“So long, gay Bowser” no more! One of the most infamous jokes to arise out of Super Mario 64 has been debunked by Charles Martinet, the longtime voice actor for the mustachioed hero.
For many years, fans have theorized just what exactly Mario has said when throwing his nemesis off the stage during the final battle, as the audio file is heavily echoed and not easy to decipher. Late last night, a simply tweet solved the riddle that has since plagued the Nintendo community. Referenced in a question provided to Martinet himself, Twitter user 4zy1twitr asked if Mario was saying, “So long, Bowser!” or “So long, King Bowser!” after he throws Bowser offscreen in one of the game’s pinnacle moments. Martinet was nice enough to respond to this earnest request by confirming that Mario says, “So long kinga Bowser!”, in the spirit of his Italian accent.
The tweets associated with this post can be seen below:
So long kinga Bowser!
— Charles Martinet (@CharlesMartinet) April 29, 2019
Originally released in 1996 (1997 for Europeans), Super Mario 64 has since been regarded as one of the most important and influential games of its generation. After nearly 23 years, this is one debate that fans can put to rest. Even so, many may go out of their way to flub the line as they choose, just to keep the conversation alive.
Protagonist542 (Roblox)
I’ve Actually Played Mario 64 Before, But Thinking That People Were Saying, Without Knowing The Actual Voiceline, “So Long, King Bowser!”, They Instead Said This. *throws bowser into poisonous spheres* “SO LONG, GAY BOWSER!”. It Cracked Me Up At The Thought. (Follow Me On Roblox Please.)