-83a9-5966393a4048/sheriff-nintendo-cabinet-art-betty.jpeg Blog - Unpacking the Sounds of Earthbound’s Arcade - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bbe0d1c7-117b-492b-8f7e-326413e5f0a0/sheriff-ninendo-cabinet-art.png Blog - Unpacking the Sounds of Earthbound’s Arcade - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5869fbd5-06d0-46cf-8fa5-dbb913cff6f5/Manhole_NH-103_Page1.jpeg Blog - Unpacking the Sounds of Earthbound’s Arcade - Make it stand out Via. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/super-mario-bros-3-happened-before-super-mario-bros-2 monthly 0.5 2023-01-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/09344d42-1bb2-4254-b0df-b03d69c57187/super-mario-bros-3-ending.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b945ee70-dc21-4c53-81fb-dbca1f432690/mario-sprite-evolution Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d069dd5c-d4c6-40f8-97fe-87cfd11ccb0a/smb2-prototype-comparison.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out On the left: The brassy-toned title screen found on the SMB2 prototype. On the right: The blue-background version found in the finalized version. (Via The Cutting Room Floor.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/56360428-82fa-479e-a8e8-16fd92784046/smb2-sprite-eveolution+copy.gif Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Blue background: The finalized sprites. Gold background: The beady-eyed prototype sprites. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b001d829-e6c8-4512-89e1-646e71b093e7/mario-sprite-smb2-smb3-evolution.gif Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Blue background: SMB2. Gold background: SMB2 prototype. Green background: SMB3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6c13dacb-1e73-4795-84c2-f441718ef852/peach-sprite-smb2-smb3-evolution+copy.gif Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Blue background: SMB2. Gold background: SMB2 prototype. Green background: SMB3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/305c9ee4-63be-4a9e-b174-14b20ff03f38/14853_back.jpeg Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6eb9a3fc-fcbf-4ad1-aa53-c879e0350da8/smb3-box-error-screenshot.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left: The map of Grass Land as it appears on the back of the North American box for SMB3. Right: The map as it appears in the finalized version of the game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f0e266b8-7750-4643-9a77-a841d0dc593e/314258-super-mario-bros-3-nes-back-cover.jpeg Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b50eb830-82dd-42e9-97fb-af877d3fc63c/314257-super-mario-bros-3-nes-front-cover.jpeg Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bd5f577b-12e6-45f4-b216-ae02ba52a6cb/ugly-toad-smb3.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/087877cb-62c6-48af-8742-a4ae878b7cb6/peach-sprite-super-mario-allstars-super-mario-world.png Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/48de3dde-70fe-4be9-970b-8d039ecb44f7/mario-sprite-evolution-smb3-smb2.gif Blog - Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/p-wing-paratroopa-smb3 monthly 0.5 2025-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/af136bc3-b2b3-489f-87a3-0dba67a71dc9/smb2-ending-joke.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6fa02fea-a64e-4bb8-91ce-dd12fe04262a/Pipe_Land_scene_SMB3.jpeg Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out If we are being nit-picky about series lore, the Hammer Bros. in Super Mario Bros. 3 do, in fact, have black shells and helmets, but I feel like this power-up might also be referencing a different Mario enemy. (See the miscellaneous notes section.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4462d930-0cda-456f-9224-bf1cd4707ed7/Screen+Shot+2022-08-08+at+10.45.27+PM.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Via. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cbefbabb-66f5-45e7-a617-080a0526362c/Screen+Shot+2022-09-08+at+11.35.23+AM.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f53b1526-42e8-4b58-91bf-5b0fdf5fc0a4/Screen+Shot+2022-09-08+at+11.35.23+AM.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0552e9d5-1a11-43d3-abe9-605b09d05938/kuribos-goomba-smb3.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out The fact that this would translate as “Goomba’s Goomba” makes me think the translator wasn’t aware what Kuribo meant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/98f320b3-aea4-40a0-8488-aaf65c52b063/mario-kuribos-shoe.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out To this day, I have no idea why the boots have wind-up keys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eba79cb2-3fe1-476c-9abb-416170d0ea24/Sky_Land.jpeg Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Mario doesn’t grow wings, but he does get a “P” on his chest, though for the map screen only and never in the actual levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dfe3c511-2acf-4cb6-be31-c7da1a3d87df/Screen+Shot+2022-08-05+at+10.13.55+AM.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out The bottom most text calls it パワーメーター or Pawā Mētā. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/65d20d4d-c556-4ccb-92dc-13aa0239687a/Screen+Shot+2022-08-05+at+10.16.07+AM.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8eeddb28-60a5-46dc-a9ff-dbf0fc38b52d/smb3-magic-wing.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Notably absent from the manual? Any mention of the Hammer Suit, though Nintendo Power had blabbed about that one and it was not a surprise for me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d08549ab-20d7-4146-b57f-10768c504275/mario3-water-world-japan.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/37079063-0281-4386-b57d-35f08caccba1/water-king-mario3.