Super Mario and Luigi – most people still know them from the Nintendo console. But very few people know why they wear a peaked cap and mustache.
Blue plumber’s suit, red hat with an M, white gloves and mustache: Super Mario’s looks are unmistakable. He flickered across the screen in a number of video games, crossing green tube after green tube, finally freeing Princess Peach from Bowser’s clutches time and time again.
Games like Mario Party and Mario Kart also achieved cult status and are still enjoyed by many adults today. But the names of Mario and his partner Luigi are no coincidence: “The fact that Mario and Luigi are Italians and are called what they are called is due to a dispute over rental income,” reports the “SWR”.
Real estate entrepreneur Mario Seagle rented a warehouse to Nintendo near Seattle in the early 1980s. “Because of rent arrears, Seagle is said to have loudly asked the then America boss Minoru Arakawa in the offices of Nintendo one day in front of the assembled workforce to pay.”
“Super Mario Bros.”: Mario’s name has a very special meaning
The disputes were resolved, but Nintendo immortalized the landlord’s first name in the video games. Before that, the little figure was called “Jumpman”.
As reported by “SWR”, the appearance of Mario and his brother Luigi also has practical reasons: their caps, for example, were easier to develop for the game makers. Because they didn’t have to “animate a hairstyle that would have to move with the jumps”. Instead, the hat always sits perfectly in place.
The striking mustache not only gave the two of them a unique look, but also no changing facial expressions had to be animated. Whether the two are smiling or looking grim can never be seen in the games.
It should be different in the new film “The Super Mario Bros. Film”, which will be shown in cinemas from April 5, 2023. There, the two plumbers must protect the world from Bowser and the Koopas. In the trailer you can see that the legendary rainbow track from Mario Kart also appears in a sequence. In addition to Super Mario, Princess Peach, Toad and Luigi are also part of the game.
However, the origin of his name is not as exciting as his brother’s: “In the 1980s, the name was one of the most popular male names in Italy and it is also reminiscent of the Japanese word for ‘similarity’,” writes the “SWR”.
Source: “”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
