Sonic's faithful, tech-savvy buddy is best known as "Tails," a name that one typically wouldn't expect to have any reasoning behind it aside from acknowledging a plurality of appendages. However, in the corporate world, things often aren't so simple--especially if you had "Sega of America" on your office door during the '90s.
At the recent Portland Retro Gaming Expo, former Sega of America Marketing Director Al Nilsen discussed his ordeal in trying to convince Sega of Japan to change the new Sonic 2 sidekick's name from its first iteration:
Madeline Schroeder, who worked for me, we affectionately called her "The Mother of Sonic." And she defanged Sonic—I called her "Sonic's orthodontist." She was the one who worked with [Sonic co-creator Yuji] Naka and his team in Japan on Sonic 1, making him a little softer, and a little nicer. Because he was really a mean character—a mean-looking character. ... She was the one who came into my office and said those words which brought terror and fear into my life: "Miles Prower."
Nilsen expressed a distaste for the pun-tacular name and attempted to get Sonic Team to change their minds. According to Nilsen, initial attempts failed. Business relations between Sega's Japanese and North American offices weren't always the most agreeable. Eventually, then Sega of America President Tom Kalinske suggested Nilsen come up with a backstory for the fox to help in the persuasion.
Schroeder and Nilsen did so, hopping a flight to Japan to present it to the Japanese project representatives. The tale had to be translated a paragraph at a time through company liaison Shinobu Toyoda, which isn't exactly the best way to present a story. That combined with previous failures to elicit any changes from the team left Nilsen not very hopeful of success:
It's like, "They want to kill me." And then, all of a sudden, it just started to lighten up, and, at the end, I had won them over. And Naka came up to [Toyoda] and said "You may call him Tails." Shinobu and I were shocked because we didn't think it was going to work, but it was our Hail Mary play, and it absolutely worked. Naka didn't cry, but one of the designers actually teared up. It was interesting, because [the back story] really cemented the relationship between Sonic and Tails. And that's how big business works.
There you have it. Sometimes business is weird, kids. If it wasn't, however, we might not have one of the most charming and longest-lasting friendships in game history. As many might know, of course, Sega of Japan didn't fully concede. Everyone's favorite heli-fox is still listed as "Miles 'Tails' Prower" in Sonic 2. The lengths some will go to still make a pun, eh?
Nilsen's full telling of the story is over at USGamer and worth the read. It also includes a bit of what Sega of America's old guard thinks of hedgehog/human relations and Sonic Boom's fashion choices.
[source usgamer.net]
Comments 34
I think Tails is exclusively referred to as Miles in Sonic Pocket Adventure for Neo Geo Pocket Color.
Such a strange exception, huh.
I like both names.
I never understood that Miles Prower was a pun. Probably because when I was into Sonic in third grade, I thought it was Miles Prowler. Even after reading the article, it took me forever to get the pun. Miles Per Hour. Such a terrible name.
Tails, on the other hand, is a good name for the character.
Or you know, Arms. http://oi52.tinypic.com/npkpw7.jpg
Well dang, now i'd REALLY like to hear the backstory they told to win them over!
"When asked to respond to this surprising new information, Nilsen replied, "I can't comment on that, but I can comment on one thing about Sonic Boom: Get rid of the damn scarf."" ......ahhhaaaaaa lol
@Sforzando I didn't get the pun until i read your comment. Man do i feel smart Honestly i just thought it sounded cool as a kid so it never struck me as lame. I thought i was cool just to know his full name wasn't just "Tails" lol.
when is this game going to get made as 3d classics
Another reference to CONSOLE WARS, the book.
And yes, that scarf is so very NOT-Sonic.
Who cares sega! Just get on wii u virtual console already!! Please? What are you guys waiting for????
How is Miles Prower pun?
I dunno, I always liked the sound of Miles "Tails" Prower as a full name - it made Tails seem less like a tacked-on Butt Monkey than he actually ended up as.
@Sforzando All these years and I never noticed...
@Sforzando
Phalanges would make a fine name. So would Snout
@audiobrainiac The story was recently discussed over on the Sonic Retro forums.
I've always liked the Miles Prower name, but I'm glad he's known primarily as Tails.