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c1acf034-77ea-4355-8fb5-bb21f75285b5/Air_Assault.jpeg Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c084e1c1-b6a8-439e-96aa-1dc392a02749/mushroom+woman.png Blog - Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/goomba-history-mushroom-chestnut-kuribo monthly 0.5 2022-11-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/414cfc68-2ba8-437e-bdb9-1f5a6232afab/goomba-waddle-2.gif Blog - A Short History of the Goomba - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/644d156c-978a-4020-9a27-839358bae0c6/Screen+Shot+2022-07-31+at+10.49.39+PM.png Blog - A Short History of the Goomba - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/76d577a3-e598-42a9-9de5-47b177409d0d/little-goomba-instruction-manual.png Blog - A Short History of the Goomba - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9c7000ac-ccb1-47a1-a3dd-2f8427fa8cca/kuribo-super-mario-bros-japanese-manual.png Blog - A Short History of the Goomba - Make it stand out Translation: “An evil mushroom that betrayed the Mushroom Kingdom. One stomp and it disappears.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4972b04d-0d7b-4d7b-bb31-82727ba64c2e/Goombas%2C_Super_Mario_Bros._through_Super_Mario_World_2_Yoshis_Island..gif Blog - A Short History of the Goomba - Make it stand out Via BrotherBrain, clockwise from the top-left: the Goomba in Super Mario Bros, in Super Mario Bros. 3, in Yoshi’s Island and the thing we now call a Galoomba in Super Mario World. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3ad3c7d6-001f-4ff1-a02b-4a8d05a6b9b6/goomba-king-chestnut-king.gif Blog - A Short History of the Goomba - Make it stand out Goomba King? Goomboss? Or Chestnut King? All three? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5d7e3a0c-dce3-4b00-99f4-4b59da9ed661/Screen+Shot+2022-07-31+at+11.00.58+PM.png Blog - A Short History of the Goomba - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/is-princess-lana-based-on-palutena-from-kid-icarus monthly 0.5 2022-08-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7d4a1a0f-c3f4-46a7-87f5-f36d387525a8/princess-lana-captain-n.png Blog - Is Princess Lana Based on Palutena from Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2a590cb1-5301-461a-84c4-98a36de676c0/princess-lana-palutena.png Blog - Is Princess Lana Based on Palutena from Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Left to right: Princess Lana, Palutena as seen in the instruction manual for Kid Icarus and the revamped Palutena from Kid Icarus: Uprising. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c1c0c34a-ee20-42ca-9cf0-1554b42b55fc/flying-omelette.png Blog - Is Princess Lana Based on Palutena from Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2d1a2783-d6c4-4562-8bf9-36411fbd9d99/saori-kido-palutena-kid-icarus.png Blog - Is Princess Lana Based on Palutena from Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/eed9be91-8f02-4da7-97d6-0d9691adf175/captain-n-samus-aran-metroid.png Blog - Is Princess Lana Based on Palutena from Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Via CaptainN.net. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/neinhalt-sieger-samurai-shodown-gotz-von-berlichingen monthly 0.5 2022-08-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/93a647a7-9c97-46a6-982d-12d1a4b488d9/neinhalt-sieger-samurai-shodown.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/07cc1193-1623-4f7a-b7ab-257b54c94587/neinhalt-sieger-fiery-blast1.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out In one of the more metal visuals I’ve seen in a period piece video game, Sieger’s artillery explosion briefly takes the form of a topless woman. I think I’ve seen this painted on a van. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9b8a8e0f-f82e-4b27-8182-3396cc7cd1cf/zhukov.jpeg Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Via a website called Badass of the Week, and yeah, that seems about right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c8163aed-82d9-4e75-aa2d-f9258f8e3c47/Go%CC%88tz-eiserne-hand1.jpeg Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out The actual prosthetic hand did not produce artillery explosions — or at least that is not a thing represented in this diagram. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/465eeeaf-ca0c-488b-b24d-97f69ec34df3/guts-berserk.png Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a5be367b-82e5-45bf-bb41-061639dce29f/samurai-shodown-prussia.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Sieger’s stage: Prussia — or Prosia, as it’s sometimes referred to in-game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b0d40d26-5f66-4d2e-942f-66fd88d0e3e1/sieger-ending-samurai-shodown2.png Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/41aa19de-7a8d-4c7b-b6c3-b3003828b249/sieger-elizabeth-samurai-shodown2.png Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Both images via the Video Game Museum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5cbae329-8243-4569-9add-af20953edb3a/samurai02.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/5ad4d86b-f960-4007-9150-87310a8ca4a8/samurai03.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/75ddfc07-ba97-424b-a572-15e5a739abdc/damest.jpeg Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/39a8e44f-4b91-40df-80cf-e00b6309f1ce/ochamaro-samurai-shodown.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/392db002-a777-447b-8fb4-3784d5a8d22b/andrew-jackson-samurai-shodown6.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/956f4db5-0eb4-435d-8f88-1c284f77ca9f/genjuro-samurai-shodown2+copy.gif Blog - Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/charlotte-samurai-shodown-rose-versailles-chevalier-deon monthly 0.5 2022-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f547bf4d-7ce2-4394-8f83-bd8fb16be675/charlotte-samurai-showdown.png Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a1f2e1b6-35ed-4ca7-8bbb-00335e04ca3d/janne-world-heroes.png Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dc1c710f-b007-4b0c-98d1-ca47282068ed/778px-Paul_Baudry_-_Charlotte_Corday_-_c_1860_-_Nantes_Museum_of_Art.jpeg Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out Charlotte Corday (1860) by Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e354d8dd-1444-4868-9e98-f6be24330342/charlotte-rose-of-versailles.gif Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/01c362b3-d1b0-4b54-a546-b201d6498d7e/samurai-shodown-2-versailles.png Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out Charlotte’s stage background in Samurai Shodown II is a grand room at Versailles. The background painting shows the cast of fighters banding together to fight the game’s big bad, Mizuki the demon priestess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8800a0fe-d8f6-4216-8ae3-bfee418b4aea/chevalier-deon.png Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out The Fencing-Match between the Chevalier de Saint-George and the Chevalier d'Eon (c. 1787-9) by Alexandre-Auguste Robineau. