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[Stevey]

In a game made for kids...

Yeah... makes a lot of sense...

And I was the target age when it released, Eggman sounds dumb.
The End.

 

[Poltergust]

I thought the "Dr. Robotnik" joke was pretty cute in Sonic Generations.

"No one calls me that anymore!"

 

[G0523]

It's actually funny because I've always been told by my parents that Robotnik means "worker" in Russian. So they were asking me why the villain's name in Sonic was Dr. Worker. Lol.

Robotnik means a few different things too, according to Wikipedia:

Robotnik can refer to:

-a newspaper of the Polish Socialist Party, published in various places and times, with breaks, from 1894 to 2003. Most known versions include:

• Robotnik (1894–1939), a newspaper of Piłsudski's Polish Socialist Party
• Robotnik (1896-1917), a newspaper published in New York by Polish-American adherents of the Polish Socialist Party
• Robotnik (1983–1990), an underground newspaper published by the left wing of the Solidarity movement and later by the reborn Polish Socialist Party

-The Robotnik Family from Sonic the Hedgehog video game series

• Doctor Ivo Robotnik, also known by the alias Doctor Eggman, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog
• Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Doctor Eggman
• Maria Robotnik, the granddaughter of Gerald Robotnik, and the cousin of Doctor Eggman

-Peasants in the Czech lands (at the time a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) who revolted against rich landowners in the late 19th century were called "robotniks," derived from the Czech words for "work" and "forced labor" and an older Slavic term for "slave."
-The word for "worker" in Czech, Polish, and Slovak languages.
-The company Robotnik Automation, specialized in Robotics.

 

[Menitta]

Purchased the W3 season pass. Steam tells me the card was declined but two new cards in my inventory. Nothing in my download queue.

*shakes fist* EGGMAN!!!

 

[Nanashrew]

Doctor Ivo Eggman Robotnik is his full name. This question was answered long ago. They combined his English and Japanese name together and made it all canon.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

So is Dr. Kintobor's nickname Namgge?

Haha. If I had to guess, I'd say the Japanese version doesn't have the whole 'good scientist' backstory.

 

[Squishy3]

I'd always just treated it as everyone knows him as Robotnik, but Sonic and crew call him Eggman as an insult, and it fits with the "attitude" that the Sonic games have.

 

[Zee-Row]

The Eggman name is because of the way his body is shaped and the egg type machinery he rides in.

 

[ElFly]

Did they ever use the Robotnik name in the games themselves?

I remember the Sonic 1 manual mentioning it, but ...not really in the games?

I am talking of course, of the main Genesis games, and ignoring stuff like Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.

 

[L Thammy]

It's actually funny because I've always been told by my parents that Robotnik means "worker" in Russian. So they were asking me why the villain's name in Sonic was Dr. Worker. Lol.

Robotnik means a few different things too, according to Wikipedia:

I think that's roughly where the word "robot" comes from: it's something that does our work for us.

EDIT: Yep

from Czech, from robota ‘forced labor.’ The term was coined in K. Čapek's play R.U.R. ‘Rossum's Universal Robots’ (1920).

 

[psyfi]

I'm still salty over this. Eggman sounds so stupid.

 

[spunodi]

 

[Endesu]

Haha, I'll never really get why people are still so mad about the name change. I grew up with the games and had no issue accepting the change. Either name works, honestly.

 

[Poltergust]

Did they ever use the Robotnik name in the games themselves?

I remember the Sonic 1 manual mentioning it, but ...not really in the games?

I am talking of course, of the main Genesis games, and ignoring stuff like Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.

Sonic Adventure 1, Sonic Adventure 2 (including Japanese audiences), and Sonic Generations all mention his name in cutscenes.

In Sonic Adventure 1, Eggman was simply a nickname that Robotnik resented, but he seemed to embrace it by Sonic Adventure 2 and it stuck ever since.

 

[TheCongressman1]

I refuse. His name is Robotnik to me, and you can't change that. I don't care about marketing screwups, you let it go on that long, and that's his name now: Robotnik.

 

[ElFly]

Sonic Adventure 1, Sonic Adventure 2 (including Japanese audiences), and Sonic Generations all mention his name in cutscenes.

In Sonic Adventure 1, Eggman was simply a nickname that Robotnik resented, but he seemed to embrace it by Sonic Adventure 2 and it stuck ever since.

But not in the Genesis main games? Not even Chaotix?

 

[Poohblaster]

I remember reading a Sonic chapter book when I was in 2nd grade.

