Character of the Week #4

Metal Mario · 08-09-2009, 04:35 AM

Pauline

First Appearance: Donkey Kong (Arcade, 1981)
Latest Appearance: Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (DSiWare, 2009)

Mario's first in a long line of damsels in distress, Pauline is not a particularly prominent member of the Mario universe, but an important one nonetheless. Named after Polly James, the wife of NOA warehouse manager Don James, she provided the objective of Nintendo's classic Donkey Kong, but didn't really stick around after that, as Princess Toadstool came to supplant her role as Mario's #1 gal. Aside from a cameo appearance with Mario in Nintendo's Pinball for the NES, Pauline would remain inactive until 1994's Donkey Kong for Game Boy, in which she reprised her earlier role (this time as a brunette, in order to differentiate her from the blond Princess Toadstool).

Having served her purpose, Pauline slipped once again into obscurity, even missing the renaissance that saw previously marginalized characters like Birdo, Wario, and Princess Daisy brought back to the forefront of the Mario universe. Nintendo had not forgotten her completely, however, and took her out of mothballs for the DS game Mario VS Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, and then the downloadable DSiWare game Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis March Again.

Will Pauline ever join the rest of Mario's supporting cast outside of the DK games? Many might think it unnecessary, but this Mario fan thinks it would be a lot of fun to see her show up in the next Kart, Tennis, or Party game.

***the Octopus*** · 08-09-2009, 08:37 AM

Yeah, she pretty much started it all for Mario. And just think, it took them until Super Mario World 2 to make Mario's quest to save a captive one for a dude. What's up with fictional apes and women, anyway?

It kind of makes you wonder if maybe the folks at Ninty originally imagined DK as a behemoth the likes of King Kong, and were stunted concept-wise by the hardware's limited capabilities.

Metal Mario · 08-09-2009, 02:44 PM

DK is definitely closer to King Kong size in his original form, as he towers over Mario in the classic arcade games. (In fact, according to the measurement system in Donkey Kong, DK is about 25 meters tall when he's hunching.) It wasn't until Donkey Kong Country that he was shrunk down to the size of a normal, 800-pound gorilla.

Vgfian · 08-09-2009, 03:05 PM

I'd like to see Peach and Pauline appear in the same game together, that would be interesting IMO.

Luigiman7 · 08-09-2009, 04:48 PM

She got her hair color changed. Hooray, less female blondes in the Ninty world.

Metal Mario · 08-09-2009, 07:31 PM

It seems to me that Princess Toadstool started out life as a brunette, but turned into a blond sometime around the dawn of the 16-bit era.......

Robotazy · 08-09-2009, 07:36 PM

ehhhhh I don't see it happening.

According to the story, Pauline broke up with Mario because og his failure to hold down a job.

It would be like having Stanley the Bugman pop in and say hello.

Still, it's better than suddenly have a Blooper in Mario Party 8.

(seriously, Bloopers go underwater.)

Luigiman7 · 08-09-2009, 07:43 PM

^ Not in The Lost Levels.

Metal Mario · 08-09-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tazy Ten

ehhhhh I don't see it happening. It would be like having Stanley the Bugman pop in and say hello.

That would be sweet.

08-09-2009, 04:48 PM	#5
Luigiman7 ~)´◡｀(~ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: representin da bronx yo Gender: Posts: 17,304 Thanks: 1,099 Thanked 992 Times in 698 Posts Blog Entries: 8	She got her hair color changed. Hooray, less female blondes in the Ninty world. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

08-09-2009, 07:43 PM	#8
Luigiman7 ~)´◡｀(~ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: representin da bronx yo Gender: Posts: 17,304 Thanks: 1,099 Thanked 992 Times in 698 Posts Blog Entries: 8	^ Not in The Lost Levels. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

08-09-2009, 04:35 AM	#1
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	Character of the Week #4 Pauline First Appearance: Donkey Kong (Arcade, 1981) Latest Appearance: Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (DSiWare, 2009) Mario's first in a long line of damsels in distress, Pauline is not a particularly prominent member of the Mario universe, but an important one nonetheless. Named after Polly James, the wife of NOA warehouse manager Don James, she provided the objective of Nintendo's classic Donkey Kong, but didn't really stick around after that, as Princess Toadstool came to supplant her role as Mario's #1 gal. Aside from a cameo appearance with Mario in Nintendo's Pinball for the NES, Pauline would remain inactive until 1994's Donkey Kong for Game Boy, in which she reprised her earlier role (this time as a brunette, in order to differentiate her from the blond Princess Toadstool). Having served her purpose, Pauline slipped once again into obscurity, even missing the renaissance that saw previously marginalized characters like Birdo, Wario, and Princess Daisy brought back to the forefront of the Mario universe. Nintendo had not forgotten her completely, however, and took her out of mothballs for the DS game Mario VS Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, and then the downloadable DSiWare game Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis March Again. Will Pauline ever join the rest of Mario's supporting cast outside of the DK games? Many might think it unnecessary, but this Mario fan thinks it would be a lot of fun to see her show up in the next Kart, Tennis, or Party game.

08-09-2009, 08:37 AM	#2
*the Octopus* THE PRESIDENT OF FUN Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 27,481 Thanks: 1,974 Thanked 5,121 Times in 2,320 Posts	Yeah, she pretty much started it all for Mario. And just think, it took them until Super Mario World 2 to make Mario's quest to save a captive one for a dude. What's up with fictional apes and women, anyway? It kind of makes you wonder if maybe the folks at Ninty originally imagined DK as a behemoth the likes of King Kong, and were stunted concept-wise by the hardware's limited capabilities.

08-09-2009, 02:44 PM	#3
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	DK is definitely closer to King Kong size in his original form, as he towers over Mario in the classic arcade games. (In fact, according to the measurement system in Donkey Kong, DK is about 25 meters tall when he's hunching.) It wasn't until Donkey Kong Country that he was shrunk down to the size of a normal, 800-pound gorilla.

08-09-2009, 03:05 PM	#4
Vgfian Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Listening to Seeking 7 Seven and giving out free hugs. :) Gender: Posts: 6,745 Thanks: 2,364 Thanked 394 Times in 307 Posts	I'd like to see Peach and Pauline appear in the same game together, that would be interesting IMO.

08-09-2009, 07:31 PM	#6
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	It seems to me that Princess Toadstool started out life as a brunette, but turned into a blond sometime around the dawn of the 16-bit era.......

08-09-2009, 07:36 PM	#7
Robotazy PRESS ANY KEY TO PANIC! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: A Tiny Shed Gender: Posts: 16,284 Thanks: 521 Thanked 1,238 Times in 885 Posts Blog Entries: 43	ehhhhh I don't see it happening. According to the story, Pauline broke up with Mario because og his failure to hold down a job. It would be like having Stanley the Bugman pop in and say hello. Still, it's better than suddenly have a Blooper in Mario Party 8. (seriously, Bloopers go underwater.)