
Hylian 101: The Secrets Hiding in the Language of Zelda
Is Hyrule lore so rich that it created its own linguistic traditions?

The Action Movie Obviousness of Mortal Kombat Character Names
Why Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs sound like they belong in this franchise.

Somehow, King from Art of Fighting Is Not a Gay Character
But Street Fighter’s Eagle isn’t the only queer-coded bouncer in a fighting game.

A Speculative Origin for Final Fantasy’s Tonberry
King Arthur, kappa and champagne figure into this weird combo of monastic and monstrous.

Searching for Signs of Super Mario Bros. 2 in Mario Kart World
Nostalgia aside, sometimes a green snake in a jar is just a green snake in a jar.

Streets of Rage’s Ash Never Got His Moment in the Spotlight
But thirty years later, the west is ready for a flouncy gay villain in fetish gear, I swear.

Pauline: A History of Nintendo’s First Leading Lady
And how she waited more nearly forty years to become a playable character.

How Eagle Became Street Fighter’s First Gay Character
And in Japan especially, he’s more than just a walking Freddie Mercury reference.

Was the Zelda Fairy Fountain Music Inspired by a Track From Super Mario Bros. 3?
You too can learn about cultural inspiration, homage and imitation through the history of a Koji Kondo composition.

Long Live Wart!
Scans from a Super Mario Bros. 2-themed activity book show off official Nintendo art of the game’s forgotten characters.

The Mystery of the Brainwashed Blondes
The pop culture connections between Street Fighter’s Cammy, Virtua Fighter’s Sarah and Tekken’s Nina.

Is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga One Big Fart Joke?
How a cross-cultural study of flatulence humor can teach us about the human condition. No, really!

Did Akira Nishitani Lie in the 1994 Capcom vs. Data East Lawsuit?
The Street Fighter II designer claimed his characters were not inspired by “other sources,” despite a certain Mike Tyson lookalike.

How One Weird Little Guy Connects Yoshi’s Island to Donkey Kong
Nintendo’s effort to bring D.K. back into the fold goes back to 1991, well before the Rare era.

Are Super Mario’s Mushrooms a Reference to Hallucinogenic Drugs?
Mentioned herein: Alice in Wonderland, Santa Claus, the Smurfs, Minnie Mouse, and 1970s toadstool decor.

Dr. Wily vs. Albert Einstein
Why does Mega Man’s evil scientist take his name from one of history’s greatest minds?

Organ Grinders, Kongs and Super Mario Monkey Business
An old New York tradition lives on in Nintendo’s biggest franchise — but only accidentally.

Did Time Magazine Declare Birdo Trans?
A Super Mario-themed special issue mentions Birdo’s gender — and Nintendo’s reluctance to comment on it.

The Chocobo Was Not Inspired by Nausicaä, Apparently?
Instead, Final Fantasy’s iconic bird shares a sweet connection with WarioWare’s Pyoro.

On the Origins of Chrono Trigger Character Names
Thirty years later, there’s meaning hidden in the characters who saved the world.