Shigeru Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本 茂; born November 16, 1952) is a Japanese video game designer, producer, and game director who works for Nintendo. Since 2002, he has been one of Nintendo’s representative directors as an executive. He is widely known as one of the most successful and influential video game designers in history. Miyamoto created some of the most popular and well-known video game series, including Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and Pikmin. More than 1 billion copies of games featuring these series have been sold worldwide.
Miyamoto was born in Sonobe, Kyoto. He graduated from Kanazawa Municipal College of Industrial Arts. He originally wanted to become a manga artist but later became interested in video games. With his father’s help, he joined Nintendo in 1977 after impressing the company’s president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, with his toy designs. He helped create art for the arcade game Sheriff and later designed the 1981 game Donkey Kong.
Miyamoto’s games Super Mario Bros. (1985) and The Legend of Zelda (1986) helped the Nintendo Entertainment System become a leading console in the video game industry. His games have been important features of every Nintendo console, from the arcade machines of the late 1970s to today. He managed Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis & Development software division, which created many Nintendo games. He also played a key role in developing other influential games, such as Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) and Metroid Prime (2002). After the death of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in July 2015, Miyamoto became acting president alongside Genyo Takeda until he was officially named "Creative Fellow" a few months later.
Early life
Shigeru Miyamoto was born on November 16, 1952, in the Japanese town of Sonobe, Kyoto Prefecture. His parents were not very wealthy, and his father taught English.
From a young age, Miyamoto explored the natural areas near his home. He found a cave and, after thinking about it for many days, entered it. His trips to the countryside around Kyoto later influenced his work, especially The Legend of Zelda, an important video game.
In the early 1970s, Miyamoto earned a degree in industrial design from Kanazawa Municipal College of Industrial Arts. He enjoyed reading manga and originally wanted to become a professional manga artist before considering a career in video games. He was inspired by the traditional story structure used in manga, as well as Western television shows. He decided to work in the video game industry after playing the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders.
Career
Shigeru Miyamoto has worked as a game designer since the beginning of the industry. He is not an engineer, but he has learned the basics of game design over many years. Because he has always tried to be at the forefront of new ideas, he has often created the tools needed to make games.
In the 1970s, Nintendo was a small Japanese company that sold playing cards and other small items. It had started making toys and games in the 1960s. Through a friend, Miyamoto’s father arranged for him to meet Nintendo’s president, Hiroshi Yamauchi. After showing some of his toy designs, Miyamoto was hired in 1977 as an apprentice in the planning department.
Miyamoto helped create the artwork for the coin-operated arcade game Sheriff. He first worked on a game after the 1980 release of Radar Scope. The game was successful in Japan but failed in North America, leaving Nintendo with many unsold units and financial trouble. Yamauchi decided to convert the unsold Radar Scope units into a new arcade game and assigned Miyamoto the task. Miyamoto later joked that no one else was available to do the work. Nintendo’s head engineer, Gunpei Yokoi, oversaw the project.
Miyamoto imagined many characters and story ideas but eventually chose a love triangle between a gorilla, a carpenter, and a woman. He wanted to copy the rivalry between Bluto and Popeye for Olive Oyl but could not get the rights to use Popeye. Bluto became an ape, which Miyamoto said was not too scary. This ape would be the pet of the main character, a funny, laid-back person. Miyamoto also named Beauty and the Beast and the 1933 film King Kong as influences. He had ideas for the game but needed help from technicians to make them work. He wanted characters to move and react differently, but Yokoi thought the design was too complex. Yokoi suggested using see-saws to move the hero, but this was hard to program. Miyamoto then tried using sloped platforms and ladders with barrels as obstacles. When he asked for multiple stages, the programming team said it would be like repeating the game, but they eventually completed it. When the game was sent to Nintendo of America, the sales manager disliked how different it was from other games. American workers named the woman “Pauline” after Polly James, the wife of Nintendo’s warehouse manager in Redmond, Washington. The main character, originally called “Jumpman,” was renamed after Mario Segale, the warehouse landlord. These names appeared on the American version of the game, which was titled Donkey Kong.