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fdf97b83-5f24-4900-8c56-5dbd8759b789/bjorn-andresen-oscar-rose-of-versailles.png Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out Left: Björn Andrésen in Death in Venice. Right: Oscar in Rose of Versailles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/12682265-7f8c-4c57-86f4-7275bd411ef6/charlotte-samurai-showodwn-2-ending.png Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out In the final scene of her ending in Samurai Shodown II, Charlotte is about to attend to Hoahmaru, the game’s hero, for whom she is implied to have romantic feelings. When Haohmaru’s lover Oshizu arrives on the scene, however, Charlotte flees. Standing on the cliff, she says, “Love makes me uneasy. I have to… train myself more. Then she cuts off her long hair, depriving herself of one of the signifiers of her femininity. There’s… a lot here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c488a0f5-59d8-49da-9215-52877e772f42/yumeji-samurai-shodown.gif Blog - The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/super-mario-bros-2-missing-level monthly 0.5 2024-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b92a6cce-abbd-48b4-8dba-45fea678a5e3/super-mario-bros-2-world-1.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7816d441-7625-4597-a11d-92bc1dcf8c2f/super-mario-bros-2-world-2.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/998dbcc4-c4a6-43f4-8aec-ddc1044f242a/super-mario-bros-2-world-4.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/62903c25-f7df-42da-9b68-d49c30997d02/super-mario-bros-2-world-7.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0029e9aa-ab56-45a0-b586-54bbf3ca35f6/dokidokipanic3.jpeg Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Translation: The Strange, Strange Story of the Dream Factory / Awakening in the dreamland, Mūkai. This is a tale about a place far away that no one really knows. In the dreamland of Mū, many people live happily. It's a strange land where the dreams of the residents dictate the weather. With good, happy dreams comes fine weather, while bad dreams bring storms. But, who knows what kind of dream will come until the day of. And so, the people of Mū invented the Dream Machine to create plenty of good dreams. However, one day the mischievous monster Mamū tampers with the machine and all hell breaks loose! Instead of dreams, loads of monsters appear, wreaking havoc. Mamū relishes in everyone's distress. To scare him off, they go to the Dream Machine with something he hates: vegetables. Mamū was crushed by all the vegetables and surrendered. And they all lived happily ever after. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/07708571-8203-43b0-898c-6613450030dc/dokidokipanic4.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Translation: Piki and Poki and the giant hand that appeared out of nowhere! This is a tale about when Rūsa the monkey brought an old picture book from somewhere. Twins Piki and Poki were absorbed in the story as they read. But eventually, they started fighting over the book and tore up the last page that said Mamū had surrendered. At that moment, in a flash of light, a large hand appeared and took them both away into the storybook! Imajin and his companions hear their screams and see Mamū running through the picture book with Piki and Poki in his arms. Imajin immediately reached out his hand, and he, along with his father and the others who looked on with surprise, are pulled into the book. Your goal: the Dream Factory, where Mamū resides. Work together to save Piki and Poki! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/58c717a5-5588-4747-a78f-4e5b46614af6/smb2-doki-doki-subspace.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e25cb6dd-22cc-40d2-8d7d-7ae31d84c488/dokidokipanic23.jpeg Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ee9c4962-5f5a-4139-9f85-b42fb115c6cc/doki-doki-panic-masks.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9c5419f2-b9f1-463f-a662-da2022c7ae26/yume-kojo-87-masks.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out You can see some similarity in the Doki Doki Panic masks and ones in this image, from a promotional booklet for the event. Also my god, these masks are more horrifying than Phanto. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/dddc8482-a1a9-4115-934f-725cefc6d5e3/doki-doki-panic-phone-card.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Translation, for what it’s worth, even though it doesn’t explain the image on the card: Telephone Card Present / Thank you for purchasing Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic. To commemorate the release, Fuji Television Network will present 2,000 winners with commemorative telephone cards (limited edition, not for sale). Please read the following application guidelines carefully before applying. How to apply: Peel off the application sticker at the beginning of this book, put it on a postcard with your postal code, address, name, and phone number. Mailing Address: Applications should be sent to "Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic" section, Fuji Television Business Bureau, Ushigome, Tokyo 162-91, Japan. The deadline for the first drawing is July 31 (postmarked by July 31), and the deadline for the final drawing is September 9 (postmarked by September 9). Winners will be announced by mail. “There will be 1,500 winners of the initial drawing and 500 winners in the final drawing.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6dbaedd7-1be0-4969-830c-5a06331ab330/doki-doki-panic-phone-card.png Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out I think the phone card just represents corporate synergy between Nintendo and Fuji TV. It is just a coincidence that these four characters would be further linked down the road, when Nintendo decided to make Doki Doki Panic into a Mario game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b506e6b1-2edb-445e-9e57-660f4d899c1d/dokidokipanic-artwork-family.jpeg Blog - Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/blanka-name-origin-street-fighter-ii monthly 0.5 2022-10-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3e6dc65f-9550-42ad-aa69-015d61a10de8/blanka-win-sf2.gif Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out What is Portuguese for “rawr”? