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List of rumors and urban legends: Difference between revisions
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The origin of [[Donkey Kong]]'s name has been the subject of several conflicting explanations over time. One popular myth states that the original ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' game was intended to be titled "Monkey Kong", and was actually named "Donkey Kong" due to either a mistranslation<ref>Dougherty, Kerry (January 4, 1997). "[https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970104/01040009.htm Pretendo — Oops, Nintendo — Separates Males from Females]". ''The Virginian-Pilot''. Retrieved June 25, 2021. "''It seems the entire game is a misnomer. Legend has it that the Japanese wonk who developed the game made a mistake when translating the Japanese for 'Monkey Kong' into English. By the time the error was discovered millions of labels had already been printed.''" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20201212112854/http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970104/01040009.htm Archived] December 12, 2020, 11:28:54 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> or typo.<ref>Burrill, William (August 4, 1994). "Game Boy Cart More Fun Than Barrel of Donkeys." ''The Toronto Star''. p. F5. "''Why exactly the giant ape is called 'Donkey Kong' is a mystery, although I heard one story that sounds plausible: The original arcade game, designed in Japan, was supposed to be called 'Monkey Kong,' but somebody misspelled it and the name stuck.''"</ref> However, the words ''monkey'' and ''donkey'' are completely different from each other in Japanese, so it is unlikely to be a translation error. Additionally, while typos resulting in popular names do exist, the accuracy of the latter claim is questionable considering the conflicting viewpoints surrounding it. | The origin of [[Donkey Kong]]'s name has been the subject of several conflicting explanations over time. One popular myth states that the original ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' game was intended to be titled "Monkey Kong", and was actually named "Donkey Kong" due to either a mistranslation<ref>Dougherty, Kerry (January 4, 1997). "[https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970104/01040009.htm Pretendo — Oops, Nintendo — Separates Males from Females]". ''The Virginian-Pilot''. Retrieved June 25, 2021. "''It seems the entire game is a misnomer. Legend has it that the Japanese wonk who developed the game made a mistake when translating the Japanese for 'Monkey Kong' into English. By the time the error was discovered millions of labels had already been printed.''" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20201212112854/http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970104/01040009.htm Archived] December 12, 2020, 11:28:54 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> or typo.<ref>Burrill, William (August 4, 1994). "Game Boy Cart More Fun Than Barrel of Donkeys." ''The Toronto Star''. p. F5. "''Why exactly the giant ape is called 'Donkey Kong' is a mystery, although I heard one story that sounds plausible: The original arcade game, designed in Japan, was supposed to be called 'Monkey Kong,' but somebody misspelled it and the name stuck.''"</ref> However, the words ''monkey'' and ''donkey'' are completely different from each other in Japanese, so it is unlikely to be a translation error. Additionally, while typos resulting in popular names do exist, the accuracy of the latter claim is questionable considering the conflicting viewpoints surrounding it. | ||
Another explanation states that ''donkey'' was used to avoid copyright issues with the character {{wp|King Kong}}. The etymology of the word "donkey" can be traced back to the word ''ass'', which can also mean ''fool'', with the word ''fool'' traditionally being the opposite of the word ''king''. This may suggest that the name "Donkey Kong" was intended as a subversion of "King Kong", and a way to refer to the movie and character without violating copyright law. However, [[Nintendo]] was [[List of controversies#Universal Studios|sued]] by | Another explanation states that ''donkey'' was used to avoid copyright issues with the character {{wp|King Kong}}. The etymology of the word "donkey" can be traced back to the word ''ass'', which can also mean ''fool'', with the word ''fool'' traditionally being the opposite of the word ''king''. This may suggest that the name "Donkey Kong" was intended as a subversion of "King Kong", and a way to refer to the movie and character without violating copyright law. However, [[Nintendo]] was [[List of controversies#Universal Studios|sued]] by [[Universal Pictures]] in 1982 for the exact reason that ''Donkey Kong'' was too similar to King Kong. Notably, a written statement produced in 1983 regarding this lawsuit states that Nintendo employee Shinichi Todori came up with the name "Donkey Kong" towards the end of May 1981.<ref>Norman Caruso [@GamingHistorian] (January 30, 2020). "[https://twitter.com/GamingHistorian/status/1222939644217757697 Before settling on the name "Donkey Kong," Nintendo considered a ton of other ideas. - ....not sure who suggested "Kong Dong" 😳]" (Tweet) – via Twitter. Retrieved June 25, 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210416063736/http://twitter.com/GamingHistorian/status/1222939644217757697 Archived] April 16, 2021, 06:37:36 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> | ||
