Shigeru Miyamoto is widely regarded as the most influential game designer in the world and we probably don’t need to introduce him to any of you here. The creator of popular series such as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong and Pikmin has been creating unforgettable gaming experiences at Nintendo for over 45 years.
At some point, however, Miyamoto will hang up the Master Sword, munch mushrooms on the balcony and throw banana peels on the windshield of passing cars – just what you do in retirement.
Or not after all? In an interview with (The Guardian) the Nintendo guru hints, simply to continue working until his death He also said it was very important to him how he was remembered
The baton has already been passed
Shigeru Miyamoto has been working at Nintendo since 1977 and since then he has left a lasting mark on the company – the red shade in the company logo, for example, is the same as that of Mario’s cap. Just one of many small symbols that also underline Miyamoto’s legacy internally.
This legacy is also important to the game designer. After all, the last Super Mario and Zelda games were largely created without his involvement. Nevertheless, he hopes not to be forgotten.
I’m really grateful that there’s so much energy for the things I’ve worked on. Other people have nurtured them [the games] and helped them grow, so I don’t feel as responsible for them in that regard anymore. […] I really hope that at least the teams I work with remember me as the creator of these things!
Working for the rest of my life
And what about retirement? Finally, we opened the article with the question of whether and when Shigeru Miyamoto will enjoy his then abundant free time on the go-kart track and ordering the Pikmin around in his garden.
However, the 71-year-old workhorse is apparently considering an alternative, rather macabre end to his career:
More than retirement, I’m thinking about the day I keel over.
With his age in mind, Miyamoto says, that he is planning his future in 5-year increments and thinking a lot about, who I can pass things on to if something happens.
Miyamoto’s new love for movies
Even though he hardly works on new games anymore, Shigeru Miyamoto is still full of energy. What exactly is he doing at Nintendo these days
I try to find unique opportunities for Nintendo. The way things work here is that we don’t just have a plan and follow it, but we come across certain things and from there we try to find our own new way.
What Miyamoto means above all is the new focus on films. No wonder, after all, the Super Mario Bros. film was very successful commercially and a Zelda film adaptation has now also been confirmed.
The movies, the amusement parks, I’m excited to see what kind of organic opportunities come out of it. I’m still very new to the [movie] industry and still learning, but I’m trying to read a lot of scripts these days and learn how they’re developed to see how we can create unique Nintendo movies.
Now that we’ve spent so long exploring Shigeru Miyamoto’s legacy, it’s only natural to ask: Which of the many Nintendo games from Miyamoto’s creative pen is your personal favorite to date? And is there a game of his that has disappointed you? We’d love to hear your opinion, so please let us know in the comments!