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b9f1719b-58e2-44cb-a8d2-09264e3951a1/blanka-stage-sf2-brazil.png Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Not exactly Rio de Janeiro… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c44e2098-c4da-4894-bab7-370f68c07a4c/laura-stage-streetfighter.jpeg Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Versus specifically Rio de Janeiro for Laura’s stage in Street Fighter V. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/09e5cb3b-910b-46ba-bd32-88f70ffbf691/tam-tam-samurai-shodown.gif Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b2887c50-ef71-4cdf-ad46-ebada0cd4f34/cham-cham-samurai-shodown.gif Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ada1b497-7c6f-4371-a832-22aa87b6e8f9/anabebe-street-fighter-blanka.jpg Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Translation: Anabebe, 18 years old, height: 230 cm, weight: 200 kg. Anabebe is a beastman raised by lions. His manager and tamer, Rothenberger, keeps him shackled in chains. Anabebe is proficient at biting and scratching, but is extremely weak to fire. Special move: Beastman Attack. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a5b665eb-b313-44d1-a7fb-5aae5471c568/proto-blanka-designgs-street-fighter.png Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Left to right: Tiger Mask Blanka, Ninja Blanka and the almost-there Hamablanka (a.k.a. Hammer Blanka). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0cf60a6a-41b7-455d-a808-718a448381af/the-amazon-pro-wrestling-nes-street-fighter.png Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out He’s more Creature from the Black Lagoon than beastman, but The Amazon is nonetheless a green-skinned menace with a mouth full of sharp teeth — like Blanka. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/85543eb0-0f1a-4208-804a-86f49350becd/blanka-orginal-street-fighter-drawing.jpg Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Um homem verde, claramente. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f0b40bfc-97f6-442f-a048-62c8ce1ee843/blanka-ending-sf2.png Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2cac7f92-00b2-45e0-bc49-6da8c9275dc4/hamablanca1.png Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4d585266-4ae8-4563-b6f8-c039b5474e20/hamablanca2.PNG Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0e726870-e4d9-4c3c-8e8d-b88712fb7ac6/hamablanca3+%282%29.PNG Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f980159e-c1a4-4392-a760-0655ca3540b2/blanka-electricity.gif Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8030350b-56c5-43c0-8d7b-04a2792f6100/Blana.png Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Not currently playable in any Street Fighter title. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9533da47-6704-4532-b43b-f570602cc05b/Issue_2_Cover_C.jpeg Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9b61b6a5-8cc8-4d8d-8450-03b99770f459/Issue_2_Cover_C.jpeg Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/66f1a616-a7a9-442f-a75b-ed12d23d6402/liza-kaiser-knuckle-brazil.png Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1dfc525e-0803-4984-945d-0b69513bac28/liza-kaiser-knuckle-animation+copy.gif Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ef9e1074-b9ea-41d3-83c0-2d93b8e73c10/blanka-hama-blanka.jpeg Blog - If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/the-legend-of-zubaz monthly 0.5 2022-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ff44a1f4-4876-4d91-b693-8e5b668a7965/street-fighter-bullfighter-character-gay.jpeg Blog - The Legend of Zubaz - Make it stand out Let’s just say some of us were poorer for not having met him way back when. I at least would have figured out some stuff sooner if we had. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/260493d6-89e9-4114-8398-1429112db864/road-warriors-zubaz.jpg Blog - The Legend of Zubaz - Make it stand out The Road Warriors, hailing from a point in history where hot magenta was a man’s color, apparently. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/is-terry-bogard-in-street-fighter-i monthly 0.5 2022-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e22762ae-98bd-4f37-adbd-ccc36c68be42/terry-bogard-street-fighter.gif Blog - Is Terry Bogard in Street Fighter I? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6012d56f-68e6-40c2-af08-71277479a971/terry-bogard-back-pose.gif Blog - Is Terry Bogard in Street Fighter I? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/origins-street-fighter-ii-character-names monthly 0.5 2026-02-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/623488c6-d871-40ca-8595-37299766c2ae/sf1-arcade-booklet.jpeg Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out An official arcade booklet for the first Street Fighter shows Ryu and Ken’s names written with the kanji 隆 and 拳. Subsequently, Ryu’s name would be more often written in katakana and Ken’s almost always, especially after he got a last name. Scan via Retro Game Goods Collection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/03fbff53-e858-4700-95e3-adf6452fb1b1/guile-street-fighter-polnareff-john-pierre.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Left to right: Guile, Jean Pierre Polnareff from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and John Pierre from Fighter’s History. Not pictured: J. Geil from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/22756fce-41e8-4579-9c6f-c8ca2a7522fe/famitsu-guile-polnareff-geil.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Translation: When we made Street Fighter, it wasn't selling well in Japan at all. Meanwhile, Americans kept on playing it forever. They were saying “Make a game like Street Fighter!” but then I made the mistake of making Final Fight (LOL). The Americans were like, “No! Make a competitive fighting game!” so then [Street Fighter] II was born. The character names were pretty random. At first, it was just stuff like “Indian,” “Ruffian,” or “Chinese Girl.” Guile was the only one with a name. Someone saw a rough sketch of the character and said “Isn’t that Geil from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure?” So we just ended up going with that name. Later, I looked it up, and it turns out they were talking about Polnareff (LOL). