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[suaveric]

I've got a couple of questions, if anyone knows the answers I'd really appreciate it

Has Nintendo ever said just how much money Mario games have pulled in? Or maybe how many Mario games they've sold? I have found info stating 65+ games that have sold 170,000,000 million copies (as of last December).

So I don't look like an idiot, how is Shigeru Miyamoto pronounced? I've got Miyamoto down (I think) but Shigeru is tough on my western tongue

Who was Mario named after? Was it NOA's landlord in New York or their warehouse manager?

Does anyone know the details of that poll that had Mario coming out as children's favorite character? I seem to remember him beating out Mickey Mouse, etc, but I think this was back in the 90s sometime.


Any help would be great, thanks!

 

[Matlock]

Mario Segali, who was Minoru Arakawa's (President of Nintendo of America from 1980 to 200...2, I believe?) landlord, is the inspiration.

 

[suaveric]

That's the thrid different version I've heard now. You mean his landlord for his apartment, not NOA's warehouse, right?

 

[Kon Tiki]

Warehouse (which was in NYC) according to Game Over.

 

[FoneBone]

I don't know how much I'd trust Game Over, since it says that Mario was called that since Donkey Kong (not true).

 

[Kiriku]

Something like She-GEH-ruh. Shi-ge-ru, so simple once you know it.

 

[MrCheez]

Yeah, pretty sure it's She-geh-roo Me-ya-mo-toe.

Don't forget to mention that Mario was originally called Jumpman Or the fun facts about how they decided on his appearence (almost all because of technology limitations (mustache to distinguish nose, hat because hair was hard to draw, etc)

 

[suaveric]

Yeah, I've got him as Jumpman So when did his name officially become Mario? When the Mario Bros. arcade game was released?

 

[Meier]

About 2 years ago, Nintendo mentioned how Mario's games had made over $8 billion or some such which made him the most successful leading character ever in entertainment history. Second place was Harrison Ford with movies he'd starred in prominently doing nearly $6 billlion or so. I'm sure you can dig it up with google.

 

[drohne]

So I don't look like an idiot, how is Shigeru Miyamoto pronounced?!

"miyamoto-saaamaaaaaaa." also you'll need a karate kid headband,

 

[suaveric]

I'm trying, but if I pull a number like that out I'm going to have to back that up with a real source, it can't just be random fanpage number 53. I don't have any access to Nintendo's press site, which I bet would have a PR release on just such a thing.

 

[Meier]

http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?action=item&id=3338

I just googled Mario and Harrison Ford and got a bunch of results, there's the press release though. Looks like it coincided with the release of Mario Sunshine. 7 billion in games he's starred in -- so not including Smash Bros., Mario Party, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, etc.

 

[Mama Smurf]

So what's the speech for?

 

[MetatronM]

So I don't look like an idiot, how is Shigeru Miyamoto pronounced? I've got Miyamoto down (I think) but Shigeru is tough on my western tongue

Basically, it's pronounced almost EXACTLY the way it looks. Just break it down into syllables and sound it out.

Shi-ge-ru Mi-ya-mo-to.

The only area you might slip up is with the i and the e. The i is a long i (that is "ee"), and the e is a short e (more like "eh").

 

[suaveric]

Thanks Meier! and everyone else too. This is for my Speech 103 class. I have to give an informational speech and I choose to give a brief history of Mario and his games.

 

[Sho Nuff]

U should do the speech in Japanese 2 show your tru respect for Miyamoto sama!

 

[JJConrad]

Yeah, I've got him as Jumpman So when did his name officially become Mario? When the Mario Bros. arcade game was released?

Mario was first known as "Jumpman" but only in Japan. Mario was first called "Mario" when Donkey Kong was brought over from Japan to the US and Europe. He was named after NOA's landlord... I've heard they're warehouse landlord and I've heard they're office landlord... I don't know eactly which one... I'd recommend calling him "NOA's landlord" and skip any possibly incorrect extra information.

If you can find an old N.A. Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, the hero is labeled as "Mario" on the side of it.

 

[DDayton]

Mario was first known as "Jumpman" but only in Japan. Mario was first called "Mario" when Donkey Kong was brought over from Japan to the US and Europe. He was named after NOA's landlord... I've heard they're warehouse landlord and I've heard they're office landlord... I don't know eactly which one... I'd recommend calling him "NOA's landlord" and skip any possibly incorrect extra information.

If you can find an old N.A. Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, the hero is labeled as "Mario" on the side of it.

The control panel refers to him as "Jumpman", though, unless I'm horribly mistaken. The original cabinets didn't use the name "Mario" -- while NOA adopted the Mario name fairly early on, I don't believe any arcade games used the name "Mario" until Donkey Kong Jr.

Scroll down for some Donkey Kong cabinet art