Table of Contents
This is the 2010-2014 page of the Shigeru Miyamoto Archive.
1985-1989 | 1990-1994 | 1995-1999 | 2000-2004 | 2005-2009 | 2010-2014 | 2015-2019 | 2020-2024
2010
Iwata Asks – Game Seminar 2009 – The Road To Completing Tomodachi Collection Part 1
Publication Date: January 15, 2010 (translated July 18, 2016)
Subject(s): Tomodachi Collection
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Takahashi Ryutaro, Mai Okamoto, Asuka Ito, Hatahan Umino, Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/etc/seminar2009/tomodachi/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220630101822/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/etc/seminar2009/tomodachi/vol1/index.html
Translator: Matt Walker for Nintendo World Report
Summary: He’s bad at drawing people, but he would sketch people’s faces on business cards he was given. The fun in games comes from playing around with interactive things. Computer assisted design software is the ultimate game. People who are bad at drawing get excited when they draw something well, so he has long tried making a game involving drawing portraits. Things don’t get more interesting when more is put into them, doing something small and weird is more interesting. The Mii editor led to the creation of Tomodachi Collection.
When he proposed Miis during a Wii meeting many were opposed because development was almost done. He is fond of using as little save data as possible, Miis ended up being 74 bytes. Many said the Miis didn’t look realistic enough, but it’s just fun to make and share them. Hoped that people would make Miis of their whole family.
Tomodachi Collection sold well because there’s a clear concept and a good framework for people’s ideas.
4Gamer.net/Game.Watch (reported on by Kotaku, partially untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: February 8, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Brain Ashcraft, unknown 4Gamer.net and Game.Watch interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/what-does-a-hamster-have-to-do-with-super-mario-galaxy-5466522
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20230222204943/https://kotaku.com/what-does-a-hamster-have-to-do-with-super-mario-galaxy-5466522
Japanese Links: https://www.4gamer.net/games/092/G009297/20100208012/
https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/347371.html
Japanese Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20100406011323/http://www.4gamer.net/games/092/G009297/20100208012
https://web.archive.org/web/20160723191053/http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/347371.html
Notes: A machine translation describes this event as the “13th Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival ‘Symposium for Distinguished Service Award Winners'”.
Summary: He used the gravity of planets in Super Mario Galaxy so that the player could come back to where they started and not get lost, like a hamster running in a ball.
A new Nintendo employee drew the original Bowser.
NBC News – Nintendo aims to get consoles in schools
Publication Date: March 19, 2010
Subject(s): Using the DS as an educational tool, BAFTA Awards, art
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Raphael G. Satter, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna35952226
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20230511232559/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna35952226
Notes: This is an Associated Press article that doesn’t seem to be on their own website.
Summary: He is devoting himself the most to turning the DS into an educational tool. It will be brought to elementary and junior high schools in Japan.
It’s an honor to be have a BAFTA Academy Fellowship alongside people like Alfred Hitchcock.
He’s never said video games are an art.
Game Informer – Miyamoto On Mario Galaxy 2, More
Publication Date: March 26, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Galaxy 2
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jeff Cork, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: They always try to make the best camera for every 3D game they make. There are two types of cameras: one that emphasizes the atmosphere of the world and one that some games need for movement.
Camera work is needed with The Legend of Zelda games so that players can see the 3D world, while Mario games have the easiest play control. The camera has been improved in Super Mario Galaxy 2.
He’s always been interested in the structure of video games and he wants to explore more subjects from his daily life. He wants consoles hooked up to living room TVs to encourage communication between family members. By moving beyond the normal scope of video games he can encourage people to look at their lives through different perspectives.
They’ve been trying to utilize more connectivity between the Wii and DS. Despite their research they haven’t found a great idea yet. However, you can receive trial versions of DS games by connecting to the Wii.
He’s interested in the communication between new devices and media, like with Facebook games. They are working on implementing Flipnote Studio on Hatena Company Ltd.’s website.
He’s not in a position to talk about third-party games. His personal criteria is how he feels about a game, if he feels uneasy about something then they have to work on it more. If he doesn’t understand something about a game then the players won’t either. It’s not good for Nintendo when such games are released.
Eurogamer – Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: March 31, 2010
Subject(s): Academy Fellowship, game pitches, delegation, Super Mario Galaxy 2, hobbies, the public perception of video games
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Johnny Minkley, Yasuhiro Minagawa (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Links: https://www.eurogamer.net/shigeru-miyamoto-interview
https://www.eurogamer.net/shigeru-miyamoto-interview?page=2
https://www.eurogamer.net/shigeru-miyamoto-interview?page=3
https://www.eurogamer.net/shigeru-miyamoto-interview?page=4
Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20220415104353/https://www.eurogamer.net/shigeru-miyamoto-interview
Notes: The first part of this interview took place February 22, 2010.
Summary: Before he joined Nintendo he wanted to make something that would surprise the world, but he realized he had no ideas about how to do that.
He was lucky to live while Space Invaders was popular.
He feels humbled and embarrassed about winning the Academy Fellowship from BAFTA since he can’t make video games alone.
He vividly remembers Gunpei Yokoi telling him to stop worrying about something because there was nothing else he could do about it.
He tries to make games where players can be creative by teaching them something basic and then challenging them.
He’s tough when someone pitches a game to him. Good ideas solve multiple problems, it’s not enough to solve one.
Since he can’t do everything he assigns work to others, but he still has to see the final product. He spends his days meeting people and his nights concentrating on specific games.
He’s eager to practice what he’s interested in and doesn’t want to be defeated.
Subtle things about his hobbies make their way into his games. He got a cat recently.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a bit challenging for new players. It’s difficult for people who beat the first game. They’ve put a lot of work into 3D movement and have tried to make moving Mario easy. With Mario games they always have the challenge of catering to people who have played the previous games as well as people who have never played a video game.
Nintendo has been trying for five or six years to convince the public that video games are convenient. They want playing games to be taken for granted.
His wife had been playing a lot of Professor Layton, but she lost the game and got very upset.
Many are scared of video game technology, it’s his responsibility to remove the hurdles so that your grandparents can play.
[On stage at the BAFTA Awards, after Mr. Miyamoto has been given the Academy Fellowship.]He’s grateful tonight to be able to see the games younger people made. Video games have a way to go before they are as accepted as movies, so they have to continue making a great effort.
[After the ceremony.]Aspiring game makers should be themselves, and be different from others. Even as one person working on a game your idea can stand out and appeal to players.
He wants to create the same emotional attachment in his games that he feels towards them. These emotions transcend any language barrier.
GamesTM – The Man Behind Mario
Publication Date: April, 2010
Subject(s): Retirement, King of Kong, Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, violent games, upending the tea table, motion controls
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed GamesTM interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scans:
Notes: This interview took place shortly after Mr. Miyamoto was awarded a BAFTA.
Summary: His best work is yet to come. Ten years ago he never could have imagined working on Wii Fit Plus or Wii Sports Resort.
Nintendo will retire him at some point. When sees older manga artists or movie directors he understands that they will never retire.
When he started a family he wanted to make games that could be played by a family. He’s never lost that passion for traditional games, though, which is why he’s worked on Super Mario Galaxy 2. He’s asking himself what kind of game he’d work on before death. The themes used in video games will be expanded in the future.
He was surprised at how people played Donkey Kong in unexpected ways while watching King of Kong. It was flattering.
The fact that Donkey Kong still has such a following reminds us how important the structure of video games are. The Virtual Console is good for game creators, so they can see how games used to be.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is unusual in that they rarely make more than one Mario game per system. They had so many ideas left over when they finished the original. Super Mario World was not Super Mario Bros. 4 because they wanted to convey that it had new experiences.
The Wii Remote can be used to take advantage of Yoshi’s appeal.
Several producers report to him, and it’s his job to assign work to them. When he works on Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii at the same time it’s so that other producers can work on more original games. Since there’s a limit to how many games he can work on at once he has to find a good balance of sequels and new projects.
He realized while working on Super Mario Galaxy 2 that no other games compare to theirs. He has never tried to compete with other games during his career. Their goal is to make unique games that cannot be compared to others. There is the fear that if there are fewer platform games being made then their audience will shrink.
3D action games are also difficult for new game players. 3D games in general can be hard because of boss battles, long levels, and players having a tough time controlling them. Although Super Mario Galaxy 2 is hard, it’s very easy to control.
He appreciates the variety of games that people are able to make, but many only work on excessively violent games. It’s Nintendo’s job to show the world that there are many other things that can be done in video games.
He doesn’t think he has ever upended the tea table. However, he likes Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii to be the kinds of games that can be started right away. Sometimes young developers present him with planning documents where there are a lot of frills that get in the way of this, and he has to tell them to remove those frills.
Technology is always evolving, and Nintendo will always integrate it into their products. They will use that technology to make something unique.
Nintendo only makes public announcements about projects when they know that it is something the public will enjoy.
He can’t say anything about the Wii Vitality Sensor. It’s fun to think of ways that new technology can be used with old gameplay. He should be asked if the Wii Vitality Sensor will make enemies tougher in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword when you are scared.
In regards to the PlayStation Move, if the Wii’s motion controls have become the industry standard they should welcome it.
He gets a lot of positive energy from the younger developers at Nintendo. Will Wright is special and has a unique way of thinking.
He would also like to see a Star Fox game on the Wii.
Iwata Asks – Iwata Asks: Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Volume 1
Publication Date: May 11, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Galaxy 2
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/supermariogalaxy2/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221019040253/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/supermariogalaxy2/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/interview/sb4j/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221017153125/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/interview/sb4j/vol1/index.html
Summary: Development of Super Mario Galaxy 2 felt somewhat like The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, they wanted to expand. It started as a 1.5, but new things kept being added.
It’s important for players to immediately know what an enemy does.
He said Mario games do not need stories or movies during development of Super Mario Galaxy, thought it was getting too like Zelda, so Super Mario Galaxy 2 would not have those. He talked with Yoshiaki Koizumi for several hours about how Mario games did not need Mario to talk, that it would make the games feel too childish.
A challenge with 3D games is needing to tutorialize new players, which can bore people who have already played it. Satoru Iwata suggested the tutorial DVD.
Gaming Media
Publication Date: May 14, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Galaxy 2, Wii Vitality Sensor, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Unknown Gaming Media interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDkYj8LC3jY
Translator: Damir Halilović for Nintendo Prime
Notes: Gaming Media is a German site, and the video apparently originally appeared here, but it seems to no longer be available. This interview took place on March 17, 2010. Uploaded by YouTube user Nintendo Prime.
Summary: They usually don’t make two games of a series for a console, but they still made Super Mario Galaxy 2. They were supposed to do a Super Mario Galaxy 1.5, but it ended up being better to make a new one.
The awards he’s won make him feel older.
He can talk more about the Wii Vitality Sensor if it appears at E3.
For The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword it’s important to meet people’s expectations and to surprise them. Usually they do the video sequences first, but they started with the gameplay this time. They need to optimize the gameplay and make the controls user friendly.
It’s an advantage that as they develop hardware they can think about what kind of games they want to make, but doing so before the hardware is done is a disadvantage. They want their hardware to be flexible so that they can use it, that’s why they make demos.
Hiroshi Yamauchi’s history with the entertainment industry taught them a lot. In the entertainment industry it’s important to have something unique.
Players ask for the functions that other companies have, but what they really want is new features, things the others don’t have.
He wasn’t aware of how important his work on Donkey Kong would be as he was making it. Nothing good comes from pressure. You should make something unique. He goes step by step instead of having goals.
In Super Mario Galaxy 2 sometimes Yoshi has to pull a fruit out of the ground, he knows how that feels.
Edge – Nintendo’s Star Property
Publication Date: June, 2010
Subject(s): Hiroshi Yamauchi, Gunpei Yokoi, winning awards, employees at Nintendo, Super Mario Galaxy 2, online gaming, his greatest achievements, regrets
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed Edge interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scans:
Notes: Scans by mattandi.
Summary: He doesn’t remember any of his game proposals being rejected by Hiroshi Yamauchi. He had a lot of autonomy. When he couldn’t immediately say “yes” he’d start working on it secretly. Mr. Yamauchi is about his parent’s age, so they may have had a parent-son dynamic. He’d be furious if one of his games didn’t sell enough. Mr. Yamauchi had a knack for knowing how many copies a game would sell.
When he showed Hiroshi Yamauchi an early version of Donkey Kong he was told to stop work on everything else and to concentrate on it. He called an early version of Super Mario Bros. amazing. He never provided any presentation sheets to Mr. Yamauchi, just memos or some drawings.
He’s never reported to Gunpei Yokoi, but he was able to take his advice. Mr. Yokoi always provided a different perspective. He learned from how Mr. Yokoi trained his subordinates.
He has four or five lifetime achievement awards. Everyone else is younger than him at these ceremonies.
You can do more with technology now than you could before. He’s interested in the people around him and what they like. Before the Wii came out they had decided that the Wii would be connected to the living room television and used by the whole family. That’s why they made Wii Music, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit.
He tells his developers that multiplayer is expected now. They have to rise to the challenge.
Nintendo is proactive with online connectivity. The Wii is meant to be connected all the time. What they haven’t been proactive with is making a massively multiplayer online game. They need to figure out if there will be a monthly fee, or if it’s free but has an optional subscription with extra value.
Entertainment has always been Nintendo’s commodity and they always try to make something new. This means others may want to copy them, which is threatening and discouraging.
He heads the Entertainment Analysis and Development division and they are increasing how many people work there, but they can’t expand too much too fast. There are many non-Nintendo people who collaborate with them, too. Very few employees leave Nintendo, many of the 500-1,000 people he is in charge of have worked there for 30 years.
Their goal with Super Mario Galaxy 2 is to maximize playtime. The tutorial and cutscene times have been reduced to accomplish this. He’s also looked into the combo system, he wants people to enjoy the basic action. It’s action packed and a bit difficult.
When making a game first he starts with an unusual game functionality that he thinks players might like. He asks if they need an introduction or a story. He has strong disagreements when people want to make a big title by a certain release date, or want to make a smaller game. You have to provide the customer the thing you first thought of, and focus on the end result and the purpose. The most important thing is who is the manager. Smaller games allow for more personal expression.
Mario is one of his most important achievements. Expanding the gaming audience is also very important.
He always has some regrets after finishing a game, but he tries to forget about them. Some say Wii Music could have sold better, but that means they have an asset that can be tweaked in the future for greater success.
Try playing New Super Mario Bros. with four people and play Super Mario Galaxy to prepare for Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Nintendo of America – E3 2010
Publication Date: June 15, 2010
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Format: Promotional video (dubbed), presentation (live translator)
People: Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Uploaded by YouTube user CARSLOCK.
Summary: [A trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword plays and Mr. Miyamoto appears in a prerecorded video.]
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be remembered as a turning point in Zelda’s history. Zelda games would not be possible without the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, map system, and items used to solve puzzles. The Zelda series is a history of refining the user interface used for these. For years he’s wanted it to be possible to use these naturally. When working on the swordplay in Wii Sports Resort he said “let’s make this the next Zelda”. The Wii Motion Plus isn’t just for swordplay, it also makes item use natural.
[Mr. Miyamoto comes on stage.]
The only way to beat the Deku Baba is to swing the same direction that its mouth is open. You can do spin attacks by swinging both hands. With a shield bash you can knock rocks back at the Octorok. Up until now items were assigned to a specific button. But now you can picture all of your items in a pocket, hold down the B button, and move your hand around to select the one you want. You don’t point at the screen to aim, you move the Wii Remote like a real slingshot.
[He struggles to aim the bow.]Seems like there’s some interference, is someone using wireless? It went well at rehearsal. You can shoot a beetle that flies around, you can fly around by tilting the Wii Remote.
The scenery is beautiful. You can use the whip to cut grass and grab items.
Iwata Asks – Miyamoto about Nintendo 3DS
Publication Date: June 15, 2010
Subject(s): Nintendo 3DS
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELyiGGiaIAc
Notes: This video is no longer on Nintendo’s Japanese website, but was apparently uploaded to YouTube by Nintendo before being taken down at some point. Uploaded by YouTube user NintenDaanNC.
Summary: His first project with Satoru Iwata was Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally on the Famicom Disk System.
3D has a universal appeal, which is why they have tried it so many times. There have always been doubts though, will people buy it, or will it require an accessory?
The 3D Mario games are harder than 2D, you can’t tell if you are lined up correctly. The 3D effect on the 3DS will allow players to do so, and it will give a greater sense of realism.
He asked designers to make an analog slider for the 3D effect.
He wanted to improve on the Tag Mode from the DS.
GameDeveloper – E3: Miyamoto’s Roundtable Talk On 3DS, Zelda, More
Publication Date: June 15, 2010
Subject(s): 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, StreetPass, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Format: Q & A
People: Christian Nutt, Chris Kohler, unnamed members of the press, Bill Trinen (translator), Tim O’Leary (translator), Eiji Aonuma, Hideki Konno, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/console/e3-miyamoto-s-roundtable-talk-on-3ds-i-zelda-i-more
Notes: I am including some information from this writeup by NintendoWorldReport as well. There is a short YouTube video of part of this event too.
Summary: He can retire if the 3DS goes well.
When he first saw the 3DS’ screen he knew he wanted to revisit Hyrule again in 3D, and that is why The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is an early title.
Steel Diver has been in development for six years and it’s going well. It was originally for the DS, but they decided to move it to take advantage of the 3DS’ screens.
He wanted to work on a Star Fox game as soon as he saw the 3DS, but just porting these older games isn’t enough. Sometimes you have trouble judging distances in a 3D game, but the 3D effect will solve that.
Cats are like girls, it’s great if they come and talk to you, but if you approach them it doesn’t always go well.
The Bark Mode from Nintendogs has been expanded to a system feature of the 3DS. You can walk around with your 3DS closed and communication will happen automatically. It would be easy to do this via the Internet, but it’s more fun to do it with the real world. You wonder about the person who was nearby.
He likes the art style of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, it is like Paul Cézanne’s work. It would be done by now if they had used the same art style as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. They are trying to change the structure of The Legend of Zelda. They’ve been working in the item interface, it’s controlled by motion, not pointer.
After accepting a BAFTA award he mentioned he was working on Pikmin, they are still working on it.
Iwata Asks – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Publication Date: June 16, 2010
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Satoru Iwata, Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Videos:
Notes: These videos are no longer on Nintendo’s Japanese website, and may not have ever been uploaded to YouTube by Nintendo. Uploaded by YouTube user NintenDaanNC.
Summary: Since they wanted a Zelda game for Wii at launch they ported The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but they had more ideas for a Zelda game on the Wii. If they have confidence people will see how the motion controls for the sword are the better way. Always talking with the team about what makes Zelda fun. You need a sense of realism, of being in Hyrule.
Joystiq – Interview: Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, on 3DS, Retro, Zelda and Pikmin 3
Publication Date: June 16, 2010
Subject(s): 3DS, stereoscopic 3D, cell phones, Nintendogs + Cats, Retro Studios, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Chris Buffa, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: Nintendo has been researching 3D games for more than 20 years, the first time they looked into it with an LCD screen was during the GameCube. They’ve been working on the 3DS for three years.
