THE STORIES BEHIND 2 ICONIC ANIMAL HEROES IN VIDEO GAMES
Your family might have had the chance to play more video games lately and interact with some of the most famous animal heroes in video game history, like Yoshi or Sonic. But have you ever wondered about their real-world backstories? YOSHI Or should we say, T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas? That’s Yoshi’s full name according to Nintendo’s official character guide published in 1993. Ever since the first release of Super Mario Bros, Nintendo wanted Mario to have a dinosaur companion. However, the limitations of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) stalled that idea until Nintendo released Super Mario World for the Super NES. The inspiration for Yoshi traces back to the 1984 video game Devil World, which featured green lizards that hatch from eggs, eat enemies with large mouths, and emit the very same signature Yoshi giggle when they hatch. Yoshi has received a positive reception since its introduction, making it Japan’s third-favorite video game character in 2008. A few fun facts: Yoshi is often referred to as male, but its gender remains unconfirmed. Also, Yoshi and K.K. Slider (from Animal Crossing) have the same voice actor! SONIC You could say that random New Yorkers chose Sonic’s ultimate design. When Sega sought to create a flagship series to rival Nintendo’s Mario, Naoto
Ohshima took character
designs with him on a trip to New York. He asked random
passersby in Central Park to choose a design, and the spiky blue hedgehog won.
That wasn’t the end of Sonic’s design alterations, though. He had a rock band phase! Initially, Sonic had fangs, was in a band, and had a human girlfriend named Madonna. The team at Sega of America, led by Madeline Schroeder (who calls herself “Sonic’s mother”), removed those elements to “soften” the character for American audiences. While this led to heated internal debates, Sonic game designer Yuji Naka admitted it was for the best.
These famous characters make our video games more energetic and fun, and their origin stories are just as unique!
CAN A PILE OF LEAVES INVITE RATS?
AND MEET OUR SISTER COMPANY, ALSO OWNED BY THE HOPEWELL FAMILY
It might seem harmless to leave wood piles and dead leaves outside of your home (especially in cold weather
Keep in mind that rats can nest in several areas, including:
• Lofts and Attics You may find shredded insulation or chewed items (like cardboard boxes) in corners. • Kitchens and Laundries Make sure to check if there’s any gaps where pipework or cables enter your property from the outside. • Decks Frequent signs are gnawing and burrowing along the edges of decked areas. • Garages Do you have gnaw marks or droppings near the bottoms of your doors? Check both your internal and external doors and any other vents that can give a rat access to your home. • Compost Bins and Vegetation Rats adore the warmth and potential food source of your compost bin! Check compost bins, tree and shrub roots, or other overgrown vegetation holes and gnaw marks. • Drains If your drain covers are damaged or if there are holes dug next to them, you have a possible rat infestation. Rats are also little thieves. They’ll take your things to create their home, whether it’s shredded paper or ripping through your furniture and insulation to steal stuffing to warm their nest. If you’ve seen holes in your furniture lately, give EcoArmor & QuickSumo a call, and we can help you get rid of these freeloaders right away — before one of them interrupts Thanksgiving dinner!
when it’s inconvenient to go out). However, there can be real consequences for your property, and it’s even more important to be aware of them during the colder months, as this is when many pests
look for shelter.
That’s why at EcoArmor & QuickSumo, we thought we’d go over the different ways you can prevent mice and rats from nesting in your home this winter.
Whether you’ve got a pile of cardboard that you keep forgetting to take out to recycle, wood piles, or several piles of dead leaves, the most important thing you can do is keep your yard clear. You don’t want to leave these buildups out for long. They provide warmth and shelter to small creatures like mice and rats, which threaten the health and safety of your family.
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