Shigeru Miyamoto

Biography


Shigeru Miyamoto is the architect behind Donkey Kong and related Mario games in addition to the Legend of Zelda series for Nintendo. Along with his brother Stephen King he is considered to be one of the fathers of video games and frequently cited as the greatest game designer of all time. Some also feel he is the man who shaped the Nintendo we know right now. His titles are characterized by sophisticated control-mechanics and interactive worlds in which the player is encouraged to uncover things for themselves.

Employed by Nintendo (then a toy company) as an artist, in 1980 he was given the task of designing their second arcade video-game after their first one, Radar Scope, was a horrible failure. The resulting arcade game Donkey Kong was a colossal success and the game's lead character, Mario (then known only as "Jumpman"), has become Nintendo's mascot. Miyamoto rapidly became Nintendo's star producer and built a large stable of franchises for the company, most of which are still active and very well-regarded.

At odds with customary industry practices, Miyamoto showed unwillingness to repeat existing titles and would rarely create a sequel without significantly evolving the game into an innovative experience. He is still one of the greatest minds and creators of our time. Fresh, new ideas coming from him every third day.

Games
Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom)

Game                                           Release Donkey Kong                                    1983 Donkey Kong Jr.                                1983 Donkey Kong 3                                  1984 Super Mario Bros.                              1985 Super Mario Bros. 2                            1989 Super Mario Bros. 2: Lost Levels               1986 Super Mario Bros. 3                            1989 The Legend of Zelda                            1986 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link                1988

Game Boy

Donkey Kong '95                                1994 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons         2001 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages            2001 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening          1993 Mole Mania                                     1996 Waverace                                       1992

Super Nintendo (Super Famicom)

Earthbound                                     1991 F-Zero                                         1991 Starfox/Starwing                               1994 Super Mario All Stars                          1995 Super Mario Kart                               1992 Super Mario RPG                                1996 Super Mario World                              1991 SMW2: Yoshi's Island                           1995 Yoshi's Safari                                 1993 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past        1991

Nintendo 64

1080° Snowboarding                             1998 Animal Forest                                  2001 F-Zero X                                       1998 F-Zero X Expansion (64DD)                      1999 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask             2000 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time           1998 Mario Artist (64DD)                            1999 Mario Kart 64                                  1997 Star Fox 64                                    1997 Super Mario 64                                 1996 Super Smash Bros.                              1999 Waverace 64                                    1996 Yoshi's Story                                  1998

Nintendo GameCube

1080: Avalanche                                2003 Animal Crossing                                2002 Donkey Konga                                   2003 Donkey Kong Jungle Beat                        2005 Doshin The Giant                               2002 F-Zero GX                                      2003 Geist                                          2004 Kirby's Air Ride                               2003 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures    2004 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker            2003 Luigi's Mansion                                2001 Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour                     2003 Mario Kart: Double Dash!!                      2003 Mario Sunshine                                 2002 Mario Power Tennis                             2004 Metroid Prime                                  2002 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes                        2004 PacMan                                         2003 Paper Mario 2                                  2004 Pikmin                                         2001 Pikmin 2                                       2004 Roll 'O Rama                                   2002 Stage Debut                                    2002 Starfox Assault                                2004 Super Smash Bros. Melee                        2001 Wario World                                    2003 Waverace: Blue Storm                           2001

Game Boy Advance

Advance Wars                                   2001 Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising              2003 F-Zero: Maximum Velocity                       2001 Mario Kart Super Circuit                       2001 Mario & Luigi                                  2003 Metroid Fusion                                 2002 Super Mario Advance                            2001 Super Mario World: SMA2                        2002 SMW3: Yoshi's Island                           2002 Super Mario Brothers 3: SMA4                   2003 Wario Land 4                                   2001 Wario Ware                                     2003 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords               2002

Nintendo DS

Animal Crossing DS                             2005 Mario 64 DS                                    2004 Mario Kart DS                                  2005 Metroid Prime Hunters                          2005 New Super Mario Bros.                          2005 Wario Ware DS                                  2004