Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Donkey Kong hit arcades exactly forty years ago. Unquestionably one of the medium’s most important texts, the 1981 classic helped lay the groundwork for the platformer genre. Two of Nintendo’s brightest stars, Mario and Donkey Kong, also debuted here. Not only have they become synonymous with the industry, they’re two of my all-time favorite characters, inspiring so much joy within me over my lifetime. Since Donkey Kong is also my favorite ongoing Nintendo franchise, I couldn’t allow its ruby anniversary to pass without a celebration.
Pauline, seen in 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey (Image: Nintendo)
A three-character cast carried out Donkey Kong’s narrative. However, Mario and Donkey Kong would later graduate to greener pastures, getting reinvented in 1985’s Super Mario Bros. and 1994’s Donkey Kong Country, respectively (heck, the Donkey Kong of the arcade-era and one of today aren’t even the same guy). After spending years sitting on the sidelines, their old costar recently saw a reinvention of her own. Today, we’re commemorating her birthday and rise.
Pauline’s History
Originally, Nintendo game designer and wunderkind Shigeru Miyamoto envisioned Donkey Kong as a Popeye title. Unable to secure the license, Miyamoto created his own cast: the “blue-collar hero” Jumpman; his girlfriend, Lady; and his pet, Donkey Kong. Thankfully, the former two soon received better names: Mario and Pauline, respectively. According to Nintendo of America’s Don James, his girlfriend at the time assisted in landing him his consulting gig, so they named Mario’s companion after her. However, inconsistencies periodically arose regarding the character’s identity. Some media and a guidebook treated Lady and Pauline as separate people. Additionally, the urbanite was dubbed “Louise” in a Game & Watch Donkey Kong advertisement, while a Donkey Kong Jr. flyer called her the “Beautiful Girl.” Ultimately, Nintendo reconciled all of these into a singular character named Pauline.
When designing Donkey Kong, Miyamoto cited Beauty and the Beast and – surprise – King Kong as influences. (Image: Nintendo)
Donkey Kong inspired an assortment of merchandise, some of which included Pauline. She was also a regular in the Saturday Supercade cartoon, appearing alongside her Kong cohorts. And throughout the years, homages to and re-releases of the city dweller’s debut game were commonplace. Several titles – Pinball, two Family BASIC iterations, and Puzzle Swap – incorporate her. Others – the Game Boy’s stellar Donkey Kong remake, two Game & Watch Gallery sequels, three WarioWares, a Nintendo Land minigame, and the NES Remix series – recreate her pixelated tribulation. For Country, Rare aged the arcade antagonist into Cranky Kong, who vividly remembers Pauline; in Country 2‘s manual, he reminisces over “whisking off maidens” and asks why Dixie isn’t “a damsel in distress.” Super Smash Bros. Brawl features a Pauline sticker, while for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U share a Pauline trophy. Surprisingly, an incarnation of Pauline appears in 1993’s live-action Super Mario Bros. film. Some manga include her, including Comic BomBom, Super Mario-Kun, and Kazuki Motoyama’s Super Mario. Occasionally, otherwise unrelated works, like Baten Kaitos Origins or Robot Chicken, acknowledge Pauline.
2006’s Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis reintroduces Pauline, giving the character her first original appearance in twelve years. Here, she attends the Super Mini Mario World theme park’s opening ceremony as a guest. Upon seeing Pauline, Donkey Kong is instantly smitten and offers her a Mini Donkey Kong toy, only for her to choose one of Mario’s instead. Enraged, the gorilla abducts her, spurring Mario and his army of figurines to give chase. She returns in its sequels: Minis March Again!, Mini-Land Mayhem!, Minis on the Move, and Tipping Stars. In Minis March Again! and Tipping Stars, she’s kidnapped by the gorilla again, though only to test the toys’ durability and lead Mario to a surprise party, respectively.
Originally, Miyamoto wanted Pauline to actually speak. Since Odyssey, she’s been voiced by Kate Higgins (who, incidentally, also voices another “Lady”). (Image: Nintendo)
In 2017, Super Mario Odyssey graced the Switch. Seeking to marry the game’s New Donk City level with a familiar face, Pauline was selected to serve as its mayor (the stage houses many other Donkey Kong homages too). Aiming to explore her character, Nintendo gave Pauline an appreciation of jazz music. This directly influences the game; in a Super Mario first, Odyssey features two vocal tracks: “Jump Up, Super Star!” and “Break Free (Lead The Way).” They’re both sung by Pauline. A year later, she scored two Spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the first being a notoriously difficult solo one and the other a duet with Donkey Kong. Also, she’s a bystander on the New Donk City Hall stage, where she may perform alongside her band. Since then, Pauline’s begun asserting herself as a Mario mainstay. She hit the courts in 2019 as downloadable content for Mario Tennis Aces. Later that year, she joined Mario Kart Tour, where she currently has two variants available. Then she made her Mario Golf debut last month via Super Rush, appearing as part of its base roster.