They made a lot of DS games that weren’t like standard games, like Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!. The 3DS’ 3D visuals allow for new ideas and enhance older games. They realized that Steel Diver would work better as a 3DS game than a DS one.
When cell phones took off about 10 years ago people asked if portable game systems wouldn’t sell anymore, which didn’t happen. Nintendo can do different things with their devices. People will carry their handhelds if they offer compelling experiences that can’t be had elsewhere.
Running around in 3D worlds on flat screens makes it difficult to discern spatial relationships. With a 3D screen it’s easier to hit a question block. New ideas can come to life now. The dogs in Nintendogs + Cats pop out of the screen, and using the touch screen feels like touching a real dog.
He got a cat and what’s interesting is that you don’t necessarily communicate with them. They add interesting gameplay in Nintendogs + Cats.
After the Metroid Prime games they thought it would be good for Retro Studios to try something new. They suggested making a Donkey Kong game, thinking they would say no, but they enthusiastically said yes. They thought Retro Studios could do something great, with their graphical capabilities.
For the 3DS they want use the best parts of the Wii’s and DS’s online services.
He doesn’t like to talk about Pikmin because it creates articles, but they are working on a Pikmin game.
Their focus with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is how they are separating it from the series, especially the control. The fluidity of moving from sword to items is important for immersion.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is visually closer to the older Zelda games. They strive for two things with Zelda games: making them easily understandable, and giving them a unique art style. Enemies have to include clear cues about how they are holding their weapons, which lends itself to an exaggerated style. It wouldn’t look good with realistic graphics.
IGN – E3 2010: Shigeru Miyamoto Likes Donkey Kong Country After All
Publication Date: June 17, 2010
Subject(s): Wii Vitality Sensor, 3DS, MotionPlus, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Donkey Kong Country Returns
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Craig Harris, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/06/17/e3-2010-shigeru-miyamoto-likes-donkey-kong-country-after-all
Notes: The title of this article refers to the idea that Mr. Miyamoto was quoted as saying “Donkey Kong Country proves gamers will put up with mediocre gameplay if the art is good”. You can read more about this quote in this entry. This interview took place at E3 2010. There is a video available of part of the interview.
Summary: Development of the Wii Vitality Sensor is going well, but E3 is not the place to show it. He’s not directly involved with it.
They will focus on how to make online play unique and Nintendo-like. With the 3DS they want people to carry it around and notice changes in their game data, something surprising that feels like Nintendo.
He wanted to hold off on demoing a Mario 3DS game until it was more complete.
They will continue to create games with the intuitive MotionPlus for the next few years.
It’s good for video games that Sony and Microsoft have introduced motion controlled peripherals.
When demoing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on stage there was a technical issue, the game controls smoothly and easily.
When cell phones started taking off Europe people expressed doubt about needing a Game Boy. The topic has not come to fruition. If they keep making unique hardware people will keep buying them and carrying them around. You can’t do what the 3DS does on any other device.
Their past experiments with 3D, other than the Virtual Boy, have required a peripheral, which segments the market. The important thing with the 3DS was creating a single environment so everyone can experience 3D.
It’s difficult to show the 3D effect in advertisements or videos, but high definition TVs were advertised on standard definition TVs. People will be impressed when they see the 3DS’ 3D effect.
When they saw the 3DS’ screen they thought it would help Steel Diver shine, so they decided to move it there. He’s leaning towards it being a retail game.
E3 isn’t the best place to show WiiWare or DSiWare games. There’s so many games competing for attention.
One reason they are making Donkey Kong Country Returns is because people in North America have been asking for another Donkey Kong Country. People at Retro also got very excited at the idea of making a Donkey Kong Country game.
He worked closely with Rare in making Donkey Kong Country. There was a rumor he didn’t like it, but that is not the case. It was important that Donkey Kong Country Returns have a look distinct from Mario games.
They’re working on Pikmin, and might be near the stage where they add more developers. It is a Wii game.
IGN – Shigeru Miyamoto Stars – E3 2010: Miyamoto Interview
Publication Date: June 17, 2010
Subject(s): 3DS, competition
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Unnamed IGN interviewer, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.ign.com/videos/shigeru-miyamoto-stars-e3-2010-miyamoto-interview
Notes: Also uploaded to YouTube by Kyle Harker here. This interview took place at E3 2010.
Summary: Since online connectivity is everywhere now they’ll be looking at ways to use it. They want to make it feel unique.
3DS users without wi-fi at home can connect to networks elsewhere. They could have made a tech demo with Mario showing this off, but worries about showing things off before they are done. They are working on a Mario game for the 3DS.
He hasn’t played all the demos at E3, but he’s glad party games are broadening.
When cell phones became popular in Europe people said they might not need a Game Boy anymore. Nintendo needs to make unique hardware and software.
USA Today – Creator of Mario sounds off on newest Nintendo games
Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, 3DS
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Mike Snider, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfR68TvKsSE
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2010, which was held June 14-17.
Summary: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time made people feel like they were exploring the world of Hyrule. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will make players do the motions themselves, which will make the experience feel immersive.
The story will revolve around the sword you move with motion controls. They wanted to make the sword control more precise. Using motion controls means using one less button on the controller. You have complete control over Link’s basic abilities with just motion controls.
It was frustrating having to equip an item, activate it, switch to cursor control, and then find the pointer. With MotionPlus there is a seamless transition.
There are a lot of actions you can do in Skyward Sword, and they will be intuitive. You’ll learn and get better at those things over time.
They experimented with 3D on GameCube. They realized they didn’t want to require people to buy accessories to experience it.
IGN – Shigeru Miyamoto Wii – E3 2010: Shigeru Miyamoto Reader Interview
Publication Date: June 24, 2010
Subject(s): Fan reactions, story and emotion, taste add-on, online services, Super Mario World’s development
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: johnthe5th, starmin 76, nate38, Rawky-Roo, ProtoKogaFan, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.ign.com/videos/shigeru-miyamoto-wii-e3-2010-shigeru-miyamoto-reader-interview
Notes: IGN readers sent in over 1,100 questions, and five were chosen to be asked to Mr. Miyamoto.
Summary: They do check fan reaction to released games. The challenge is in making unique games.
The connection between the game developer and the game player is more important than the story. The player should be able to accept the game world.
There are some problems with making a taste add-on for the Wii that could be sold at a reasonable price.
They want every Wii to be connected to the Internet.
Ideas that he wasn’t able to use in Super Mario World have been used since then. This question makes him think about a Super Mario game on the 3DS that uses depth.
GameSpot – Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: August 9, 2010
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Wii, the gaming industry
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Giancarlo Varanini, unknown dubber, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP2QUb4Fx8o
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2010, which was held June 14-17.
Summary: With the MotionPlus they can include a variety of items that can be switched between freely.
He never expected gaming to change the way it has, he never could have envisioned something like the DS. There are many possibilities with the Wii.
Including peripherals limits the audience for a game, they have used glasses in the past for 3D.
Social networking is unignorable, but they wanted to make something that only Nintendo could.
As a development team gets bigger the leader spends less time making the game and more time managing.
It’s interesting how the gaming landscape has expanded due to things like the iPad. Older people are using the Internet.
Iwata Asks – Volume 1 : Shigesato Itoi Asks in Place of Iwata (Super Mario 25th Anniversary)
Publication Date: September 13, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Bros.
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Shigesato Itoi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mario25th/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220826090745/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mario25th/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/interview/mario25th/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20150717030913/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/interview/mario25th/vol1/index.html
Summary: It’s a bit embarrassing seeing the places in Super Mario Bros. where they had to fudge a bit on modern TVs.
He doesn’t have what it takes to move people on the scale of a Hollywood movie. He often remains unimpressed at performances while people around him go wild, but he has come to appreciate art that is not technically impressive.
Mario games are made up on the run, but it’s been easy because they naturally change along with the technology. He has thought of the creator of the Rubik’s Cube as a rival.
Originally, all blocks with coins only had one coin, but it was discovered on accident that it was more fun for some blocks to have many coins. He hasn’t really felt that he is becoming out of touch.
Takashi Tezuka and Toshihiko Nakago always agree with him because they have the same awareness of problems. When thinking about something he first thinks about what can’t be done.
He is the type to come up with reasons not to do something, he imagines worst case scenarios. He suggests people write down their bad ideas and why they were no good and keep them in a drawer. Over time those reasons may not apply anymore.
He has to tell younger employees that it doesn’t matter how hard they worked on something. If a project is going poorly an idea that is half bad is worthless, but if the project is going well then the good aspects can be used.
Restrictions can be a big help, players can imagine the details. The managerial viewpoint allows you to see things simply. He has been keeping things simple for about 10 years, while the staff goes in a complicated direction. He’s been trying to figure out how to make them act simply.
He doesn’t like being presented with lots of options, the one presenting should have the responsibility of choosing. Proposals should only be one page, too much effort is spent on making them look good.
People say he has a standard consumer’s sense for things. His parents said not to change your vessel all the time, live at your own capacity, not the world’s. He always accepts invitations to the PTA and international exchange events, he always learns something.
Iwata Asks – Volume 5 : Original Super Mario Developers
Publication Date: September 13, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Bros.
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Toshihiko Nakago, Koji Kondo, Yakashi Tezuka, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mario25th/4/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220826090629/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mario25th/4/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/interview/mario25th/vol5/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221201020200/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/interview/mario25th/vol5/index.html
Summary: In December of 1984 he asked people at Systems Research and Development to make a prototype with Mario twice as big as in Mario Bros.
Mario originally had a beam gun and flew on a rocket in Super Mario Bros. It was planned to be the last cartridge game, as the Famicom Disk System was coming out soon. They wanted to fit as much as they could into a cartridge.
It was a big help when Takashi Tezuka joined as another designer. He had Tezuka help him with Devil World.
When working on Donkey Kong Hirokazu Tanaka was the only person who could write music. He appointed Koji Kondo to sound, and he did the bonus screen music in Devil World.
The idea for warps came from Excitebike, and were for expert players to skip to the harder levels.
They decided to use coins rather than fruit in Mario Bros. because players might think it would hurt them, and everyone likes money.
He banned mini-games after Super Mario World. The main thread of a game should be made more interesting rather than rely on them.
It’s important to use the latest technology for Mario games and to do things no one has seen before.
Famitsu (reported on by 1UP)
Publication Date: Unknown (reported on October 20, 2010)
Subject(s): Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Kevin Gifford, unknown Famitsu interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20110721223252/http://www.1up.com/news/super-mario-bros-25th-miyamoto
Summary: The Famicom Disk System was coming out soon and he wanted to put an exclamation mark on cartridge games with Super Mario Bros. He also wanted to build on the athletic game tradition. After making Mario Bros. he realized that if Mario jumps on a turtle, the turtle is going to be more injured than Mario.
The controls for Super Mario Bros. originally had A to shoot bullets, B to run, and up to jump. They scrapped a section where Mario rid a cloud and shoots enemies. They built the game on the scale of small Mario and made him larger in the final version.
People in folk tales wander into forests and eat mushrooms, which fits the setting of a magical kingdom.
The infinite 1UP trick was deliberate, but minus world was not.
Super Mario History
Publication Date: October 21, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Takashi Tezuka, Koji Kondo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scans:
Notes: Super Mario History is a booklet that was packaged with Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition and was part of Super Mario Bros.’ 25th anniversary. The three people interviewed make a small statement about each Mario game. You can read more about it on Super Mario Wiki. Uploaded to Super Mario Wiki by Yoshi the SSM.
Summary: For Super Mario Bros. they wanted to get everything they could out of the technology and have a large Mario under a blue sky.
Super Mario Bros. 2 has a new feel due to being able to lift and throw things.
In Super Mario Bros. 3 the Tanooki Suit turns Mario into a statue, even if it didn’t make sense to people outside of Japan.
They were able to use multilayered scrolling backgrounds with Super Mario World.
In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels you can get infinite 1-UPs in 1-1.
Mario runs like a hamster in Super Mario 64.
With Super Mario Sunshine he dove deeper into 3D.
Anyone can play New Super Mario Bros.
He wanted Super Mario Galaxy to be an easy 3D game to control.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii accomplished his dream of a multiplayer Mario game.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 pushed 3D games to the limit.
They’ve been able to make video games for 25 years thanks to semiconductor technology and the craftsmanship of their team. Thank you to everyone who plays these games.
Nintendo Investor Relations – Corporate Management Policy Briefing/Semi-Annual Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2011
Publication Date: October 29, 2010
Subject(s): Shigeru Miyamoto’s hobbies, innovative 3DS games, PICA200 chip
Format: Investor Q & A
People: Unnamed investors, Nintendo executives including Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/101029qa/index.html
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20191025080347/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/101029qa/index.html
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/101029qa/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220521040210/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/101029qa/index.html
Summary: He has been told not to talk about his hobbies because they could hint what games are being worked on. He’d never start a hobby hoping to find inspiration for a game. He does not find himself special in using his interests in his work. Few people discuss Wii Music, but he wanted to make it because of his interest in music. They have been working on voice guidance systems for museums. They are planning on releasing DSi software that will help neighborhoods convey information.
3D games feel more alive and allow for more tricks, but some people can’t play 3D games because they are more complicated. Striving to make 3D games that can be played by anyone, like Super Mario Galaxy 2. New Super Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are accessible to everyone. They’ll be making 2D and 3D games for the 3DS. You can more easily judge distances with the 3D effect of the 3DS.
With the Nintendo Entertainment System the hardware took care of everything, so they could anticipate stable performance. Nintendo decided to go their own way instead of following what others are doing. The PICA200 chip will allow for stable performance.
Super Mario Bros.’ 25th anniversary celebration at the Nintendo Store
Publication Date: November 7, 2010
Subject(s): Super Mario Bros.’ 25th anniversary
Format: Presentation (live translator)
People: Dave, Reggie Fils-Aimé, Andrew Gardikis, Tim O’Leary (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://youtu.be/dhm841jAMcM?t=257
https://youtu.be/cQNArgIJyDE?t=113
https://youtu.be/XqJ5C2BFPTs?t=1143
Notes: All the videos I found were by the public who came to this event, not the press. I have included several videos since they cover somewhat different perspectives and events. At this event Andrew Gardikis attempts to beat his own Super Mario Bros. speedrun record in front of Mr. Miyamoto, and Mr. Miyamoto cuts a Super Mario Bros. themed cake. Uploaded by YouTube users Underbelly, SuperNatendo, and PeteDorr
Summary: Mario is almost 30 years old, but Super Mario Bros. is 25. Mario needs you in order to become fun and interesting.
Time – The Mythology of Mario: Q&A With Nintendo’s Legendary Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: November 8, 2010
Subject(s): Donkey Kong, Mario, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Wii Music
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Evan Narcisee, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: He doesn’t think of his legacy or position within Nintendo. He focuses on making sure he and his staff are having fun. You have to make sure people don’t get bored working on the same series and are thinking of new twists.
They focused on Mario instead of Donkey Kong because Donkey Kong was too big. They made Donkey Kong Junior to have a smaller, more manageable character. He also wanted to use Mario in many games, like in Punch-Out!! and Tennis. It’s sort of like Alfred Hitchcock appearing in all his movies. Mario is sort of his doppelgänger.
His industrial design background has enabled him to put his ideas onto paper.
He starts by thinking of a game system. It may start out as a Mario game but they realize partway that it would better as a Zelda game. Mario is like a go-to actor, he starts on a new system by seeing what Mario can do.
When they moved to 3D things changed and it seemed like they might lose customers because they didn’t know what it was. It was too much for him to bear, so they’ve focused on making games more accessible. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the culmination of this and was made to be challenging, familiar, accessible, and playable by everyone. A lot of people think simple is cool.
He gets embarrassed when playing older games he made. He looks at Super Mario Bros. 3 and says “this was it?”. The balance for that game was how it needed to be at the time.
The idea of mysterious foods with mysterious properties comes from European folklore, and Alice in Wonderland. But he’s not really sure where the mushrooms came from.
The Legend of Zelda series has elements of folklore, but Mario is more surrealist.
If they are play testing and see something that the player would want to do they need to make the game flexible enough to support that
Mario is mostly action oriented. He doesn’t fit the role of musician. Miis were used in Wii Music so players would feel like they were making the music. There will be a new interface for Wii Music.
They are always evaluating new technology, but they are also looking at pretty much the same things as the other companies. They focus on what the technology can do for them.
The goal is to make something accessible to all ages and skill levels. He wants to make something that makes him look cool, it feels cool to be Link.
Unlike many things from Japan, Mario is not seen as something exotic or from the Orient.
He’ll still be here in 25 years. Many people at Nintendo understand Mario. He can’t imagine what Mario will be like in 25 years because Mario evolves with technology.
USA Today – Q&A;: ‘Mario’ creator Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: November 8, 2010
Subject(s): Donkey Kong, Mario’s origins, childhood, music
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Mike Snider, Brett Molina, Tim O’Leary (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This interview likely took place November 5, 2010.
Summary: When designing Mario for Donkey Kong he had a 16×16 pixel space to work with. Mario’s big nose and mustache helped him stand out. Since it took place at a construction site they made Mario a carpenter. Mario Bros. was underground, so they made Mario a plumber to fit the setting. They didn’t have to animate Mario’s hair because he wore a hat.
A survey found that Mario was more popular than Mickey Mouse. It was embarrassing to have Mario compared to a character that was 40 years old, but they decided to have Mario evolve with new technology.
The biggest advancement was going 3D and having to animate Mario.
Donkey Kong was a hit overseas so they try not to make games focused on one culture and use a universal approach.
He liked foreign comics as a child, so he drew characters with bigger noses. There was no deep thought to Mario being Italian.
Mario’s music is in good hands with Koji Kondo. He talks with Mr. Kondo about what makes game music different from other music. The music in Mario Kart picks up partway through. Since the melody will be heard over and over it has to be recognizable and catchy. There may be some bluegrass and ragtime influence because Mr. Kondo knows he likes it and is kind to him.
Super Mario World had all the action of Super Mario Bros. but also had a map that made players think about where they were going. Many of the people who worked on it became directors and producers.
He wanted to be a manga artist and a puppeteer as a child. His experiences being outside and playing influenced him. He wanted to make things and show it to people.
While making Super Mario Bros. they planned on Mario flying in the sky and riding on clouds. They might have planned on pressing up making Mario jump.
It can be difficult to judge distance in a 3D world presented on a 2D screen. That will be easier with the 3DS.
He’d like to step back and let the staff do more work but he also finds himself very involved, perhaps too much.
Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary – Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: December 7, 2010 (approximate)
Subject(s): Super Mario Bros.’ 25th Anniversary, Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros 2., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Format: Promotional video (subtitled)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Videos:
Notes: These originally appeared on the Wii’s Nintendo Channel. Uploaded by YouTube user NintenDaanNC.
Summary: They wanted to pack in everything they knew about cartridge games into Super Mario Bros. He remembers it being released on Friday the 13th. They wanted to release it during summer break but didn’t quite make it.
