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Company: Rare
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Attachment Contrary to popular belief, Rare's name was never "Rareware", even before the Microsoft buyout in 2002. On an old Rare Scribes post dated June 19, 2000, it was confirmed that the name "Rareware" refers to the company's products, not the company itself. It's essentially a portmanteau of "Rare" and "Software". The company itself was always internally named Rare Limited.
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Etymology, General, Real Life
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 24, 2023
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Rare Scribes - June 19, 2020:
https://rarewhere.neocities.org/1998_2000/june1900

Example of official Nintendo website referring to them as Rare Ltd. (Banjo-Tooie game page):
https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040759/http://www.nintendo.com/games/gamepage/gamepage_main.jsp?gameId=53
Franchise: Frogger
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Frogger inspired the name of a transposon family in the fruit fly. Transposons are said to "jump" between and within genomes, which is likely why one of these genes was named after the game.
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Etymology, Inspiration, Real Life
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 24, 2023
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Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 (1997)
subdirectory_arrow_right Star Fox (Franchise)
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Attachment Barring the mistake with calling Fichina "Fortuna" in Star Fox 64, there is only one other main planet in all of the Star Fox series to have a slightly different English name from their original Japanese counterpart, that being Katina, which in Japan is called カタリナ, or Katarina.

In comparison, Katina directly translated into Japanese would be カティナ.
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Etymology, Regional Difference
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 23, 2023
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Star Fox 64 - Katina (JP):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYcJGG7dX4Q?t=3561

Just linking to this show that Katina's Japanese name directly translated into English is indeed officially "Katarina": https://youtu.be/C1xDq1ymFv4?list=PL79797D1A47372A35&t=99
Franchise: God of War
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Kratos appears in actual Greek mythology as a Daimon or lesser god of strength. He is most notable for being the brother of Nike. Besides the coincidence of their name, this character bears no actual resemblance to the protagonist of the God of War series.
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Adaptation, Coincidence, Etymology, Inspiration, Real Life, Religion
person Kirby Inhales Jotaro calendar_month November 21, 2023
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Franchise: Mario
subdirectory_arrow_right Nintendo (Company)
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In the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation, the new CEO of Nintendo of America, Doug Bowser, was introduced with a joke comparing his last name to the antagonist of the Mario series, Bowser. However, in Japanese, the character’s name is “Koopa”, so in the Japanese broadcast of the Nintendo Direct, they clarified the joke with subtitles explaining that his name is Bowser in English-language releases.
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Coincidence, Etymology, In-Joke, Regional Difference, Release Difference
person Kirby Inhales Jotaro calendar_month November 21, 2023
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Popgoes Arcade
Popgoes Arcade (2022)
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According to series creator Kane Carter in a pair of Game Jolt polls, not only is Popgoes the Weasel a reference to the nursery rhyme of the same name, Manora the Mouse's name is a reference to the phrase "are you a man or a mouse?".
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Etymology, General, Reference
person chocolatejr9 calendar_month November 21, 2023
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Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 (1997)
subdirectory_arrow_right Family Computer (Platform), Family Computer Disk System (Platform)
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Attachment The robot boss of Sector X, dubbed "Spyborg" in the English version of Star Fox 64, is known as HVC-09 in the Japanese version.

HVC (Home Video Computer) was the model number that was used for Famicom (the Japanese equivalent to the Nintendo Entertainment System) hardware and peripherals. For example, the model number for R.O.B. (who in Japan was called Family Computer Robot) was HVC-012. Likewise, the model number for the NES Zapper (known as the Famicom Light Gun in Japan) was HVC-005. The model number for the Famicom itself was HVC-001.

Funny enough, in real life, there never was any NES related hardware whose model number was HVC-09.
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Etymology, Real Life, Reference, Regional Difference
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 19, 2023
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User's English translation of an official Japanese Star Fox 64 guidebook:
https://www.reddit.com/r/starfox/comments/y8cwc9/finally_got_around_to_doing_translations/

Famicom Robot model number promotional materials:
https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20110524_famicom_robo/

Famicom model number catalog:
https://maru-chang.com/hard/hvc/english.htm
Star Fox Command
Star Fox Command (2006)
subdirectory_arrow_right Star Fox: Assault (Game)
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Attachment During Star Fox: Assault's Fortuna mission, Andrew Oikonny, who is now leading a rebellion against Corneria using the remnants of Andross' army, pilots a flagship that transforms into a mode based on his deceased uncle (Falco even dismisses it as a "Andross wanna-be") complete with a floating head with disembodied hands. The official Japanese Star Fox: Assault guidebook reveals its name to be デスバブーン (Desubabūn), or Death Baboon.

