Shigeru Miyamoto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shigeru Miyamoto
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| 宮本 茂 | |
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Miyamoto in 2015
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| Born | November 16, 1952 Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan
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| Alma mater | Kanazawa College of Art |
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| Employer | Nintendo (1977–present) |
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| Spouse(s) | Yasuko Miyamoto |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | AIAS Hall of Fame Award (1998) BAFTA Fellowship (2010) Person of Cultural Merit (2019) |
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Shigeru Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本 茂, Hepburn: Miyamoto Shigeru, born November 16, 1952) is a famous Japanese video game designer and producer at Nintendo. He is known as one of the most important and creative people in video game history. Miyamoto created some of the world's most loved and best-selling game series. These include Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and Pikmin. Over a billion copies of games from his creations have been sold!
Miyamoto was born in Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan. He studied industrial design and first wanted to be a manga artist. However, he became interested in video games. In 1977, he joined Nintendo. He impressed the company president with his unique toy ideas. He helped with early arcade games like Sheriff. Later, he designed the hit arcade game Donkey Kong in 1981.
His games Super Mario Bros. (1985) and The Legend of Zelda (1986) were huge successes. They helped the Nintendo Entertainment System become very popular. Miyamoto's games have been key titles for almost every Nintendo console. He also played a big part in creating other famous games. These include Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) and Metroid Prime (2002). In 2015, he became a "Creative Fellow" at Nintendo. In this role, he gives expert advice on new games.
Contents
Miyamoto's Early Life and Inspirations
Shigeru Miyamoto was born on November 16, 1952, in Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan. His parents were not rich, and his father was an English teacher.
When he was a child, Miyamoto loved exploring nature near his home. He found a cave and, after some thought, bravely went inside. These adventures in the countryside of Kyoto later inspired his famous game, The Legend of Zelda.
In the 1970s, Miyamoto earned a degree in industrial design. He loved manga (Japanese comics) and first wanted to be a manga artist. However, he became very interested in video games. The popular arcade game Space Invaders in 1978 encouraged him to join the video game industry.
Miyamoto's Career: Creating Iconic Games
Starting at Nintendo and Donkey Kong
In the 1970s, Nintendo was a smaller Japanese company. It sold playing cards and toys. In 1977, Miyamoto joined Nintendo. His father helped him get an interview with Nintendo's president, Hiroshi Yamauchi. Miyamoto impressed him with his creative toy ideas.
Miyamoto first helped with art for arcade games like Sheriff. Later, Nintendo faced a problem. Their game Radar Scope didn't sell well in North America. The company needed a new game to use the unsold arcade machines. Nintendo's president asked Miyamoto to create a new game.
Miyamoto came up with a story about a gorilla, a hero, and a woman. He was inspired by cartoons and movies like King Kong. He designed the game's ideas, even though he wasn't a programmer. He wanted characters of different sizes and movements. The game was called Donkey Kong. The hero, originally "Jumpman", was later named Mario. The woman was named Pauline.
Donkey Kong was a huge success! Miyamoto then worked on sequels like Donkey Kong Jr. (1982) and Donkey Kong 3 (1983). For his next game, he gave Mario a brother, Luigi. This new game was called Mario Bros.. Miyamoto changed Mario's look to be a plumber, with overalls and a mustache.
The Nintendo Entertainment System Era: Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo released its first home console, the Family Computer (known as the NES in North America). Miyamoto created two of the most popular games for it. These were Super Mario Bros. (1985) and The Legend of Zelda (1986).
In these games, Miyamoto focused on fun gameplay, not just high scores. Super Mario Bros. let players run, jump, and defeat enemies across many levels. It had colorful backgrounds and secret underground areas. This game set a new standard for side-scrolling platform games.
The Legend of Zelda offered a different kind of adventure. It had a huge, open world with puzzles and riddles. Players could explore freely, finding new areas and items. Miyamoto wanted players to feel like they were exploring a "miniature garden." He based this feeling on his own childhood adventures in Kyoto.
Miyamoto also worked on other NES games like Ice Climber and Kid Icarus. He created sequels for both Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. Super Mario Bros. 2 (the American version) was a reworked game that offered new characters and abilities. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link introduced side-scrolling action and role-playing elements.
Super Mario Bros. 3 was a big step forward. It added new costumes with special powers and a world map to explore. Miyamoto even based some enemy characters on his programmers!
The 1990s: SNES, Nintendo 64, and 3D Gaming
Miyamoto became a leader at Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (Nintendo EAD). This team developed many Nintendo games. For the SNES, he helped create F-Zero and Star Fox. Star Fox was special because it used early 3D graphics on a console.
He produced two major Mario games for the SNES. Super Mario World was a launch title and introduced the beloved character Yoshi. He also worked on Super Mario RPG, a unique role-playing game. Miyamoto also created The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which brought back the top-down view and introduced the famous Master Sword.
Miyamoto also mentored Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokémon Red and Blue. He helped with ideas for social gameplay, like trading Pokémon. Pokémon became one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world.