He and Takashi Tezuka worked on the concept and design, a young designer helped with pixel art, Koji Kondo did the music and sound effects. There were seven or eight people total.
They were also working on The Legend of Zelda at the time, and wanted to make sure they both had a lot of depth.
They felt they could reach 1 million sales in Japan. He told Mr Tezuka that he thought they were onto something big.
They always keep the American market in mind, and luckily Super Mario Bros. came out in time for the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System. They bundled it with the system make sure everyone would play it.
He feels like he owns a talent agency, he could have put Mario in Wii Fit. Mario can appear in the most different settings.
He decided to use Mario in every new advancement of technology. His future depends on where technology goes.
He wanted to make Donkey Kong scroll, but the arcade board couldn’t do that. You can plan things out when playing a single-screen game.
Super Mario Bros. came about because he wanted to make a game where you can scroll a long distance, and he didn’t want to use a black background anymore.
There was an event called Dream Factory put on by a Japanese television station, they made Super Mario Bros. 2 in collaboration with that.
Mr. Tezuka started the work on Super Mario Bros. 3 and he joined later. They could do a lot more with bank switching by that point. The VS. System was based on the Famicom, and they decided to make a more challenging Super Mario Bros. for it. They made sure you could get infinite 1-UPs near the start.
It’s important for Super Mario Bros. to be creative, but players also need to be.
The New Yorker – Master of Play
Publication Date: December 12, 2010
Subject(s): His children, new experiences, game difficulty, graphics, subversion
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Nick Paumgarten, Yasuhiro Minagawa (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/20/master-of-play
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140729083603/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/20/master-of-play
Notes: The actual interview starts about three-fourths of the way into the article. Parts of this article are a summary of a conversation, I have only summarized the quotes.
Summary: He hopes children can have experiences like the time he reached under a river rock and a fish bit him.
He used to draw cartoons just to show his friends. In the same way he wants people to be entertained by his games.
Nowadays he tries to find new experiences for people to get absorbed in. He also has to fix games to make them fun. He has to remind himself he is a perfect player and asks the younger developers to try testing their games with their hands switched to understand what it’s like for a new player.
If a game is too hard people may quit, but if the difficulty is just right people keep playing it again and again. In movies and novels the author is leading the audience to the end, but in games it has to be the player.
He has been changing the interior and exterior of his house, even moving the sofa at midnight.
Doing anything that isn’t necessary can be play. He doesn’t know why humans play.
When his children wanted to play video games he made it clear that they were borrowing his property.
He admires Will Wright.
Some games are well-suited to a realistic style, but he doesn’t like the idea that all games should be.
He has been impressed with how some manga authors subvert their own style as they get older, he wanted to eventually do that when he joined Nintendo.
2011
2011 Nintendo Company Guide (untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: 2011
Subject(s): Nintendo
Format: Essay
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Scan:
Notes: Nintendo periodically makes company guides to advertise to prospective employees and to welcome new employees. This picture was taken by Erik Voskuil and is from his blog Before Mario.
Iwata Asks – Volume 1 And That’s How the Nintendo 3DS Was Made
Publication Date: January 7, 2011
Subject(s): Nintendo 3DS, Virtual Boy, StreetPass, SpotPass
Format: Transcribed group interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigesato Itoi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220826090509/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/hardware/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221116131958/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/hardware/vol1/index.html
Summary: It was important that you could control the 3D effect with a physical slide, that it not be digital. He was interested in virtual reality, but was busy developing the Nintendo 64 when it was being worked on. The Virtual Boy was more of an exciting toy than a gaming system, but others saw it as the successor to the Game Boy. It wasn’t a bad product, but Nintendo portrayed it incorrectly.
If they had just improved the technology of the DS, then the 3DS would be something anyone could create. Resolution was important for 3D, and the 3DS was finally strong enough. Not everything needs to be stick out, but some scenes are enhanced by it. His dog is more well known than him in his neighborhood. Kids might ask their father to take their 3DS on trips so they can get StreetPasses. Hollywood is taking Nintendo seriously, people want to make movies with their characters. Touch! Generations games won’t be used on 3DS, the system itself is closer to the concept than the games that will appear on it.
Iwata Asks – Volume 4 nintendogs + cats
Publication Date: February 8, 2011
Subject(s): Nintendogs + Cats, Nintendogs
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Hideki Konno, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/3/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220826090508/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/3/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/hardware/vol4/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221224063849/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/hardware/vol4/index.html
Summary: He didn’t feel like making a Nintendogs for the Wii at the time.
When he got a cat he realized there aren’t as many things you can do with one compared to a dog, so the game shows how dogs and cats interact. They had to make new animations for the cats.
Nintendogs was originally tested as a GameCube game.
Dogs move their head to watch something while cats move their eyes, they had to take that into account.
They didn’t include Siamese or Persian cats because they aren’t popular anymore.
Nintendogs + Cats is such an essential game that people will wonder why it isn’t included with the 3DS.
Iwata Asks – Volume 5 Asking Mr. Miyamoto Right Before Release (Nintendo 3DS)
Publication Date: February 25, 2011
Subject(s): Nintendo 3DS, Miis, Steel Diver, Star Fox 64 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/4/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220826090517/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/4/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/hardware/vol5/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221224050702/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/hardware/vol5/index.html
Summary: Bundling software with the 3DS allows everyone to use it together. He wants to spread Miis around the world, wants them to be the world standard for avatars. They researched creating Miis automatically from photographs.
He has wanted to make a flight simulation game for a long time, but not like Pilotwings. He felt mortified when Steel Battalion came out, Capcom had beat him to making a huge machine simulator. Steel Diver wouldn’t be immersive if you just pressed the control pad and buttons to control it. The touch screen allows for dials and switches that stay in the state they were placed. It started development on the DS, but they decided it would look nicer on the 3DS. Players who set their own goals will find a lot to do.
The Legend of Zelda was plain and the fantasy setting was not mainstream at the time. When he works on plain games he encourages the development team, tells them it’s an accomplishment to make a plain game great.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64 were remade because the technology was so limited with the originals, it’s been long enough that young people haven’t played them, and to see them in 3D. There are new things for people who have played them before. Ocarina of Time was the Zelda game he was most involved with, but even he doesn’t understand why it had the impact that it did. There are a lot of firsts in the game, it was very open because they were making up what a 3D Zelda game was. His wife said it looked pretty, but she’d never want to play it. She had never expressed interest in a game before.
GameBlog.fr (untranslated from French)
Publication Date: April 21, 2011
Subject(s): 3DS
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Julien Chièze, Shigeru Miyamoto
French Links: https://www.gameblog.fr/jeu-video/ed/interviews/shigeru-miyamoto-notre-interview-integrale-95527
https://www.gameblog.fr/jeu-video/ed/news/shigeru-miyamoto-notre-interview-en-video-20316
French Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190258/https://www.gameblog.fr/jeu-video/ed/interviews/shigeru-miyamoto-notre-interview-integrale-95527
Notes: There were a number of articles about this interview that used machine translation, but I will not be relying on it for a summary. The third link is a video.
Edge (reported on by Computer and Video Games, incomplete)
Publication Date: April, 2011 (reported on April 22, 2011)
Subject(s): Wii U
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by unnamed Computer and Video Games staff, unnamed Edge interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20110425151811/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/299098/news/wii-2-is-coming-admits-miyamoto/
Summary: When the Wii launched they started working on new hardware, work on the 3DS was underway.
All Your Base Are Belong to Us: How Fifty Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture
Publication Date: April 5, 2011
Subject(s): Childhood, joining Nintendo, Donkey Kong, Wii Remote
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Harold Goldberg, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: The Selected Notes section of this book describes two chapters of this book as coming from three interviews with Mr. Miyamoto over the years, and one chapter as drawing on interviews with Mr. Miyamoto. It is not clear precisely what information came from these interviews and what was gleaned from other sources, so I am only summarizing a small portion of these chapters.
Summary: He loved to explore as a child, one time he found a cave in Flour Mountain.
He liked watching plants and animals on his Boy Scout trips on Mount Rokko.
He made a racing game with a steering wheel and belt as a child and also made model airplanes.
He was inspired by caves, waterfalls, and the ruins of a castle in his childhood home of Sonobe.
His father wanted him to focus on schoolwork, but his mother encouraged his artistic side. He drew, painted, and performed puppet shows.
He loved Disney movies, King Kong, and Godzilla.
He wanted to get a job as a manga artist, but one of his father’s friends got him an interview with Nintendo. At the interview he showed off clothes hangers with elephant heads and a drawing of an amusement park-themed alarm clock.
At Nintendo he worked on art for Disney-themed board games. It wasn’t challenging work.
When Hiroshi Yamuachi asked him if he liked video games he replied that he liked Pong and Space Invaders, but that games needed to tell a story.
He was told to improve Radar Scope, but didn’t feel it was an engaging game.
He started thinking about making a Popeye game, but made up his own characters when a contract with King Features was delayed.
As he took on more work he started going to pachinko parlors to escape his worries. He eventually replaced the habit with exercise.
If it took too much force to bowl in Wii Sports then Wii Remotes would fly out of people’s hands, if it didn’t take enough it wouldn’t feel real.
Edge – Miyamoto Reveals More On Mario 3DS
Publication Date: April 21, 2011
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D Land
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Nathan Brown, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20120612043837/http://www.edge-online.com/news/miyamoto-reveals-more-mario-3ds
Notes: This interview took place in London. I couldn’t find this interview in the magazine itself.
Summary: Super Mario 3D Land will be in between Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy.
It’s easier to judge the distance between floors in 3D.
The tail in the logo is what you think it is.
Gamekyo – Shigeru Miyamoto press conference in Paris: the full video! (reported on by Digital Trends, partially untranslated from French)
Publication Date: April 22, 2011 (reported on April 26, 2011)
Subject(s): Star Fox 64 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, 3DS
Format: Q & A
People: Reported on by Jeffrey Van Camp, unnamed Gamekyo interviewer, unnamed members of the press, Shigeru Miyamoto
French Link: https://www.gamekyo.com/newsfr40751_shigeru-miyamoto-conference-de-presse-a-paris-l-integralite-en-video.html
French Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20110520230916/http://www.gamekyo.com/newsfr40751_shigeru-miyamoto-conference-de-presse-a-paris-l-integralite-en-video.html
Notes: The title of the Gamekyo article has been machine translated and the video of the interview has been set to private.
Summary: Star Fox 64 3D is finished and you can use gyro controls.
You can use the touch screen to manage items in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and it runs at 30 frames per second. There is a boss rush mode and a Master Quest mode, which is very hard.
Super Mario 3D Land is being developed and will be a mix of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Bros. He has ideas about how to make 3D Mario more accessible.
He’s been testing a game where you move an object to find out what it is. Another game being tested has images that can only be seen by one eye.
The 3DS might be usable as a controller for the Wii U.
The Guardian – Shigeru Miyamoto: ‘I’m the person who saw things differently’
Publication Date: April 30, 2011
Subject(s): The future, 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Chris Schilling, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/may/01/shigeru-miyamoto-nintendo-donkey-kong
Summary: Gunpei Yokoi has been his biggest inspiration in design.
He wishes he had made SimCity.
He would like to teach young people game development when he leaves Nintendo.
They remade The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time because it would be more immersive in 3D. Gyro controls for the bow and slingshot are more intuitive.
Nintendo focuses on uniqueness rather than what others are doing.
He’s not thinking of retirement yet. He hopes to be remembered as someone who saw things from a different point of view.
The Telegraph – Shigeru Miyamoto interview
Publication Date: May 5, 2011
Subject(s): 3DS, Steel Diver, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D Land
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Tom Hoggins, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8493624/Shigeru-Miyamoto-interview.html
Summary: They’ve had a good start with the 3DS. It’s hard to convey the 3D effect.
They want to release a lot of games this year. The ideal way to play Steel Diver is sitting in an office chair that spins.
Today’s children never got to experience The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but the 3DS version is a faithful adaptation for fans.
The 3DS eShop will need specific and meaningful software. With digital games you don’t have to switch game cards, they are always with you.
The stereoscopic 3D of Super Mario 3D Land will help you with tricky jumps.
The gyro controls can move the camera instead of a second analog stick, which is intuitive.
There is space for home consoles to be unique, the next system will be an evolution of the Wii.
Iwata Asks – Steel Diver
Publication Date: May 10, 2011
Subject(s): Steel Diver
Format: Transcribed group interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Giles Goddard, Takaya Imamura, Tadashi Sugiyama, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/steel-diver/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220614112707/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/steel-diver/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/asdj/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220819084243/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/asdj/vol1/index.html
Summary: Giles Goddard taught him how to juggle.
He made sure the submarine in Steel Diver felt real to control, not sleek and he didn’t want it to be another side-scroller. The movement is slow and requires a lot of skill, it is like a time trial.
Mario was originally made a plump shape due to collision detection at the time being square boxes.
He waited until development was almost done before telling developers to move it to 3DS, staying behind the scenes like a puppetmaster. Steel Diver is like a car with manual transmission. He focused on making the game replayable rather than having lots of content.
The Guardian – Nintendo’s guru: talking game design with Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: May 25, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, eShop, SpotPass
Format: Presentation, Q & A
People: Steve Boxer, unnamed members of the press, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/may/25/nintendo-miyamoto-interview-mario-3ds
Summary: They want to release a lot of 3DS games this year. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will release in June, Star Fox 64 3D in summer, Super Mario 3D Land later this year, and Mario Kart 7.
Star Fox 64 3D uses gyro and the circle pad. You can aim perfectly because of the stereoscopic 3D. It can be difficult to use stereoscopic 3D all the time, but you miss some fun using 2D. Sitting in an office chair that can spin is the best way to play games with gyro controls.
Super Mario 3D Land is a combination of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64. If he talks about the tail in the logo there will be nothing to show at E3.
Ocarina of Time 3D will run at 30 frames per second and the graphics are better. You can place items with the touch screen. It’s easy to change your boots, and you don’t have to worry about pushing up or down to aim the bow, since it’s controlled with the gyro sensor.
He’s more involved with StreetPass than SpotPass. An update will bring SpotPass, a browser, and the eShop.
Nintendo will make meaningful games for the eShop. They might sell digital-only games from their big franchises on the eShop.
It’s important for game designers to understand the systems they are developing for. It’s also important to understand a game’s mechanisms. People should make good games since games and devices are higher level. A developer’s uniqueness should show in their games. You can’t just focus on putting more money into a game, you need to be focused on something.
Iwata Asks – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: May 26, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/zelda-ocarina-of-time/4/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221214073828/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/zelda-ocarina-of-time/4/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/aqej/vol5/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221007060901/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/aqej/vol5/index.html
Summary: He did not find development of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time hard, and was glad for the delay. Considered making the entire game take place in Ganon’s castle.
He doesn’t like pre-rendered cutscenes because he can’t change them at the last minute.
Cowboy Westerns were a big influence on him.
He reworked villages to have more verticality for chicken gliding.
Some people still think Link is Zelda.
NGamer – Miyamotormouth
Publication Date: June, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Super Mario 3D Land
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed NGamer interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scans:
Notes: Scans by Out of Print Archive.
Summary: Controlling the bow and slingshots was inconvenient in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but it’s easier with gyroscopic controls in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
In Star Fox 64 3D using both the analog controls and gyroscope is key.
Gyroscopic control will be important to Super Mario 3D Land, too. The gyroscope replaces one of the analog sticks.
He’d like to remake The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, it’s two layered like Xevious.
It’s easier to judge distances in 3D. Super Mario 3D Land will have a fixed camera.
They focus on doing what others aren’t. Budget doesn’t matter if you aren’t focused.
Nintendo of America – E3 2011
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Format: Presentation (live translator)
People: Takashi Tezuka, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Eiji Aonuma, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Contains a segment at 49:55 with Mr. Miyamoto talking to Iwata that is essentially a shorter version of this entry. Uploaded by YouTube user Gamespot.
Summary: This year is the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. The visuals and gameplay have evolved with each new system. Music is indispensable part of Zelda. Link has often had a musical instrument. For the 25th anniversary they have a Zelda game for each of their systems.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening will be available today on the 3DS eShop. This game was perhaps the one made with the most unbridled creativity. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will launch next weekend. The framerate and graphics are improved. There are hint movies for new players, and a mirrored Master Quest mode for returning players. The DSi will see The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords for free in September. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will release this holiday season for Wii. There will be a special gold Wii Remote for promotion. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D official soundtrack will be a gift to those who register first with Club Nintendo.
The Legend of Zelda series has been worked on by over 200 people at Nintendo. He would like to invite some of them on stage.
[Takashi Tezuka, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and Eiji Aonuma come on stage.]
He would like to end by thanking everyone who plays The Legend of Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Feature
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda’s 25th Anniversary
Format: Promotional video
People: Eiji Aonuma, Koji Kondo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: This was made by Nintendo but it’s not clear where it originally appeared. This video begins with a montage of The Legend of Zelda games. Uploaded by YouTube user NintenDaanNC.
Summary: He wanted The Legend of Zelda to be a game you thought about when you weren’t playing it.
They wanted to make a big world since you could save data with the Famicom Disk System. Players can familiarize themselves with the game after playing it for a long time and they can get better by mastering the controls. This gives them a sense of pride.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has the best interface due to Wii MotionPlus, it allows you to change items quickly.
Nintendo World Report – Nintendo E3 2011 Roundtable #1 Liveblog/
GameSpot – E3 2011: Wii U Pikmin revealed at Nintendo developer roundtable
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Mario Kart 7, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, WIi Vitality Sensor
Format: Presentation/demonstration, Q & A
People: Jonathan Metts, Michael “TYP” Cole, Tor Thorsen, unnamed members of the press, Nate Bihldorff, Bill Trinen (translator), Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Masahiro Sakurai, Shigeru Miyamoto
Links: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/26639/nintendo-e3-2011-roundtable-1-liveblog
Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20230206004714/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/26639/nintendo-e3-2011-roundtable-1-liveblog
Notes: I am combing both of these articles about the same event. They were both somewhat hastily written live. This Q & A took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Summary: They’d like to focus on the 3DS tonight and will start with a The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D trailer. He played the original again recently and found it was still fresh and that he’d forgotten many things.
People who press up to move upwards in a flight game grew up as Sega fans. People who prefer inverted controls may change their mind with the Circle Pad, but he thinks gyro controls are best for up and down movement.
The flying style is his favorite part of Star Fox 64 3D. Players can use the gyroscope for moving up and down and the circle pad for left and right.
Retro Studios is helping with Mario Kart 7.
He told Eiji Aonuma that the Water Temple difficulty shouldn’t be changed.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon may come next year, it is being made by Next Level Games. The original game was the first thing they used to test the 3DS’ 3D feature. The game is half action and half puzzle game.
They made Nintendogs before a Mario game on the 3DS. Some more casual games are included on the 3DS but they are working on more traditional games.
Women like Mario games, but Super Mario Galaxy sounds like a boy’s game. Some women thought Luigi’s Mansion was too scary. Star Fox was about the male fantasy of flying a jet.
The Wii Vitality Sensor is not stable enough to release yet.
