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Donkey Kong: Difference between revisions
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==Creation== | ==Creation== | ||
Donkey Kong's character design was created by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] for the ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' arcade game, in which the big ape kidnaps [[Mario]]'s original girlfriend, [[Pauline]]. Miyamoto says that he chose the name "Donkey" to reflect the character's stupidity<ref name="Wired">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</ref>, while "Kong" was considered a generic term for large apes in Japan<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/donkeykong.asp "Donkey Wrong" - An article about the origin of Donkey Kong's name]. Snopes.com. 2011. (Retrieved June 28, 2012)</ref>. Miyamoto was informed by [[Nintendo]] of America staff that the word "donkey" is not a synonym for "idiot" in English despite what the dictionary he consulted said, but decided to ignore this particular suggestion because he liked the name "Donkey Kong"<ref name="Wired"/>. However, this is contradicted by the deposition he gave during {{wp|Universal Studio}}'s lawsuit against Nintendo. He stated that his proposals for Kong's first name were rejected and that he was unaware of who came up with it. Export manager Shinichi Todori's deposition revealed that he came up with the first name after trying to translate 「頓馬」 (''tonma'') into English. It was either [[Gunpei Yokoi]] or [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] who gave the final approval for the name.<ref>[https://youtu.be/aTyxQfpOEbE?t=749 How the Mario Characters Got Their Names | Gaming Historian]. YouTube. Retrieved November 28, 2021.</ref><ref name=GHTwitter>[https://twitter.com/GamingHistorian/status/1220101899455692801?s=20 Gunpei Yokoi deposition, 1983]</ref> | Donkey Kong's character design was created by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] for the ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' arcade game, in which the big ape kidnaps [[Mario]]'s original girlfriend, [[Pauline]]. Miyamoto says that he chose the name "Donkey" to reflect the character's stupidity<ref name="Wired">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</ref>, while "Kong" was considered a generic term for large apes in Japan<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/donkeykong.asp "Donkey Wrong" - An article about the origin of Donkey Kong's name]. Snopes.com. 2011. (Retrieved June 28, 2012)</ref>. Miyamoto was informed by [[Nintendo]] of America staff that the word "donkey" is not a synonym for "idiot" in English despite what the dictionary he consulted said, but decided to ignore this particular suggestion because he liked the name "Donkey Kong"<ref name="Wired"/>. However, this is contradicted by the deposition he gave during {{wp|Universal Studio}}'s lawsuit against Nintendo. He stated that his proposals for Kong's first name were rejected and that he was unaware of who came up with it. Export manager Shinichi Todori's deposition revealed that he came up with the first name after trying to translate 「頓馬」 (''tonma'') into English. It was either [[Gunpei Yokoi]] or [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] who gave the final approval for the name.<ref>[https://youtu.be/aTyxQfpOEbE?t=749 How the Mario Characters Got Their Names | Gaming Historian]. YouTube. Retrieved November 28, 2021.</ref><ref name=GHTwitter>[https://twitter.com/GamingHistorian/status/1220101899455692801?s=20 Gunpei Yokoi deposition, 1983]</ref> | ||
The ''[[Donkey Kong Jungle Action Special]]'' states that Shigeru Miyamoto supposedly claimed that Donkey Kong's character was inspired by the fairy tale ''{{wp|Beauty and the Beast}}'', though no further source or statement is provided<ref>"This could be considered plausible but Miyamoto 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!)". ''[[Donkey Kong Jungle Action Special]] (Steve May), p. 21. ''Fleetway Publications''. Retrieved January 23, 2022</ref>. | |||
Donkey Kong's exact role in the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]] is somewhat hazy. His original appearance portrayed him as a villainous or confused ape with unequaled strength. In these games, Donkey Kong did not wear a tie. The 1994 [[Game Boy]] ''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]'' was the first game to feature the tie (a red tie with the letters "DK" printed in white, later changed to yellow), but otherwise Donkey Kong is the same as he was in the original. | Donkey Kong's exact role in the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]] is somewhat hazy. His original appearance portrayed him as a villainous or confused ape with unequaled strength. In these games, Donkey Kong did not wear a tie. The 1994 [[Game Boy]] ''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]'' was the first game to feature the tie (a red tie with the letters "DK" printed in white, later changed to yellow), but otherwise Donkey Kong is the same as he was in the original. | ||