@joey302 not just Wii U VC, but where's the 3D Classics for Sonic 1, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and the alternate stages in Sonic & Knuckes when connected to Sonic 2 and 3? Or heck, even just normal releases! They releases Sonic 2 in 3D, and it's got me wanting the whole shebang.
@JaxonH I know...on 3ds too but on wii u vc I'd love to see games from the master system, Genesis, game gear, dreamcast, sega cd, Saturn and best of all would be ORIGINAL SEGA ARCADE GAMES!!! Oh how great it would be!! I think sega is missing out on serious $$$ from wii u customers!!! Sigh!
@Sforzando I read Miles Prower right, but only realized it was a pun when you wrote what it was meant
@TeeJay Miles Per Hour. Speed. Sonic
This was in the Console Wars book (including what Tails' backstory actually said) so this isn't anything new to me
@ReshiramZekrom - I would love it if you could give me a quick summary of Sonic and Tails's back-story (that was apparently said in the Console Wars book)!
Sonic 2 my favorite sonic game ever. I swear somewhere though i seen or heard him being called miles, i guess i didnt think much of it but id like to know more as well.
BECAUSE MILES IS A MARKETABLE NAME, RIGHT
Seriously, what were these guys thinking? Miles Prower, I get it, great, good idea, but adding the Tails nickname was much better in the end.
I'm formulating a game, but if I'm ever in a team working on it one day, I'll be more than happy to consider input because I'm just one guy with good but incredibly niche taste. And I gotta make it appeal to the masses.
When I try thinking of Tails's backstory, my mind goes to a particular episode of The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. What can I say? I liked that show before I liked the games. Growing up with an NES until the N64 came out didn't help with that, either.
oh god, i never had any freakin idea that miles prower was a pun, let alone that it stood for miles per hour. honestly i would NEVER have figured that out if someone hadn't explained it.
Next he should divulge the true back story of the soul sucking menace: "Tails Doll"
I couldn't work out the pun was until reading the comments.
"Sonic's orthodontist" would have been a more interesting nickname than "Tails"
Now I wanna know the backstory
@Gameday If you're talking about in-game, you there's a cheat code where you can change Tails name to Miles. Here's the cheat code:
Press Up(3), Down(3), Up at the title screen. A sound will confirm correct code entry. Alternately, press Up(2), Down(2), Up(4).
o m g it has taken more than 20 years for me to notice the pun?
Mind you I have never been into Sonic I've always called him Tails, Miles Prower is a stupid name.
Just like Eggman Dr Robotnik sounds better. (though I get why people like the name Eggman...)
That horrible moment when it dawns on you that "Miles Prower" is a pun.......
@Sforzando thanks! I didn't get the pun.., and I played the &$?!%# out of that game! Not so much the titles following up (I found them a bit too fast, right, I know, "Sonic"...). Good times, good times.
I noticed the pun back when Sonic 2 came out. It never bothered me because the name seemed plausible. I'd say the pun wasn't so bad considering how many people never noticed it and needed it pointed out.
I love old Sega, but it's amazing Sega had as much success in the console market as they did considering how SoA and SoJ were rarely, if ever, on the same page.
@sdelfin it baffles me too that SoA and SoJ were never on the same page. No wonder they couldn't maintain that success.
@rockerztonight1 Never mind a summary, here's the full backstory itself! https://www.nintendolife.com/forums/retro/the_renaming_of_miles_monotail_tails_the_foxs_backstory
I figured out the pun as a kid from playing Sonic 2 like a religion. Always preferred it to Tails, Miles is a much cooler name.
The thing that most people that like the awful name "Miles Prower" (which as a pun is probably THE lamest joke I've EVER heard of) seem to miss is that most names point to the character's actions, strong suit or appearance.
Sonic = (super)sonic runner
Knuckles = fighter/strong
Tails = has multiple tails and uses them to fly
It's pretty logical...
To me it is beyond strange that Sonic as a name would be alright for most people but Tails somehow doesn't suffice? Utter weirdness and worth a shake of the head or two...
Miles would be a name only fit for a turtle...
Glad I wasn't really into Sega back then because it would have seemed as ridiculous to me then as it does now and actually knowing this now kind of spoils the character for me.
Luckily I learned to appreciate Sega years later because of the Dreamcast, so in the end it was all good...
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