They’re going to make Pikmin for the Wii U.
Nintendo Network @ E3 2011
Publication Date: June 7, 2011 (approximate time of filming, publishing date unknown)
Subject(s): 3DS, Wii U, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Pikmin 3
Format: Q & A (dubbed)
People: Unnamed members of the press, Bill Trinen (translator), Julian Chunovic (translator), Scot Ritchey (translator), Takashi Tezuka, Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scqmPTvuZ1A
Notes: There is a “Nintendo Network @ E3 2011” graphic at the beginning and Brian Corsetti introduces the footage as a “Nintendo Network exclusive”. The Nintendo Network did not launch until early 2012, so this would have been old news by the earliest time it could have appeared on Nintendo Network. Nintendo Network carried Nintendo Video, but lists of videos on Nintendo Network do not include this video. Similar videos with Brian Corsetti at E3 2011 are on Nintendo of America’s YouTube channel, but not this one. Uploaded by YouTube user NintenDaanNC.
Summary: The most important topic this year is what they’ll be doing with the Wii and DS. They announced the Wii U, but they’re going to focus on 3DS tonight. The eShop for 3DS launched and there are 10 3D trailers.
Those in the audience with the SpotPass turned on may have received his personal Mii.
He told Eiji Aonuma that if The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword isn’t the best Zelda ever they might be done making them.
They are working with Next Level Games on Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. They made it because he wanted to.
As he’s been working on the Wii U he’s wanted more and more to make a Pikmin game for it, so they are going to.
Iwata Asks – E3 2011: Wii U
Publication Date: June 8, 2011
Subject(s): Wii U, Wii
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/e32011/newhw/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221019040247/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/e32011/newhw/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/links/e3_2011/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220701084334/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/links/e3_2011/index.html
Notes: The E3 2011 press conference has a short video segment that is essentially a short version of this interview, see this entry.
Summary: He started with the idea of a monitor to show the status of the Wii or games, like seeing your weight in Wii Fit. A second screen that only one person can see opens up new possibilities. It’s more convenient to have a keyboard on a screen you can touch. He’s looking forward to new ways to play, there won’t be a shortage of ideas.
He still debates if playable Miis in a Mario game are okay. Video games create situations where one family member wants to watch TV, and another wants to play a game. He has a feeling that Wii U will change the limits of consoles, something that people can’t imagine living without.
Entertainment Weekly – Wii U: Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto on the new system, and a Mario movie?
Publication Date: June 14, 2011
Subject(s): Wii U, new player experiences, making movies with Nintendo characters, mobile games
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Adam B. Vary, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://ew.com/article/2011/06/14/miyamoto-mario-zelda-wii-u/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20230515232401/https://ew.com/article/2011/06/14/miyamoto-mario-zelda-wii-u/
Summary: When they saw how the Wii was being used they came up with the plan for the Wii U. They knew it needed to have high definition graphics. Some newer televisions take a long time to start up, so they wanted a second monitor.
People at Nintendo are core gamers. The DS and Wii were meant to reach a broader audience. The Wii U’s high definition graphics and the GamePad are meant to appeal to a core audience. It also has a touch screen and motion controls for the more casual audience.
There was a Pac-Man demo five years ago where each player couldn’t see what the other was doing, they made Chase Mii based on that. When you move a controller with a gyroscope up, you look up. With an analog stick, some people will press up, and some down, in order to look upwards. With the Wii U not everyone has to sit through the set up of a Mario game where the number of players are chosen, one person can do that on the GamePad.
What we react to in entertainment doesn’t change very much. The way the experiences are delivered keeps them fresh. They use new technologies to convey experiences in new ways.
Every game has to have a first-time experience for new players. Just adding new things on top. They constantly have to balance first-time players and existing gamers.
Television shows and movies have determined times, what you can do is constricted. There’s no limit with video games.
They’ve had a lot of offers to make movies based on their characters. They want people who play Mario games to use Mario the way they want to, not the way they saw him in a movie. He’d also want to check every detail of a movie adaptation. Maybe, if he met someone he felt really confident in, he might allow a movie to be made. He doesn’t feel brave enough for that right now.
Video games are no longer about the traditional console and handheld, there are PCs, tables, and phones. A lot of people said handheld gaming was dead when phone games took off, but they’ll be fine if they make games that only be played on their hardware.
Game Informer – Miyamoto Talks Wii U, Zelda, And Nintendo’s Past
Publication Date: June 17, 2011
Subject(s): High definition graphics, Wii remote, Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary, Super Mario 3D Land, Tanooki Suit, colorful hardware
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Tim Turi, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2011.
Summary: They considered making the Wii support high definition, but didn’t for a few reasons. HD TVs became popular faster than they expected, so they knew it was important for the Wii U to support it.
They have ideas for console and handheld connectivity based on experiments they have done. Game Boy Advance and GameCube connectivity had a limited audience since not everyone had both, or the cable that was needed. Everyone with a Wii U has a GamePad with a screen, developers can count on that.
The relative lack of buttons on the Wii Remote lead developers to use motion controls to make up for it. The Wii U has motion controls and a touch screen, but also a full set of buttons.
It’s common for ideas to be rejected, it’s part of the development process. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword started as an experiment based on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. They figured out what gameplay styles and interactions they wanted to use. He was nervous about it early on.
He doesn’t own an iPhone or iPad but he checks on what’s happening with those platforms while at work. One of their challenges is figuring out the best game to make within an interface. Sometimes they make hardware around an idea. It’s a challenge to look at games on other platforms and figure out how to make them more intuitive or unique. The Wii U is about the dynamic between controller and TV.
The Wii U came from them asking where they want the future of console gaming to go. They wanted to interact with the TV in new ways and to change the living room experience. It’s a barrier when someone else is using the living room TV, or having to wait for the TV to turn on. They wanted to make something that can be turned on quickly to check up on your friends.
It was less important to show off the console than to convey the experience of using it.
As The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary came up they started thinking about how to let the fans celebrate. The series has a connection to music, so they thought having a concert made sense.
What’s valued the most about The Legend of Zelda is putting the player in the world and using their abilities to overcome challenges. This can make the gameplay feel linear. They try to give the player a lot of freedom and reward them for finding things. There are a lot of places to go and things to see in Skyward Sword, it’s open world.
Few people played The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures since you needed so many cables. With the 3DS you don’t need cables. For the 25th anniversary they made it available via DSi.
The Wii U’s circle pads are more advanced than those on the 3DS.
They focused on The Legend of Zelda’s 25th anniversary, 3DS, and Wii U at E3 this year, there was no room for Kirby.
Kirby’s name was partially from John Kirby, the lawyer who defended them from Universal. They had a list of potential names they were deciding between, which included Kirby. They thought it would be funny if there was a connection between the character and the lawyer. Kirby is also a soft, cute character, while the name Kirby is harsh, the juxtaposition is funny.
Super Mario 3D Land draws from Super Mario Bros. 3, but it is a Super Mario 64 type of game.
They had a lot of freedom when designing the Tanooki Suit. There are folktales about Tanooki holding a leaf to their head and transforming. Slowly falling down as you whip the tail back and forth is fun, and it’s meaningful in a 3D game.
He has wanted to make more use of color in their hardware, but people thought it was kid-oriented. Minimizing color makes the hardware appeal to all ages.
GameSpot – E3 2011: Miyamoto speaks his mind
Publication Date: June 20, 2011
Subject(s): 3DS, Wii U, third parties, power versus price
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed GameSpot interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2011-miyamoto-speaks-his-mind/1100-6320234/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20131022100926/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2011-miyamoto-speaks-his-mind/1100-6320234/
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2011
Summary: They can remake games for the 3DS and give them new meaning and they can also create new games in old series.
They’ve been working on a Pikmin game for a while. The Wii U is a perfect fit for it.
It can be challenging to get the most out of new hardware. Some developers can do it on their own and some wait on help from Nintendo. Games in the launch window were made in a short period of time.
He wanted to bring Star Fox back to its origins. Kids haven’t played Star Fox 64 or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
His passion is blazing a trail for the future of video games. They want the Wii U to be like the Wii, something everyone in the living room. He also has fun with the small details, like he’s doing with Skyward Sword now.
Their first experiment with 3D on the 3DS was with Luigi’s Mansion. It worked well with the structure of the building.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon isn’t that scary, but the horror theme is well suited to a small screen you are hunched over.
Satoru Iwata told him they were going to celebrate Super Mario Bros.’ 25th anniversary, and then it seemed sad not to celebrate Zelda’s 25th anniversary the next year. Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition wasn’t typical for Nintendo and he wanted to do something different for Zelda. They decided to focus on music and to give players the ability to celebrate on their own.
He feels fortunate that people around the world enjoy his work.
He’s worked on the Wii’s U controller. They felt it was time to disconnect consoles from the television.
It’s a coincidence that there has been a tablet boom as they’re about to launch the Wii U, they’ve been working on it for years. There are unique ways to use the GamePad and its connection to the TV and Wii U.
They are careful about pricing at Nintendo, most parents have a line for how much they are willing to spend on something for their kids. Nintendo is the company most concerned with striking a balance between price and power. It’s somewhat reckless to include something like a tablet.
They try to show third-party developers how they can use the GamePad’s screen and the gyro controls so that they’ll think about how they can use those features in the games they are developing.
He wants to look back at the projects he worked hard on and say they had fun. His job is to unleash the creativity of the people he works with.
He feels a duty and responsibility to the people who have been playing his games their whole lives.
IGN – Miyamoto Discusses Wii U’s Origins
Publication Date: June 20, 2011
Subject(s): Wii U
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Richard George, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/21/miyamoto-discusses-wii-us-origins
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20230417200622/https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/21/miyamoto-discusses-wii-us-origins
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2011.
Summary: You can use Wii Remotes with the Wii U. You can play a game on the GamePad while someone else watches TV. You can also use the touch screen for a map and items.
The problem they’re trying to solve is not being able to play because the TV is being used. They have a lot of ideas about how to use the second screen. With a first-person shooter you could see what everyone is doing online on the TV, and play on the GamePad.
High definition graphics means that assets will take longer to make.
With WiiConnect 24 they wanted people to always be able to receive information on their Wii, but they didn’t always have access to their TV. They considered that when making the Wii U. Satoru Iwata talks about one-foot versus 10-foot communication. You interact with a device differently if you’re holding it than if it’s like a TV. You can draw on a handheld device.
MTV – Nintendo’s Miyamoto: ‘Not Our Goal’ To Become The Number One Online Gaming Company
Publication Date: June 22, 2011
Subject(s): Online connectivity
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Russ Frushtick, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: Nintendo’s goal is not to become the #1 online gaming company, but Internet connectivity will still be important to the Wii U. There are opportunities to expand a local same-room experience by connecting to the Internet. They have introduced Miis and hopefully everyone will have one.
Iwata Asks – Star Fox 64 3D
Publication Date: July 5, 2011
Subject(s): Star Fox 64 3D, Star Fox, Star Fox 64, Star Fox 2
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Mitsuhiro Takano, Tusuke Amano, Dylan Cuthbert, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/starfox/0/0
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220614112731/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/starfox/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/anrj/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220807183553/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/anrj/vol1/index.html
Summary: He was surprised Dylan Cuthbert could be a programmer at 18. They worked on their English and Japanese together. He wanted to make the Super FX Chip because he thought drawing sprites from so many angles in Pilotwings and F-Zero was a waste of effort. He was told the Super Nintendo Entertainment System wasn’t really designed for 3D, but then saw a demo for X.
Star Fox originally involved driving tanks. Arwings got their name from looking like a wing shaped like an “A”. He suggested animal characters in Star Fox because he had been drawing animals characters and didn’t want to do robots, superheroes, or monsters. You go through a lot of arches in the game, and that reminded him of a shrine associated with foxes.
Star Fox 2 used the Super FX Chip 2, you could fly 360 degrees. It got delayed and seemed outdated after the N64 came out, so it wasn’t released. Star Fox is about acceleration and deceleration.
He wanted to make a Star Fox game for 3DS, but not spend 3 years making a new one. The gyro sensor is universal, unlike the divide between normal and reversed vertical movement. In the Fushimi Inari Shrine near his house the spirit takes the shape of a fox.
Iwata Asks – Super Mario 3D Land
Publication Date: September 13, 2011
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D Land
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja6dP_1VANE
Notes: Uploaded by YouTube user TheBitBlock.
Summary: When they made Mario’s first 3D model they didn’t have to think about how he would look or who would design him anymore.
Anyone can play a 2D game, there’s only one way to go. Some people get lost in 3D games.
Super Mario games were about stomping turtles until Super Mario 64, it was harder in 3D. With Super Mario 3D Land he wants to challenge players to stomp again, so it plays like a 2D game. The name pays homage to Super Mario Land. It feels like a more advanced Super Mario Bros. 3. Every level ends in a flagpole.
Getting to world 8 is easy but it gets much more difficult from there.
There are many moves that you don’t need to beat the game.
He tries to make games that don’t require stereoscopic 3D, but there are some places that are tricky without it.
Iwata Asks – Special Edition: Creative Small Talk
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Subject(s): The creation process. Part of a series of interviews about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigesato Itoi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/zelda-skyward-sword/7/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220826090145/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/zelda-skyward-sword/7/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/interview/souj/sp/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220903151551/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/interview/souj/sp/index.html
Summary: He has “sporadic thoughts” at Nintendo at night when no one else is around
Meetings don’t go well when they are too organized.
When someone comes to him with an idea he says it won’t work about 70% of the time.
He wanted to be a cartoonist a long time ago.
When someone becomes a director they lose some passion and desperation.
He hates it when people pretend to be busy.
He stopped someone from adding the mechanic in Super Mario 64 where you grab Bowser’s tail and spin him.
Dreams are forbidden. History is a battle against restrictions.
He makes last minutes changes to E3 presentations.
He hates it when you can see how a game was made.
Iwata Asks – Volume 2: The Producers (Super Mario 3D Land)
Publication Date: October 27, 2011
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D Land
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Koichi Hayashida, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Takashi Tezuka, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/super-mario-3d-land/1/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220826090752/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/super-mario-3d-land/1/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/arej/vol2/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20210115141655/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/arej/vol2/index.html
Summary: He looked back at processes from the Nintendo Entertainment System era for Super Mario 3D Land.
He’s had varying feelings towards coins.
Work went quickly because of the Tokyo Software Development team.
They put a lot of effort into movement and stomping.
He used to consider changing direction in mid-air bad, but eventually changed his mind.
Super Mario 3D Land is a 2D-like 3D game and he can barely stand how happy he is with some of the new things.
Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Cultural Extravaganza
Publication Date: November 5, 2011
Subject(s): Starting at Nintendo, Pikmin 3, originality, Pikmin, Mario Kart, how Japanese games compare
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Translator: Matt Walker for The Famicast.
Notes: The YouTube subtitles have the English translation.
Summary: There weren’t a lot of games when he joined Nintendo. He wasn’t much of a gamer, but Space Invaders and Pac-Man hooked him.
Once they get into development he creates as he plays. It eats at him, wanting to know what others are feeling when they play his games. Ideally people will feel the same way he does. He used to want to show off, but around when he turned 30 he remembered he used to always want to do something different from everyone else.
He finally announced Pikmin 3 at E3 2011. Development had started and restarted for five years.
He struggles with requests to just make more of what he’s been doing while not wanting to keep doing the same thing. It’s fairly easy to expand on a game, but that makes it more complicated and less approachable. When he watches comedy he wants something new, but with games he falls into the trap of wanting something fancier. With other people’s games he tends to think “they’re doing that again?”
He likes to make things that are universal that will last, not what’s trendy.
He always thinks interest in games is decreasing, but he worries about how many he can attract. He wants to escape the boom cycle where one thing makes a lot of money and everyone copies it. People praised Super Mario Bros. for things that other games did well. Game makers make the mistake of assuming everyone else is as familiar with games as they are.
If you do what everyone else does you’ll have to one-up the competition. You have more options when you’re making something original. Being original is dangerous, but there’s a lot of space for it.
Occasionally he has told someone off as an example, hoping everyone else will shape up, too. He can get caught up in tense discussions during meetings, but when he sees someone else like that he wants to make them laugh.
He’s not sure where he gets ideas from. He didn’t get the idea for Pikmin while watching ants, but they were trying to re-organize a game and he thought it would be better if they were ants. Everyone understands ants, so that’s why he explains Pikmin that way. He didn’t watch ants in his garden. They were trying to come up with gameplay involving controlling lots of objects, but it was hard to come up with an objective. An ant’s goal is to get home. The figured it would make sense for the creatures in the game to go home by themselves, following each other. It’s difficult to explain so he came up ants in his yard to explain it.
A designer working on an early version of Pikmin had sketches of characters with leaves and flowers on their heads with black dot eyes.
He thought the completionist’s goal should be to beat Pikmin without letting a single one die. Pikmin measures your morals.
They always want to go back to the origin, to revisit an old idea with new technology.
If you stop to think about it you’ll question if it’s okay for Mario to be in Mario Kart. Picking up coins in a racing game is unfathomable. People with racing game experience thought it made no sense. In Mario Kart it’s about your last second actions.
With The Legend of Zelda games they’ll add this or that and it eventually becomes packed with content. Role-playing and adventure games have stories, but it’s boring to just follow the story, it would be better as a movie. Movies can make you cry, but games can make you cry due to the hardships you’re facing. He wants people to immerse themselves in that way.
He read manga as a child and wanted to be a manga artist. He started a manga club with his friend in middle school. He made his own manga, but as he got better he realized how hard it would be to be a professional manga artist.
He has lots of staff members that have been working with him for 20-30 years. Almost none of the 100 main members have quit.
The closer he gets to 60 the easier it is for him to step back.
There used to be charismatic leaders in all the industries, but they’ve disappeared.
He gives no thought to the difference between Japanese and non-Japanese works, there is no difference. Japan is good at making understandable games and working under technological limits. In America they push limits, power has overtaken volume. Now people say games from overseas are better.
When he listens to the Beatles it makes him remember old memories. He hopes games have a similar effect on people. He wants to make something interactive and memorable, so that someone will remember solving a puzzle with their dad.
It’s ridiculous when people say games are just for kids. It pisses him off when people underestimate children, they aren’t stupid.
Weekly Play News – Interview with game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Mario and Zelda series (reported on by Andriasang.com, partially untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: November 11, 2011 (reported on November 12, 2011)
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D Land, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Anoop Gantayat, Momoko Kawai, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20111114160018/http://andriasang.com/comyxv/
Japanese Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20120119173732/http://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/2011/11/11/7934/
https://web.archive.org/web/20111218192427/http://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/2011/11/23/8186/
Notes: The title is a machine translation. It’s unclear if the article reporting on this interview was using machine translation.
Summary: He test plays games and gives feedback, generally seven at a time. He writes a checklist of things to talk about with the game director. He plays up to 10 hours a day sometimes.
Super Mario 3D Land took about two years to develop, it went from two people to 30 people.
