Where did Luigi come from?

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, we know the story about how Mario got his name -- that it was named in honor of the landlord for the building in New York City where Nintendo of America started out renting a office from 1980 to 1982. Probaly, I've also heard, as a consolation for being late on their rent so many times, as Nintendo back then just could not get any of their games into the American arcades until Donkey Kong came along.

So what about Luigi? How did HE get his name? Did Nintendo just randomly decide one name they needed a Italian name for Mario's brother?

His first aperence also was in Mario Brothers, right? Was that a 1983 game? But he was'nt actually NAMED until Super Mario Brothers?

[Flack]

His first aperence also was in Mario Brothers, right? Was that a 1983 game? But he was'nt actually NAMED until Super Mario Brothers?

The cover of the Mario Bros arcade manual reads "Mario and Luigi in Mario Bros".

Links to the manual is here: http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=8624

"Luigi" also appears on the game's CPO.

http://www.classicarcadegrafix.com/sunshop/images/products/thumb_mariobros_CPO_small_flat.gif

[Flack]

And, at least according to the wikipedia ...

Luigi's name was inspired by a pizza parlor near Nintendo of America's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, which was called Mario & Luigi's. His name also serves simultaneously as a pun of the Japanese word 類似 (ruiji), meaning "similar" or "analogous" (based on his original role as a copy of Mario).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_%28Nintendo_character%29

[Snapple]

Good old Wikipedia. Is there anything it doesn't know? Maybe for now, but it won't be too long before it makes all textbooks obsolete.