Boys have all the fun in video games. Just look at Lara Craft; she didn’t have much fun in the latest Tomb Raider. In the classics, however, it’s a total boy’s club. Case in point: 1981′s Donkey Kong, which featured the first appearance of Mario as he rescued a damsel in distress, Pauline, from the clutches of a big Kong named Donkey. In the game, Pauline dropped purses, umbrellas and hats (or possibly squids) and was never heard from again until Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem almost twenty years later, when she again got kidnapped by Donkey. One three-year-old girl, however, could not accept her helpless fate. Why couldn’t she hop barrels and dodge springs? That’s a question said girl’s father set out to answer.

Using a NES ROM, he was able to change the places of Mario and Pauline by swapping the palettes and redrawing Mario’s frames. Even though this sweet gesture seems like such a simple notion, it’s pretty incredible to behold and honestly does change the dynamic of the game.

Mike plans on sharing a patch for anybody interested in playing the hack as soon as possible. In the meantime, check out a video of the action below: