List of rumors and urban legends: Difference between revisions

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.

[[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>

===''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' Jeannie Elias cameo===

In a Twitter post on April 19, 2023, actress [[Jessica DiCicco]] confirmed that she voiced the woman.<ref>Jessica DiCicco [@jessicadicicco] (April 19, 2023). "[https://twitter.com/jessicadicicco/status/1648832895153504256 You’ve found me! I voiced the mystery lady in the SMB Plumbing commercials. Mystery solved!!]" (Tweet) - via Twitter. Retrieved April 19, 2023. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20230501223747/https://twitter.com/jessicadicicco/status/1648832895153504256 Archived] May 1, 2023, 22:37:47 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> Despite this, the character is not listed in the film's credits.

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===''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is a stage play===

===Bucken-Berry and Ala-Gold===

[[File:NSMBW Rumor Bucken-Berry Ala-Gold.png|thumb|Image on the news article illustrating the supposed names for Blue Toad and Yellow Toad]]

A variant of the rumor claims that "L is real 2401" instead refers to ''[[Paper Mario]]'', a game that Luigi does appear in, though as a non-playable character. According to the rumor, the "2401" refers to the game's supposed North American release date of February 4, 2001,<ref>[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/198848-super-mario-64/45354911 Post by 1337_M4rio on GameFAQs]. September 9, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2015. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210621151338/http://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/198848-super-mario-64/45354911 Archived] June 21, 2021, 15:13:38 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref><ref>"[https://eeggs.com/items/52448.html Super Mario 64 Easter Egg - L is Real 2401/eternal Star]". ''The Easter Egg Archive''. March 21, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2015. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20191219134005/http://www.eeggs.com/items/52448.html Archived] December 19, 2019, 13:40:05 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> even though the actual date was one day later, on February 5. In addition, ''Paper Mario'' was initially released in Japan on August 11, 2000, and was originally scheduled for a December 26, 2000 launch in North America before being delayed to February 2001.<ref>IGN Staff (September 8, 2000). "[https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/09/stop-the-press Stop the Press!]". ''IGN''. Retrieved May 2, 2015. "''Unless you read Japanese fluently, we definitely suggest holding off for the US release of Paper Mario, which is scheduled for December 26 (translated: early next year).''" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160506064943/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/09/stop-the-press Archived] May 6, 2016, 06:49:43 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> As the development team of ''Super Mario 64'' could not have predicted the exact release date of any game years in advance, it is highly unlikely that the text was foreshadowing Luigi's appearance in this game.

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===Waluigi in ''Super Mario 64 DS''===

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.

===''Mario Party DS'' anti-piracy measures===

[[File:MPDS Fake Piracy.png|thumb|left|The fake screen]]

After the success of the first video, Joey Perleoni would continue to post several other videos showing additional supposed anti-piracy measures in ''Mario Party DS''. On December 20, 2020, a second video titled "Mario Party DS Anti Piracy | Item Shop Dialogue/Secret Boss HD" was uploaded, in which Luigi enters the [[Item Shop (Mario Party series)|Item Shop]], only for the [[Monty Mole]] to state "I don't serve criminals". The player is then taken to a boss minigame version of [[Mole Thrill]] with the name "RUN"; the rules state "There is nothing you can do", and the controls are "None". When the minigame starts, the Monty Mole burrows through the ground until it comes into contact with Luigi and, as in the previous video, an error message appears, followed by the game cutting to the anti-piracy message screen.<ref>Joey Perleoni (December 20, 2020). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md-Uu1nBcqg Mario Party DS Anti Piracy | Item Shop Dialogue/Secret Boss HD]". ''YouTube''. Retrieved December 20, 2020. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210208030843if_/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md-Uu1nBcqg Archived] February 8, 2021, 03:08:43 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> Other videos include one showing a version of the [[Last Five Turns Event#Mario Party DS|Final 5 Frenzy]] event where the player is unceremoniously squashed by a Thwomp, ending the game prematurely;<ref>Joey Perleoni (December 22, 2020). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L69kmceWfb8 Mario Party DS Anti Piracy | Final 5 Frenzy Death Event]". ''YouTube''. Retrieved April 29, 2021.</ref> a self-reporting protocol that appears should the player wait on the anti-piracy screen for too long without turning the console off;<ref>Joey Perleoni (January 8, 2021). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsj9QrGedds Mario Party DS Anti Piracy | Power Off Refusal]". ''YouTube''. Retrieved April 29, 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210204221432if_/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsj9QrGedds Archived] February 4, 2021, 22:14:32 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> and a boss minigame called "Host Hoedown" which involves apologizing to a host named "DJ Hallyboo", inspired by [[MC Ballyhoo]] from ''[[Mario Party 8]]''.<ref>Joey Perleoni (January 23, 2021). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzeBHFv0VkY Mario Party DS Anti Piracy | Host Hoedown]". ''YouTube''. Retrieved April 29, 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210322031349/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzeBHFv0VkY Archived] March 22, 2021, 03:13:49 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> Eventually, a "finale" to the video series was uploaded, dropping any pretense of legitimacy in favor of a live-action black comedy short in which Hallyboo escapes into the real world and hunts Perleoni himself down for pirating the game.<ref>Joey Perleoni (April 22, 2021). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM6Ox7gERH0 Mario Party DS Anti Piracy | Finale]". ''YouTube''. Retrieved April 29, 2021. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210526163504if_/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM6Ox7gERH0 Archived] May 26, 2021, 16:35:04 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref>