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Forums - Nintendo - Why Mario is so European?

MikeRox 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..


To be fair New Yok had a big Italian population settle there. Which I guess is what he's drawing from.

Really though, we all know Mario is based on Bob Hoskins, and that's why he was shoehorned into the Mario film ;)



RIP Dad 25/11/51 - 13/12/13. You will be missed but never forgotten.

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fighter on 15 July 2014

there is a huge pan of asian subculture which emulates western traits

anime/manga & video games but also plastic surgery



ikki5 on 15 July 2014

maybe it is their form of racism. lol



Dr.Henry_Killinger on 15 July 2014

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome



In this day and age, with the Internet, ignorance is a choice! And they're still choosing Ignorance! - Dr. Filthy Frank

JazzB1987 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?

Funny that you say it looks like the Disney castle (which is made in USA) without mentioning Schloss Neuschwanstein (the one the Disney Castle is modeled after) and  which is in fact European/German.



Also I think the japanese are somewhat tired of seeing well asian places so they decided to make the games more exotic. MarioLand also visited Egypt etc.
I almost have to vomit when I see grey brown western places and I love asian looking levels  and color.



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Xxain on 15 July 2014

2 things:

1.Mario, like many Japanese video game characters were designed to incorporate elements of our culture to be more natural( xenophobia relief). It's why Sonic/Mario and pac man wear gloves. Games like Hypedimensional Neptunia or Senra Kagura wouldnt fly back in those days for overseas release.

2. Japanese ppl actually like foreign fables. Knight slays dragon mythos is the birth of FF and DQ. You guys know ff15 took heat from Japanese gamers. They called it generic



foxtail on 15 July 2014

Mario is more of an American Tale.. The traditional Japanese games they make are physical. - http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n09/



Xenobot on 16 July 2014
NiKKoM said:
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?

Yep, I've just found it yesterday.