Famitsu (reported on by 1UP, partially untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: Unknown (reported on November 22, 2011)
Subject(s): Mario Kart 7
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Kevin Gifford, unknown Famitsu interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130306152018/http://www.1up.com/news/miyamoto-talks-mario-kart-7
Summary: Mario Kart is a stable series, Hideki Konno mainly handled the production. He makes the decisions about adding new gameplay to Mario Kart.
He was against the customization features. Winning money and buying parts can be fun, but it wasn’t part of the fun of the series.
Some people wanted him to look more closely at the game, but it’s pretty stable evolving in a safe manner. The online parts are neat.
Coming up with a title was troublesome, so they went with what felt best, and seven is a lucky number.
The Wall Street Journal – Nintendo Game Chief Sees Better Times Ahead
Publication Date: December 8, 2011
Subject(s): 3DS, Nintendo after he retires, online safety, physical controls
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Ian Sherr, Stu Woo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/BL-DGB-23658
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20230514195014/https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/BL-DGB-23658
Summary: It was difficult to explain what you could do with the 3DS, but now they can tell people to try Super Mario 3D Land to see for themselves.
They have to structure Nintendo so that it can go on without him. It might be better without him, as it takes a different approach. If he dwells on this more there will be articles about him retiring, which isn’t true.
They have to be careful with freedom of expression when making online features that include children.
Games are about experiences, they are fine-tuning the details of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
In-Game – Nintendo’s Miyamoto scuttles ‘retirement’ talk
Publication Date: December 9, 2011
Subject(s): Retirement
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Kyle Orland, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This interview is in response to a preview of a Wired interview where Mr. Miyamoto talks about retiring. The full Wired interview had not come out yet when this article was published. The full Wired interview has an entry here. In-Game was a subsection of MSNBC’s website.
Summary: He has no plan to retire, and he may not even be allowed to. Everyone eventually retires and Nintendo has to prepare for that.
He has been telling this to people at Nintendo for years to make them more responsible. He wants younger developers to take on more assignments and to be prepared.
Games aren’t made by single people, they are made by teams. Those teams are growing so that they’ll be able to make great things without him.
Spike Video Game Awards – Spike’s Video Game Hall of Fame
Publication Date: December 10, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda
Format: Award ceremony (spoken English)
People: Seth Green, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5j7ELPFodg
Notes: Despite there being 11 Spike Video Game Awards the only Spike’s Video Game Hall of Fame inductee was The Legend of Zelda, accepted here by Mr. Miyamoto.
Summary: Thanks to Spike TV and the fans. He’s grateful that people notice when they push themselves. Nintendo is humbled by the support.
Wired – Q&A: Shigeru Miyamoto Looks Into Nintendo’s Future
Publication Date: December 13, 2011
Subject(s): 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Find Mii, retiring
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Chris Kohler, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.wired.com/2011/12/miyamoto-interview-transcript/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140810000753/http://www.wired.com/2011/12/miyamoto-interview-transcript/
Notes: On December 7, 2011 Wired published a preview of this article focusing on Mr. Miyamoto’s statement about retiring. Before this full article was published Nintendo issued a statement saying that he was not retiring. I am only including this full interview, not the preview.
Summary: When developing for the DS he was looking to expand the definition of video games. With the 3DS he shifted to wanting to see how games could be changed with it. He doesn’t think they are directly competing with smartphones. To reach people who have taken a break from playing video games and women it might be a good idea to use the game mechanisms used to make the 3D world of the 3DS.
They wanted Super Mario 3D Land to take advantage of the 3DS’s capabilities. They want every developer to find their own uses for its features. They have no intention of forcing them to do so.
What he does to develop or design games hasn’t changed since Donkey Kong. He has to remember the limitations of the system while keeping the viewpoint of the player.
Retro Studios designed the courses of Mario Kart 7, while the gameplay and control was done by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development. People say Western and Japanese designers are different. He thinks this means they are good at different things. By joining forces Retro and Entertainment Analysis & Development could cater to a variety of tastes.
He doesn’t think The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was impacted by Western role-playing games. Recent The Legend of Zelda games lacked the freedom earlier titles had, so he wanted to go back to basics.
If a game is going after photorealism there isn’t much for the director to do. In deciding whether to include voice acting they have to decide if it’s important and if it makes the Zelda series more attractive. He is against it, voice acting narrows what characteristics people can imagine for the characters.
Nintendo has a lot of franchises, and they are supposed to make one after the other. Still, all the developers had the mindset that Super Mario 3D Land and Skyward Sword were brand new.
He doesn’t care if he works on smaller download-only titles, he’ll work on anything. Developers should decide once they have a fixed idea of what they’re making. He can see things from a broader perspective now. He has many options now, but he still can’t decide if a game will be a download-only until he has a complete idea.
The Find Mii developers were looking forward to people’s reactions. They had to start small because they didn’t know.
They included movies on the 3DS to get people to use it every day. They want new attractions with a new system, not just beefed-up capabilities.
The Wii U will be the successor to the Wii so of course it will use Wii MotionPlus.
He’s been telling people in the office that he is going to retire from his current position. He’d like to work with younger developers on a smaller title. He has been able to nurture developers that made other games. In his current position people kind of have to listen to him.
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia – On the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda
Publication Date: December 21, 2011
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda
Format: Essay
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This is the foreword of Hyrule Historia.
Summary: He started work on The Legend of Zelda when the Famicom was about two years old.
They needed a launch title for the Famicom Disk System and he wanted to make a game where two players could make dungeons and share them with each other. The testers liked playing through dungeons more than making them.
He knew the title should be the The Legend of “something”. A public relations planner suggested making a storybook for the game where Link rescues a princess. This person suggested naming the princess after the wife of an American author named Zelda, and that’s where he got the name.
Link got his name because he links people together. Impa comes from impart. Link, Zelda, and Impa were the original trio.
He has worried about the game play relying too heavily on technology. He has gradually become a guardian of the series.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is well balanced. They have come up with many items in the series and adapted to different controllers. The Wii MotionPlus and Nunchuk are perfect for Skyward Sword.
He’s been part of many series, but only in The Legend of Zelda can the player enter their own name.
The Mercury News – A Q&A with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: December 30, 2011
Subject(s): Wii, 3DS, smart devices
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Troy Wolverton, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/12/30/a-qa-with-nintendos-shigeru-miyamoto/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220929145523/https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/12/30/a-qa-with-nintendos-shigeru-miyamoto/
Summary: The Legend of Zelda is known for its sophisticated controls. With The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword they tried to make them easier and he think it appeals to people who have not played sophisticated action games.
Developers have not done a sufficient job utilizing 3D gameplay on the 3DS yet, Super Mario 3D Land reached about half of their goal. Nintendo has been said to be slow in online play, but they always do what makes sense from their business perspective.
Making unique devices that can’t be reproduced on other devices, like smartphones and tablets, is of the utmost concern. He hasn’t been able to find any games he likes on his smartphone.
2012
2012 Nintendo Company Guide (untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: 2012
Subject(s): Nintendo
Format: Essay
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Scan:
Notes: Nintendo periodically makes company guides to advertise to prospective employees and to welcome new employees. This picture was taken by Erik Voskuil and is from his blog Before Mario.
Zoomin Games – Shigeru Miyamoto reflects on his legacy and retirement
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Subject(s): Retirement, Super Mario 3D Land, expectations
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Unnamed Zoomin Games interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHA9FS3D9vw
Summary: He was surprised by the reactions to what he said about retiring, but he’s not old enough to think about retiring. He was talking about when he does eventually retire.
The team making Super Mario 3D Land used to be children that loved the original Super Mario Bros. Good characters and franchises can go on forever this way.
Every creator has their own strengths. It’s not that he’s particularly bad at making realistic looking games, he just wants to make something else.
People expect a lot from him, but he doesn’t feel overly pressured. He enjoys his work and always tries his best.
Nintendo Investor Relations – Corporate Management Policy Briefing/Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2012
Publication Date: January 29, 2012
Subject(s): Networks, nurturing developers, software development challenges
Format: Investor Q & A
People: Unnamed investors, Nintendo executives including Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/120127qa/index.html
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171102014106/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/120127qa/index.html
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/120127qa/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220706100400/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/120127qa/index.html
Summary: Nintendo have been trying to raise the Internet-connection ratio for years, the DS was at about 60%. Flipnote is a hidden hit, which millions of children who don’t communicate on the Internet use. They want their network to be safe but also be original.
Ideally, he would not have to give any direction. Sometimes he gives subordinates freedom so they can grow independently. Has been spending more time on coming up with new ideas than on content. It’s his job to find big hit titles. Nobody stands out fresh out of college. The people who joined 20 years ago have high ability and he can trust them.
When developers work on games with similar concepts and scale over and over the time required increases. The Wii U’s graphical abilities will catch up to the general trend. The Wii U is designed to be different from any other system, and they are considering its network capabilities. Their policy is to nurture younger people to create things only the Wii U can do.
Entertainment Weekly – Shigeru Miyamoto talks ‘Legend of Zelda’,’ ‘Mariokart’
Publication Date: February 10, 2012
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, in-game hints, Mario’s growth, Pikmin 3, Mario Kart choice, hand in toilet
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Darren Franich, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://ew.com/article/2012/02/10/shigeru-miyamoto-zelda/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20150228132013/http://www.ew.com/article/2012/02/10/shigeru-miyamoto-zelda
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto says he prefers to play as Mario in Mario Kart and that Toad is his least favorite, but in all three instances of him playing Mario Kart that I know of (which are all from Mario Kart 8) he has chosen Toad.
Summary: He played the prototype of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which is harder than the release version. With The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess the Wii Remote was used to aim, which was handy, but it took time and wasn’t immediate. The Wii MotionPlus allows Skyward Sword to reproduce the player’s movements. You can have a real sword fight.
Developers get used to playing their own games, and assume the player will be just as good as they are.
Back in the time of Super Mario Bros. 3 it was important to allow for players to find solutions themselves. There are many more ways to entertain people now, and they can look things up online. They keep in mind both people who want to know hints and people who want to do it on their own.
Making the best The Legend of Zelda game possible in the first priority, then making the story consistent across every game.
He wanted Mario to grow with technology right from the start, just as Mickey Mouse grew with animation.
He oversees about seven games at once and he concentrates on the ones in the final tune up phase. He is involved in the basic controls, too. He plays prototypes and gives feedback.
Pikmin 3 was going to be a Wii game, but he thought the Wii U’s high definition graphics would suit his ideal better.
He likes to play as Mario in Mario Kart, while Toad is his least favorite.
The hand that comes from a toilet in Skyward Sword is from a Japanese ghost story.
Hookshot Inc. – Miyamoto: ‘I wish I had designed Angry Birds.’
Publication Date: April 12, 2012
Subject(s): Angry Birds
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Simon Parkin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20120413232825/http://www.hookshotinc.com/miyamoto-i-wish-i-had-designed-angry-birds/
Summary: He has enjoyed Angry Birds recently and the way it combines old and new elements. It’s a simple idea, but he wishes he had been the one to come up with it.
The controls are fuzzy, but precise once you’ve mastered them. It would have controlled even better on the DS.
El Mundo (reported on by Eurogamer, partially untranslated from Spanish)
Publication Date: April 16, 2012 (reported on April 16, 2012)
Subject(s): Wii U, future titles
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Wesley Yin-Poole, Jose A. Navas, Shigeru Miyamoto
Spanish Link: https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/04/16/navegante/1334559905.html
Spanish Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20120501004129/http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/04/16/navegante/1334559905.html
Translator: Unnamed Eurogamer Spain staff member for Eurogamer
Notes: There is a video at the start of the El Mundo article that doesn’t play.
Summary: The Wii U experience won’t be easy to replicate on other consoles. He’s working on several small but important projects, as well as Pikmin 3 and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.
The Guardian – Is Shigeru Miyamoto’s game over at Nintendo?
Publication Date: April 26, 2012
Subject(s): Working at Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre, hiring at Nintendo
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Simon Parkin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2012/apr/26/shigeru-miyamotos-game-over-nintendo
Notes: This is part one of a two part interview.
Summary: He still plays video games because he’s still making them.
His days at work are structured, half his time is checking on games being developed. He plays games at his desk and writes notes to share with the directors, and he spends the rest of his time in meetings.
He doesn’t miss spending most of his time creating, this allows him to make things like Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre. He visits the Tokyo office every few weeks, he doesn’t feel detached.
He’d like to emphasize that he’s not about to retire. He wants to give a chance to others to be leaders, and to support Nintendo from the side.
They rarely hire game designers, most people they hire are artists or programmers. He tries to hire people with positive attitudes towards what’s new and who don’t give up after being criticized.
The Guardian – Shigeru Miyamoto: A rushed game is forever bad
Publication Date: April 27, 2012
Subject(s): 3DS sales, stereoscopic 3D
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Simon Parkin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This is part two of a two part interview. The title refers to the idea that Mr. Miyamoto was quoted as saying “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.”, and the article directly quotes him as saying it in reference to the Nintendo 64. No source has ever been found this quote. You can read more about this quote being attributed to Mr. Miyamoto on Video Game Canon.
Summary: Sales of the 3DS were slower than the DS. It was too expensive and there was no big first-party title. It’s selling well in Japan now, and Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre will help make it more widely known.
He wishes he could have had more Mario titles ready for the 3DS and that they could have communicated the appeal of 3D photography, AR features, and the other apps to non-gamers.
Stereoscopic 3D isn’t a gimmick, it’s the normal way see things in reality.
He wants to remove the barrier between gamers and non-gamers. The non-gamers think video games are too difficult.
Smartphones cover a lot of what handheld gaming systems can do now, so they need to add things that they can’t do.
If they don’t release games from existing series they might die.
It’s exciting to surprise people with his games, but it’s becoming harder to do so. It used to be magic to press a button and have something change on the screen. They have to accommodate people with no experience and those with a lot.
He realized he could make a living creating games after Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Bros. is important to him because it made games known worldwide. Wii Sports started a new adventure, he hopes to make many such bold moves in the future.
He’s not as deeply involved in The Legend of Zelda series as he used to be, but The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword very polished.
If he wasn’t making games he might not be playing them because he lacks time, and he doesn’t find many games interesting. It’s also difficult to find the right game among everything that’s released, it’s a major challenge for the industry.
He’s always hoped that games would become an accepted part of life. They’re everywhere now. It’s a challenge to stay relevant.
Fundación Princesa de Asturias – Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities 2012
Publication Date: May 23, 2012
Subject(s): Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities
Format: Essay
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: The Princess of Asturias (formerly the Prince of Asturias awards) are annual awards given by Spain’s Princess of Asturias Foundation. When Mr. Miyamoto was informed he was to be given the Communication and Humanities award in 2012 this was his response. You can read more about these awards on Wikipedia. There is also an untranslated entry covering part of the ceremony and an interview afterward.
Summary: He is honored to receive the Prince of Asturias Prize for Communication and Humanities. He would like to recieve it on behalf of the friends and colleagues he has worked with during his career. He will keep working on making games that are fun to people around the world.
Edge (reported on by Nintendo Gamer, incomplete)
Publication Date: June, 2012
Subject(s): PlayStation Vita, 3DS, launch titles, F-Zero, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Angry Birds
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Nathan Brown, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20120504194234/http://www.edge-online.com/news/miyamoto-vita-needs-games
Scan:
Notes: This interview originally appeared in Edge issue 241. Although there is no scan of Edge 241 available, Nintendo Gamer and Edge’s website preview different parts of the interview. Scans by mattandi.
Summary: The PlayStation Vita is hi-spec, but it doesn’t seem like a strong product.
They wanted to have Mario Kart 7, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and Super Mario 3D Land ready for the 3DS’ launch, but weren’t able to finish them in time.
He doesn’t know how a new F-Zero game could surprise people.
He’d be interested in making an original 3DS The Legend of Zelda game if it was based on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
His favorite director is Koichi Kawamoto.
His favorite non-Nintendo game of the last year is Angry Birds, it feels traditional and you can tell they had fun making it.
Nintendo of America – Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Subject(s): Pikmin 3 (1:32)
Format: Presentation/demonstration (spoken English, live translator)
People: Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: This was Nintendo’s last live E3 conference, at least as of 2023.
Summary: After launching the Wii they realized that their next system could not be the complete entertainment device if it was dependent on the living room television. Someone else can’t watch TV while you play, and you have to wait for the TV to turn on. They knew this system would need its own screen. It builds on their experience of connecting portable and console games. He knew he wanted to make the next Pikmin game on this system.
They puzzled over the camera distance in the original Pikmin, but the Wii U’s resolution solved this issue. The way they carry objects makes them seem more like real ants. You can aim at specific targets, like eyes or shells. You can always see the map on the GamePad, and you can use it exclusively to control the game. You can control up to four leaders. It’s a secret why Olimar is not among them. They are developing Pikmin 3 to help people realize how fun deeper games can be. This is an important change when many are saying gamers are moving towards lighter games.
Nintendo of America – Wii U – New Super Mario Bros. U with Mr. Miyamoto
Publication Date: June 7, 2012
Subject(s): New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Mario Bros. 2
Format: Promotional video (live translator)
People: Tim O’Leary, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdb5E5ldcJ0
Summary: New Super Mario Bros. 2 is all about coins. New Super Mario Bros. U has four player multiplayer, with one person using Boost Mode to help the others. You can also use Miiverse and play as your Mii.
Nintendo of America – Wii U – Pikmin 3 with Mr. Miyamoto
Publication Date: June 7, 2012
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Promotional video (live translator)
People: Tim O’Leary, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8E87TpfNkU
Summary: There are more types of Pikmin as the series progresses. Pikmin 3 will introduce a new type: the Rock Pikmin. Pikmin are adorable and as they make the game they get the feeling that they are surrounded by Pikmin all the time. But it’s kind of scary since we don’t know what they are thinking, they might carry him away at night. The game has a lot of depth and will challenge you. There are walls that you have to break down and the challenge is in figuring out how many Pikmin to use.
Entertainment Weekly – E3: Nintendo’s ‘Zelda’ on the Wii U?
Publication Date: June 7, 2012
Subject(s): Pikmin 3, Wii U, hobbies
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Adam B. Vary, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://ew.com/article/2012/06/07/e3-nintendo-shigeru-miyamoto/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20120608220047/https://popwatch.ew.com/2012/06/07/e3-nintendo-shigeru-miyamoto/
Notes: The original title of this article was “E3: Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto talks bringing ‘The Legend of Zelda’ to the Wii U”. It was changed between February 2016 and October 2017.
Summary: He’s been experimenting with Pikmin 3 for five years with a small team. They’ve been working on the Wii U game for less than two years.
You couldn’t see the individual Pikmin very well before, which caused him stress, but with the Wii U’s high definition graphics you can.
It’s interesting how tastes are broadening and some people prefer more casual experiences and some prefer a more in-depth experience. They’re still planning the next Zelda game and they’ve been asking what they can do to make a Zelda game that many people can play. Some people didn’t like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword’s motion controls so they’re talking about what will change.
They want games to escape the framework they’ve been in, which they worked on with the Wii. They came to the conclusion that games can’t be bound by the television anymore in order to grow. He wants the GamePad to be the first screen someone goes to in the living room. The Wii U should have something for every family member.
