Super Mario, one of the most beloved video game characters of all time, was named after a real person.
In 1981, when the character first appeared in Nintendo’s arcade hit Donkey Kong, he was simply called “Jumpman.” At the time, Nintendo of America was renting a warehouse in Tukwila, Washington, from a local landlord named Mario Segale.
According to multiple accounts, Segale once showed up demanding overdue rent from Nintendo’s president, Minoru Arakawa. The tense exchange reportedly inspired the developers to rename their mustachioed hero after their no-nonsense Italian-American landlord.
Segale’s short, stocky build and dark hair also perfectly matched the image Nintendo had in mind for the character. Years later, in a 1993 interview with The Seattle Times, Segale jokingly remarked, “You might say I’m still waiting for my royalty checks.”
Mario Segale passed away in 2018 at the age of 84, but his name continues to live on through one of gaming’s most iconic figures.
@ukcoffeebeat@Old_But_Gold50s I like strings better. Words are expected to have lyrics so the nonsense vocalization feels immature. Strings don’t have to carry words.