Key Takeaways
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- Shigeru Miyamoto designed Marios mustache as a solution to graphical challenges in early 8-bit gaming, where depicting a clear mouth was difficult.
- The original character for Donkey Kong, intended to be Popeye, could not be used due to licensing issues.
- The quirky visual artifact of Marios mustache became a defining feature and remained as he evolved throughout gaming history.
- With the advancement of technology, particularly with 16-bit consoles, the development team recognized the popularity of Marios mustache and decided to keep it as a permanent feature.
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Graphical Challenges and Mario’s Mustache Evolution in Early Gaming
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., gave Mario his signature mustache to work around graphical challenges in early 8-bit gaming. Mario debuted in 1981’s Donkey Kong as Jumpman (also known as Mr. Video), a far cry from his later, mustachioed appearance. Miyamoto’s first choice for Donkey Kong was actually Popeye, but licensing issues prevented the character’s inclusion. Early 8-bit graphics made it difficult to depict Mario’s mouth clearly. Attempts to do so resulted in what appeared to be a mustache where his body split—a quirky visual artifact of the low-resolution technology. Despite this initial difficulty, as technology advanced with the arrival of 16-bit consoles, the development team embraced the mustache’s popularity, choosing to keep it as a defining feature. Thus, Mario’s mustache became a permanent fixture: a visual workaround that became a beloved characteristic.
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While we were in the midst of discussing the upcoming offerings from major streaming platforms, our attention was piqued by Bruno Pferd’s recent revelation over at Players for Life. In his November 28th article, “Apple TV+ May Be Prepping New Series Based on Godzilla,” he teasingly shared a rumor about a potential prequel to the hit series “Monarch,” titled “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.” This Cold War-era espionage thriller promises political intrigue and giant creature action, with Wyatt Russell rumored to return as a younger Lee Shaw. Expected to begin production in Prague next summer, this intriguing prospect has us eagerly marking our calendars Apple TV+ May Be Prepping New Series Based on Godzilla. Meanwhile, in other exciting news from the world of bricks, Jonathan Dubinski has just penned a must-read piece for all Star Trek enthusiasts and Lego aficionados. Published on November 29th, his latest article, “Lego Unveils Massive Set for Completely Iconic License,” delves into the mind-blowing details of the recently announced USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D model. With an astonishing 3,600 pieces, this isn’t your average set; it’s a whopping replica of the iconic spaceship from Star Trek: The Next Generation that you won’t want to miss Lego Unveils Massive Set for Completely Iconic License. And speaking of exciting news, we’re seeing a resurgence of the classic survival horror experience on mobile devices. Jonathan Dubinski’s recent article, “New Resident Evil Game Survival Unit Crushes 2 Million Downloads in 10 Days,” published November 28th, highlights how Aniplex Inc. and JOYCITY Corporation have captured the essence of the Resident Evil franchise in a mobile real-time strategy game that’s crushing records left and right, with over 2 million downloads in just 10 days New Resident Evil Game Survival Unit Crushes 2 Million Downloads in 10 Days.
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