He’s been watching a lot of TV dramas lately. It’s interesting how lone manga artists are getting their work adapted into TV shows and movies.
He plays the guitar and tries to figure out how something is done when he hears music.
N1ntendo.nl – Shigeru Miyamoto’s reaction to ‘Watch Dogs’ from Ubisoft
Publication Date: June 7, 2012
Subject(s): Watch Dogs
Format: Interview (spoken English)
People: Unnamed N1ntendo.nl interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto is asked what he thinks of Watch Dogs after leaving a private demo event at E3 2012.
Summary: Good.
[He gives a thumbs up.]
IGN – This Is Shigeru Miyamoto’s Favorite Mario Game
Publication Date: June 15, 2012
Subject(s): Favorite Mario game
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Samuel Claiborn, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/15/this-is-shigeru-miyamotos-favorite-mario-game
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2012.
Summary: As a developer his favorite Mario game may be Super Mario Bros., but as a player it might be Super Mario Bros. 2. Their loose approach made it interesting.
Games like Super Mario Bros. 2 are Takashi Tezuka’s responsibility now, though he didn’t work on it.
IGN – Nintendo’s Social Ambitions
Publication Date: June 27, 2012
Subject(s): Miiverse, StreetPass, social networks, achievement systems
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Richard George, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/27/nintendos-social-ambitions
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20120629110131/http://www.ign.com:80/articles/2012/06/27/nintendos-social-ambitions
Summary: Early concepts for Miiverse came from Wii Fit’s opening where it showed you and your family’s Miis. They want the Wii U to be the center of the living room, the most looked-at screen in the house.
They want Miiverse to connect people in a comfortable, fun, and more intimate way than other social media services.
StreetPass allows you to connect with people you walk by on the street. This gives a better opportunity to make real connections than with other social media.
User generated content has an appeal but is difficult to moderate. They want Miiverse to have healthy online interaction.
They are working on experiences along the lines of an achievement system, but one not about collecting points. It needs to be easy to understand. If you die in the same place in New Super Mario Bros. U several times you’ll see comments from others having trouble in the same place.
Game Informer – The Men Behind Mario/Mario’s Burning Questions
Publication Date: October, 2012
Subject(s): New Super Mario Bros. U, Mario game difficulty, Mario and Luigi’s last names, Koopalings, Bowser Jr., Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Dan Ryckert, Takashi Tezuka, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scans:
Notes: The October, 2012 issue of Game Informer had two interviews with Mr. Tezuka and Miyamoto. The second one was later published online as well. Scans by Retromags.
Summary: The New Super Mario Bros. series is made to be enjoyed by everyone. They’ve talked about additional New Super Mario Bros. 2 levels they could add and they ask things like “what if this one doesn’t have very many lives?”. They can add challenging content to games.
Takashi Tezuka is overseeing the New Super Mario Bros. series, and he is overseeing 3D Mario. As with Super Mario 3D Land, some games blend 2D and 3D. The New Super Mario Bros. series is an extension of the original 2D games.
There was a Mario movie years ago, and they needed a last name for Mario and Luigi. Since they are the “Mario Brothers” someone suggested their last name should be Mario. This made him laugh, but they don’t really have a last name.
In Popeye and other old comics the cats would take different roles depending on the situation. The Mario series is like that, a big family or a troupe of actors.
The Koopalings are not Bowser’s children, his only child is Bowser Jr., and the mother is unknown.
When they made Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is part of the core Mario series.
Mario is blue-collar and hard working. Dr. Mario may not be legitimate.
El Comercio – El padre de ‘Super Mario’ espera que la Wii U sea “una revolución” (untranslated from Spanish)
Publication Date: October 24, 2012
Subject(s): Wii U
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed El Comerico interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Spanish Link: https://www.elcomercio.es/20121024/mas-actualidad/cultura/principe-comunicacion-humanidades-padre-201210241013.html
Spanish Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20231218060549/https://www.elcomercio.es/20121024/mas-actualidad/cultura/principe-comunicacion-humanidades-padre-201210241013.html
Notes: A machine translation of the title is “’Super Mario’ father expects Wii U to be ‘a revolution’”.
Principality of Asturias Television News – Shigeru Miyamoto – Premio Príncipe Asturias (untranslated from Spanish)
Publication Date: October 25, 2012
Subject(s): Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Unnamed members of the press, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39VnaKwoqX0
Notes: This wasn’t uploaded by the actual television channel, so the title may not be accurate. Contains news footage of what I think is Mr. Miyamoto arriving at Jovellanos Theatre, the day before he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, and a press conference where he answered questions. Uploaded by YouTube user Michael N.
El Comercio – “Lo importante es pensar en algo original”/Shigeru Miyamoto «Quiero esforzarme para hacer juegos cada vez más divertidos» (untranslated from Spanish)
Publication Date: October 25, 2012
Subject(s): Video games, Mario
Format: Transcribed interview/interview (dubbed)/Q & A
People: Toni Garrido, unknown audience members who asked questions, ICEknight, Shigeru Miyamoto
Spanish Links: https://www.elcomercio.es/20121025/mas-actualidad/cultura/importante-pensar-algo-original-201210252144.html
Spanish Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20121101233715/http://www.elcomercio.es:80/20121025/mas-actualidad/cultura/importante-pensar-algo-original-201210252144.html
Notes: A machine translation of the titles are “The important thing is to think of something original” and “Shigeru Miyamoto I want to strive to make ever more fun games.”. These two articles and two videos cover an event held at Jovellanos Theatre where Mr. Miyamoto was interviewed and answered questions from the audience the day before he accepted the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.
Thank you to ICEknight, who was one of the people in the audience who got to ask a question and made me aware of this event.
La 1 – Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities (untranslated from Spanish)
Publication Date: October 26, 2012
Subject(s): Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities
Format: Award ceremony, interview (dubbed)
People: Unknown La 1 interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jsybVFES40
Notes: Footage of the award ceremony is shown and then Mr. Miyamoto is interviewed, seemingly soon after accepting the award. Mr. Miyamoto draws Mario during the interview. There is also an entry covering Mr. Miyamoto’s response to being informed he was to be given this award. Uploaded by YouTube user Michael N.
Hobby Consolas – Entrevistamos al maestro: Shigeru Miyamoto (untranslated from Spanish)
Publication Date: October 27, 2012
Subject(s): Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unknown Hobby Consolas interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Spanish Link: https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/reportajes/entrevistamos-maestro-shigeru-miyamoto-44752
Spanish Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20121029224621/http://www.hobbyconsolas.com/reportajes/entrevistamos-maestro-shigeru-miyamoto-44752
Notes: A machine translation of the title is “We interviewed the teacher: Shigeru Miyamoto”. An earlier version of this article says it is from Juan Carlos García of Official Nintendo Magazine, so this may have appeared in the magazine at some point in English.
Gamekult – Miyamoto, the Wii U and the secret of the Triforce
Publication Date: November 1, 2012
Subject(s): Wii U, F-Zero, Metroid, his future, the Triforce, The Legend of Zelda
Format: Transcribed interview
People: William Audureau, Shigeru Miyamoto
French Link: https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/miyamoto-la-wii-u-et-le-secret-de-la-triforce-105550.html
French Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170806193825/https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/miyamoto-la-wii-u-et-le-secret-de-la-triforce-105550.html
Translator: Dri of Dreamnoid.com for Hyrule Interviews
Notes: I couldn’t find any 2006 interview where Mr. Miyamoto talks about TV screen edges, but there is a 2005 interview where he talks about wanting to escape the four-cornered CRT and that he thinks games will eventually fill a room.
Summary: He’s been involved with development of the Wii U’s GamePad. Since they work on hardware and software together he worked on the DS and Wii. He pushed to have a small screen in the GamePad.
He spoke about being frustrated by the edges of television screens in 2006, but he doesn’t think there’s a direct connection between that and the Wii U.
The Wii U wasn’t made for board games, but it is easy since everyone can use the touchscreen. There’s also an NFC chip, which could work with toys. The Wii U has more potential than smartphone card-collecting games because it could use real cards.
His ideas for Metroid are in Nintendo Land’s Metroid Blast.
He thought people were tired of F-Zero games, the series hasn’t evolved much. Please play Captain Falcon’s Twister Race in Nintendo Land. What has Nintendo not done with F-Zero that’s missing?
Ten years from now he hopes he’s still alive and working for Nintendo. He can trust the 40 year old producers at Nintendo with some of his usual tasks. He’s hanging on to finish Pikmin 3.
Takashi Tezuka drew Link’s original sprite. It was important that Link’s sword and shield to be visible. A long hat and big ears would make Link visible, so they moved towards an elf-like design. Big ears were associated with Peter Pan, so they were inspired by that.
They originally thought of the Triforce as electronic chips. The Legend of Zelda was going to be a game that took place in the future and the past. They named him “Link” because he linked both time periods. They eventually went with a heroic fantasy game, there’s nothing futuristic about it.
IGN – Miyamoto and the Wii U Philosophy
Publication Date: November 6, 2012
Subject(s): Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, how gaming has changed in 30 years
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Keza MacDonald, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/06/miyamoto-and-the-wii-u-philosophy
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20121109032630/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/06/miyamoto-and-the-wii-u-philosophy
Notes: This interview is described as taking place in Paris on the way back to Japan after Mr. Miyamoto received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, so this interview probably took place on October 26 or a few days afterward.
Summary: He is more nervous than excited when Nintendo launches new hardware. When they do people discuss how Nintendo will compete, but they don’t see it that way. They are in a better position to say that they are proposing unique opportunities this time.
Even when family members share the living room they are working on different things. With the Wii U these activities can be united.
It’s easier to browse the web on the Wii U than on a TV screen.
When family members want to watch TV, Nintendo’s consoles were an obstacle, but the Wii U will be different. It can change how video games are played. You can hide what playing cards you’re holding, but that couldn’t be replicated with a video game before, the Wii U can because it uses two screens. Those kinds of features will be in Nintendo Land.
Nintendo is working on connecting the 3DS and Wii U, but it’s not their focus.
Games like The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords have more potential with online play. They have had discussions at Nintendo as to why Four Swords didn’t reach the audience they wanted it to. The popular opinion was that people thought they’d need three others to make the most of it, he thinks they should remove whatever obstacles stand in the way of people playing together.
They are often asked why they are making another Pikmin or Mario game, but they are always trying to apply new technologies to these franchises that provide a new experience.
He started making games about 30 years ago, but he doesn’t feel like he’s changed much. His games look and feel similar, but the themes have more variety. Thirty years ago mostly children played video games, but now those children have grown up and had their own children, so he tries to appeal to people of all ages.
Video games can be integrated into your daily life. He hopes he can make games that attract people to video games so that they can more enjoy their lives.
1101.com – Wii U Edition (untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: December, 20-27, 2012
Subject(s): Wii U
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Shigesato Itoi, Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Links: https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-20.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-21.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-22.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-23.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-24.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-25.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-26.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-27.html
Japanese Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20121222052338/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-20.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20121222052343/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-21.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20121224115009/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-22.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20121226210941/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-23.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20121227130826/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-24.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20121228040820/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-25.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20121228041559/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-26.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20121230053934/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/wiiu_talk/2012-12-27.html
Notes: 1101.com is Shigesato Itoi’s website. I’m combining these eight entries into one since none have been translated. According to Hyrule Interviews these may contain parts of Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata.
GamesMaster – Interview: Shigeru Miyamoto on Wii U’s future
Publication Date: December 22, 2012
Subject(s): Wii U, Nintendo Land, Pikmin
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed GamesMaster interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This appears to be the full interview from GamesMaster magazine, it is not an article about the interview. I don’t know why it appeared on Computer and Video Games’ website.
Summary: He wants the Wii U to be cherished by the whole family, in the living room.
Everyone looks forward to better versions of old games, but that’s not the direction they should take. Nintendo Land will show where the future of gameplay may go.
Mario Chase in Nintendo Land is unique, everyone can watch replays of the game.
Their idea with Pikmin was how fun it would be to watch small creatures doing something. Originally the Pikmin were used as weapons.
The Wii U is their first system launched with the assumption that it will always be connected to the Internet. He reminds others to not focus just on competition. Games have to be final. They are taking local competition to the Internet.
They have to make sure people know that Miiverse is more secure than any other social network.
If someone has a new idea it could change the entertainment landscape, which makes it impossible to say what things will be like five years from now. It’s important to understand emerging technologies while remembering the past.
He’s 60, he can’t work as hard as he used to. He gives a lot of responsibility to people in their 40s. With less focus on details he can concentrate on making something new.
He’s one of the few who can take advantage of gaming’s interactivity. He wishes he could describe how fun it is to his parents and wife.
Applying interactivity to the ordinary things around us can make something unique. Since you can bring the DS anywhere he was able to think of how it could be used at a museum. He thinks in terms of making more joy in the living room.
2013
GamesMaster (reported on by Official Nintendo Magazine)
Publication Date: Unknown (reported on January 2, 2013)
Subject(s): Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Thomas East, Unnamed GamesMaster interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: Pikmin wasn’t easy to play, players felt stress. With Pikmin 2 he wanted to remove that stress. He got the developers of Pikmin 2 together to talk about getting back to the basics of Pikmin with Pikmin 3.
Nintendo Investor Relations – Corporate Management Policy Briefing / Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing for the 73rd Fiscal Term Ending March 2013
Publication Date: February 2, 2013
Subject(s): Wii U architecture
Format: Investor Q & A
People: Unnamed investors, Nintendo executives including Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/130131qa/02.html
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20180920223124/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/130131qa/02.html
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/130131qa/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220928013524/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/130131qa/index.html
Summary: There were many workshops to learn how to use lighting and other technologies for high definition graphics on the Wii U. They enjoy making realistic graphics for Pikmin. When you go to TOHO Cinemas you will see Pikmin in the logo.
Nintendo of America – Nintendo Direct 2.14.2013
Publication Date: February 14, 2013
Subject(s): Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (2:49)
Format: Promotional Video (dubbed)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: This is the start of the Year of Luigi. This is Mr. Miyamoto’s first appearance in a Nintendo Direct.
Summary: It’s been 12 years since the original Luigi’s Mansion, and he has wanted it to be in 3D since. There is an atmosphere that suggests a ghost could appear at any moment, there are immersive lights and shadows. The Poltergust can now suck in more than ghosts, and it is used to solve puzzles. The Dark-Light Device can reveal hidden objects. You need to stun the ghosts with the Strobulb before sucking them in. It’s not a horror game, it’s a lighthearted game with funny ghost interactions.
Nintendo of America – Nintendo 3DS – Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon Interview with Mr. Miyamoto
Publication Date: February 19, 2013
Subject(s): Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Format: Promotional video (subtitled and dubbed)
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiNIMXBxWxY
Notes: This is the same video of Miyamoto talking about Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon as in the February Direct, but preceded with a skit involving him and Iwata. This summary only covers the skit.
Summary: [Mr. Miyamoto turns on a vacuum pointed at Mr. Iwata.]
This has been his thing lately. It’s the Year of Luigi. Thanks for giving him a Luigi hat.
GameSpot – Miyamoto: ‘I’m Creatively Satisfied’
Publication Date: March 6, 2013
Subject(s): Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Pikmin 3, Year of Luigi, working with third parties, retirement
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Giancarlo Varanini, Eddie MakuchShigeru, Miyamoto
Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/miyamoto-im-creatively-satisfied/1100-6404927/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140407212338/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/miyamoto-im-creatively-satisfied/1100-6404927/
Summary: It looks like Nintendo just makes sequels, but he’s made Wii Fit and Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre recently. He’s creatively satisfied. When they make sequels they still do a lot of research and think about how to evolve them.
The uniqueness of their software depends on the uniqueness of their hardware. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon uses the bottom screen as a map, which makes it more unique. They want Pikmin 3 to go deeper with what makes Pikmin unique. They’ve been able to do that with the GamePad and high definition graphics.
He doesn’t make games with the idea of using every feature of the hardware. The Wii U is the best system for what they want to do with Pikmin. Having the map on the GamePad is efficient.
There’s the idea that his games always get delayed. There are games that get delayed and there are games that shift. Development of Pikmin 3 began before the Wii U launch and he spent a lot of time placing things in the game so it became a game that shifted.
He’s more interested in making new games than porting them.
They were able to do Year of Luigi because so many people at Nintendo wanted to make Luigi games and they happened to release in the same year. Luigi is like a salad because he is green and people like lighter fare, he’s timid and weak. The story and atmosphere in Luigi’s Mansion games sticks with them.
Kensuke Tanabe found Next Level Games and established their development relationship.
With video conferencing and the ability to send games back and forth online they are used to working with people a long way away. The bigger challenge is making sure everyone understand the Nintendo philosophy.
They will announce something related to near-field communication soon.
Nintendo products are often something you don’t understand until you try it. The advantage of the Wii was that people playing it looked interesting. The Wii U doesn’t have that kind of element to it, but when you bring it into the living room you get the idea of how fun it is. They need to get more people to try the Wii U, they have demo units in Japan.
It would be strange if he wasn’t thinking about retirement at 60, but the volume of his work hasn’t changed. He pretends not to work on half of his projects to get the younger developers more involved and to prepare them. He’s been thinking that they need to move away from the structure where people look to their superiors so that producers take more responsibility.
Time – Miyamoto: The Wii U GamePad Gives Us Advantages over Tablets, Smartphones
Publication Date: March 7, 2013
Subject(s): Wii U, GamePad
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This is part one of a two part interview.
Summary: He’s interested in the new types of play that are opened up by the GamePad. You used to have to choose between watching TV or playing games, but you can do both with the GamePad.
The idea for the Wii U did not come from the DS. Their goal with the Wii U was a console that worked without the TV. They’ve also been able to use some ideas from the GameCube and Game Boy Advance connectivity.
Preparing for the Wii U launch was a project of an unprecedented scale for Nintendo. There were many components that interacted with each other. The coming Wii U update will address as many concerns as possible. By summer it will run more smoothly.
The Wii U can be the single living room device used to access entertainment. Wii Street U is an example of how an application can be enhanced with the GamePad. One of the last hurdles for the Wii U is storing media, but it was designed to be able to have storage added.
Time – Miyamoto: I Couldn’t Have Imagined Where We’ve Ended Up
Publication Date: March 8, 2013
Subject(s): Launch titles, old versus new series
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://techland.time.com/2013/03/08/miyamoto-i-couldnt-have-imagined-where-weve-ended-up/
Notes: This is part two of a two part interview.
Summary: Developers for the 3DS know that everyone can access the stereoscopic 3D, and that all Wii U owners have a GamePad. Trying to build compatibility between devices causes issues where not everyone has access to the same features.
They launched Wii with Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and they had a similar Wii U launch with Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U. The next The Legend of Zelda game will take a bit longer. Some resources went into making the Wii U that could have been put towards making more games. They will be able to do more with the system as they become more familiar with it.
They always start with the gameplay, and decide later which character is best suited to it. Ideally the gameplay is so unique that it requires a new character. They could have used Mario for Wii Sports or Wii Fit, but chose to make those new franchises.
