Famed Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto has confessed in a recent interview on Nintendo’s Japanese website that he came up with a number of Donkey Kong related ideas while he was comfortably relaxing in the company-owned housing’s communal bath. Mr. Miyamoto also revealed that Nintendo of America wasn’t too keen on calling the famous gorilla, Donkey Kong. However, Miyamoto stood his ground by stating that he wanted him to come across as stupid and that he consulted the dictionary which listed “idiot” as one of “donkey’s” synonyms. You can read the full translated interview, here.
“There was a water boiler that was used to make the hanafuda (traditional Japanese playing cards that Nintendo manufactures), and the water from this boiler was also used for a bathtub… at night when nobody was around, you could hang out there for a long time. It totally saved me. It was really effective at letting me put my ideas in order.”
Lol
At first I thought that this meant that Miyamoto had ideas of drawing Donkey Kong in the bathtub (DK himself, sitting in a tub). And I was thinking to myself “what game ever showed that?”
I didn’t, but I can see how it could be taken that way- the title is worded in a way that could insinuate that.
Lol Miyamoto’s awesome. I would love to know him personally.
Cool story.
That’s not completely surprising; many people have really fantastic ideas while they’re in the shower.
It’s when you get out of the shower that becomes the problem.
There was a perfect video explaining the reasoning behind this, but I can’t find it. Oh well. :/
why would they talk about Donkey Kong like that.
Good thing he didn’t let NoA change the name. I shudder to think what today’s version of NoA would have named Donkey Kong. @.@