• Sonic was raised by his uncle Chuck.
• Dr Robotnik was Sonic's adopted brother.
• Robotnik goes evil and runs away.
• Years later Robotnik starts turning animals into robots including Chuck.
• Sonic joins some sort of guerrilla rebel movement to defeat Robotnik.
• Sonic lore is stupid.

 

[oneofthose]

respect sega japan for this. Hate it when localisers add their own crap that they never made. For example where localisation teams add their crappy jokes / internet memes into localised games. Always respect developers for standing up for their vision not to be changed.

 

[Jeff Stephen]

*shakes fist* EGGMAN!!!

Lol.

 

[buddha0991]

In Sonic Adventure 1, he refers to himself as Robotnik but Sonic and friends tease him and call him Eggman, which makes the dude angry.

By Sonic Adventure 2, he refers to himself as Eggman now and wants to make the Eggman Empire or whatever, but on the screen where he declares that, there is tons of Robotniks there too. Later on, when talking about his family, he refers to them as Dr Gerald Robotnik and Maria Robotnik.

THE DEEP ROBOTNIK LORE CONTINUES

 

[Nanashrew]

I refuse. His name is Robotnik to me, and you can't change that. I don't care about marketing screwups, you let it go on that long, and that's his name now: Robotnik.

That doesn't matter though. Calling him Robotnik is still canon.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040124...onic/post_sonicteam.php?article=nakainterview

Sega.com: Did Sonic have a hand in changing Dr. Robotnik's name to Dr. Eggman for the United States games? If so, was he trying to make fun of his nemesis?

Yuji Naka: To tell the truth, his name has not changed. Robotnik is his real name and Eggman is a common name taken after his shape. Possibly, it may have been Sonic, who uttered this alias for the first time! I feel, though, Sonic uses this name affectionately, rather than trying to make fun of him.

 

[L Thammy]

I would just like to point out that he already had a perfectly good nickname.
Robuttnik.

 

[TheCongressman1]

Edit: lol, nvm. I totally skipped part of this whole thing.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

I would just like to point out that he already had a perfectly good nickname.
Robuttnik.

Now we're talking.

 

[Ivan 3414]

Because Eggman is all he's referred to in-game nowadays? He even calls himself "Dr. Eggman".

They still acknowledge his name as being Robotnik even if he doesn't go by it. Just seems silly to get worked up over.

 

[Poltergust]

But not in the Genesis main games? Not even Chaotix?

I mean, it's not like those games are known for dialogue and such.

The word "Eggman" is all over the Wing Fortress in Sonic 2, though, and that includes Western releases.

 

[MAtgS]

The problem with Eggman/Robotnik is that they forced the larger share of the Sonic fandom to adjust to a name change than the smaller share. Calling him Robotnik in Japan would've meant less people having to adjust to a name change.

 

[AuthenticM]

Ivo Robotnik is such a fantastic name. They should have retconned "Eggman". It's ugly.

 

[ElFly]

I mean, it's not like those games are known for dialogue and such.

The word "Eggman" is all over the Wing Fortress in Sonic 2, though, and that includes Western releases.

Yeah that I remembered.

Went to check the ending of Sonic 1 without the emeralds, and it only says "Try again" while Robotnik juggles the emeralds around (leet juggling skills)

 

[Lucumo]

Eggman sounds really stupid.

Dr. Robotnik is, and has always been much better.

Completely agree with that. It will always be Dr. Robotnik.

 

[Nirolak]

This is hilarious.

1.) Sega of America decided on a well received name for the character for people who speak English, probably because they thought Eggman sounded too goofy as an actual name.
2.) For Sonic Adventure, they made the original name work as a derogatory nickname that Sonic gives Robotnik, whereas he has a more reasonable real name. It adds a new gag to a joke heavy series and fits Sonic's personality.
3.) Sega decides to throw this all out because Sonic Team is still really bitter 25 years later that their character got renamed when localizing the game.

 

[Garlador]

Names get localized all the time.

... She's still "Aeris" to me.

 

[Neverfade]

Eggman sounds like something Shadow the Hedgehog would call him right after he depressed the magazine eject on his handgun, letting the depleted ammunition container hit the ground. He slams another in, before pulling the slide back to rack the first round, savoring the metallic clack of the bullet entering the chamber. The smell of powder and gun oil in his nostrils brings a wicked smile to his face.

Spoiler

This is how posts in a Sonic thread work, right?

