You know how Super Mario was named after Mario Segale, the landlord of Nintendo of America's office, yes? It's a good story. It's an interesting story. And we're ending it here. There's just no time to recount right now. There really isn't. We have to move on.
You see, it is time already for nine more stories about how the games characters got their names, and one story about a protein. That's not even a joke.
You see, it is time already for nine more stories about how the games characters got their names, and one story about a protein. That's not even a joke.
PAC-MAN
We all know the urban myth that the look of Pac-Man was inspired by a pizza with a slice missing. Some of you may have even seen arcade cabinets titled "Puck-Man", and wondered what that was all about. This, you see, was the name of the game in Japan - inspired by the character's resemblance to a hockey puck.
When brought to the West by Midway, the name was changed to "Pac" - to avoid filthy-minded vandals changing the "P" to an "F". Even though Fac-Man has its own certain appeal.
When brought to the West by Midway, the name was changed to "Pac" - to avoid filthy-minded vandals changing the "P" to an "F". Even though Fac-Man has its own certain appeal.
DONKEY KONG
Monkey Kong was the original name for Donkey Kong, according to apocryphal legend - until a blurred fax led to it being erroneously retitled "Donkey". In reality, the game's designer Shigeru Miyamoto selected the name "Donkey" after looking in a Japanese-English dictionary for a word which meant "silly" or "stubborn". Perhaps just as well he didn't call it "Ass Kong" - which sounds like something you'd buy discreetly from a specialist retailer.
Q*BERT
An early working title for Gottlieb's Q*Bert was "Snots And Boogers". When that was rejected, for reasons which aren't too hard to fathom, it became briefly known as "@!#?@!" - inspired by Q*Bert's penchant for censored swearing.
Wisely, it was argued that releasing a game with an unpronounceable name might not make commercial sense. Hubert was suggested at a desperate staff meeting - which was then combined with "cubes" to become "Cubert". The company's art director Richard Tracy then tweaked that to Q*Bert.
Tracy - ha ha, girl's name - has since gone on record lamenting the asterisk in the game's title, meaning it would never become the answer in a crossword puzzle. He needs to get over that.
Wisely, it was argued that releasing a game with an unpronounceable name might not make commercial sense. Hubert was suggested at a desperate staff meeting - which was then combined with "cubes" to become "Cubert". The company's art director Richard Tracy then tweaked that to Q*Bert.
Tracy - ha ha, girl's name - has since gone on record lamenting the asterisk in the game's title, meaning it would never become the answer in a crossword puzzle. He needs to get over that.
SONIC HEDGEHOG
Originally named Mr Needlemouse, Sonic The Hedgehog's name is fairly self-explanatory. He's a supersonic hedgehog, see.
However, get this: he actually has a human protein named after him - the Sonic Hedgehog - which is partially responsible for limb growth and brain organisation. A potential inhibitor of the protein's signalling pathway has even been dubbed "Robotnikinin", in honour of Sonic's arch-enemy Dr Robotnik.
Digitiser: come for the video game naming trivia... stay for the protein facts.
However, get this: he actually has a human protein named after him - the Sonic Hedgehog - which is partially responsible for limb growth and brain organisation. A potential inhibitor of the protein's signalling pathway has even been dubbed "Robotnikinin", in honour of Sonic's arch-enemy Dr Robotnik.
Digitiser: come for the video game naming trivia... stay for the protein facts.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
Princess Zelda is named after Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of the author F. Scott Fitzgerald (who once wrote "You can stroke people with words" - which is clearly abject nonsense, suggesting he can't have been that good a writer).
Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto chose the name because the real Zelda was - like the Princess - a "famous and beautiful woman". Link was originally named Christo, after Miyamoto's godfather, or something. Link was ultimately settled upon, as he represents a "link" between the player and the game.
Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto chose the name because the real Zelda was - like the Princess - a "famous and beautiful woman". Link was originally named Christo, after Miyamoto's godfather, or something. Link was ultimately settled upon, as he represents a "link" between the player and the game.
LARA CROFT
Apparently inspired by Neneh Cherry and Tank Girl to be a tough, no-nonsense, female action hero, with - one presumes - a buffalo stance, Tomb Raider designer Toby Guard originally envisioned the main character as a Latin-American adventuress called Laura Cruz.
When Eidos boss Ian Livingstone declared he wanted the character to be a member of the British aristocracy, with massive pointy boobs, they went through a telephone directory until they found the suitably British-sounding Lara Croft.
When Eidos boss Ian Livingstone declared he wanted the character to be a member of the British aristocracy, with massive pointy boobs, they went through a telephone directory until they found the suitably British-sounding Lara Croft.
MASTER CHIEF
For a protagonist with all the emotional depth and characterisation of a walnut, it somehow seems right that Master Chief's name is nothing but a placeholder. Halo's development team first selected his rank, and had always intended to give him a proper name to go with it. As the game got closer to completion, and time to come up with an alternative started to run out, Master Chief stuck.
MORTAL KOMBAT
Dragon Attack, Death Blow, Kumite, and Fatality were just some of the awful alternatives considered before Midway's Mortal Kombat got its sort-of-alright final title. In the end, an act of simple graffiti chose the name - the word "combat" had been written on an office wipe board, but somebody had altered the C to a K. It inspired a pinball designer to suggest it as a potential new title.
Probably just as well that they hadn't changed it to a W.
Probably just as well that they hadn't changed it to a W.
METROID
Metroid was set in a series of subterranean caverns - and they provided the primary inspiration behind the title for the game, which is a combination of the words "android" and "metro subway". Before settling upon its final name, it was known internally at Nintendo by the far less exotic "Space Hunter".
More esoterically, the game's protagonist Samus Aran was named after the footballer Pelé - whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. That's a stupid name.
More esoterically, the game's protagonist Samus Aran was named after the footballer Pelé - whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. That's a stupid name.
DOOM
The Color of Money, a movie about pool hustling, starring Tom Cruise and Paul Newman, provided the inspiration for Doom's title. In one scene, Cruise's character describes the contents of a pool case as "Doom". Cruise then goes on to wipe the floor with his opponent - something which Doom's creators confidently predicted would happen to id Software's opponents in the games industry. What a bunch of cocky shits.
RSS Feed
