RIP Mario

Mario Segale died this week at the age of 84

https://www.newsweek.com/mario-segal…ies-84-1198080

Mario was the inspiration for the re-naming of Jumpman, the player character in Nintendo's Donkey Kong.

The story goes is Mr Segale owned the warehouse where Nintendo America kept its headquarters in Seattle, Washington and he used to wear overalls when he came down there to give those employees flack. The developers there couldn't miss the uncanny resemblance of their landlord who was of Italian descent.

Pauline was the name of the wife of one of Nintendo America's execs who was the inspiration for the renaming of The Girl. Perhaps that's why Mario wanted nothing to do with her in later games.

Originally, Donkey Kong was intended to a Popeye game, but Nintendo couldn't secure the rights.

Not sure the deal with Luigi.

I do remember in 1982 a couple of girls who couldn't stop playing Donkey Kong saying how much they liked it because "it was different".

Interestingly on that same site under that article is another RIP:
https://www.newsweek.com/who-jin-yon…ource=engageim

Who Is Jin Yong? "China's Tolkien," Creator of Vast Universe of Wuxia Martial Arts Novels, Dies At 94

Now this name isn't unknown. Not just to me of course, there is an asteroid 10930 Jinyong named after him.