He never starts development with a target audience in mind. Instead he wants to appeal to the broadest audience possible. He has trouble keeping up with the pace of information flow as he gets older. He focuses on the core gameplay and builds around that.
What hasn’t changed is players will experiment with what is possible to do within a game, so it’s always important to encourage that creativity. People used to have very limited access to information about games, but now the breadth of information can be part of the gameplay.
He couldn’t have imagined 30 years ago that games would go from somewhere between toy and technology to being at the forefront of technology, or that gaming wouldn’t be hit with the tough situations other technology companies have been.
The New York Times – Divining What’s Next for Video Games
Publication Date: March 11, 2013
Subject(s): Violence in video games, Wii U, online play
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Chris Suellentrop, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: People get entertainment out of seeing violence. Mario doesn’t need to use guns. They had long conversations about how appropriate it was for Mario to hit people in Super Smash Bros.
The Wii U has a long future. It’s the ideal device for the living room. He’s isn’t concerned about the long term yet.
Entertainment is unpredictable. Families and TVs aren’t going away, so they are looking at what families want to do in the living room. Some in Japan are saying they may not need a game console because they have a smartphone. Animal Crossing: New Leaf has been a big hit, especially among adult women, a demographic that has been buying smartphones rapidly.
The saddest thing about video games is that they are gone once the hardware stops working. He’s glad there’s a museum working on preserving them.
There are people who say they can repeat a success and people who say nothing will ever be as successful again. He says that they can make up the rules as they go.
They didn’t focus on online play for so long because it would limit who could make use of it. There are many more possibilities now with so many people on the Internet.
Polygon – Shigeru Miyamoto on Nintendo’s innovative past, unsteady present and optimistic future
Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Subject(s): Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, old series, new ideas, E3, near-field communication, serial games
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Brian Crecente, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.polygon.com/2013/3/12/4089612/shigeru-miyamoto-interview-wii-u-3ds
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130328023551/http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/12/4089612/shigeru-miyamoto-interview-wii-u-3ds
Summary: He is a producer on Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. When he produces a game he plays it a lot and supports the director.
The stereoscopic 3D visuals give a sense of realism to the mansion. The bottom screen displays a map.
It’s a struggle to bring popular series to new systems while surprising players with something new. They’ve fleshed out Animal Crossing into a definitive version with Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
They don’t set out to make new characters, but how they can create new play structures. Sometimes the new structures use existing franchises. The focus is on how it plays than which character it uses. There are many at Nintendo passionate about doing new things.
They used to save announcements for E3, but now there are many ways to make announcements. Hopefully they can announce something about near-field communication at E3 this year.
They are thinking about 3DS and Wii U connectivity, but like with the GameCube and Game Boy Advance, not everyone owns both systems. They are also thinking about moving data between them.
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of the Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons were planned to be more episodic, selling dungeons individually. Now the eShop is able to sell digital-only games or games in installments.
Luigi hasn’t had much of a chance for a starring role so they felt it was time for the Year of Luigi.
There is more they can do with the Wii U that takes advantage of the GamePad. They focusing on making better use of it. In a few years it will be natural for the Wii U to be connected to the living room TV.
Polygon – Nintendo’s Game Developer Shigeru Miyamoto – Interview
Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Subject(s): Year of Luigi, Wii U, E3
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Brian Crecente, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0SRMsgOgCo
Notes: There is some overlap with this video interview and the article in the previous entry, I have omitted the parts that were already covered.
Summary: This year there will be several Luigi games released, first is Lugi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, there will also be New Super Luigi U. Many people love Luigi at Nintendo, so they made it the Year of Luigi.
The Wii U’s near-field communication is a priority right now, and they are developing games that can make use of two GamePads.
E3 is a place where people can get hands-on time with games.
The Wii U can do many things that their other systems were unable to do, they can still improve on letting users make take advantage of those things. There will be a steady flow of good software.
ABC News – ‘Super Mario’ Creator Tweets Little but Talks Plenty About Game Designing
Publication Date: March 19, 2013
Subject(s): Miiverse, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, social media
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Dan Milano, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: You can record ghost data in Mario Kart so others can try to beat your time even if you’re not there. You can do something similar with YouTube. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D there were hint movies that are like strategy guides. Now they are posting link to super-play videos on Miiverse.
He uses Facebook to talk to friends.
They were surprised with what people were able to draw on Miiverse and Flipnote Studio.
An important part of The Legend of Zelda games is fitting it in with the other stories.
There could be a Nintendo theme park in the future, but they are busy right now.
He probably had the most fun making Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. They were building the framework of 3D games. When younger Nintendo employees don’t know who would know the answer to a question they have he tells them to make up the answer. It’s more fun to make up the rules as you go.
Time For Kids – Get to Know Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: March 19, 2013
Subject(s): Inspiration, Luigi’s origins, The Year of Luigi
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Yusuf Halabi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130324025433/http://www.timeforkids.com/news/get-know-shigeru-miyamoto/84311
Notes: The interviewer was about nine years old at the time of this interview, according to his bio.
Summary: He used to draw comics and studied industrial design. Video games started to become popular after he joined Nintendo. When he started at Nintendo he drew artwork and characters.
He made Donkey Kong, where Mario was small, and wanted to make a game where he was bigger. They could do this because of screen scrolling technology. They liked Mario being big and small, so they made super mushroom.
There wasn’t enough memory for two distinct characters in Mario Bros., and they couldn’t use add any more colors so Luigi was Mario with a koopa troopa’s colors. Nintendo of America said that if there’s two Italian brothers and one is Mario, the other should be named Luigi. In Japanese “ruigi” means “similar”.
In Super Mario Bros. 2 they made Luigi taller and gave him a floaty jump. In Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon he is afraid of ghosts.
He would be Mario if he could be one of his characters.
He has the fondest memories of making Donkey Kong because there weren’t video game designers at the time and he put a lot of work into it.
There was no blueprint for his first 3D games, they were making it up as they went along.
The last time he made music for a game was for Donkey Kong.
It’s the 30th anniversary of Mario Bros. and a lot of Luigi games are coming out this year, so they decided to make it the Year of Luigi.
Pikmin has been around for 10 years, but it may be too early for a Year of Pikmin. He’ll be 71 for the 20th anniversary.
His favorite Zelda game is the original.
He doesn’t think of himself as very Japanese, he’s always liked American culture. People from Kyoto are individualistic, which is probably why they’ve made games with a universal appeal.
Video games are made by 50-100 people. To be a game designer it’s important to have experiences that aren’t related to video games.
It’s important for the player to think creatively. Players should think about the possibilities when they hit a block in Super Mario Bros.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (start of Year of Luigi)
Publication Date: March 19, 2013
Subject(s): Year of Luigi
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171108033808/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADRUL7QYn5BQQ
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171031063812/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYIHAAABAADTUKFJMQ3Qow
Notes: This was Mr. Miyamoto’s first post to Miiverse. Many of these Miiverse posts were preserved thanks to the work of Archive Team and Archiverse.
Summary: It’s been 30 years since Luigi’s debut in Mario Bros. 2013 will be the Year of Luigi.
Iwata Asks – Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Publication Date: March 22, 2013
Subject(s): Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Chad York, Bryce Holliday, Brian Davis, Yoshihito Ikebata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/luigis-mansion-dark-moon/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220614112710/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/luigis-mansion-dark-moon/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/aggj/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220701084524/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/aggj/vol1/index.html
Summary: He wasn’t directly in charge of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, he was more of a guardian or a shepherd. He told the developers what not to do.
They remade the controls more than 10 times and he looked at the programming.
He encouraged team not to stick too closely to haunted house tropes. He suggested making the boss of Haunted Towers the stairs.
They reworked the map over and over.
He would like to express appreciation on behalf of Luigi.
ABC News – ”Mario’ Creator Explores ‘Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon’
Publication Date: March 23, 2013
Subject(s): Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, high definition remakes, Daisy and Wario
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Dan Milano, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: He’s a fan of Ghostbusters, but that wasn’t the inspiration for Luigi’s Mansion.
When making the original Luigi’s Mansion they ported the game to a 3D monitor that Sharp made, so making Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon on the 3DS seemed a natural fit.
They wanted to do Pikmin in high definition because there are a lot of small Pikmin.
Daisy and Wario were created as part of Mario Land games, which had a different style from Mario World games This kept them from appearing in other games. The differences disappeared as they moved to 3D.
He has an older brother and younger sister.
CNN – ‘Mario,’ ‘Zelda’ creator says give the Wii U time
Publication Date: April 5, 2013
Subject(s): Wii U, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Larry Frum, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/tech/gaming-gadgets/nintendo-miyamoto-wii-u/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130406125658/http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/tech/gaming-gadgets/nintendo-miyamoto-wii-u
Summary: If someone else wanted to watch television, you couldn’t play a game. The Wii U’s second screen makes it possible to do both.
People said that there was no way people could watch both DS screens at once, but as people get used to the Wii U people will say that they can’t do everything they want to do if they don’t have two screens.
The Wii U isn’t just a game console, it has practical use in the living room.
They are focusing on making the Wii U more stable. Miiverse is an ongoing project and people have made it a welcoming community.
Luigi’s Mansion was a mix between ghost events and exploring the mansion, but with the map always visible in Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon the exploration takes on a bigger role. Toad is going to appear in the game.
He’s grateful that games are being recieved the way they are now. No one asks when the video game boom is going to end anymore.
Rolling Stone – Shigeru Miyamoto Shares Nintendo Secrets
Publication Date: April 8, 2013
Subject(s): Donkey Kong, jumping, Super Mario Bros., Luigi’s origin, retirement, Wii U, Pikmin 3, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed Rolling Stone interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/shigeru-miyamoto-shares-nintendo-secrets-19215/
Summary: They used to be able to make a game with five or six people, now it takes 50-60.
In making Donkey Kong they understood that jumping was fun. People wanted to be able to run faster. Running, jumping, and avoiding obstacles was thrilling. He had to convince others that the Super Star was fun in Super Mario Bros.
They made player 2’s character a palette swap of Mario with a Koopa Troopa’s colors due to technical limitations. Since they looked identical beside their palette it was decided they were twins and that the second character was younger. Working under technical constraints is an important part of game design.
He’s 61 and people in other companies consider this age are considering retiring, but with the fun he’s having he might continue to work until he dies. He tells everyone to work like he’s not there to prepare them for when he isn’t.
He uses Flipnote Studio to show directors how he wants introduction videos to go.
It’s important to always start from the idea. Even a large project has one or two people overseeing it.
When making The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. they made simple worlds for people to flesh out in their minds. Even with the more detailed worlds they make now, it’s still important to approach design in that way.
His characters stand out because they are in fun games. It’s important when making something new to match it with the appropriate character.
Graphics aren’t the focus of Nintendo Land, the structure of play is. The Wii U is powerful machine that can display high definition graphics.
They are looking at selling downloadable content.
With the Wii U’s GamePad the question becomes how to leverage the user’s imagination and creativity.
With Pikmin 3 there are 3 captains you can switch between, which gives it more strategic depth.
Many people have wanted to work on Luigi games at Nintendo, and several Luigi games are launching this year. Since it’s also the 30th anniversary of Luigi’s first appearance they decided to make it a Luigi festival.
One of themes of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is big groups of Luigis attacking enemies, which has a Pikmin feel.
Nintendo of America – Shigeru Miyamoto Talks About Pikmin 3
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Promotional video (live translator)
People: Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gwOhM2M30o
Summary: You might see Olimar a bit in Pikmin 3, but there are 3 new captains. You can directly attack a Bulborb’s eye.
Nintendo of America – Wii U Developer Direct – Pikmin 3 @E3 2013
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Promotional video (dubbed)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndMjKHxAfz8
Summary: They made Pikmin 3 because they wanted to, and the Wii U’s hardware is perfect for it. The AI has been improved and the controls are better with the Wii MotionPlus. You can play solely on the GamePad. It feels like the Wii U was made for Pikmin.
With the original Pikmin he wanted the rocket to fly away on the final day, but crash if it wasn’t complete. This time he wanted to let players take their time. Bosses will still be damaged if you come back the next day, just like real life. You can do more each day since you control three captains.
Mission Mode will give you a challenge to complete within a time limit, which will improve your technique in story mode. In Bingo Battle you can interfere with your opponent, go for the items you need, or the ones your opponent needs.
He thinks the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are the most comfortable way to play.
Pikmin 3 was tested with grade schoolers and they found that the more you play, the more you understand. He took some kids from his neighborhood out for a recreational activity and he drew a Pikmin. One of the children told him that the games have Bulborbs. Pikmin 3 feels like that ultimate evolution of Pikmin, and he hopes this is the framework for a new kind of real-time simulation game.
GameTrailers – Super Mario 3D World – E3 2013 Miyamoto Walkthrough
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D World
Format: Demonstration, interview (dubbed)
People: Geoff Keighley, two unnamed developers, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PApbh5mUO8s
Notes: Geoff plays as Peach, Mr. Miyamoto as Luigi, and the two developers as Mario and Toad. They play level 2-1.
Summary: You explored Super Mario Galaxy in single-player, but Super Mario 3D World is focused on multiplayer. The cat suit lets you climb walls. Green pipes are iconic, but they added translucent pipes to show what Mario is doing in there. You can climb a flagpole in with the cat suit.
GameTrailers – Nintendo – E3 2013: Miyamoto Speaks!
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Subject(s): E3, Super Mario 3D World
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Geoff Keighley, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL8DOdlnmRw
Summary: The booth has a Nintendo feel at E3 this year. They brought a lot of games, many are from popular series, but they feel fresh.
He’s always involved in Zelda games, and they’re showing both The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. There are several Zelda teams, one is working on new games for the Wii U.
They’ll announce new characters for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U today.
The developers of Super Mario 3D World came to him with the cat transformation idea, and he loved it because he’s had a cat for four years. He gave them a lot of instructions on how it should move.
GamesIndustry.biz – Nintendo’s Miyamoto: All this talk about our earnings is “silly”
Publication Date: June 12, 2013
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, making hardware and software, retirement, new IP, sales numbers
Format: Transcribed interview
People: James Brightman, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/nintendos-miyamoto-all-this-talk-about-our-earnings-is-silly
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2013.
Summary: They try to show what’s unique about Nintendo at E3 every year. If everyone does the same thing they’ll look the same, but Nintendo has unique things to offer.
Consumers will always say that they want to pay less, but Nintendo competes on their uniqueness.
It’s not as easy as just quadrupling their development team size. They want to deliver the highest quality content, which means gradually teaching people how to do so. The DS to 3DS and Wii to Wii U were big jumps in hardware, which means their teams need time to adjust. The transition is smoother when the jump isn’t as large, such as going from the GameCube to the Wii.
They have determined a direction for the Wii U The Legend of Zelda game, and are working on it. They thought about showing it at E3 but didn’t want it to take all of the spotlight away from games like Pikmin 3. They also don’t want to share all of their news at E3.
Business-wise it’s important to have both the hardware and software side. Creatively, they make hardware that suits their needs. Other developers will make a game for a console, and then also make a version for different platforms, so they have multiple teams working on a game and its derivative versions. At Nintendo they focus on one game for one platform, and then move on to the next thing.
A game designer’s job is to make exciting new games, but what he sees is more focus being put on graphics, and games being sold on them. This weakens the meaning of game design.
There are still games he’s deeply involved in, such as Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre and Pikmin 3. He always wants to be involved with the games that are very fresh.
He’s not actively thinking about retirement, but he may fall over one day. Sometimes he tells teams that he’s not going to do anything, to prepare them for when he’s not there. They’ve done a good job raising up younger designers.
He doesn’t have any specific goals; he never would have been able to predict much of what has happened during his 30 years working in the industry. With each new wave he tries to keep an active role. Entertainment is about surprising people, so he tries to do something different from everyone else.
Focusing on making graphics or sound better leads to everything feel similar.
Some at Nintendo ask if a game would be better as a new IP. Putting a new character into an old game results in a game and experience that is old. They’re always trying to make new gameplay experiences. They came up with the gameplay for Pikmin first, and designed the characters around it. The idea is always making a new gameplay experience and then finding the right character for it, whether its a new one or an old one.
It’s silly to aim for a specific amount of earnings since the entertainment industry is unstable. There is no one better than Satoru Iwata to manage Nintendo. His focus is on making new experiences for a broad audience. The video game industry still has a lot of opportunity to do that.
BuzzFeed News – Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto On The Wii U: “We Will Make It A Success”
Publication Date: June 13, 2013
Subject(s): Wii U’s sales, Pikmin, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Cat Mario
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Adam B. Vary, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2013
Summary: They are happy with how the Wii U is a convenient device to connect to your living room television. Feedback has been positive from owners. Some people want more games and they’ve positioned themselves well for that now.
Getting people to experience the Wii U comes down to releasing games. Making games that use the Wii U’s features will be motivation to purchase it. They are making a push this Christmas season and people will realize the added functionality of the Wii U.
The Wii U hasn’t sold to their expectations. Their current lineup will motivate people to buy it and they have high expectations for the future.
Pikmin is a management simulation game which is fun because of the strategy and tactics. It’s not necessarily bad to make the player think of the moral ramifications. It’s possible to beat the game without losing a single Pikmin. People are playing it at E3 while surrounded by games that are shooting fests.
He can’t say much about the Wii U The Legend of Zelda game, right now they are focused on The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
There’s been a lot of discussion about platforms, with tablets and phones. Nintendo has a unique way of doing things. They want to preserve that essence.
Nintendo is an entertainment company, so they have to catch people’s attention. They’ve been an entertainment company longer than they have been a video game company.
They will make the Wii U a success. Nintendo always wants to find new ways to play.
It’s not impossible that they will adapt one of their games into a television show or movie. People pitch them ideas. But there’s a difference between passive and active entertainment.
They wanted to include climbing in Super Mario 3D World, and there was talk in the office about having a new cat. People thought he’d like Cat Mario, and he did.
Nintendo of America – Shigeru Miyamoto Pikmin 3 Bingo Battle
Publication Date: June 14, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Promotional video (live translator)
People: Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD5aFGxps-s
Notes: Bill Trinen wins the first match, Miyamoto wins the second.
Summary: This is a competition to see who can clear a line on their bingo card first. He was trying to explain the cherries when Bill Trinen attacked him.
Kotaku – Shigeru Miyamoto’s Next Great Game, As Far As He’s Concerned
Publication Date: June 17, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3, Pikmin, Pikmin 2
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamotos-next-great-game-as-far-as-hes-conc-513862764
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130621233819/http://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamotos-next-great-game-as-far-as-hes-conc-513862764
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2013.
Summary: He’s worked on about 50 games directly, and about 100 if you include the ones where he provided oversight. Pikmin 3 is one of the best, because he’s continued to play it and it’s still fun.
Pikmin 3 gives you the freedom to play how you want, not always in ways the developers foresaw. Pikmin 3 includes everything he wanted to have in the original Pikmin.
Pikmin is kind of like cooking, which involves doing several things at the same time.
The original Pikmin was too strict and confining, the 30 day limit made it difficult for novice game players. The time limit also made people not want to replay it. They wanted Pikmin 2 to be easier to get into, so they made it easier.
