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Forums - Nintendo - Why Mario is so European?

ghettoglamour on 15 July 2014

Mario was based on Popeye and DK of course was based on King Kong, but also as the bad guy role as the big bad guy who always "stole" Popeye's girlfriend.



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LemonSlice on 15 July 2014
NiKKoM said:

Miyamoto:

“As a kid, I was a big comic fan and I liked foreign comics as well. So I drew some characters that had more western type features with a little bigger noses and what not. Now with Mario, I think with Mario Bros. we had a setting of course that was underground, so I just decided Mario is a plumber. Let’s put him in New York and he can be Italian. There was really no other deep thought other than that.”

Read more at http://nintendoeverything.com/miyamoto-explains-why-mario-is-italian/


So he thinks Italians live in New York..

Italian mafia is big over there, is it not? So Mario's a mobster? :O



adriane23 on 15 July 2014
Xenobot said:

Aren't Japanese nationalists?
Western games and consoles doesn't have a chance against japanese consumers.
So, if they can't stand western products why Mario is so non Japanese?

1. Mario, Luigi - I'm assuming they are Italian plumbers
2. Princes Peach lives in European castle (it looks almost like Disney castle)
3. Name one track in MK8 placed in Japan (Sunshine Airport? N64 Toad's Turnpike?)?
(the same story as Sonic generations - all stages are either fictional or European/Western themed)

Only Bowser reminds Chinese/Japanese dragon.

Why, o why there's never any Japanese theme in Mario games? (any shrines?) I mean: Any clues, eh?

You're welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOdvEaKTew



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Snoorlax on 15 July 2014

Back in the NES days Nintendo needed some western stereotype of avatar to appeal to western audiences. Mario was supposed to be this Italian American born in New York with an Italian accent, but in Yoshis Island they totally threw that out the window, unless Yoshis actually live in New York. Not to mention most enemies Mario faces are based of Japanese myth monsters like the kappa which appears in many Japanese games and animations.

Just like with Donkey Kong, they basically took an already famous giant monkey changed his name and looks and made him stupid but kept the familiar kidnapping of the woman he loves.



Snoorlax on 15 July 2014
Xenobot said:

Aren't Japanese nationalists?
Western games and consoles doesn't have a chance against japanese consumers.
So, if they can't stand western products why Mario is so non Japanese?

1. Mario, Luigi - I'm assuming they are Italian plumbers
2. Princes Peach lives in European castle (it looks almost like Disney castle)
3. Name one track in MK8 placed in Japan (Sunshine Airport? N64 Toad's Turnpike?)?
(the same story as Sonic generations - all stages are either fictional or European/Western themed)

Only Bowser reminds Chinese/Japanese dragon.

Why, o why there's never any Japanese theme in Mario games? (any shrines?) I mean: Any clues, eh? 

It's interesting how some of the more famous western styled games like RE, MGS, original Silent Hills and Dark Souls are Japanese.



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DarkRPGamer007 on 15 July 2014

Well the dojos with traditional sounding Japanese music in 3D World don't seem European to me



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MoHasanie on 15 July 2014

Japanese people love Disney and some American stuff so I don't think they care that much about where Mario is from.



    

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Xenobot on 15 July 2014

My point is:
Where are ninjas? Where are samurais? Where is tokyo tower? Super fast trains? Rice fields? Old asian temples?

Mario was in egypt, aztec jungle, on tropical islands, in haunted houses, even outer space, but why does he avoids "country of cherry blossoms"?



NiKKoM on 15 July 2014
Xenobot said:
My point is:
Where are ninjas? Where are samurais? Where is tokyo tower? Super fast trains? Rice fields? Old asian temples?

Mario was in egypt, aztec jungle, on tropical islands, in haunted houses, even outer space, but why does he avoids "country of cherry blossoms"?

Uhm.. Hands on Hall level in SM3DW?



 

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Cheebee on 15 July 2014

He's not European. Nor Japanese.

Mario is universal. :3



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