Donkey Kong was successful, leading Miyamoto to create sequels like Donkey Kong Jr. in 1982 and Donkey Kong 3 in 1983. In 1983, Donkey Kong won the Best Single-player Video Game award and was a runner-up for Coin-Op Game of the Year. Miyamoto later added a brother to Mario, named Luigi, for the game Mario Bros. Yokoi suggested giving Mario superhuman abilities, like falling from great heights without harm. Mario’s look in Donkey Kong—overalls, a hat, and a thick mustache—led Miyamoto to change the game so Mario looked like a plumber instead of a carpenter. He chose New York City as the setting because of its complex underground sewer system. To date, games in the Mario Bros. franchise have been released on more than a dozen platforms. Miyamoto also worked on the character designs and game mechanics for Baseball, Tennis, and Golf on the NES.
When Nintendo released its first home video game console, the Family Computer (later called the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America), Miyamoto created two of the most popular games for the console: Super Mario Bros. (a sequel to Mario Bros.) and The Legend of Zelda (a completely new game).
In both games, Miyamoto focused more on gameplay than on high scores, unlike many games at the time. Super Mario Bros. used a linear approach, with the player running, jumping, and avoiding enemies. It combined Miyamoto’s ideas from previous games like Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., Devil World (1984), Excitebike (1984), and the 1985 NES version of Kung-Fu Master (1984). He wanted to create a platformer with a large world, where players could strategize while moving across long distances, with aboveground and underground levels and colorful backgrounds.
In contrast, The Legend of Zelda used nonlinear gameplay, requiring players to solve puzzles and riddles. The game’s world was vast and offered many choices, something new for video games at the time. Miyamoto wanted players to feel connected to the game world, like a “miniature garden” they could keep in their drawer. He was inspired by his childhood in Kyoto, where he explored fields, woods, and caves. He recreated his memory of getting lost in his family home’s maze of sliding doors in Zelda’s dungeons. The Legend of Zelda was released in February 1986 as the launch game for the Nintendo Entertainment System’s Disk System peripheral.
Miyamoto also worked on other games for the NES, including Ice Climber and Kid Icarus. He created sequels to Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. Super Mario Bros. 2, released only in Japan, reused elements from Super Mario Bros. but was much harder. Nintendo of America disliked it and canceled its release in the U.S. They instead reworked a game called Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, also designed by Miyamoto, and released it as Super Mario Bros. 2 in North America and Europe. The Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 was later released in North America as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
The sequel to The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, has little connection to the original game.
Development philosophy
Shigeru Miyamoto has received many compliments, such as being called a skilled storyteller or a creative animator. Some people have even suggested he try making movies, as they believe his game design style is similar to filmmaking. However, Miyamoto believes his true strength is his innovative use of technology to create interactive experiences that are enjoyable for players. He focuses on making games that are fun to play and comfortable for users.
Miyamoto and Nintendo do not use focus groups to test games. Instead, he decides if a game is fun by playing it himself. He believes that if he enjoys a game, others likely will too. He explains this idea using the creation of the Pokémon series as an example. He says the goal is not to make something popular, but to create something that both the developers and players can love. He wants players to experience kyokan, which means feeling the same emotions that the creators felt during development.
After creating a game, Miyamoto tests it with friends and family. He also encourages younger developers to think about how new players might experience a game, such as by switching hands to simulate unfamiliar controls.
Miyamoto does not prioritize highly realistic graphics, even though he acknowledges their value. Instead, he focuses on game mechanics, such as the choices and challenges players face. He compares his approach to how manga artists changed their genre, aiming to update some of the ideas he introduced in earlier games while keeping others.
His philosophy usually places gameplay above storytelling. In a 1992 interview, he said the most important thing is that a game feels enjoyable during play. He believes the quality of a game depends on controls, sound, and the rhythm of the game, not the story. However, he also believes a strong story can help connect gameplay and narrative, making the experience feel natural.