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/39080c7e-6e00-4990-8582-9d139bb85d71/chun-li-origin-gamepro-magazine.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out via a scan at the Internet Archive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aeede5eb-ac55-487e-84b6-e16e4b5ba04b/original-street-fighter-ii-character-designs.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Per the Street Fighter II 30th Anniversary Collection, the original Street Fighter II combatants as they were initially conceived in 1988, two years before the game was released. Clockwise starting from top left: Masaaki Kakuda, from Japan; Zhi Li, from China, Bunbobo a capoeira fighter from an unspecified country; Dick Jumpsey, an American boxer and clearly a play on Jack Dempsey; Anabebe, an African fighter who evolved in Blanka and whom I discuss in greater length in the post all about Blanka; the Great Tiger; former green beret Shilke Muller, from an unspecified country and inexplicably seeming like a play on the female German athlete Silke Möller; and Tahir Meyer, a masked wrestler from an unspecified country. Yes, the original line-up did not include Ryu or Ken. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8019186d-abfa-4ea1-b05b-2685ba3fc647/chun-li-zhi-li-street-fighter.jpg Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Translation: “2. Zhi Li / Chinese Kenpo Practitioner / 18 years old / 164 cm / 48 kg. A female kenpo prodigy. Practitioner of the Northern Praying Mantis style. Took the Chinese martial arts scene by storm and became an idol overnight. She is actually Gen's daughter, and she entered the tournament to find the man who killed her father. Her body is extremely limber, so she attacks with a unique style. Special move: Hair Attack. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7f027ff7-caa6-4795-a2d3-7dd3a9b43ba5/chun-li-bao-lady-whirlwind-ton-pooh.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Left to right: Chun-Li, Tao from Harmageddon: Genma Wars, Angela Mao in Lady Whirlwind and Tong Pooh from Strider. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/cf9779d6-615e-4e57-b194-855a473da68e/chun-li-gen-kick.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Image via R. Mika’s Training Room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/810437e7-8ccd-4594-89e8-0d65bdf99894/street-righter-ii-four-bosses.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/382f99c4-5028-4412-82f3-c092e0acf2c7/sf2-sound-production-roundtable.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Translation: Abe: Then, did you know that Vega and Bison's names are the opposite overseas? There are all kinds of connections. Komio: Hm, nothing comes to mind... Abe/Takano: (LOL) Takano: In other words, Bison was a character based on Tyson, and if we made his name Bison, it would be an infringement of rights due to the likeness of the real person, so the name was changed to Balrog, and we changed Balrog to Vega. And Vega means… Lyra, I think? So, from the Japanese point of view, the name Vega might seem cool for the last boss, but from the foreign marketing point of view, it’s “lazy.” Komio: Oh? Takano: So we named the neutral Balrog, Vega. And since Sagat has been Sagat’s name since Street Fighter I, we couldn't change it, so we decided to name the last boss General Bison. Komio: How complicated. Takano: (LOL) Abe: So that's why in the movie it’s General Bison. Takano: By the way, how excited was your company at the time when your game was being made into a Hollywood movie? Abe: Uh, well, there was no particular excitement... At that time, the hype around Street Fighter II in Japan had already calmed down. I think there was more of an atmosphere of “they’re doing that again” within the company (LOL). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/00dfa7ed-f647-4169-9f1b-3fd3441f1546/balrog-street-fighter-ending.jpeg Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2f0ea1b1-8db9-4a93-a3cf-f3cd937fcd21/zangief-original-sketch.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Translation: Hates communism, and participates in Street Fighter for the money. He’s in it for the money again this time. Vodka Govalsky Large pro wrestling fellow Fought matches without really understanding things like rules and tact. All of his opponents were left in states beyond recovery. As a result, he was banished from the world of wrestling. Now, he’s working to revive the underground pro wrestling scene. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4bccff18-041d-4c7e-877c-b93ffd4136eb/dhalsim-dhalisma-darushimu-darushiima.png Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out From page 88 in the Gamest special on Street Fighter II. Translation: Nishitani (NIN): Dhalsim’s name was taken from Dhalsima, an actual fighter from the India-Pakistan area. Akemi Kurihara: That kind of thing sounds fake even though it’s true. Nishitani: Zangief is the same. He’s based off a Soviet pro wrestler. This is the pattern we used. We wanted to give E. Honda a Japanese name. First, we thought something like Suzuki or Tanaka, but we figured westerners are more familiar with Honda. Balrog seemed really strong, so we gave him that name. Vega gives off a strong feeling in Japan, but in America, it’s Virgo/the Virgin and has a feminine image. This was pointed out to us later on. Kurihara: In the overseas version, Bison’s name is different. Nishitani: Well, Bison is too similar to Tyson and we could get into trouble. Things can be pretty strict over there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/015cadb4-de26-43c4-9c5a-e7a15cefa034/dhalsim-naradatta.jpeg Blog - A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names - Make it stand out Translation: How about an enemy like this? An early concept for an Indian character. They were known as Naradatta but then it gave way to the current Dhalsim. