A Lesson in Game Design from Shigeru Miyamoto

The opening level to Super Mario Bros. is iconic, and one of the greatest moments in video game history.  Players have experienced beating the Goombers, grabbing that first mushroom, learning how the game works, and finally touching the top of the flagpole time and time again.  It’s hard to improve on an experience such as this, but what better way to do that, than by experiencing the iconic World 1-1 through the eyes of its creator.

In this video from Eurogamer, Shigeru Miyamoto takes the player through World 1-1 explaining the ideas behind it, his design philosophy, and how no detail was left unturned.  Alongside long time colleague Takashi Tezuka, Shigeru Miyamoto also goes on to discuss his favourite and most challenging moments in working on the Super Mario franchise.  Just seeing the passion that Shigeru Miyamoto has for a game he created over 30 years ago is nothing but inspiring.  Combining that passion with a clever eye for detail and design, especially on the limited power of an 8-bit console, shows why he is arguably the greatest game developer to ever live.  With Super Mario Bros. arguably his crowning achievement, though there are many contenders to this title.

Either way, I’m going to stop talking now and let you enjoy the words of a master of video game design.

Sophia Aubrey Drake

A lifelong gamer with a fanatical love of all things Nintendo and Japan. So much so that she's written a thesis on one and lived in the other. Currently on a quest to catch every last Pokémon. Follow me on twitter via @DivaXChill or @RingsandCoins.

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