8 Names, 8 Stories: How Do Games Get Their Names?

Ever wondered how some classic games got their special, memorable names? Even though naming a game might sound simple, it’s the name of the game that truly creates a nostalgic feeling among gamers worldwide.

Each game has a story to tell behind its legacy and some have funny backstories on how they got their names, much like creating names for clans. Some are simple, others are mysterious, while the rest are a mix of creativity and spontaneous sparks. In this blog, let’s look into eight classic games and how each of them got their names.

When chips bounce, they… Plink

The Plinko game which can be played digitally is a classical television and gaming piece that is enjoyed by many even today. It was introduced in the 1980s as part of the show The Price is Right with a name that was both whimsical and catchy back then. The story of how it got its name is pretty simple; the name came from the sounds the chips make as they fall down a board from peg to peg i,e plink, plink, plink. This naming choice can be termed quite genius, especially since the sound and game relate to each other.

The game itself is pretty straightforward; players drop a disk from the top of the Plinko board and it falls down, hitting pegs and changing courses until it lands on one of the slots at the bottom. Each of these slots has a cash prize and an unpredictability factor that adds to the appeal of the game. Now, the game is available in both physical and digital forms and has gone beyond the boundaries of the show.

Pac-Man: From Paku-Paku to Pop Culture

Pac-Man is perhaps the most iconic video game ever made in the history of gaming culture. The game is made in Japan and the story of its name is based on Japanese culture. The original title for the game was PakkuMan which comes from the Japanese onomatopoeia “paku-paku”, which is basically the sound of eating. It was then later tweaked to a more suitable version for the Western audience and became Pac-Man to make it more catchy.

Tetris: The Perfect Combination of ‘Tetra’ and Tennis

Tetris is also another iconic arcade game that is beloved by many around the world. The game itself has a simple mechanic where blocks of different patterns and colors fall and the player would have to arrange them in a line to earn points. But the story of its name is, even more, simpler; it was created by Alexey Pajitnov when he combined the word “tetra’, meaning the four segments of a block, with his favorite sport “tennis”, hence the name Tetris.

Space Invaders: An Unstoppable Force

Space Invaders first hit the arcade in 1978, and was regarded as the most beloved and advanced game at the time. Players aim to fight off invaders coming from above and the main goal is to save Earth from these alien forces.

The name itself can be considered as a direct answer to the entire theme of the game. There isn’t much mystery behind the naming of the game and is left to the player’s imagination of what to think. After all, it’s all about fighting “space invaders” and hence how it got its name.

Mortal Kombat: A Misspelling That Made History

In this example, the name itself doesn’t have much of a story, but the game stood out because of the slight misspelling of the word “combat”. The designers changed the C to K to make it more stylish, but this simple change turned out to be a genius move that enabled Mortal Kombat to be successful in the gaming industry.

Donkey Kong: The Birth of Nintendo’s Biggest Character

This game was one of the first hits in the US by Nintendo. The name came from designer Shigeru Miyamoto who wanted to give a name that means stubborn or goofy. Since “donkey” is associated with stubbornness in English, and Kong is popular slang for large apes in Japanese, he combined these two terms to give the iconic name that we all know today.

Pong: Simple, but a Game-Changer

Pong is also another game released by Atari in 1972 and is similar to Plinko in how it got its name. The game got its name due to the “pong” sound that was made when the balls hit the rackets during a game of table tennis, on which the entire game was inspired. This simple nature of the game and its name made it popular among gamers back then.

Street Fighter: A Name That Packs a Punch

In the case of Street Fighter, the name is simply what the game is all about. Two characters fighting in the streets with health bars and special moves, hence the name Street Fighter. It perfectly sets a scenario for players who want to experience martial-style combat in urban locations and was a popular hit during its release in 1987.