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/pac-man-hockey-pucks-paku-paku monthly 0.5 2022-06-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d8f5a713-899f-4617-aeea-5423e9aacaba/pac-man-hockey-puck-ultimate-history-of-video-games.png Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8ac0d87d-e348-47b4-9649-9f7d93942402/pacman-hockey-puck.gif Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6296d27c-b4c3-4307-8c79-4ee9a3d66b1d/pac-man-chris-kohler.png Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/28a9791f-bf06-47e0-8086-53fd15ceffc8/kent-interview-iwatani.png Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/be98a320-a41e-41bb-9c2c-104e02299ea7/pacman-PAGE-2017.gif Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Munch munch munch munch munch, via Adweek. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/498a0db9-8b10-407a-972d-faef51ad27ba/pac-man-sprites.png Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bfa589be-9509-4c2d-868e-022f1fc6c68d/pac-man-vs-piranha-plant-smash-bros.png Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out Chomps vs. Chomps, Smash Bros.-style https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/016f70d6-b840-445c-b94e-4e655ee2360e/alluring-rider-tapir-ff6.png Blog - What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man? - Make it stand out A pantsless woman wielding a whip and riding a dreamland tapir — courtesy Final Fantasy VI. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/dante-inferno-final-fantasy-ivs-elemental-fiends-names monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/aef41d06-2d14-46ce-a707-5540ae95ea54/final-fantasy-4-elemental-fiends.png Blog - Cliffs Notes for Dante: Final Fantasy IV’s Elemental Fiends - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Rubicante and Barbariccia — a.k.a. Dusty, Musty, Rusty and Gusty, though I would also accept Busty. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ca03c018-d7ba-413e-9e03-a4f07e6c4e2c/japanese-demon.png Blog - Cliffs Notes for Dante: Final Fantasy IV’s Elemental Fiends - Make it stand out A Japanese devil, per J. Charles Wall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/c1020dc0-931f-4a48-8ed7-39f24c77fd8e/devils-j-charles-wall.png Blog - Cliffs Notes for Dante: Final Fantasy IV’s Elemental Fiends - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/8966f50a-e5c7-49c4-9d73-07108c4f5486/golbez-fusoya-zemus-final-fantasy-battle.png Blog - Cliffs Notes for Dante: Final Fantasy IV’s Elemental Fiends - Make it stand out Golbez is not technically a party member, but he is still ruled by party member character limits. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/df8bab22-c073-4a0c-aba8-47d62821600f/final-fantasy-iv-dragons-mouth.png Blog - Cliffs Notes for Dante: Final Fantasy IV’s Elemental Fiends - Make it stand out The dragon’s mouth, geographically speaking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/85e8b2c4-3126-402b-b4ed-fae6005780f7/culex-super-mario-rpg.png Blog - Cliffs Notes for Dante: Final Fantasy IV’s Elemental Fiends - Make it stand out Nintendo vs. Squaresoft, essentially. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/birdo-was-yoshi-before-yoshi-was-yoshi monthly 0.5 2022-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/44a3aeac-bf78-4e2c-b219-10af884cfb1f/birdo-yoshi-pixel-art.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/81fdce34-3715-4c45-ae0f-a0ce4a0f7edc/mario-original-dinosaur-ride-sketch-mario-mania.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out A pixelly Mario riding two different non-pixelly dino buddies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a5359996-b18d-4470-afad-b86ddcea1cd3/yoshi-preliminary-design-mini-dragon+copy.gif Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Beta design for Yoshi looking weirdly like a Bob’s Burgers character, via the Giga Leak via The Cutting Room Floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a9fc8631-677b-42fb-83d5-8081a6ad6140/birdo-birdetta-catherine-cathy.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Translation for the Doki Doki Panic description: “Catherine — Thinks they're a girl and spits eggs and things from their mouth. Calling them Cathy puts them in a good mood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/fb628511-9153-4950-b398-8379298f65a4/yoshi-trophy-smash-bros-melee.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Translation: “Yoshi: These dinosaurs inhabit Yo'ster Isle. They are gentle creatures who are fast on their feet and come in a variety of colors. They are actually neither male nor female. They lay eggs, not only to increase the population of their species, but also to transform what they swallow into eggs. Image via The Mushroom Kingdom’s feature “Mario in Japan: Super Smash Bros. Melee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/60c8532f-a479-4900-b4c0-31fe616f4209/ostro-birdo-supermariobros2.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/63e994c4-6d32-4c00-91fa-0169f8c443bf/shigeru-miyamoto-luigi-ruiji.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/377a302e-7f62-450e-94f2-b8b9aae80e61/joust-arcade-sprites.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Two Jousters jousting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/1b2af947-df29-446b-a133-b108470ed931/tamagon-devil-world.gif Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Tamagon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0bf4e6fa-2bb7-4992-b688-f57c7864b518/adventure-island-dinosaur-buddies-sprites.png Blog - Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi - Make it stand out Looks like Yoshi, functions more like a Super Mario Bros. 3-style power-up suit. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/theres-a-piranha-plant-in-my-zelda-dungeon monthly 0.5 2022-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ab2f7bd7-ffc6-416c-9aa1-6d6bd9bf117d/manhandla-legend-of-zelda.png Blog - There’s a Piranha Plant in My Zelda Dungeon! - Make it stand out Left: Manhandla’s sprite from Legend of Zelda; right: concept art for Hyrule Warriors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/bc56603b-dbab-4a99-8bcf-b8b9a70117b1/manhandla-testitart-legend-of-zelda.png Blog - There’s a Piranha Plant in My Zelda Dungeon! - Make it stand out From the Japanese instruction manual for Legend of Zelda. The text translates as follows: “A large Pakkun Flower with limbs in all four directions. It moves faster as the number of limbs decreases. Has a somewhat strong attack power.