The legendary game designer opens up about his evolving role, the plumber’s 40-year journey, and what’s next for gaming’s most iconic mustache.
It’s not every day that a design and architecture magazine dedicates an entire issue to a video game character, but then again, Mario isn’t just any character. Casa Brutus, a prestigious Japanese publication, recently celebrated Super Mario Bros.’ 40th anniversary by diving deep into the design secrets behind one of gaming’s most enduring masterpieces. And who better to guide that conversation than Shigeru Miyamoto himself?
From 2D perfection to 3D wonder
In the interview, Miyamoto gets refreshingly candid about his relationship with the franchise he birthed four decades ago. There’s a particular moment that stands out—when he talks about finishing Super Mario World, he felt they’d squeezed every last drop of possibility out of 2D Mario. It was done. Complete. But then came Super Mario 64, and suddenly he was a kid again, exploring his childhood memories through polygons and analog sticks instead of pixels and D-pads.
“I feel a deep affection for all the games I’ve worked on,” Miyamoto shares, and you can almost hear the nostalgia in his words. That transition from the flat worlds of the SNES to the sprawling 3D Playground of the N64 wasn’t just a technical leap—it was personal. It reconnected him to something fundamental about why he makes games in the first place.
The guardian of Mario’s spirit
These days, Miyamoto isn’t hunched over a development kit tweaking jump physics or designing levels. His role has evolved into something more philosophical—he’s become the keeper of what he calls “Mario’s spirit.” But what exactly does that mean? According to the man himself, it’s about making sure each game remains “easily accessible and unique.”
It’s a delicate balance, and Miyamoto has built a team he trusts to maintain Mario’s world while he takes a step back. But don’t think he’s completely hands-off. He still personally plays the first 30 minutes of every Mario game, meticulously checking the interface to ensure it truly feels like Mario. It’s like a master chef who no longer cooks every dish but still tastes everything before it leaves the kitchen.
The Switch 2 question everyone’s asking
Here’s where things get interesting. Miyamoto drops a tantalizing hint about the future: “Up until Super Mario Odyssey, I think we’ve done everything we could do on Switch.” That’s a pretty definitive statement from someone who doesn’t usually deal in absolutes. He points out that historically, every new Nintendo console has launched with a new Mario game, and then he poses the question that’s probably keeping Nintendo fans up at night: “I wonder how the current team will tackle that challenge.”
Translation? There’s definitely something cooking for Nintendo Switch 2, and even Miyamoto seems curious about what his team will pull off with new hardware. It’s a rare glimpse of the legendary designer not as the all-knowing creator, but as someone genuinely excited to see what the next generation will bring.
Galaxy-sized movie ambitions
The conversation naturally shifts to “Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie,” the follow-up to the animated blockbuster that exceeded everyone’s expectations. Miyamoto’s approach to the first film was all about keeping the machine running smoothly—he describes his producer role as making sure the collaboration between Illumination and Nintendo worked seamlessly.
The real validation? Everyone involved wants to come back for round two. “Many of the people involved said they’d like to work on the next project too,” Miyamoto notes, “so I suppose that means we succeeded to some extent.” That’s classic Miyamoto humility right there—downplaying what was essentially a cultural phenomenon that dominated box offices worldwide.
As for the sequel’s setting, Miyamoto keeps it cryptic but cosmic: “It’s, as the title indicates, the galaxy—that’s all I can say.” They’re in the final stages of production, and while details are scarce, his confidence is clear. “I think it’s going to be fun,” he says, which coming from the man who defined fun for generations of gamers, is probably the understatement of the year.