• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

King Koopa -> Bowser... Dr. Robotnik -> Dr. Eggman... Why?

M

MisterAnderson

Member
Why did the Mario franchise suddenly change the names of some of their already popular characters? They changed "King Koopa's" name to "Bowser", and "Princess Toadstool" to "Princess Peach". Similarly, Sonic did the same thing by going with "Dr. Eggman" instead of "Robotnik."

Is there some marketing reason behind this inexplicable change? Are there any other games that have done this? It's always bothered me but I've never known the reason, surely I'm not the only one?
 
Because the American ones are better sounding.

like all name changes made in American versions of anything

Edit: Wait, do you mean why did they change them from the Japanese name to the American one, or why they started using the Japanese name later on?

You have different situations in your post.
 
King Koopa wasn't changed to Bowser. He's always been "Bowser" in the English games, but "King Koopa" was his name in the cartoons and the original Japanese games.
 
Dunno about the Nintendo stuff, but Sega wanted to unify the naming in the Sonic franchise, so they decided to go with Eggman as his name. Then they decided Robotnik was his real name, and Eggman was the nickname Sonic gave him. Then Robotnik started referring to himself as Eggman. Shit makes no sense. But then again, it's Sega.
 
Bowser: King of the Koopas is far better than just calling him King Koopa. It's too impersonal for a villain in every single Mario games.

Now Dr. Robotnik is a million times better than Dr. Eggman and I hate that Sega of America changed the name.
 
In the Robotnik -> Eggman case, I think it's because they always called him Eggman in Japan and wanted to have unity between the regions. So they made his real name Dr. Robotnik and said that Eggman was a nickname.

I don't know why Nintendo did it. Maybe because Peach and Bowser are much shorter than Princess Toadstool and King Koopa?
 
Gattsu25 said:
All that means is that the Japanese have always been wrong. The guy is Dr. Robotnik.
Click to expand...
1252304772912.png
 
Peach's name was always Peach, they changed it to Toadstool in America.

Bowser was "Bowser, King of the Koopas" in the first SMB game, but they occasionally called him "King Koopa." He's still called "Koopa" in Japan.

Eggman was always called Eggman in Japan, because Sega of Japan were stupid and couldn't come up with a good name to save their lives. They eventually came up with some compromise that his real name is Robotnik, but he calls himself Eggman for some reason.
 
The way Sega did it in Sonic Adventure was best. Sonic called Robotnik Eggman as an insult and it pissed Robotnik off. Then in Sonic Adventure 2 he's suddenly singing about how Eggman is his name.
 
EmCeeGramr said:
Peach's name was always Peach, they changed it to Toadstool in America.

Bowser was "Bowser, King of the Koopas" in the first SMB game, but they occasionally called him "King Koopa." He's still called "Koopa" in Japan.

Eggman was always called Eggman in Japan, because Sega of Japan were stupid and couldn't come up with a good name to save their lives. They eventually came up with some compromise that his real name is Robotnik, but he calls himself Eggman for some reason.
Click to expand...

The name of Eggman itself was based on a "certain Beatles song" (should be obvious). This is, of course, part of the same design process that originally saw him as a bizarre caricature of T. Roosevelt. :lol
 
Kusagari said:
The way Sega did it in Sonic Adventure was best. Sonic called Robotnik Eggman as an insult and it pissed Robotnik off. Then in Sonic Adventure 2 he's suddenly singing about how Eggman is his name.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly, it was perfect in SA1.
 
Kusagari said:
The way Sega did it in Sonic Adventure was best. Sonic called Robotnik Eggman as an insult and it pissed Robotnik off. Then in Sonic Adventure 2 he's suddenly singing about how Eggman is his name.
Click to expand...

How anyone would think it a good idea to have Robotnik sing is beyond me.

But then again; it's Sega
 
As we become more familiar with these characters, there becomes a lesser need to use formal diction to describe them in subsequent product offerings.
 
Kusagari said:
Bowser: King of the Koopas is far better than just calling him King Koopa. It's too impersonal for a villain in every single Mario games.

Now Dr. Robotnik is a million times better than Dr. Eggman and I hate that Sega of America changed the name.
Click to expand...

It's easier to shoddily translate a game when all the proper nouns are the same.
 
Kusagari said:
The way Sega did it in Sonic Adventure was best. Sonic called Robotnik Eggman as an insult and it pissed Robotnik off. Then in Sonic Adventure 2 he's suddenly singing about how Eggman is his name.
Click to expand...

How can you not love his SA2 theme song?!

Not sure why people are getting upset about the Eggman thing though. You are talking about a guy that named his space fortress the Death Egg.

...unless they retconned it something.
 
Princess Peach is called Princess Toadstool in Mario 64 DS. Weird because the original Mario 64 was the first USA game where she was called Peach.
 
Kusagari said:
Bowser: King of the Koopas is far better than just calling him King Koopa. It's too impersonal for a villain in every single Mario games.

Now Dr. Robotnik is a million times better than Dr. Eggman and I hate that Sega of America changed the name.
Click to expand...

Dr. Robotnik is an insulting, xenophobic and hateful slur against the Russian people inspired from the last few days of the Cold War. Thats why it was changed.
 
Small Mailman said:
Also... is it Tie-dus or Tee-dus?
Click to expand...
According to literally every source other than a single line in Kingdom Hearts 2--FFX making of videos, the first Kingdom Hearts, and both Dissidia games--it's tee-dus.

The "tie-dus" pronunciation is just an incorrect assumption.
 
Small Mailman said:
Also... is it Tie-dus or Tee-dus?
Click to expand...

The Japanese spelling has it as "tee-dus", but the Japanese spelling also has a silent "s" in his name. I think "ty-dus" is fine for the English version, since you could maybe argue that his name was changed across regions.
 
Puckman - > Pacman

It makes no sense! What could have possibly have been the impetus behind the change? I mean the guy's got a puck face and makes a noise that sounds like puck when he's eating. I bet if he had a car it'd be called the puck-mobile, with "Puckman" emblazoned in huge letters across the hood and vanity tags that read "Puck1". I bet little mother Puck wasn't too happy to hear about the change to her son's game, either.


TreIII said:
The name of Eggman itself was based on a "certain Beatles song" (should be obvious). This is, of course, part of the same design process that originally saw him as a bizarre caricature of T. Roosevelt. :lol
Click to expand...
Thinking about some old sketches I've seen... HAHAHAaaaa. I can't unsee it now.
 
Gattsu25 said:
All that means is that the Japanese have always been wrong. The guy is Dr. Robotnik.
Click to expand...
Hot damn. Preach!
 
Partially because merchandising become a lot less expensive when you only have to print one name on everything.

Also, it's silly in this day and age to have different names dependent on region.

The final answer is that sometime around the late 90's videogame and anime culture had a torrid love affair and adopting the Japanese spelling for everything became the most popular route.
 
Balrog doesn't make sense for Claw because he is all about beauty, and Balrogs are ugly monsters.

Vega is an actual Spanish name.

It stands for Master Bison.

And Akuma...uh...sounds cooler.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Dr. Mario 64 recomp is here
20
972
IbizaPocholo replied
Jurassic Park: Survival - Official 'Meet Dr. Maya Joshi' Trailer
25
650
Loomy replied
Ex-Nintendo of America Boss Doug Bowser Joins Hasbro, Owner of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering
News 
29
581
schaft0620 replied
  • Featured
Saros |OT| The King in Yellow
5 6 7 8 9
445
2K
balls of snow replied
Has Nintendo ever canonically said who Bowser Jr’s mother is?
20
492
bender replied
Top Bottom