The Japanese inventor of Nintendo classics like "Donkey Kong" and "Zelda" is a world famous game developer. And he taught DW's Christine Lehnen that she can do anything.
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As an author, I am often asked about my influences. Most of the names I mention are well known: George Orwell and German children's book author Cornelia Funke, Weimar novelist Irmgard Keun and J. R. R. Tolkien as well Haruki Murakami, internationally renowned Japanese author and eternal Nobel Prize for literature candidate.
Only one other name invariably leads to raised eyebrows, whether at book events or during interviews or conversations with colleagues: Shigeru Miyamoto.
It's good to be prudent with superlatives, but in the case of this man, nothing else will do: Shigeru Miyamoto, who was born on November 16, 1952 in Nantan City, Japan, is one of the most successful game developers of the 20th century. In 1977, the graduate of the Kanazawa College of Art started as a designer at the video game company Nintendo in Tokyo. Instead of realizing his dream and drawing mangas, Miyamoto spent three years designing cases for Nintendo's video game machines.
Putting Nintendo back in the black
At that time, Nintendo had already existed for about a century, making card games, instant rice dishes and toys. In the late 1970s, it invested a lot of money in a video game called "Radar Scope" — an arcade shooter similar to "Space Invaders" — to break into the lucrative US gaming market.
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But "Radar Scope" flopped and Nintendo needed a replacement. After three years with the company, Shigeru Miyamoto was given the opportunity to design and develop not the case of an arcade machine, but the real thing: an entire video game.
The 28-year-old seized the opportunity — and propelled himself and his company to global fame with the invention of "Donkey Kong," released in 1981.
With "Donkey Kong," Miyamoto saved Nintendo from financial ruin and created three of the most enduring characters of 20th-century pop culture: Italian plumber Super Mario, who can change his size with the help of mushrooms; his beloved Princess Peach with her pink dress and parasol; and the gorilla with the red tie named Donkey Kong.
The Super Mario Bros. film breaks records
The new 'Super Mario' animated film is now a box office smash hit. Here's a look at the wondrous career of the world's most famous video game character.
Mustache, bright blue dungarees and red cap: The video game character Mario is currently in the movies — and thrilling fans, along with Princess Peach (center) and her servant Toad. It's off on a wild journey through the Mario universes, with iconic sounds in cheerful comic style. Variety magazine reports that the film has already grossed more than $700 million (€650,000) as of April 17, 2023.
Super Mario is a well-known leading man among children and adults alike (above at the 2017 Gamescom fair in Cologne). Since 2005, he has had a star on the Walk of Game, a spin-off of the Walk of Fame, which can be found in a San Francisco shopping center.
Image: Reuters/W. Rattay
Creator Shigeru Miyamoto
The longtime developer at Nintendo not only came up with Mario but also successful series like "The Legend of Zelda" and "Pikmin." After a brief interlude as managing director, Miyamoto, now 70, is a Creative Fellow at Nintendo — a position of honor for the legendary game designer.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Nintendo
It all started with an ape
In the 1981 arcade game "Donkey Kong", the girlfriend of an overall-wearing carpenter (Mario had a previous handyman career before becoming a plumber) is captured by a gorilla and must be saved. The game was Nintendo's breakthrough into the American market becoming the second most-successful arcade game in the US after "Pacman".
Image: Imago/T. Frey
Mario becomes a star
Mario's design was significantly influenced by graphic capabilities. A mustache was easier to portray than a mouth, and the hat spared designers the complicated work of depicting hair. Mario also wasn't always the little man's name. His previous monikers included "Mr. Video" as well as "Jumpman."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Nintendo
The dream team of Mario und Luigi
Mario's brother Luigi made his appearance in the 1983 "Mario Bros." But it was only with the next game, the 1985 "Super Mario Bros." that the plumbing brothers made video game history. It has been one of the most successful video games of all time. It had a profound influence on the Jump'n'Run genre and inspired many future designers. It also introduced Princess Peach to the world.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Pleul
Big screen problems
TV series and a feature film followed on the heels of the console game's success, but the other mediums didn't do nearly as well. Despite famous actor Bob Hoskins in the role of Mario (above) and co-star Dennis Hopper, the 1993 "Super Mario Bros." movie flopped in cinemas. The confusing plot and the gloomy setting may have turned off viewers.