For the Nintendo 64, Miyamoto directed Super Mario 64. This game changed 3D gaming forever. It had a dynamic camera system and analog controls, letting Mario move freely in a 3D world. He also helped design the Nintendo 64 controller.
After Super Mario 64, Miyamoto produced The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This game used a similar 3D engine but was heavily modified. It introduced features like the target lock system, which became common in 3D adventure games. He also produced its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
The 2000s: GameCube, Wii, and DS Innovations
Miyamoto produced many games for the GameCube. These included Luigi's Mansion, where Luigi explores a haunted house. He also created new series like Pikmin, inspired by his love for gardening. He worked on games for Star Fox, Donkey Kong, F-Zero, and The Legend of Zelda on both GameCube and Game Boy Advance.
For the Nintendo DS, Miyamoto produced Nintendogs. This popular game let players care for virtual puppies, inspired by his own dogs.
Miyamoto played a big part in creating the Wii console. The Wii made motion control gaming popular. He produced Wii Sports, which showed off the new controls. He also created Wii Fit, which encouraged families to be active together.
He unveiled The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii and GameCube. This was the first Zelda game to use motion controls. He also produced The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword with more accurate motion controls. For the DS, he produced The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which used touch screen controls.
Miyamoto produced three major Mario games for the Wii: Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Recent Projects: Wii U, Switch, and Beyond
In recent years, Miyamoto has taken on a role as "Creative Fellow" at Nintendo. He provides expert advice and guidance to game directors. He was involved in games like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Star Fox Zero.
Miyamoto has also been involved in projects outside of video games. He worked as a producer on The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in 2023. He also played a key role in designing and building Super Nintendo World. This themed area is featured at Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Epic Universe. He even gave a tour of parts of the land in a special video!
Miyamoto's Game Design Philosophy
Miyamoto and Nintendo don't use focus groups to test games. Instead, Miyamoto plays the game himself to see if it's fun. He believes if he enjoys it, others will too. He wants players to feel the same excitement and emotion that the creators felt.
He often tests games with his friends and family. He encourages new game developers to think about players who are new to gaming.
Miyamoto focuses on how games play, not just how realistic they look. He cares most about the choices and challenges in a game. He wants to create unique and new experiences for players. He prefers to make changes to his games right up until they are finished.
He believes gameplay is more important than storytelling. He once said that a game's quality comes from its controls, sound, rhythm, and pacing. He also likes to make "interactive cinematic" moments rather than long, pre-recorded movie scenes in games.
Miyamoto's Impact on Gaming
Many people call Shigeru Miyamoto "the Spielberg of video games." He is often seen as the "father of modern video games." GameTrailers called him "the most influential game creator in history." Miyamoto has changed many parts of the video game world.
His first big hit, Donkey Kong, helped create the "platform" game genre. Super Mario Bros. set the standard for all future video games. It helped save the video game industry after a big crash in 1983. The Legend of Zelda was one of the first open-world games. It introduced saving games with battery backup, which was a big deal at the time.
Super Mario 64 defined how 3D games should be designed. Its camera system and analog controls were revolutionary. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced features like target locking that are still used today. The Wii console, which Miyamoto helped design, made motion-controlled gaming popular worldwide.
Awards and Recognition
Miyamoto has received many honors for his work. In 1998, he was the first person added to the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. In 2006, France made him a Chevalier (knight) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
TIME Asia featured him as one of their "60 Years of Asian Heroes" in 2006. He was also named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the Year in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards.
In 2010, he became a Fellow of BAFTA. In 2012, he received Spain's highest honor, the Prince of Asturias Award, for Communications and Humanities. In 2019, Miyamoto was awarded Japan's Person of Cultural Merit. He was the first person from the video game industry to receive this special honor.
Miyamoto's Personal Life
Miyamoto is married to Yasuko, and they have two children. His children played video games when they were young, but he also encouraged them to do outdoor activities. Miyamoto can speak some English, but he prefers to speak Japanese in interviews.
He doesn't usually sign autographs because he would be asked too often. He also avoids Japanese television to stay less recognized.
Miyamoto is ambidextrous, meaning he can use both hands well. He usually favors his left hand. This is why characters like Mario and Link were designed to be left-handed.
Miyamoto doesn't play many video games in his free time. He enjoys playing the guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He loves bluegrass music. He also enjoys gardening with his wife, which inspired his Pikmin games. His Shetland Sheepdog named Pikku inspired Nintendogs.
He also enjoys rearranging furniture in his house. He likes to guess the size of objects and then check if he's correct. He even showed this hobby on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2016, where he also played the Super Mario Bros. theme on guitar!
Other Projects
| Year | Title | Media | Role |
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| 2021 | Super Nintendo World | Theme park | Creative director |
| 2023 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Film | Producer |
| 2026 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Film | Producer |
| 2027 | The Legend of Zelda | Film | Producer |
See also
In Spanish: Shigeru Miyamoto para niños
