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Miyamoto Pushed for Peace Sign 'Ban' in Mario Titles

by Danny Bivens - January 23, 2014, 7:15 am EST
Total comments: 13

Find out why Miyamoto was so against the use of the peace sign by the plump, lovable plumber. 

Shigeru Miyamoto pushed strongly for a peace sign “ban” in Mario titles. While it isn’t known exactly when he started to push this agenda, in an interview Shigesato Itoi conducted with Miyamoto in 1999, Miyamoto explained that the main reason he wanted to get rid of the peace sign was to help shake the “kiddie” image, and to make sure that people would not only know Mario for the gesture. 

Miyamoto went on to say, “About that ‘peace sign ban,’ that’s something I've been saying for a long time. (Laughs) Our Tezuka-san, he likes that so he's put it in the games from the beginning, but in the later games it's permeated too much - to the point where when you think Mario you think that, ‘He's the guy that gives the peace sign for his winning pose.’ So I'm saying now, let's get rid of that sooner rather than later. Well, and part of the source of that is that Nintendo is generally said to be “kiddie.” But even if that's a promise we want to keep to our audience, I don't think it means at all that making Mario do the peace sign is going to bring in the kids.”

You can read more about Miyamoto’s thoughts on Nintendo’s image in part four of the Itoi interview here, and can find the beginning of the full six page interview with Miyamoto here

Talkback

EiksirfJanuary 23, 2014

I suppose he's all right with "Yah! Yahoo!"

I disagree with Miyamoto here, I think Mario is charming, not kiddie. He still appeals to all ages regardless of those little touches.

If Nintendo wants to work on its public image, I think they need to start elsewhere.

Ian SaneJanuary 23, 2014

Mario never came across as kiddie to me until I saw a Super Mario 64 demo unit at Toys 'R' Us and heard "It's a-me, Mario!" for the first time.  The peace sign means nothing.  The high pitched Italian stereotype voice comes across as something out of a TV show for pre-schoolers.  That voice ended any personal attachment I had to Mario.  I still liked Mario games but no longer liked the character, except when he went silent again like in Paper Mario.  The Italian voice was also so different from the tough Brooklyn accent Mario had in the cartoons.  For people my age we already had a preconceived notion of what Mario sounded like and it felt like Nintendo changed that on us.

I wouldn't change Mario now.  I think Nintendo's image problem is more that most of their characters have family friendly images and they need some more mature properties to balance that out.  They used to have Joanna Dark and the Killer Instinct cast but they got rid of that.  Link usually has a more mature look, not dark, just a neutral fantasy look that could work equally well in a kids games or an M rated title but they've at times turned him into a cartoon which perpetuates Nintendo's kiddie stereotype.  Wind Waker looked like Nintendo intentionally kiddifying one of their only franchises that had some appeal to teenagers and superficial young adults.  At least Samus maintains an image that comes across as more mature.

You don't need every franchise to come across as mature but you also can't have every franchise come across as family friendly unless you just want your audience to be kids.  Most videogame companies have a balance of IP.  Capcom has Mega Man and Resident Evil.  They don't cutesy up RE or gritty up Mega Man.

broodwarsJanuary 23, 2014

Is it wrong that as a kid I always thought that non-Super Mario was giving me the middle finger when they cleared the stage, for the crime of being hit during the level?  :P:

TBH, I kind of miss the peace sign thing now. It was simple and short. Now Mario has this whole dance routine worked out just for grabbing a star or flagpole, and it just doesn't click with me.

KITT 10KJanuary 23, 2014

Regarding the picture on this page I always thought it was as if Mario was saying, "Hey! It's my SECOND game!" Because I'm pretty sure that picture is for Super Mario Bros. 2. But when he did it as a "peace sign" to show his victory it didn't phase me at all. I just thought it was kinda cool.

StratosJanuary 23, 2014

I always played as Mario in Super Mario Kart. When I won my Dad teased me that Mario was really saying he was #2. So I switched to Koopa Troopa, my Dad's favorite character. I think he always preferred Mario but since I was the kid he let me pick first. Clever use of reverse psychology.

ShyGuyJanuary 23, 2014

That's a V for Victory.

Mop it upJanuary 23, 2014

It's weird, but I never really thought about how Mario no longer does the peace sign anymore. I knew he had new stuff he did when beating a stage or collecting a star, but I thought he still did the peace sign on occasion. I liked it, it was simple, yet elegant, which fits a character like Mario.

TeaHeeJanuary 23, 2014

I agree with Shy Guy. I always thought it was a V for victory.

StrawHousePigJanuary 23, 2014

Quote from: ShyGuy

That's a V for Victory.

Bingo!

Quote from: Stratos

I always played as Mario in Super Mario Kart. When I won my Dad teased me that Mario was really saying he was #2. So I switched to Koopa Troopa, my Dad's favorite character. I think he always preferred Mario but since I was the kid he let me pick first. Clever use of reverse psychology.

I always played as Toad in MK64 and it drove everyone crazy having to hear "I'm the best! Hahahaha!" all the time.

azekeJanuary 23, 2014

Obvously, Miyamoto is evil and hates people and all that is good loves hearing you tear filled memoirs how he destroyed your childhood.


Thanks Iwata.

Ian SaneJanuary 24, 2014

Someone needs to find out the last game Mario did the peace sign in.  Until this article I had no idea that it had been phased out and I'm curious to see how long it has been gone.

EiksirfJanuary 24, 2014

Quote from: Ian

Someone needs to find out the last game Mario did the peace sign in.

To get started, a quick Google search turned up the peace sign pose in Mario 64. I tried browsing Mario pics from Sunshine and Super Smash Bros. Brawl but didn't find the peace sign in any of those... So, at least up until 1996, but Miyamoto gave this interview in 1999, so...

Pixelated PixiesJanuary 24, 2014

Yeah, sure. Throw up a peace sign...AFTER killing a bunch of helpless creatures and plants.

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