After 35 years, the silliest debate about one of the most beloved NES games has finally been settled by the original director
May. 19, 2024It’s Led Zeppelin all over again
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For 35 years, English-speaking NES gamers have been debating one important topic: how do you pronounce the name of the Bubble Lead weapon from Mega Man 2? Now, all these years later, the game’s original director has put the issue to rest.
The second word of Bubble Lead, of course, could be pronounced either ‘led,’ as in the metal, or ‘leed,’ as in guiding someone forward. The correct pronunciation here was the subject of no end of schoolyard debates, but now, finally, long-retired director Akira Kitamura has weighed in.
“‘Lead’ means to guide,” Kitamura says in aTwitterresponse (Googletranslated) to a fan asking about the pronunciation. “It is a weapon that crawls along the ground and senses danger ahead. It is not made of lead.” You can now feel free to call up your old childhood friends and settle the old fights once and for all. (Or keep silent and never speak of it again, if you were a ‘lead as in metal’ person.)
There’s a reason why Mega Man 2 is still regarded as one of thebest NES gamesof all time.
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