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3d1cde8b-5665-4a87-9fdb-eea3e9607de4/piranha-plant-smb-pixelart.png Blog - There’s a Piranha Plant in My Zelda Dungeon! - Make it stand out Ol’ Chompers, SMB-style. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/79bd8e1c-7819-43ec-8b91-e80a0f925809/digdogger-unira-zelda-clucluland.png Blog - There’s a Piranha Plant in My Zelda Dungeon! - Make it stand out Left to right: Digdogger in Legend of Zelda, Big Unira from Clu Clu Land, the Unira item in Smash Bros. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/05bc4d01-d3a1-4b32-9f2d-deb37c4899c2/Screen+Shot+2022-01-24+at+11.30.36+PM.png Blog - There’s a Piranha Plant in My Zelda Dungeon! - Make it stand out From the Japanese instruction manual for Legend of Zelda, it translates as, “A big Unira. Due to its enormous size, its body shrivels when hit by a shockwave. However, it has a strong attack power.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/0bf770a5-5649-46bd-b560-e86c2bcea497/zelda1-dungeon.png Blog - There’s a Piranha Plant in My Zelda Dungeon! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/the-legacy-of-super-mario-bros-2-part-two monthly 0.5 2022-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a8cd6046-bc56-472f-8960-eb66b648cd13/bob-omb-history+copy.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: SMB2, the All-Stars version of SMB3, Mario Kart Tour, one of the only Mario enemies depicted accurately in the Super Mario Bros. movie. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/06306ede-45b9-43d2-ba77-b78beea81179/Screen+Shot+2022-01-22+at+2.02.04+PM.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out From the Japanese instruction manual for Super Mario Bros. 3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/87536978-8fda-461d-aef9-7691cef5b862/pokey-pidgit-ninji-smb2-evolution.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Clockwise from the top-left: SMB2, SMBW, SMB2, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, SMB2, Super Mario All-Stars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/665e4d5e-28f4-4829-b245-e5b745a182de/super-mario-3-all-stars-grass-king-cobrat.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b0e6d725-7be8-4117-a31f-2ba7cf90d34d/super-mario-3-all-stars-desert-king-hoopster-ladybug.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/68759621-6e46-4d0c-b775-16013087633c/super-mario3-all-stars-sky-king-albatoss.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/2171eec2-f012-4a40-a31d-ec861bcec934/birdo-pixel-art-evolution.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: SMB2, Super Mario Advance, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Super Mario RPG. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/99710b76-2415-412a-83e2-6c9dd6f05102/birdo-cassie-catherine-doki-doki-instruction-manual.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: SMB2 instruction manual, Doki Doki Panic instruction manual, Super Mario Advance instruction manual, Mario Mania guide. The Doki Doki Panic text translates as “Thinks they're a girl and spits eggs from their mouth. Call them Cathy and they'll be in a good mood.“ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4dc72b00-6531-47a7-9f01-de64807e33b3/birdo-smashbros.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Top: Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy descriptions, with the Japanese text translating as “Spits eggs from their mouth. Mario and Peach can ride on the egg and attack by throwing it back. Also uses fireballs as a feint attack. Thinks they're a girl and likes being called ‘Cathy.’” Bottom: Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy descriptions, with the Japanese text translating as “A pink dinosaur? who thinks they're a girl. Likes being called ‘Cathy.’ Their trademark is their wide-open mouth and the red ribbon adorning their head. In Super Mario USA, you can return fire by jumping on eggs Catherine spits out and throwing them back. Sometimes they also use fireball feint attacks instead of eggs.” All of these images, BTW, taken with permission from TMK’s Mario in Japan specials on Smash Bros. Melee and Smash Bros. Brawl. Would recommend all their Mario in Japan specials, if you’re into what I’m doing on this site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ae123f03-36f9-4921-a3f9-b398261b7612/shyguy-evolution-super-mario-bros-2.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: Doki Doki panic instruction manual, SMB2, Yoshi’s Island, Paper Mario: Color Splash https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9420dadf-5099-4020-9831-c3a2d579a577/snifit-evolution-smb2.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: SMB2, Super Mario Advance instruction manual, Super Mario RPG, Snufit in Super Mario 64 DS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6207dbf1-547a-44a4-8e5f-b9c036bfb694/beezo-evolution-smb2.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: SMB2, Super Mario USA instruction manual, Shy Away in Super Mario RPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f5d1f624-cdae-478b-9ead-c304dcbb5fb9/phanto-evolution-smb2-pixel-art.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: Doki Doki Panic, SMB2, Super Mario Advance https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/525cd5da-8e02-4496-9ada-ae2e53d98785/smb2-enemy-sprites.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: Spark, Trouter, Flurry, Panser, Porcupo, Albatoss, Tweeter, Autobomb, Ostro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e25c5bb6-874b-499f-b938-8065eea1b182/Mario_Kart_Super_Circuit_totem-pole.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/3215e3d0-41ca-45b6-a407-c68d80cfbcd6/smb2-mouser-tryclyde-fryguy-clawgrip.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: Mouser, Tryclyde, Clawgrip, Fry Guy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/65bf54bf-4c52-4db3-91da-2aaf5c04eb1b/wart-mamu-evolution-smb2.png Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Clockwise from top-left: SMB2, Super Mario All-Stars, Link’s Awakening (Switch), Super Mario Advance instruction manual. