Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative genius behind Nintendo’s beloved characters, is buzzing with activity as he enters his 70s. With a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous grin, he’s been traveling the world to promote the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie and celebrating the opening of Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Hollywood. The park is the second of its kind and a testament to Nintendo’s dedication to bringing its magical world to life.
Despite the hectic schedule, Miyamoto looks calm and collected as he sits back on a couch in a private lounge surrounded by Super Nintendo World merchandise. His fingers are tented, and his expression shifts from deep concentration to a wide smile. He’s donning a Super Nintendo World t-shirt, paired with a black blazer, showcasing his playful and serious sides.
Miyamoto is not one to dole out interviews often, so his presence at Super Nintendo World indicates the project’s importance to Nintendo. The idea for the park was born in 2015 when Nintendo’s future was uncertain due to the Wii U’s struggles. Nintendo’s position is now stable, thanks to the incredible success of the Switch, but the company still has an insatiable hunger to diversify.
Nintendo’s secret weapon is its iconic characters, which Miyamoto recognizes. He’s been discussing leveraging these characters in various media with the late Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s former CEO, for over ten years. According to Miyamoto, Nintendo’s most significant strength is its characters and their potential beyond just games.
This is why Super Nintendo World and the Super Mario Bros. Movie are so vital to Nintendo. The projects are some of the most ambitious in the company’s history. They aim to increase awareness of Nintendo’s beloved characters among non-gamers who have never touched a controller. Miyamoto believes that the key to success is not limiting the characters to games but finding the best medium for them to thrive in.
Miyamoto has long been fascinated by the concept of theme parks. It all began when he had a conversation with the late Hiroshi Yamauchi, then the president of Nintendo, who mused about building a Nintendo Land in Kyoto. Although Miyamoto visited Disney World early in his career to witness the latest in technology and entertainment, he didn’t think Nintendo could replicate Disney’s ambitious creations. Miyamoto explains:
The business of creating or running a theme park is very big and very different from what Nintendo does, which is create and sell games… But we had a conversation with Universal, and this idea came up that perhaps they could support us in making a theme park a reality… So I’m really glad that we were able to come to this relationship where we can really have a collaborative partnership.
That partnership bore fruit with the opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in 2021. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the park was met with critical acclaim, leaving fans eager for the smaller version already planned for Hollywood. Journalists were allowed to visit the California park in January, and the response was equally positive. I had the chance to visit the park myself a few days before its opening, and it was a breathtaking experience.
Super Nintendo World manages to cram decades of Mario history into a relatively small space, teeming with richly realized details in every corner, from the Toadstool Cafe to Bowser Junior’s clown car. Miyamoto’s influence is palpable from the moment you enter the park, imbuing it with a sense of discovery that evokes his most famous games. Wearing a special wristband, you can collect special stamps by scanning unique sensor points scattered throughout the park, which winds through narrow passages, leading up to the ramparts of Bowser’s Castle.
Miyamoto’s latest masterpiece is the Mario Kart ride, the park’s centerpiece. Combining physical props with augmented reality technology, the ride simulates the experience of being on an actual track. I asked Miyamoto what designing the ride taught him about designing games, and he talked about the challenge of creating an enjoyable experience in just three minutes (four, actually, as Nintendo later clarified).
For Miyamoto, game design hinges on the player’s ability to quickly grasp the rules and start having fun. Creating depth for the player is equally important, given the extended playtime for games that lasts for days, weeks, and months. In contrast, theme park rides are over in a flash, which means understanding how to have fun has to be almost instantaneous. Miyamoto loved working with Universal Studios programmers, even though they weren’t game developers, and he found creating something enjoyable with them to be a new and fun experience.
Miyamoto’s background in industrial design and his childhood spent making his own toys out of wood and string shine through in Super Nintendo World. His approach to game design has sometimes been criticized for ignoring complex stories, but he’s always been interested in creating a sense of wonder and discovery through sight, sound, and movement. Super Nintendo World is a testament to Miyamoto’s vision and imagination, and it’s clear that Nintendo and Universal Studios have a bright future ahead of them.