Image: Picture alliance/United Archives/TBM
Mario, Mario and, once again, Mario
However, the subsequent "Mario Bros." games found success and not just in homes. The games were played on the 1990s' most popular mobile console, GameBoy, as well as on the Nintendo Wii console, introduced in 2006 complete with motion sensors. Mario also appeared in 3D and an extra Mario Kart series was developed. As of 2016, Mario games were also available on smartphones.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nintendo
'It's-a-me-Mario'
Everyone may have a little Mario inside of them, but there is only one true Mario voice, that of Charles Martinet. Since 1995, the US actor has often lent his voice to the pudgy plumber and given him his calling-card motto. You can also hear Martinet in the Japanese version of the game. The actor can often be spotted at gaming events around the world.
Image: Imago/AFLO
Mario universe
Over the years, the number of Mario characters has increased significantly. Whether Yoshi, Bowser or King Buu Huu, Luigi, Toad or Princess Daisy — numerous friends and enemies cavort in the Mario world. The soundtrack of the "Super Mario Bros." game, which was released in the 1980s, was also the first video game music to be included in the US' National Recording Registry.
Image: Imago/Future Image
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The next coup: 'The Legend of Zelda'
Shigeru Miyamoto has been developing games ever since, as well as directing the Nintendo Company from 2002 to 2020.
He landed another coup when he invented the video game series "The Legend of Zelda" in the 1980s. In the "Zelda" games, the young hero Link has to rescue Princess Zelda and save the kingdom of Hyrule from the villain Ganon, short for Ganondorf. Many of the Zelda games are considered the best video games of their time, among them "Ocarina of Time" (released for the Nintendo 64) and "Breath of the Wild" (released on the Nintendo Switch).
Super Mario, Link and Donkey Kong: Today, Miyamoto has become the Stephen Spielberg of gaming — everyone knows his name, and among children his heroes are more popular than Mickey Mouse.
Even though they don't speak, uttering noises or short phrases at most (Mario likes to shout "Mamma mia!," while Link is completely silent), Miyamoto's heroes have brought joy to children and adults all over the world for the past 40 years.
I'm one of them. Growing up in the 1990s in the Ruhr Valley, a former coal producing region in the west German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with high unemployment rates, I projected myself into the fantasy worlds created by Miyamoto and Nintendo. Equipped with a Game Boy and a Super Nintendo that my older brother had bought, I found out as a young girl what it meant to save the world alongside Link, Mario and Donkey Kong. Miyamoto's games helped me grow up believing I could do anything I set my mind to — and that it might even be a bit of fun, saving the world.
In his games, Miyamoto invented global heroes — they are all men, even if Link is just androgynous enough to inspire even a little girl like me — and redefined the meaning of the hero's journey for the late 20th and early 21st century.
From Atari to Xbox Series X: The evolution of video game consoles
Massive or playful, original, and sometimes elegant: Every new video game console generation has a fresh design. Sometimes they reflect the zeitgeist, others are revolutionary.
Image: Microsoft
Xbox Series X (2020)
Microsoft remained true to the established console design tradition for its Xbox Series X. Many social media critics felt it looked uninspired, and the console was ridiculed for resembling a computer tower or even a mini-fridge, which is why it earned the nickname "Xbox Fridge."
Image: Microsoft
PlayStation 5 (2020)
With its playful curves, the PS5 looks futuristic. It also breaks with the PlayStation tradition, as it is for the first time in two colors. The reactions on social media are divided: For some, the design is a revelation, for others, the look is reminiscent of a wireless router. The following pictures in this gallery take a look back at how games consoles have developed since the late 1970s
Image: Reuters/Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Atari Video Computer System (1977)
The Atari VCS, also known as Atari 2600, was the first console bestseller. With games like Q*bert, Pacman and Space Invaders, the console delighted millions of gamers worldwide. The design was based on the wood veneer look popular with the era's TV sets.
Image: picture-allince/Zuma Wire/D. Klamka
Nintendo Entertainment System (1983)
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was launched in Japan as a family computer under the name Famicom. The unremarkable grey box still has fans to this day. Manufacturer Nintendo laid the foundation for famous game series like Super Mario Bros. and Zelda. The controller was the first to introduce the control pad, which became standard for all manufacturers.
