What’s With the Equals Signs in Golden Axe?
A story about swinging blades, ripping muscles and… punctuation.
How Popeye Changed Video Games
Popeye lives, just not so much in the medium that made him famous.
Unpacking the Sounds of Earthbound’s Arcade
Just as the Earthbound soundtrack is full of samples, the music in the Onett arcade also lifts from some classic video game OSTs.
Super Mario Bros. 3 Happened Before Super Mario Bros. 2
There’s a reason that Mario’s sprite in SMB2 looks better than his sprite in SMB3.
Who Put the ‘P’ in the P-Wing?
Essentially, the “P” stands for “Paratroopa.” Or “Patapata.” But probably not “Power.”
A Short History of the Goomba
The lowliest member of the Koopa Troop asks you to decide whether he’s a mushroom or a chestnut.
Is Princess Lana Based on Palutena from Kid Icarus?
At least design-wise, the Captain N: The Game Master character was inspired by an existing Nintendo character.
Is Samurai Shodown II Referencing a Real-Life 16th-Century Cyborg?
There may be a real-life, historical inspiration behind all this iron-fisting.
The Real-Life Revolutionaries Behind Charlotte from Samurai Shodown
Like many iconic fighting game characters, Charlotte represents a fusion of history and pop culture into something new.
Why Is Super Mario Bros. 2 Missing a Level?
Level 7-3 only exists in the backstory to Doki Doki Panic.
If His Name Is Blanka, Why Is He Green?
How the weirdest character in Street Fighter II came to be — and how he got that name.
Is Terry Bogard in Street Fighter I?
The man who would become Mr. Fatal Fury shows up in the attract mode for the original Street Fighter.
A Short History of Street Fighter II Character Names
Everyone character Street Fighter II — their looks, their movesets, even their names — exists for a reason.
What Do Hockey Pucks Have to Do With Pac-Man?
Like most hockey pucks, he’s yellow and known for eating things. Obviously.
Cliffs Notes for Dante: Final Fantasy IV’s Elemental Fiends
Why and how the four fiends allude to The Inferno, but Golbez does not.
Birdo Was Yoshi Before Yoshi Was Yoshi
The story of two bipedal dinosaurs who fight using eggs and who challenge gender norms.
There’s a Piranha Plant in My Zelda Dungeon!
Nintendo was more casual about crossovers back in the day.
The Enemies of Super Mario Bros. 2
The most successful Super Mario Bros. 2 alum is not the Shy Guy.
The Legacy of Super Mario Bros. 2
Every little bit of Super Mario Bros. 2 that eventually made it into later Mario games.