[The posts for this month are reposts from the site www.honotogroabemo.org, on which a host of hirsute individuals including yours truly would grow beards to raise money for breast cancer research. The site is defunct, but I thought I’d resurrect the game-related posts. This was originally posted on 2011-11-04.]

(… You see, he thinks I’m crazy. And I’m the President. So I’ve got the box. Damn straight.)

I think the beard growth is going to my head — I’ve been having some funny thoughts about world domination. Unfortunately, my donations are still running a little low. Thanks to those who donated already, but if I don’t get some more soon, I may blow up a little.

Day Three’s game was the first major success for Nintendo and Shigero Miyamoto: Donkey Kong. Miyamoto-san wanted to create a game featuring Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto, but couldn’t get the rights. So Popeye became the mustachioed Jumpman, Olive Oyl became The Lady and Bluto became Donkey Kong. There are some theories out there that the name Donkey Kong was due a mistranslation of “stupid ape,” or perhaps a poor copy of “Monkey Kong,” but Miyamoto claims that he chose the word donkey purposely to imply stubbornness. And originally Jumpman had to traverse a maze to catch Donkey Kong, but jumping was added as a mechanic to avoid the barrels — and thus a legend was born. But more about him later.

By the way, “It’s On Like Donkey Kong” was trademarked by Nintendo in 2010, so don’t go using it as the title of your next big ska hit.