Miyamoto uses real-time cinematic scenes (not pre-recorded videos) because they allow for quick changes during development and keep the game’s story flowing smoothly. He prefers to make changes to games until they are finished, aiming to create something unique. He believes interactive fun is more important than long film-like sequences. In 1999, he said he would never make games that feel like movies. The short cinematic scenes in Ocarina of Time are designed to be interactive rather than passive. His development process relies on small teams and flexibility, as seen when he made major changes to Ocarina of Time near its completion. He explained that teams have limits on energy and time, so they focused on improving gameplay rather than using pre-recorded videos for cinematic scenes.
Miyamoto has criticized the role-playing game (RPG) genre. In a 1992 interview, he said The Legend of Zelda is not an RPG but a "real-time adventure." He prefers games that feel dynamic and action-based, as he believes they better convey a sense of live interaction. In 2003, he described his dislike for RPGs, saying they can feel restrictive at first but eventually make players feel powerful. However, he has praised certain RPG elements, such as the writing in Dragon Quest, the cinematic style of Final Fantasy, and the dialogue in Mother.
A quote often attributed to Miyamoto—"a delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad"—was likely misattributed. Kate Willaert of A Critical Hit found that the phrase was first said by Siobhan Beeman, who worked on the Wing Commander series. Beeman used a similar phrase at GDC in 1996, which was later misunderstood and incorrectly linked to Miyamoto.
Impact
Miyamoto is known as "the Spielberg of video games" and "the father of modern video games" by Time, while The Daily Telegraph says he is "regarded by many as possibly the most important game designer of all time." GameTrailers calls him "the most influential game creator in history." Miyamoto has had a major impact on many parts of video games. The Daily Telegraph says he created "some of the most innovative, groundbreaking, and successful work in his field." Many of Miyamoto's games introduced new ideas or improved existing ones. His games have received very high praise from critics, with some considered the greatest games ever made.
Miyamoto's games have also sold very well, becoming some of the best-selling games on Nintendo consoles and overall. By 1999, his games had sold 250 million copies and earned billions of dollars.
The New Yorker calls Miyamoto one of the few "video-game auteurs," saying he helped create the games that drove console sales and even designed the consoles themselves. They describe him as Nintendo's "guiding spirit, its meal ticket, and its playful public face," noting that Nintendo might not exist without him. The Daily Telegraph also says Miyamoto is more responsible for Nintendo's success than any other person. Next Generation listed him in their "75 Most Important People in the Games Industry of 1995," stating, "He's the most successful game developer in history. He has a unique and brilliant mind as well as an unparalleled grasp of what gamers want to play."
Miyamoto's first major arcade game, Donkey Kong, was very influential. It inspired many games that combined running, jumping, and vertical movement. The vertical style of gameplay was first called "Donkey Kong-type" or "Kong-style" before becoming known as "platform." Earlier games used storytelling or cutscenes, but Donkey Kong combined both to show a complete story visually. It had multiple levels that advanced the story. Computer and Video Games called Donkey Kong "the most momentous" release of 1981.
Miyamoto's most famous game, Super Mario Bros., "depending on your point of view, created an industry or resuscitated a comatose one." The Daily Telegraph says it "set the standard for all future video games." G4 notes its revolutionary gameplay and role in "almost single-handedly" saving the video game industry after the 1983 North American crash. The game popularized the side-scrolling genre. The New Yorker describes Mario as the first folk hero of video games, with as much influence as Mickey Mouse.
GameSpot lists The Legend of Zelda as one of the 15 most influential games of all time for introducing open-world, nonlinear gameplay and battery backup saving, which helped shape later games like Metroid and Final Fantasy. In 2009, Game Informer called The Legend of Zelda "no less than the greatest game of all time," saying it was "ahead of its time by years if not decades."
At the time of its release, Star Fox used filled, three-dimensional polygons in a console game, which was very unusual. Its success made it a Nintendo franchise, with five more games and appearances in other Nintendo games like Super Smash Bros.
