Japanese children discuss the geneology of Mario
Today over at fellow geek culture blog 4 Color Rebellion they have a hilarious article up about one writer's experience teaching Japanese children familial terms such as brother, sister, mother and father. Being a geek in Japan he used video games to teach the subject, using Mario in particular. Nintendo seems to have pretty much failed in their storytelling, as the kids are incredibly confused about where everyone stands in the Mario family. Some choice lines:
Me: Here is a good way for you to remember the word for “brother”. Finish this phrase: “Super Mario _______” (wait for response)Energetic boy: Galaxy!
Me: Ok, it’s a bit different.. try again, “Super Mario _____”
Girl: Party?
Me: One more try. “Super Mario ______”
Boy: I got it! Brothers!
Me: Good. That’s right. The word is “brother”. So who is Mario’s brother?
Boy in the back: Wario!
While I know that children are generally confused about a lot of things (which is part of the learning process), it's pretty funny to see that Miyamoto's strict avoidance of storytelling and Nintendo's watering-down of the Mario franchise have this sort of affect. These kids make Mario sound like some sort of strange incestuous Shakespearean drama. Now that's a Mario party I'd like to see.
