The origin of Metroid and Samus Aran!

[CM30]

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/06/18/this-is-how-the-names-metroid-and-samus-aran-came-to-exist/

We attached ‘android’ to the ‘metro subway’ and that’s how we got ‘Metroid’.

So they were inspired by a word for a type of robot and the Japanese rail system for names? That's fairly interesting. As is this:

Prior to this, the game was titled Space Hunter

Makes sense.

It turns out, Samus’ name is based on Edison Arantes do Nascimento, the soccer player better known as Pelé, Kiyotake revealed. “Even the name of the protagonist could be put together in this manner, and if I wanted to give someone a strange name, I could refer to Pelé’s name,” he joked.

So Samus' name came from a football player? That's certainly unexpected!

In Yamaha’s bikes, there is a series called SR400, and in those days, while it was called 400cc, you didn’t have any choice but 388cc, but it was written like that for the time being, and that’s how it came out! (Laughs)

And the planet name was inspired by bike brand names.

Well, that is an interesting origin...

 

[SuperMarioFanX100]

Wow, interesting stuff!

 

[NintenDan]

First the origin of Kirby, now Samus? These people sure are opening up about a few things, heh. The inspiration for some of these things is kinda funny, too.