Despite being seemingly destroyed by an Aparoid, Oikonny would reappear in Star Fox Command, working for the Anglar Army (who are revealed to be creations of his uncle), this time in another vessel shaped and named after an animal that's name also starts with "Death", the Death Crab.
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Backstory/Lore, Etymology
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 19, 2023
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User's English translation of official Japanese Star Fox: Assault guidebook:
https://www.reddit.com/r/starfox/comments/10m82rq/for_all_you_star_fox_assault_fans_some_pictures/

Star Fox: Assault - Oikonny's Flagship boss:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJM5TIhcTiY

Star Fox Command - Oikonny appearance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpnNgz2A2Bo
Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault (2005)
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Attachment Star Fox: Assault establishes the Sargasso region as the Star Wolf team's base of operations. Its name is virtually untouched from the Japanese version, サルガッソー (Sarugassō), but there exists an added pun in the latter, in that it begins with サル (Saru), the Japanese word for Monkey. This adds up, as Wolf's criminal empire here is shown to be made up of monkeys, presumably remnants from Andross' army.
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Backstory/Lore, Etymology, Regional Difference
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 18, 2023
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Star Fox Command
Star Fox Command (2006)
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Attachment One of Star Fox Command's new characters is Dash Bowman, the grandson of Andross who, ironically enough, is a pilot in the Cornerian Defense Force and also an admirer of the Star Fox team.

In the Japanese version of the game, his first name is アッシュ (Asshu), or Ash, which is more in line with the naming conventions of his relatives, Andross and Andrew Oikonny, whose names also start with "A". It's possible that his surname, Bowman, is a reference to the character of David Bowman, the protagonist of the film "2001: A Space Odyssey", though this is unconfirmed.
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Etymology, Reference, Regional Difference, Suggested, Theory
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 18, 2023
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Star Fox: Assault
Star Fox: Assault (2005)
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Attachment Star Fox Assault's official Japanese guidebook reveals the name of General Pepper's Aparoid infected flagship, which is the boss of the Corneria mission, to be エアフォース・バウ (Eafōsu bau), which translates to "Air Force Bow" in English.

The name is actually a reference to Air Force One, the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States, similar to how General Pepper is the leader of Corneria. "Bow" is a reference to the onomatopoeia for a dog's bark, "bow wow".
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Backstory/Lore, Etymology, Real Life, Reference, Regional Difference
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 17, 2023
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Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 (1997)
subdirectory_arrow_right Star Fox (Franchise)
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Attachment In Japan, Pigma Dengar's name is ピグマ・デンガー (Piguma Dengā).

His surname seems to come from the Kansai expression, デンガナマンガナー (Denganamanganā). In the Japanese version of Star Fox games, Pigma tends to speak in Kansai dialect like people from Osaka. In Japan, people from this region are characterized as rude, bad-mannered, and even criminal lowlifes, very befitting of Pigma.

It is worth pointing out, however, that this is considered an offensive stereotype of Kansai people, and they do not enjoy being characterized this way in Japanese media.
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Backstory/Lore, Etymology, Real Life, Regional Difference
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 17, 2023
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Star Fox character name origins Reddit thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/starfox/comments/11pogfk/the_untold_origins_of_star_fox_names_oikonny_kew/

Japanese video on Pigma Dengar origins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLtDilxoXaY

Kansai dialect discrimination article:
https://anond.hatelabo.jp/20201228141845
Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 (1997)
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Attachment The combat robots known as the Shogun Troopers in Star Fox 64's Sector Y stage are called サルジャー (Sarujā) in the Japanese version of the game. This can be translated as "Sarger".

It appears this name is meant to be a pun and mashup of サル (Saru) and ソルジャー (Sorujā), the Japanese words for Monkey and Soldier respectively.
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Etymology, General, Real Life, Regional Difference
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 18, 2023
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User's English translation of official Japanese Star Fox 64 guidebook:
https://www.reddit.com/r/starfox/comments/y8cwc9/finally_got_around_to_doing_translations/

Atwiki page on the Sarger enemies:
https://w.atwiki.jp/nitendo/pages/9680.html

bab.la dictionary entry for Sorujā:
https://en.bab.la/dictionary/english-japanese/soldier
Company: THQ
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THQ stands for "Toy Head-Quarters", as THQ worked in the toy business from its founding in 1990 up until 1994.
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Etymology, General
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 17, 2023
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Star Fox Command
Star Fox Command (2006)
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Attachment One of the Anglar Army's commanders in Star Fox Command is a hammerhead shark looking character named "Zako", who's also a subordinate of Octoman.

