The 'So Long, Gay Bowser' meme stems from a specific voice line in the 1996 title Super Mario 64. When Mario successfully throws Bowser during their boss battles, he shouts a farewell. While voice actor Charles Martinet actually said 'So long, King Bowser!', the low-quality audio compression of the Nintendo 64 caused generations of gamers to mishear it as a humorous, albeit unintentional, farewell to 'Gay Bowser.' This auditory illusion became a cornerstone of internet speedrunning culture and Nintendo memes. Even after Nintendo officially changed the line to 'Bye-bye!' in later re-releases like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, the original meme remains a favorite for depicting a dramatic or satisfying removal of a problem.