Miyamoto's game Super Mario 64 changed 3D game design, especially with its dynamic camera system and analog control. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced features like a target lock system and context-sensitive buttons, which are now common in 3D adventure games.
Miyamoto played a major role in designing the Wii, the first wireless motion-controlled video game console.
Miyamoto's games have received very high praise and are widely considered among the greatest of all time.
Games in Miyamoto's The Legend of Zelda series have received outstanding critical acclaim. A Link to the Past is a landmark game for Nintendo and is widely considered one of the greatest video games of all time. Ocarina of Time is widely considered by critics and gamers to be one of the greatest games ever made. Ocarina of Time was listed by Guinness World Records as the highest-rated video game in history, with a Metacritic score of 99 out of 100. Twilight Princess received universal critical acclaim and was the third highest-rated game for the Wii. It earned perfect scores from major publications like CVG, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, GamesRadar, and GameSpy.
Critical analysis of Super Mario Bros. has been extremely positive, with many calling it one of the best video games of all time. In 2009, Game Informer ranked Super Mario Bros. second on its list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time," behind The Legend of Zelda, saying it "remains a monument to brilliant design and fun gameplay."
Super Mario 64 is praised by critics and fans as one of the greatest and most revolutionary video games of all time.
According to Metacritic, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are the highest- and second-highest-rated games for the Wii, respectively.
A 1995 article in Maximum stated that "in gaming circles, Miyamoto's name carries far more weight than Steven Spielberg's could ever sustain."
More than 1 billion copies of games featuring franchises created by Miyamoto have been sold.
Miyamoto's Mario series is, by far, the best-selling video game franchise of all time, selling over 800 million units. Super Mario Bros. is the sixth best-selling video game of all time. It was the all-time bestselling game for over 20 years until its sales were surpassed by Wii Sports. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario Bros. 2 were the three bestselling games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Levi Buchanan of IGN said Super Mario Bros. 3's appearance in the film The Wizard was a key part of the movie, calling it a "90-minute commercial" for the game. Super Mario World was the bestselling game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Super Mario 64 was the bestselling Nintendo 64 game, selling 11 million copies by May 21, 2003. By the end of 2007, Guinness World Records reported sales of 11.8 million copies. As of September 25, 2007, it was the seventh best-selling video game in the United States with 6 million copies sold. By June 2007, Super Mario 64 became the second most popular game on the Wii's Virtual Console, behind Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Sunshine is the third best-selling GameCube game. The Mario series continued to sell well with games like Super Mario 3D Land and New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Nintendo 3DS, New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario 3D World, and Mario Maker all topping the charts for the Wii U. The Mario series continued its success
Personal life
Miyamoto is married to Yasuko, and they have two children. In 2010, his son was 25 years old and worked at an advertising company, while his daughter was 23 years old and studied zoology. As children, Miyamoto’s kids played video games, but he also encouraged them to participate in outdoor activities. Miyamoto can speak some English, but he is not fluent and prefers to use Japanese during interviews.
Miyamoto rarely signs autographs because he is worried about being overwhelmed by too many people. He also avoids appearing on Japanese television to reduce the chance of being recognized. More foreign tourists than Japanese people often approach him.
Miyamoto can use both hands, but he usually prefers his left hand. This is why his video game characters Mario and Link were designed to be left-handed.
In his free time, Miyamoto plays musical instruments such as the guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He really enjoys bluegrass music. He once said, “Video games are bad for you? That’s what they said about rock and roll.” In a 2016 interview, Miyamoto mentioned that when he had a family, he started gardening with his wife, and this influenced some of the games he created. He also had a Shetland Sheepdog named Pikku, who inspired the game Nintendogs. Miyamoto breeds dogs as a hobby.
Miyamoto likes to rearrange furniture in his home, even late at night. He also enjoys guessing the size of objects and then checking his answers. He is known to carry a measuring tape with him everywhere. In December 2016, Miyamoto showed his hobby on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. During the same appearance, he played the Super Mario Bros. theme song on guitar with The Roots.