[[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the creator of Donkey Kong, has claimed multiple times that he found the name from a Japanese-English dictionary when looking for something "stubborn" or "stupid".<ref>Mingo, Jack (1994). ''How the Cadillac Got Its Fins''. New York: HarperBusiness. pp. 136-141. ISBN 0-88730-677-2. "''[Miyamoto] consulted a Japanese-English dictionary and found 'donkey' listed as an English equivalent to the Japanese word for stupid or goofy. He decided that Kong would be a good name for the gorilla, so he called the game Donkey Kong.''"</ref><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20210227125147/http://themushroomkingdom.net/interview_miyamoto_nom18_feb2000.shtml Exclusive Interview with Donkey Kong Creator Shigeru Miyamoto]". ''The Mushroom Kingdom''. Archived from [https://themushroomkingdom.net/interview_miyamoto_nom18_feb2000.shtml the original] February 27, 2021, 12:51:47 UTC via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 25, 2021. "''I had always been under the impression that Kong meant gorilla. So I wanted to name him "something-something" Kong. And so, because I wanted to make a dumb character, I went and looked that word up in an English dictionary. When I did that, I found that the word "donkey" had that meaning in addition to that of the animal. And so with that, I gave him the name Donkey Kong, but when we brought him to America, it was said over and over that "That's a weird name... Donkey doesn't mean dumb." But I was just like, "Well, whatever," and left the name that way. (laughs) Even after all that, Donkey Kong is still loved all over America, right? I think that when something is called "weird," there's a strong negative connotation to it, but on the other hand, by leaving it that way I think it definitely sticks in people's minds better.''"</ref> Another variation of the story claims that "donkey" was popular Japanese slang for "crazy" in the 80's.<ref>''Donkey Kong Jungle Action Special'', page 21. "'''''WHAT'S IN A NAME?''' So just how did a big ape get the name Donkey Kong? Several theories exist. An early explanation insisted that 'Donkey' was in fact a rather unfortunate misspelling of 'monkey'. Nintendo's official line is more philosophical. Shigeru Miyamoto, head designer at Nintendo in Japan, claims that the character was so named because although cute, he was as stubborn as a donkey. This could be considered plausible, but Miyamoto later blew his credibility by claiming that the character was inspired by the legend of Beauty And The Beast (a story with very few apes in it, when you come to think about it!). The reality of the situation is that in the early 80's, 'donkey' was a popular Japanese slang word for 'crazy'. Remember that, in that first game, DK is an angry, crazy ape, throwing barrels at poor Mario. This also neatly explains why a load of unofficial lookalike games of the period sported the name ''Crazy Kong''.''"</ref> While "donkey" is not usually considered to be an adjective or a synonym of those terms, the animals themselves are often associated with stubborn traits. In an interview published in 2016, Miyamoto stated that he was informed by Nintendo of America staff that "donkey" does not mean "stupid" as the dictionary said, but that he ignored their feedback, as he liked the sound of the name "Donkey Kong".<ref>Kohler, Chris (October 14, 2016). "[https://www.wired.com/2016/10/miyamoto-donkey-kong-secrets/ Miyamoto Spills Donkey Kong’s Darkest Secrets, 35 Years Later]". ''Wired''. Retrieved October 14, 2016. "''For example, for the game's title, I was trying to convey the idea of 'stupid monkey,'" [Miyamoto] said. "'Donkey' of course referred to the animal, but the dictionary I used said that it had a secondary meaning of 'idiot.' Nintendo of America said that this was not the case, and 'donkey' didn't mean 'idiot.'" "Even though it was in the dictionary," the interviewer said. "It's a mystery," Miyamoto replied. "But I just liked the sound of it, so I decided to stand my ground on 'Donkey Kong.' And within a year, everyone was saying 'Donkey Kong' with no hesitation.''" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210607161051/http://www.wired.com/2016/10/miyamoto-donkey-kong-secrets/ Archived] June 7, 2021, 16:10:51 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> | [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the creator of Donkey Kong, has claimed multiple times that he found the name from a Japanese-English dictionary when looking for something "stubborn" or "stupid".<ref>Mingo, Jack (1994). ''How the Cadillac Got Its Fins''. New York: HarperBusiness. pp. 136-141. ISBN 0-88730-677-2. "''[Miyamoto] consulted a Japanese-English dictionary and found 'donkey' listed as an English equivalent to the Japanese word for stupid or goofy. He decided that Kong would be a good name for the gorilla, so he called the game Donkey Kong.''"