 

[Phediuk]

respect sega japan for this. Hate it when localisers add their own crap that they never made. For example where localisation teams add their crappy jokes / internet memes into localised games. Always respect developers for standing up for their vision not to be changed.

If everyone thought like you, we'd still be calling Mario Jumpman.

 

[L Thammy]

Eggman sounds like something Shadow the Hedgehog would call him right after he depressed the magazine eject on his handgun, letting the depleted ammunition container hit the ground. He slams another in, before pulling the slide back to rack the first round, savoring the metallic clack of the bullet entering the chamber. The smell of powder and gun oil in his nostrils brings a wicked smile to his face.

Spoiler

This is how posts in a Sonic thread work, right?

If you're going to write bad fanfiction, at least include some spelling errors. Add a subplot about Rogue the Bat.

 

[TheDinoman]

I personally do prefer Robotnik over Eggman myself but I can't help but feel that a lot of the complaints against it kinda sorta remind me of Dobson's infamous comic.

 

[Guess Who]

Eggman works really well for cute fat old Eggman:

But it's a little too cutesy for the modern character.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

This is hilarious.

1.) Sega of America decided on a well received name for the character for people who speak English, probably because they thought Eggman sounded too goofy as an actual name.
2.) For Sonic Adventure, they made the original name work as a derogatory nickname that Sonic gives Robotnik, whereas he has a more reasonable real name. It adds a new gag to a joke heavy series and fits Sonic's personality.
3.) Sega decides to throw this all out because Sonic Team is still really bitter 25 years later that their character got renamed when localizing the game.

Is anybody from the original Sonic Team still working at Sega? Most of those guys have long since moved on.

 

[giant_frying_pan]

Sega USA gave him the superior name.

Unify the name back to the better one.

 

[Shadoken]

Fuk off Sega Japan. Always salty about everything SOA did right in the Genesis days.

 

[ElFly]

Someone should explain to Sega that eggs aren't cool, while robots are about the coolest thing ever.

One day they may try to invest in a game fully about eggs

oh wait

 

[WordAssassin]

i wish Nintendo would unify Bowser to Koopa worldwide. I really dislike that Bowser name. He's not a dog!

They don't have to because they're both his actual name. Bowser Koopa. Bowser's his first name and Koopa is his last name. That's why his underlings are called stuff like Koopa Troopas, Koopa Kids, Koopalings, etc. People can (and do) call him by both Bowser and King Koopa.

Kind of like how Peach is Princess Peach Toadstool and goes by either when addressed formally.

On topic, the way they did it in Sonic Adventure was perfect. Eggman is fitting of his old cuter design and works REALLY well as a teasing nickname from Sonic since the guy literally looks like and egg and has an egg obsession. But with his current design and his general character and attitude his actual name should be Ivo Robotnik. Having him adopt the Eggman nickname and use it himself is fuckin dumb IMO and out of character out the ass. He's this large imposing inventor with legions of robots hellbent on killing Sonic and getting all the Chaos Emeralds for world domination and I'm supposed to believe that he calls himself Eggman of Dr Robotnik? Get the fuck out of here.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

As long as Mike Pollock is voicing him you can name him whatever you like.

 

[Miniboss1232]

Once again, proving Sonic Team doesn't know what's best for Sonic.

Also, could he be more salty about Sega of America?

 

[Het_Nkik]

I mean, Sonic 1 came out a good month in the US before it released in Japan, so really, the first any public knew of him was as Robotnik. Original name should have stuck.

 

[spindashing]

Sonic Adventure had it as a nickname Sonic called him, which was pretty good. I guess he got used to the name and rolled with it.

I don't mind the name too much. They use both names in Sonic canon sooo...

 

[HUELEN10]

I've been saying this for years, we've known it for years. It has always been Eggman.

 

[L Thammy]

Why do they call him Eggman if he doesn't do anything egglike?
Spiderman can shoot webs and climb around like a spider.
Batman comes out and night is scary, like a bat.
Superman can shoot lasers out of his eyes and turn back time, like a super.
What does Eggman do?

 

[MrBadger]

Never liked the name Robotnik. It just sounds cold and sinister. Eggman has always been a goofy character with the exception of the western art work and SatAM. I don't see why he needs a "serious" name

I mean even before he was Eggman, his ship was called the Death Egg (which sounds way dumber imo), Knuckles' adversary was called Eggrobo, etc

 

[Nanashrew]

i wish Nintendo would unify Bowser to Koopa worldwide. I really dislike that Bowser name. He's not a dog!

But they did already. His full name is King Bowser Koopa http://www.mariowiki.com/Bowser