So, what’re my thoughts on Pauline?
Games during the early Eighties were generally built around attaining high scores, not telling stories. Several spaceships shot things, Pac-Man ate pellets littering mazes, Frogger hopped towards his swamp… and then there was Donkey Kong. Powering Miyamoto’s King Kong pastiche was a narrative: a beast abducts a hapless, young woman and scales a hazardous construction site, forcing an everyman into action, and a cinematic rewards those who successfully save the day. Its Ann Darrow analogue, Pauline, did enrich the game; collecting her belongings provides additional challenge, and her line of dialogue – “Help!” – enhances its presentation. But, understandably so, Pauline’s more prominent costars eclipsed her. Gaming progressed, and Donkey Kong’s protagonist and expressive gorilla discovered new homes and supporting casts, leaving Pauline behind. Super Mario Bros. even gave the merry mascot a new distressed damsel to fuss over in Princess Peach.
Concept art for Donkey Kong depicts Pauline as a brunette, which was reflected in her redesign for its remake. Odyssey adjusts her physique to better fit its realistically proportioned New Donkers. (Image: Nintendo)
For decades, that’s all there was to Pauline. Whenever callbacks were made to that arcade game, Pauline would reliably cameo without ever evolving. A redesign notwithstanding, even the ambitious Donkey Kong remake barely expressed any interest in her. And Pauline’s stagnation became all the more glaring as Peach’s prominence rose, with Super Mario Bros. 2 and numerous spin-offs developing her character. So, while there was a quaint novelty seeing Pauline reemerge in March of the Minis, it wasn’t worth getting excited over. Now, I admittedly dislike the Mario vs. Donkey Kong sub-series. As an homage to its namesakes’ origins, it carries value. But it’s reductive, insufficiently accommodating how both icons matured, and its incorporation of Pauline is merely an extension of that. March of the Minis didn’t mark the triumphant comeback of a beloved, missing icon; it was drudging up a dusty, old prop. Pauline was effectively just Peach’s prototype, a one-note role she seemed perennially locked into.
Super Mario Odyssey is an unapologetically braver title, playing with Mario, his legacy, and his conventions. Correspondingly, it uses Pauline’s past to undergird her character, not solely define it. Contextualizing her absence as having built a richer life for herself, Pauline became a public official – and a darn good one, too. While exploring her home, we overhear people praise her tireless work, which we even assist her with. She’s dutiful, frankly coming across as a more convincing, capable leader than Peach or Super Mario Land’s Daisy. As a nice, professional touch, she even dons a pantsuit and Carmen Sandiego-esque cap while on the clock.
Now, even Pauline’s middling Mario vs. Donkey Kong appearances can be recontextualized. Of course a politician of her stature would grace major public events. (Image: Nintendo)
And tying back to their history, Mario participates in New Donk City’s festival, a recreation of his first adventure. It’s a whimsical, endearing blend of old and new, standing out as Odyssey’s most memorable moment. But Mario isn’t performing alone; he’s sharing the stage with his old flame, who’s singing along, dancing atop city hall. Not shying away from her traumatic 1981 ordeal, Pauline uses it as inspiration for an upbeat song she entertains others with. Donkey Kong was a theatrical experience in its heyday, and it’s satisfying seeing the city’s frontwoman embody that, paying tribute to her roots while demonstrating how far she’s grown.
Something I enjoy about Rare’s worldbuilding is how their characters have lives outside what’s shown on-screen. After Odyssey, Mario’s first lady beautifully illustrates that concept. Having also expressed a dislike for hollow fan service, Odyssey‘s revitalization of Pauline wonderfully respects her legacy, using it as a steppingstone for greater things. Someone who didn’t fit Super Mario Bros.’s wonderlands or Donkey Kong Country’s naturalistic islands found agency and a niche for herself, characteristics that will echo through encore performances. Channeling how Rosalina’s presence in spin-offs keeps Super Mario Galaxy iconography alive, Pauline’s will presumably achieve the same for Odyssey. But she also represents more than just one of Mario’s latest mainline games. From Donkey Kong to Odyssey, Pauline’s a uniquely storied character who deserves to stick around, continuing to inspire laughter, cheering, and high spirits.
Congratulations, Pauline! Jump up, Super Star!
Here’s hoping Pauline becomes a spin-off staple. Perhaps her next single will even be about accidentally smashing her ex’s face with a tennis ball. (Image: Nintendo)
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I’m a day late with this but happy birthday to both Pauline and Donkey Kong! (and to Mario as well since the 1981 game is his “real” debut after all😉 )🥳🎂
It’s never too late to celebrate Pauline, Donkey Kong, and Mario, friend. Here’s to their fortieth and many more great years ahead.