Danica Davidson
March 1, 2023 
Shigeru Miyamoto, with the help of an interpreter, recently sat down for an interview with NPR. Things discussed included the staying power of Mario, why it’s good to be outside, and what will happen when Miyamoto leaves Nintendo.
Speaking about Mario’s staying power, Miyamoto noted,
“Mario is kind of like a – your avatar or the person that represents you in this world. And that experience is, you know, because it’s been around for so long, an experience that can be shared multi-generations, you know? A father and their children can share that experience.
And I really think another factor is the fact that Mario was created as a character within an interactive medium.”
Asked if he thinks too much video game time is bad, he responded:
“I don’t think it’s bad. But only doing video games I don’t think is a very good idea. I’ve been seeing this before, too, you know? So I always say, if it’s really nice outside, you should go play outside. And I tell that to people who want to be game designers as well, you know? If it’s a nice day, you know, go experience outside, because really, I think there’s an important factor that it’s your personal experience. Then when it links with the experience you’re having with this virtual entertainment, that’s when the joy, the fun factor, really explodes exponentially.”
He’s also not concerned about how Nintendo would fare without him. He remarked:
“I really feel like it’s not going to change. It’s probably going to be the same. There’s, you know, people on the executive team, creators within the company and also people who create Mario, they all have this sense of what it means to be Nintendo.”
For the full NPR interview, you can go here to either read it or listen to it.
Source: NPR
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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