4. Donkey Kong Was Originally A Popeye Game
Nintendo & King Features SyndicateDonkey Kong is the game that started it all: it introduced us to both its title character and lovable, rotund Italian plumber Mario, kick-starting a wildly lucrative franchise in its stead. However, in a 2009 interview, the game's creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that Donkey Kong started life as a Popeye game, amazingly enough. Shiggy said, "I sketched out a few ideas for games using Popeye...But while I can't recall exactly why it was, we were unable to use Popeye in . It really felt like the ladder had been pulled out from under us, so to speak." Still, they came up with Donkey Kong and Mario, and all ended up right with the world. Would the game have been any worse had it been Popeye-related? Gameplay-wise probably not, but we simply cannot fathom living in a world in which Mario and DK don't exist.