His Japanese name, however, is シャーマン (Shāman), which can either translate to just "Shaman" or even "Sherman". Looking at the English text provided in the official Japanese Star Fox Command guidebook, it seems the intended name is "Sharman". It's fairly obvious that his name is combination of "Shark" and "Man", and that it's also meant to complement and mirror Octoman's name.
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Etymology, General, Manual, Regional Difference
person Dinoman96 calendar_month November 15, 2023
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Company: Too Kyo Games
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Following the completion of the anime series "Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School" and the video game Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, Danganronpa series writer Kazutaka Kodaka started thinking about how he wanted to create his own development company where he can do new things. He discussed the idea with composer Masafumi Takada and character designer Rui Komatsuzaki, who were also interested in the idea: Takada would be the one to found Too Kyo Games, due to having been involved in the launch of other companies.

Kodaka also invited other people to join the company, including Kotaro Uchikoshi (director and scenario writer of the Zero Escape series), Shimadoriru (Danganronpa illustrator), Takumi Nakazawa (director and co-writer of the Infinity series), and Yoichirou Koizumi (Danganronpa novelist). Kodaka, Takada, Komatsuzaki and Uchikoshi each serve as the core members of the company, with Kodaka serving as both its representative and CEO.

Additionally, the company's name is a wordplay on "Tokyo", where the company is based, and "kyo", the Japanese word for crazy: hence, the company's name literally means "Too Crazy Games".
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Corporate Affairs, Etymology, General, Real Life
person chocolatejr9 calendar_month November 12, 2023
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Yars' Revenge
Yars' Revenge (1982)
subdirectory_arrow_right Atari (Company)
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The fly species in Yars' Revenge, the yar, and their home planet, Razak, are reversals of then-Atari CEO Ray Kassar's name. Creator Howard Scott Warshaw told a marketing executive this was the name's origin, but did not inform them that Kassar was unaware of the name's origins, leading them to believe the name was coined by Kassar and preventing them from informing him and getting the name changed.
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Backstory/Lore, Corporate Affairs, Development, Etymology, Title
person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 9, 2023
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Beatmania IIDX 2nd style
Beatmania IIDX 2nd style (1999)
subdirectory_arrow_right Beatmania IIDX 27 Heroic Verse (Game)
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The song "SOFT LANDING ON THE BODY" features a section in which the BPM doubles from 159 to 318 for seemingly no reason. According to composer Kiyotaka Sugimoto, this was due to an engine bug created by the song going to a 7/8 time signature, and the glitch was kept in when the game released. In honor of this mistake, any sudden large BPM changes or gimmicks have earned the nickname "Soflan" by BEMANI fans (a portmanteau of "Soft" and "Landing"). The "Soflan" moniker became canon to the series when beatmaniaIIDX 27 Heroic Verse included it as part of its Notes Radar parameters, signifying the quantity of BPM changes and their severity.
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Difficulty, Etymology, Glitch, Meme, Mistake, Music, Real Life
person aa1205 calendar_month November 7, 2023
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RemyWiki Page for SOFT LANDING ON THE BODY:
https://remywiki.com/SOFT_LANDING_ON_THE_BODY

Gameplay of SOFT LANDING ON THE BODY:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z60nSrGiJ4
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (1987)
subdirectory_arrow_right Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (Game)
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The Myconid is a race of intelligent fungus creatures appearing in Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei. This is notable as while the concept of mushroom creatures is well known in pop culture, the specific term “Myconid” was specifically invented for the fantasy tabletop role playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
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Adaptation, Backstory/Lore, Cameo, Development, Easter Egg, Etymology
person Kirby Inhales Jotaro calendar_month November 5, 2023
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Myconid in Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzul2qUbwgQ#t=6603

Wiki page on Myconid:
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Myconid
Company: HAL Laboratory
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In a 2012 Iwata Asks discussion, Nintendo president and HAL Laboratory alum Satoru Iwata revealed that HAL's name was intended as a riff on IBM, an American computer company who were omnipresent in the tech industry when HAL was founded in 1980. According to Iwata, the idea was that each of the letters in "HAL" were just before each of the letters in "IBM" in the Latin alphabet, thus conveying the fact that HAL were always "one step ahead of IBM."
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Etymology, Inspiration, Real Life
person VinchVolt calendar_month November 2, 2023
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