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/27e18e55-9e9a-4e27-94b7-a00c9802cc72/super-mario-bros-super-show-concept-art.jpeg Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Via @VGartandtidbits on Twitter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b2cbdc39-893d-4b7a-b545-08ef9f9c397a/phanto-animated.gif Blog - The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/the-legacy-of-super-mario-bros-2 monthly 0.5 2022-10-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/9cccf151-839f-4468-9723-22baacccbbce/door3.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e740acb5-89c5-486b-9cfa-1ee0f0dd7fb0/mario-mania-smb2.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out An inset on page 21 of the Mario Mania guide https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/afcb7492-acec-4ef4-9046-7561aaaa0f03/super-mario-super-show.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out A typically weird episode of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! featuring Tryclyde, Bowser (as King Koopa), a Koopa Troopa and Mouser dressed mafioso-style and wielding Snifits like guns. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f1ee3f6e-1f77-43d3-9f73-b9e639ea10a0/nintendo-power-super-mario-2-cover-clay+copy.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d41b289c-8068-47e3-b84f-dcc1573aef3c/super-mario-bros-20-inside-out-nintendo-power.jpeg Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: floaty but weak, jumpy but slippery, boring and boring, strong but heavy as a lead paperweight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/107a3993-f072-4d4b-9bb8-30858edbe3bc/peach-throwing-vegetables-smash-bros Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out If you didn’t know about SMB2, this would just look wacky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/240e950c-5c72-4a0c-a552-12a5e85b242a/luigi3.gif Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Lookit them legs go! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/23291a7c-ee02-4ecb-8ce8-2dabc77237dd/super-mario-2-subspace.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/e86fd910-ef62-4088-9447-d7611fd5dc41/donkey-kong-country-super-mario-bros-2-subscape-concept-art.jpeg Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d6cadcd3-0d30-4cdc-99e4-348138f4d6c8/shy-guy-bazaar-super-mario-bros-2.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/63db4ef5-5b40-49a3-a293-20922415a855/smb-box-art-famicom-japanese-version.jpg Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Japanese box art for the original Super Mario Bros., featuring a proto-Peach who looks like she’s wearing jammies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/b8cf4ab3-74ff-4b78-8e2e-3db3eec5f1b2/japanese-smb2-flyer-lost-levels.jpeg Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Flyer for the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels), showing Peach looking more like her current incarnation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a1d94051-e4ba-416f-9748-4bfd52088e51/princess-peach-prince-haru-mario-anime.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: a weirdly yellow Luigi, Mario, a very on-model Peach and the foppish Prince Haru, who tragically never crossed over into the games. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/4c8fe15e-ec07-493e-96e9-a60ce20eb142/msuhroom-retainer.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out The SMB and SMB2 instruction manuals, before Nintendo retired the term “Mushroom Retainer.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/f71c0f49-f173-4f35-a4b1-63878b53756b/kinopio-kun-mario-kart-tour.jpeg Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Kinopio-kun in a promo for Mario Kart Tour, where he is not actually a playable character. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a98ac42f-669f-4201-ab40-0111b407289f/kinopio-kun-smb2.jpeg Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Kinopio-Kun in a promo for the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., replacing regular Toad in the art, even though he is not actually a playable character. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/6d5d309a-2119-4473-a178-730e851f2be1/kinopio-kun-fire-emblem.jpg Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Kinopio-kun, in a promo for Fire Emblem Heroes, which I have not played but I am fairly certain he is not in this game either. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/ac67bb6d-8e08-4d95-ad03-b9441e0b02e4/super-mario-2-subcon-fairy-sprixie+copy.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Left to right: SMB2, BS Super Mario USA, Super Mario 3D World. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a5ed0e34-0b33-4014-a70e-c36bb07faa3e/smb2-doki-doki-panic-comparison.png Blog - The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/who-put-the-pit-in-kid-icarus monthly 0.5 2022-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/148a798a-b504-491e-9928-51cbd8214ba5/kid-icarus-title-screen.png Blog - Who Put the Pit in Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/d0c205ab-1c0f-4544-a017-7a1790a99a22/kid-icarus-flyer-japanese-famicom.png Blog - Who Put the Pit in Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Flyer for the Japanese release of Kid Icarus, translating as “Shine light on Angel Land! / Your courage is what will save Palutena, Goddess of Light. / The time is long, long ago. The peaceful country of Angel Land has been transformed by the goddess Medusa into a world of darkness where demons roam. Pit the angel set out on a long and difficult journey to save Palutena, the Goddess of Light, from Medusa and restore peace to Angel Land once again.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/42acbb54-dba0-4056-98bd-40f24c1b4c05/twinbellows-cerberus.png Blog - Who Put the Pit in Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out In order, Twinbellows’ original NES sprite, art from the instruction manual, upgraded appearance in Kid Icarus: Uprising https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/7b7da222-7cd9-4962-af63-ed0dad76413b/cupit-cupid-sennen-kazoku-smash.jpeg Blog - Who Put the Pit in Kid Icarus? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/its-a-secret-to-everybody monthly 0.5 2022-07-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61d0d6b5e7f7444a96edf02f/a5acc1de-834b-4237-901a-3bb38db615b8/secret-to-everybody-legend-of-zelda.png Blog - 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