How Princess Peach Got Her Name: Nintendo’s Localization Journey from Toadstool to Peach

The history of Princess Peach’s name in the Super Mario series unveils a fascinating chapter in video game localization, especially for fans familiar with Nintendo’s storied legacy.

Leslie Swan, a pioneering localization manager at Nintendo of America with nearly 30 years of service, recently reflected on how the name "Princess Toadstool" came to overshadow Peach in the early U.S.

releases—and how the beloved princess ultimately reclaimed her original moniker. In the original Japanese version of Super Mario Bros., released for the Famicom in 1985, Mario’s pink-clad companion was known straightforwardly as Princess Peach.

However, when the game made its way to North America for the NES, she was rechristened “Princess Toadstool,” a decision Swan attributes to the era’s marketing practices rather than direction from Nintendo’s own developers.

According to Swan, “During the early days, communication between Nintendo’s Japanese development teams and the U.S.

marketing teams was limited.

The production of the North American game manual was outsourced to an advertising agency, which took the liberty of creating names for several characters, including opting for ‘Princess Toadstool’ in place of Peach.” As Nintendo’s global presence grew, so did efforts to harmonize character names across regions.

Swan recalls working closely with Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto during localization meetings.

"I would often explain the changes I made for the English scripts, and one day Mr.

Miyamoto asked if ‘Peach’ was considered a poor name for the western market.

I explained she had been called ‘Princess Toadstool’ in the U.S., but Mr.

Miyamoto expressed his preference for ‘Peach.’ That led us to propose the merged title ‘Princess Peach Toadstool,’ fitting both the American familiarity and the original Japanese intent.” This collaborative solution took root in Super Mario 64, the groundbreaking 3D platformer that launched for the Nintendo 64 in 1996.

For the first time in an English-language Mario game, fans saw her referred to as Princess Peach Toadstool—a fusion that would eventually allow “Peach” to again take center stage.

In the memorable opening of Super Mario 64, Mario reads a letter signed formally as "Princess Toadstool," but she also playfully uses just “Peach,” signaling a shift to a less formal, more global identity. Since then, Princess Peach has become an internationally recognized icon, with her name unified across all major platforms, including the Nintendo Switch and eShop releases.

The journey from Toadstool to Peach showcases not only the evolution of Mario’s universe but also Nintendo’s commitment to localization that bridges cultural differences while respecting creative origins.

Leslie Swan’s reflections shed light on the behind-the-scenes decisions that helped forge some of Nintendo’s most enduring character identities, resonating with fans old and new worldwide.

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