Image: picture alliance/R. Goldmann
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1990)
In 1990, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was released in Japan under the name Super Famicom, followed by the US in 1991 and Europe a year later. With its rounded corners and large buttons, the drab grey console was a robust toy for children that easily survived a tumble from a shelf without damage.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Seidel
Playstation (1994)
Sony's success story on the console market began with the Playstation. The sleek device was inspired by the SNES. Originally, Sony was supposed to develop a CD drive for the SNES, but Nintendo decided to go with another company. Sony built its own console and became a major competitor.
Image: picture-allince/Zuma Wire/D. Klamka
Nintendo GameCube (2001)
The name says it all. The standard edition was a purple cube, the shape a reference to an object that is an inherent part of many games, the dice. The color purple was intentional, as Nintendo mainly produced video games suitable for children, selling them exclusively for Nintendo consoles.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AFP/Y. Tsuno
Xbox (2002)
The Xbox was the first console created by Microsoft. The company was keen to establish the Xbox brand as quickly as possible, which might explain the decision to cover the console with a large letter "X." Size mattered: The Xbox was slightly bigger and blockier than other consoles.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Gurzinski
Xbox 360 (2005)
The Xbox 360 is an example of poor design. It is not necessarily ugly, but the ventilation didn't work well. When the console overheated, the LEDs surrounding the power button turned red. Often enough, that meant the console needed to be taken to a repairshop. The infamous "Ring of Death" went down in gaming history.
Image: Imago/Zuma/M. Day Mass
Wii (2006)
Nintendo's Wii was a slim, white console with a slant. At the time, the color white was the hottest color for cool, technical devices. The iPod, which had been around for several years, was also white. Controllers with motion sensors and a wrist strap were innovative features that gave people a new gaming experience.
Image: picture alliance/ImageBROKER/NielsDK
Playstation 4 (2013)
The Playstation 4 came along with a simple-looking, reserved design, but it wasn't without appeal. The glossy piano varnish surface gave it an elegant touch. Buttons, connections and drive were cleverly concealed. This console was no longer a child's toy.
Image: picture-allince/dpa/A. Warnecke
Nintendo Switch (2017)
While Sony and Microsoft continued to develop their tried and tested models, Nintendo turned to something new: enter the Switch. The device was a hybrid, half handheld, half stationary console — basically a display with connected controllers.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/C. Gateau
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Fairy tales on the game console
In Ancient Greece and the European Middle Ages, being a hero still meant winning eternal glory in battle, as the "Iliad" and "Beowulf" tell us. In the Arthurian legends of the early modern era, heroes had to combine Christian piety and loyalty to their liege lord by facing and resisting countless temptations. In the process, the pleasures of life were sometimes neglected: the only Arthurian knight who finds the Holy Grail and immediately ascends to heaven is chaste Sir Galahad.
With Nintendo, on the other hand, saving the world is one thing, and one thing only: fun. Shigeru Miyamoto has created happy heroes and games that give us pleasure. His creations do not take themselves too seriously, in vivid contrast to the US superhero cinema of the Marvel and DC variety. If Super Mario has a companion in the world of books and films, it's not Superman, but Alice who gets lost in Wonderland; Wendy, who travels with Peter Pan to the fantastic Neverland; and the poor woman with her pot of gold in British fairy tale "The Hedley Kow."
Because ultimately, the Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong games aren't about superheroes and their moral or psychological dilemmas. They are not even about saving the world: What Miyamoto has done is transpose the modern fairy tale into the world of video games. In his games, good triumphs over evil, hope never dies, and saving and travelling the world is a whole lot of fun to boot. As a storyteller, he is and always will be one of my greatest idols. If you want to learn how to do a proper happy ending, don't look to Disney or the Grimm brothers. Look to Shigeru Miyamoto.
As Shigeru Miyamoto turns 70, he has been keeping busy. As representative director of the Nintendo company, he has spent the past few years opening a Super Nintendo theme park at Universal Studios in Tokyo and working on a "Super Mario" feature film. Hollywood will be bringing the bearded plumber to the big screen: "Super Marios Bros" will be released in cinemas worldwide in spring 2023. Shigeru Miyamoto will then have every reason to look forward to his 71st year as one of the most gifted storytellers alive.