</ref><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20210227125147/http://themushroomkingdom.net/interview_miyamoto_nom18_feb2000.shtml Exclusive Interview with Donkey Kong Creator Shigeru Miyamoto]". ''The Mushroom Kingdom''. Archived from [https://themushroomkingdom.net/interview_miyamoto_nom18_feb2000.shtml the original] February 27, 2021, 12:51:47 UTC via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 25, 2021. "''I had always been under the impression that Kong meant gorilla. So I wanted to name him "something-something" Kong. And so, because I wanted to make a dumb character, I went and looked that word up in an English dictionary. When I did that, I found that the word "donkey" had that meaning in addition to that of the animal. And so with that, I gave him the name Donkey Kong, but when we brought him to America, it was said over and over that "That's a weird name... Donkey doesn't mean dumb." But I was just like, "Well, whatever," and left the name that way. (laughs) Even after all that, Donkey Kong is still loved all over America, right? I think that when something is called "weird," there's a strong negative connotation to it, but on the other hand, by leaving it that way I think it definitely sticks in people's minds better.''"</ref> Another variation of the story claims that "donkey" was popular Japanese slang for "crazy" in the 80's.<ref>''Donkey Kong Jungle Action Special'', page 21. "'''''WHAT'S IN A NAME?''' So just how did a big ape get the name Donkey Kong? Several theories exist. An early explanation insisted that 'Donkey' was in fact a rather unfortunate misspelling of 'monkey'. Nintendo's official line is more philosophical. Shigeru Miyamoto, head designer at Nintendo in Japan, claims that the character was so named because although cute, he was as stubborn as a donkey. This could be considered plausible, but Miyamoto later blew his credibility by claiming that the character was inspired by the legend of Beauty And The Beast (a story with very few apes in it, when you come to think about it!). The reality of the situation is that in the early 80's, 'donkey' was a popular Japanese slang word for 'crazy'. Remember that, in that first game, DK is an angry, crazy ape, throwing barrels at poor Mario. This also neatly explains why a load of unofficial lookalike games of the period sported the name ''Crazy Kong''.''"</ref> While "donkey" is not usually considered to be an adjective or a synonym of those terms, the animals themselves are often associated with stubborn traits. In an interview published in 2016, Miyamoto stated that he was informed by Nintendo of America staff that "donkey" does not mean "stupid" as the dictionary said, but that he ignored their feedback, as he liked the sound of the name "Donkey Kong".<ref>Kohler, Chris (October 14, 2016). "[https://www.wired.com/2016/10/miyamoto-donkey-kong-secrets/ Miyamoto Spills Donkey Kong’s Darkest Secrets, 35 Years Later]". ''Wired''. Retrieved October 14, 2016. "''For example, for the game's title, I was trying to convey the idea of 'stupid monkey,'" [Miyamoto] said. "'Donkey' of course referred to the animal, but the dictionary I used said that it had a secondary meaning of 'idiot.' Nintendo of America said that this was not the case, and 'donkey' didn't mean 'idiot.'" "Even though it was in the dictionary," the interviewer said. "It's a mystery," Miyamoto replied. "But I just liked the sound of it, so I decided to stand my ground on 'Donkey Kong.' And within a year, everyone was saying 'Donkey Kong' with no hesitation.''" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210607161051/http://www.wired.com/2016/10/miyamoto-donkey-kong-secrets/ Archived] June 7, 2021, 16:10:51 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> | ||
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===Waluigi in ''Super Mario 64 DS''=== | ===Waluigi in ''Super Mario 64 DS''=== | ||
[[File: | [[File:SM64DSFakeWaluigi.png|thumb|x250px|left|The "Purple Prizes" image]] | ||
After ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]'' released on November 21, 2004, its inclusion of multiple playable characters caused rumors to surface about [[Waluigi]] appearing in the game, similar to the original ''Super Mario 64'' Luigi rumors. Various fake and sometimes very elaborate ways to supposedly unlock Waluigi were shared, some even involving the original "L is real 2401" statue.<ref>donaldthescottishtwin (January 8, 2009). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIq4PtGrOF0 How to unlock Waluigi in Super Mario 64 DS Guide]". ''YouTube''. Retrieved April 29, 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210623182631if_/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIq4PtGrOF0 Archived] June 23, 2021, 18:26:321 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> However, no evidence in the game's files suggests Waluigi was ever planned to appear. | After ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]'' released on November 21, 2004, its inclusion of multiple playable characters caused rumors to surface about [[Waluigi]] appearing in the game, similar to the original ''Super Mario 64'' Luigi rumors. Various fake and sometimes very elaborate ways to supposedly unlock Waluigi were shared, some even involving the original "L is real 2401" statue.<ref>donaldthescottishtwin (January 8, 2009). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIq4PtGrOF0 How to unlock Waluigi in Super Mario 64 DS Guide]". ''YouTube''. Retrieved April 29, 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210623182631if_/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIq4PtGrOF0 Archived] June 23, 2021, 18:26:321 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> However, no evidence in the game's files suggests Waluigi was ever planned to appear. | ||