Shigeru Miyamoto: A Sketch

Most Americans don’t consider Mario to be Japanese. His plumber’s (construction worker) overalls look all American. Yet, behind the famous mustache is a Japanese man. Shigeru Miyamoto created three of the most well known video game franchises: Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. You’d think he would be a video game player, but surprisingly he isn’t. In fact, he disliked video games before he started designing them.  He prefers to spend his time dog breeding, playing his guitar, and guessing the size of things. He is even said to carry a tape measure to check his guesses. Seems like an odd hobby, and it doesn’t help the stereotype that Japanese are quirky!

Miyamoto grew up wandering through woods around Kyoto; he used his childhood as an inspiration for his game design. All of the series he designed is essentially a scavenger hunt. In Super Mario, you are looking for the princess by following the hints she left or the stars left behind.

In Zelda, you search for items you need to battle Ganon and other villains. Zelda draws the most heavily on the idea of wandering; it often doesn’t even give you a hint as to where to go. Metroid is also a hunt for various items with as few hints as Zelda. The environments are more exotic and alien. Miyamoto originally wanted to be a mangaka, a manga author and artist. The Japanese comic book style heavily influences the look of many of his characters, particularly Link and Samus. He decided to try to design a video game after seeing Space Invaders. He did the artwork for Nintendo’s first arcade game: Sheriff.

Miyamoto enjoys bluegrass and smoked until he was 40. Now, he exercises, avoids smoking and pachinko, and enjoys interior decorating.

Miyamoto has a vivid imagination and willingness to play with weird ideas. A mustached man who jumps on his enemies while eating magic shrooms sounds like a bad trip. Yet, the humble Jumpman is now an icon sometimes more recognized than Mickey Mouse. What is most interesting about Miyamoto is how he isn’t a gamer. Most developers and designers are avid gamers. He almost operates in a vacuum. While he is likely up to date with the latest game releases, he doesn’t name off the ones he plays.  The video game industry is often an isolated tower. A place where ideas are copied off of each other. The industry is conservative and risk adverse. That is why there are so many spin offs of the same ideas – mostly first person shooters.

Miyamoto may keep the same template for his games, but they are also tweaked in often daring ways. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker has players sailing across vast oceans, for example. Miyamoto ‘s team has a hand in these changes, but the man’s original creativity shines through. Miyamoto is to video gaming as Miyazaki is to anime.  Both are influential and also thought of as a little overrated. Video gaming is one of the most influential cultural exports from modern Japan. Although we often don’t think of video games as being a cultural product. Video gaming is an internal commodity. Miyamoto designed games with Americans in mind. However, there are elements of Japanese culture found within them. The manga art style is just one of the more visible. Video games often feature samurai, katana, Shinto, and other Japanese elements.

Miyamoto was one of the most influential people behind this export. He has entertained and inspired people across the world with is plucky plumber, courageous hero, and steel-willed bounty hunter. It all started in the woods around Kyoto, the ancient cultural center of Japan.

References

Paumgarten, N (2010). Master of Play. The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/20/master-of-play

Sheff, D. (1993). Game Over: Nintendo’s Battle to Dominate on Industry. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Weyer, M. (n d.) Shigeru Miyamoto’s Secret Identity: Industrial Designer as Game Creator. https://www.academia.edu/7521650/Shigeru_Miyamoto_s_Secret_Identity_Industrial_Designer_as_Game_Creator