Pauline (Nintendo) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pauline |
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Pauline, as seen in Super Mario Odyssey
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| First appearance | Donkey Kong (1981) |
| Created by | Shigeru Miyamoto |
| Designed by |
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| Portrayed by | Sally Klein (Donkey Kong ColecoVision commercial) Dana Kaminski (Super Mario Bros. film; as Daniella) |
| Voiced by | Jo Belle Yonely (1983; Donkey Kong Cereal commercials) Judy Strangis (1983–1984; Saturday Supercade) Kate Higgins (2017–present; Super Mario Odyssey onwards) Aimi Mukohara (2017; singing voice in Super Mario Odyssey, Japanese version) Jeannie Elias (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Lady, Louise |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation |
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| Origin | New Donk City |
Pauline (Japanese: ポリーン, Hepburn: Porīn) is a fictional character from the Donkey Kong and Mario video game franchises by Nintendo. She was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and first appeared in Donkey Kong (1981) as the damsel in distress, being held captive by Donkey Kong at the top of a large construction site.
Concept and creation
Pauline was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and other developers for the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. She is the first female character in a video game with a speaking role, and is cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress in fiction. Originally, Pauline was known as Lady, and the game introduced her as Mario's girlfriend. The name Pauline was given after the then-girlfriend of Nintendo of America's warehouse manager, Don James. It was then used in licensed products after the game's release (including a collection of figures by Coleco and a coloring book), and was eventually used for the NES version of the game, although print ads for the Game & Watch version of the game refer to her as Louise.
Super Mario Odyssey producer Yoshiaki Koizumi told Polygon that she sang the game's theme song, "Jump Up, Super Star!", noting "As we were developing Pauline more as a character, we know that she was going to be interested in jazz...It was interesting for us to have the first song in a Mario game with vocals". This is inaccurate, however, as Super Mario Run had previously featured a track with vocals that was added in an update released one month prior to Odyssey.
Appearances
Pauline debuted as Mario's love interest in Donkey Kong (1981), which was remade for Game Boy, where she was again a typical damsel in distress.
Reappearances of Pauline occurred in Pinball and Famicom BASIC. Outside of Donkey Kong ports and re-releases, she did not make any further appearances until her reintroduction in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. She would appear in all of its sequels.
In 2017, Super Mario Odyssey marked her debut in the Super Mario series. She is the singer of "Jump Up, Super Star!" and "Break Free (Lead The Way)". Initially a damsel in distress, Super Mario Odyssey changed her role. She was now the singer of the band The Super Mario Players and the Mayor of New Donk City. She serves as a supporting character, helping Mario with his quest.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, she, along with her band, appear on the New Donk City stage; by interacting with them, the player can add extra instruments and vocals to the music. Pauline herself is also featured as a collectible spirit utilizing her Super Mario Odyssey artwork. In March 2019, Pauline made her debut in a Mario sports spinoff as a playable DLC character in Mario Tennis Aces. In September 2019, she made her racing debut in Mario Kart Tour. She has also appeared as a playable character in Mario Golf: Super Rush and Mario Strikers: Battle League.
See also
In Spanish: Pauline para niños