He wants to have some of the developers release videos showing their tricks.
Kotaku – Shigeru Miyamoto’s ‘Bad’ Game
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Subject(s): Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamotos-bad-game-514017583
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130621180327/http://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamotos-bad-game-514017583
Notes: This is the same interview as the previous entry, but the answer to “what was the bad game Miyamoto made?” was made into its own article. This interview took place at E3 2013.
Summary: The game he could have done more with was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. When they make games they have an idea to start with and grow it from there. But Zelda II ended up exactly how it was originally planned.
If they could have sped up the transitions they could have done more with the interchange between the side scrolling sections and the overhead sections. Bigger enemies would have been good, too.
Nintendo of America – Shigeru Miyamoto Pikmin 3 Mission Mode
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Promotional video/demonstration (live translator)
People: Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvbem-nAItQ
Notes: Miyamoto attempts to get a good score in the first mission of Pikmin 3.
Summary: The more you play a level the higher you can get your score. The key is to remember the abilities of the Pikmin.
Time – Shigeru Miyamoto Apologizes for Wii U Game Delays, Says the Best Is Nearly Here
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Subject(s): Wii U, Internet functionality, slow releases, Pikmin 3
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: The interviewer states that Mr. Miyamoto has been quoted as saying “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.”. Mr. Miyamoto does not deny saying this in any interview where it comes up, but he has never actually said this in any known interview. You can read more about this quote on Video Game Canon.
Summary: Nintendo’s stance is that not everyone is connected to the Internet, so they support offline games. Their online services are a service to their customers to extend gameplay.
They don’t require that third parties support the GamePad, but they focus on it at Nintendo. Developers can take advantage of using it since every Wii U owner has one.
It’s very important to create unique games. If developers only focus on making the same games look better then it only becomes a competition to make the strongest hardware.
People understand what makes Nintendo products great after they’ve personally experienced them. It’s difficult to explain the appeal of the Wii U, but people who have used it like it. They wanted to release it before tablets became so widespread. More people will buy it as more of their games come out.
He wasn’t in charge of deciding the price of the Wii U. If another system included a tablet it would cost at least $100 more.
Just because Wii and Wii U have a similar name doesn’t mean their development environments are similar. Development has taken six months longer than expected several times. They will have big titles almost every month starting with Pikmin 3.
There’s a lot of variability in the entertainment industry, sometimes a product will have a slow start but then sell very well, sometimes the opposite. The Wii U was made to be a convenience to the living room. Word will spread when more games have been released.
A core audience really loved the original Pikmin, but not as many people played it as they hoped. They want Pikmin 3 to be approachable to newcomers while allowing others to get into the strategy quickly. They want people to play Pikmin 3 repeatedly. The basic action of throwing Pikmin is simple, but there are many ways to approach the game.
They could use The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s style again some day.
Kotaku – Nintendo: All These Sequels Don’t Mean We’re ‘Playing It Safe’
Publication Date: June 19, 2013
Subject(s): Making new IP
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/nintendo-all-these-sequels-dont-mean-were-playing-i-514267102
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130623012724/http://kotaku.com/nintendo-all-these-sequels-dont-mean-were-playing-i-514267102
Summary: Both inside and outside Nintendo people say that they should make new IP. People don’t understand the difference between new IP and new games. Making a new character doesn’t make a game fun. Pikmin 3 has created a new gameplay style within its franchise.
They are always making new gameplay elements. People didn’t see Nintendogs as a new IP because the character was a dog. Nintendo Land was fresh but people didn’t see it that way because there wasn’t a story or a new character.
Kotaku – Shigeru Miyamoto and the Damsel In Distress
Publication Date: June 20, 2013
Subject(s): Playable female characters
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-and-the-damsel-in-distress-520259897
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221001081124/https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-and-the-damsel-in-distress-520259897
Summary: When they made Donkey Kong girls did not go to arcades often, so they didn’t consider making a character for girls. In the DS era more women played games like Professor Layton and Animal Crossing. His daughter loves Zelda but has never asked why she can’t play as her. If they were to ever make a game where a guy rescues a girl they would want for it to feel like the natural way for the game. The structure of the gameplay comes before the story.
IGN – Don’t Get Your Hopes Up For F-Zero
Publication Date: June 20, 2013
Subject(s): F-Zero, collaboration, Star Fox
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Richard George, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/20/dont-get-your-hopes-up-for-f-zero
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130623013326/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/20/dont-get-your-hopes-up-for-f-zero
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2013 and the rest of the interview is continued in the next entry.
Summary: He understands that people might want a new F-Zero, but he doesn’t have any ideas for a great game. The anti-gravity in Mario Kart 8 may seem like a connection, but he doesn’t know what direction a new F-Zero would go in.
When they go to E3 with great franchises people ask about other series they want to play, but he only has so much capacity. They’ve worked with other companies to make F-Zero and Star Fox, but they would rather make those games themselves. They’ve been working on increasing their numbers so they can work on more at once.
IGN – The Future of Nintendo Game Development
Publication Date: June 21, 2013
Subject(s): Making more games, collaboration, Retro Studios, Next Level Games
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Richard George, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/21/the-future-of-nintendo-game-development
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130623013755/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/21/the-future-of-nintendo-game-development
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2013 and is a continuation of the previous entry.
Summary: Nintendo has been increasing its staff so that they can work on more things at once. He’s been working with Yoshiaki Koizumi on making more games at the Tokyo studio.
Retro Studios did well with Metroid so they want to continue to leverage their abilities.
When they work with another company they call it a collaboration project. They’ve realized that they want a Nintendo producer there overseeing things.
Retro Studios and Next Level Games have similar development styles as Nintendo.
Team CoCo – Conan Chats With Mario Creator Shigeru Miyamoto | CONAN on TBS
Publication Date: June 25, 2013
Subject(s): Mario’s mustache
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Conan O’Brien, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg-2EcAYjZo
Notes: This video was posted several years after it originally aired.
Summary: Mario has a mustache because he needed to have a nose and the mustache showed where the nose was.
Nintendo – ピクミン3 Direct 2013.6.26 (Untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: June 26, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Demonstration, interview
People: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGFymces-AM
Notes: Hitoshi Matsumoto plays Pikmin 3 and talks to Mr. Miyamoto in this Japan-exclusive Nintendo Direct.
Famitsu (reported on by Kotaku, incomplete)
Publication Date: Unknown (reported on July 10, 2013)
Subject(s): New franchise
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Brian Ashcraft, unknown Famitsu interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto (reported on by Brian Ashcraft)
Link: https://kotaku.com/its-time-nintendo-brought-out-a-new-franchise-says-shi-729597896
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140417020231/http://kotaku.com/its-time-nintendo-brought-out-a-new-franchise-says-shi-729597896
Translator: Toshi Nakamura for Kotaku
Summary: The Wii U is a useful item for the living room, and has been recently updated, but they need to release games. When Mario Kart 8 releases in the Spring there will be a good mix of games, so it would be a good time to release a new franchise. He has been busy with this game.
Kotaku – Why Are You Here? Shigeru Miyamoto And The Ocarina Of Time
Publication Date: July 10, 2013
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Mark Serrels, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/07/why-are-you-here-miyamoto-and-the-ocarina-of-time/
Summary: Early in the development of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time they didn’t really understand the Nintendo 64’s graphical capabilities. The experimented with Super Mario 64, and used that for Ocarina of Time. There was no blueprint for making that kind of 3D game.
There was a lot of experimentation during the Nintendo 64 era. There were challenges in making Ocarina of Time with a third-person perspective. They tried making it like Mario 64, where players explored a central hub that was Hyrule castle. They wanted Hyrule to feel unique, with weather systems.
Adding a rideable horse was a turning point, they realized they needed a big field to ride the horse around.
Link was another turning point. They made a grown-up Link first, then made a child Link. They asked themselves which one they should go with, but realized they could use both. He wanted to make sure there were differences between the two, like Link’s relationship with girls, to tell a story of a boy growing up.
At the time it made him happy that conveince store workers knew he was working on Ocarina of Time. There were issues with some parts of the design, like the Postman. Late in development he declared that they had to double the number of ocarina songs. Eiji Aonuma still regrets making the Water Temple so difficult, though he says it’s not really hard, just inconveint to switch boots all the time.
Ocarina of Time was the first game his daughter really sat down and played, and it made her a The Legend of Zelda fan.
How does Shigeru Miyamoto create a structure? – Secret base in the tree – Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun (untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: July 12-24, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Shigesato Itoi, Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Links: https://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-12.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-16.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-17.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-18.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-19.html
https://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-24.html
Japanese Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20130715042226/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-12.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20130719052845/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-16.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20130722142552/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-17.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20130725022641/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-18.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20130722142621/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-19.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20130725022959/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-22.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20130725022646/http://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-23.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20220904160241/https://www.1101.com/nintendo/pikmin3/2013-07-24.html
Notes: The title is machine translated. 1101.com is Shigesato Itoi’s website. I am combining these pages since none have been translated.
4Gamer – Interviewing Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto On the Appeal of Pikmin 3 – “When it comes to interactive media, a connection to one’s self is the most fun”
Publication Date: July 13, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3, Pikmin, action games, high definition graphics, Pikmin’s genre
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed 4Gamer interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Links: https://kamedani.tumblr.com/post/55798867746/4-gamer-interview-with-shigeru-miyamoto-part-1
https://kamedani.tumblr.com/post/56732554760/4gamer-interview-with-shigeru-miyamoto-part-2
https://kamedani.tumblr.com/post/56911527802/4gamer-interview-with-shigeru-miyamoto-part-3
Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20130722143628/http://kamedani.tumblr.com/post/55798867746/4-gamer-interview-with-shigeru-miyamoto-part-1
Japanese Links: https://www.4gamer.net/games/168/G016837/20130712087/
https://www.4gamer.net/games/168/G016837/20130712087/index_2.html
https://www.4gamer.net/games/168/G016837/20130712087/index_3.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130729231402/http://www.4gamer.net/games/168/G016837/20130712087/
Translator: KameDaniRyuu for kamedani.tumblr.com
Summary: They thought players would replay the original Pikmin, but most people stopped after beating it. He learned the hard way that people are busy.
Pikmin 2 was made to fix things that people didn’t like about Pikmin, but they weren’t sure that approach made for a good game. Pikmin 3 was made with the perspective of what Pikmin should have been.
With older Pikmin games they could hide some off screen elements. With the Wii U you can see the whole map and everything that is moving on the GamePad.
He has seen action games become less popular in Japan and more popular in America during his 30 years of making them. When people can’t overcome the difficulty they quit. When people who want a challenge play an easy game they think it’s lame, but if it’s too hard it puts off the people who just want to play it. He wanted to make a game everyone could enjoy.
Someone who has trouble with action games can beat Pikmin 3 in 40-60 in-game days, while others can beat it in 20. They made it so you can replay the story mode from the start or from set points. You can also improve by playing mission mode.
Tutorials are the part of the game you have to put up with to enjoy the rest, and the more complicated it is, the longer the tutorial has to be. It’s especially frustrating for experienced players who are familiar with a series.
He wanted to go high definition sooner, even if it made the Wii cost more. They felt there was no point at the time since high definition televisions were not common yet. They thought they would be common enough by the time the system after the Wii came out, but it ended up happening 2 to 3 earlier than they expected.
There’s no need for Zelda in 4K definition, but Pikmin could benefit.
If every Pikmin moved in the same way they would look like robots. There were some details added to make them seem more alive, their movements are slightly offset, and sometimes one won’t listen to you. The system is a black box, he’s been asked not to change too much.
Unexpected things happen when you create something based on the natural way of things. There’s something appealing a game that makes you feel a way you hadn’t before. You have mixed feelings when a red Pikmin stares at you or when the Pikmin watch your rocket fly away. It’s good to let children see it without making a big deal about it.
In the original it is possible to beat the game without killing a Pikmin. They weren’t sure it was possible in Pikmin 3, but a debugger was able to do it, so they were able to release the game.
There is nothing in Pikmin 3 beyond what is necessary. Some may say the ending doesn’t have enough build up, but it was done that way on purpose. The hero is the player, not the characters. There are three characters, but they were designed as throwable tools. There were four heroes at last year’s E3, but it was too complicated.
The two types of Pikmin added in Pikmin 2 may have made it a bit complicated, but the Stone and Winged Pikmin in Pikmin 3 are well balanced. Blue Pikmin are a bit less valuable, but you send in the Winged Pikmin and then the Blue Pikmin after them.
Since Pikmin is about using time effectively they have tried to make easy to see how to do that. You can send a few groups out to do different things, and then collect them when you hear the chime.
They tested Pikmin on DS and 3DS, but it turned into unit management and didn’t feel like Pikmin. They found that Pikmin is an action game centered around its controls, and strategy atop that.
When they made Pikmin they wanted to make the easiest to control 3D game. Few games were so simple, since you didn’t need to control the camera.
The Pikmin do things for you, rather than you controlling a character that does things. It’s like a sports game, you have to carefully place everyone. They made sure not to start from the idea of a real-time strategy game. Some of Pikmin was inspired by M.U.L.E. Pikmin is an action game and its own genre, not a real-time strategy game.
There was an American poll that said Mario was more popular than Mickey Mouse. Mickey was about 40 years old, but Mario was three or four. He wanted Mario to grow with digital media the way that Mickey grew with animation. They decided that Super Mario 64 would be their first 3D game.
The Wii U has a browser and two screens, so you can watch YouTube conveniently, but it’s hard to understand if you don’t use it. There aren’t enough games for the Wii U. Pikmin 3 and Wii Fit U were planned to release January to March, but they were busy working on high definition shaders. There were some elements of Pikmin 3 that they weren’t sure would work until the game was done. When the realized it wouldn’t be ready for February they thought maybe April, but they decided to take their time.
Pikmin 3 is fun for the family to watch, it can be enjoyed that way. One sibling can in charge of the TV and one in charge of the GamePad. Pikmin 3 is like number visualization training, you also have to coordinate and plan, so it can make you mentally sharper.
Bingo Battle can fire up the living room, people watching can better see what is happening and give directions. He wasn’t sure the mode needed its own director, but he was glad for it in the end.
They gave up on online play because it would have required sacrifices to other parts of the game.
Their goal at Nintendo is to sell games for 3 years after release, or at least 1. Games that you beat in 3 weeks and never play again are not good.
It’s fun to watch Pikmin 3 gameplay videos. He has learned new techniques from the debuggers.
Mission and Bingo Battle are meant to be playable for six to 15 minutes. Many feel like 20 to 30 minute play sessions are too much.
He is experimenting with a Pikmin anime, in fact he’s spent more time on it than the game for the last two years. E3 2012 included elements they made for the anime. There are Pikmin in the TOHO Cinema logo to prepare for the anime.
The original point of video games was a shared experience between the game maker and the game player. Whether the player can learn something from the game. If you can do this there is a shared understanding and a relationship of trust is born.
Games are unfortunately being made more movie-like. Nintendo wants players to think about what’s going on and play actively. Mario isn’t the hero, the player is. The hero is Link, but the series is The Legend of Zelda. The heroes are Charlie and the other captains, but it’s called Pikmin 3.
The most interesting parts of games are what’s connected to you. You’re moved by Dragon Quest because you put 40 hours of yourself into it.
Nintendo is seen as ignoring game lovers, but the people making games love them. Pikmin 3 is for game lovers, but also balanced for casual players.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 secret memos)
Publication Date: July 16, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003428/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADMUKlYWIe9OA
Notes: Translations for this post came much later than usual, so I am using the original Japanese post for this entry. The Internet Archive seems to have an issue with the first English version of this post, but a second English post can be found here.
Summary: Have those of you playing Pikmin 3 found the Secret Memos in story mode? The numbers in the 10 secret memos combine to form a code.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 Mission Mode for beginners, untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: July 18, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003427/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAAD4UV52ZFnzZQ
Notes: This post contains a video with beginner’s tips for Mission Mode in Pikmin 3.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 Mission Mode Platinum Medal, untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: July 18, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003427/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADbUV588z4kwg
Notes: This post contains a video showing how to get a Platinum Medal in Mission Mode in Pikmin 3.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 Mission Mode super play, untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: July 25, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003427/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAAD4UV52jEnXjQ
Notes: This post contains a video showing super play in Mission Mode in Pikmin 3.
NRC.nl – Kleine mannetjes in de harde natuur wortel/nielsthooft.com – My Pikmin 3 interview with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: July 26, 2013 (Dutch), July 29, 2013 (English)
Subject(s): Pikmin 3, sequels
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Niels’t Hooft, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://nielsthooft.com/miyamoto-pikmin
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20130803232658/http://nielsthooft.com/miyamoto-pikmin
Dutch Link: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/07/26/kleine-mannetjes-in-de-harde-natuur-1274305-a372078
Dutch Archive Link: https://archive.fo/BhrpM
Notes: NRC is a Dutch newspaper which originally printed this interview. Niels’t Hooft, the interviewer, posted the full version to his website 3 days later in English. A machine translation of the Dutch headline is “Little men in the harsh nature carrot”.
Summary: The Pikmin series are action games where you direct a number of AI controlled Pikmin, so he thinks of them as AI action games. There’s also elements of puzzle, simulation, and real-time strategy games.
Pikmin shows the harsh reality of nature well. It leads to people having emotions they’ve never had while playing a game.
It feels good when you do things efficiently, you might even learn to be efficient in real life too.
The Super Mario 128 demo made him think it would be fun to watch little creatures moving around according to your directions.
They could have more Pikmin, but 100 is a good amount.
There’s no rule about when a sequel should be released, but it’s also important that people don’t forget about a series.
The Pikmin team started work on another game right after Pikmin 2. There were tests on the DS, Wii, and 3DS. About five people worked on experiments until a larger team was assembled to work on a game. It works this way for other franchises, too.
He is a producer on Pikmin 3, he discussed the game system and its direction. He took extra time on how the GamePad would be used. He also discussed making new types of Pikmin. Development was easy since most of the main staff have been working on it since the original.
They have been working on Pikmin animations to show people interesting gestures that they can’t see in the game.
He’s working on a new game now, which has gotten busy recently.
El Comercio – No hay nada que pueda compararse a ‘Pikmin 3’ (untranslated from Spanish)
Publication Date: August 1, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Transcribed interview
People: M. McLoughlin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Spanish Link: https://www.elcomercio.es/rc/20130801/mas-actualidad/tecnologia/nada-pueda-compararse-pikmin-201307312221.html
Spanish Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20231217205936/https://www.elcomercio.es/rc/20130801/mas-actualidad/tecnologia/nada-pueda-compararse-pikmin-201307312221.html
Notes: A machine translation of the title is “There is nothing that can compare to ‘Pikmin 3’”.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 more on Secret Memos)
Publication Date: August 8, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107004144/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAAAYUKk-X8ZsIg
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003428/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAAD4UgHp83RQkA
Summary: As promised he is going to describe how to use the codes found in the Secret Memos.
Captain Olimar and his crew recorded Expedition Logs and entering the special code gives you access to them.
To see the Expedition Logs go to the link below and enter the secret code. They can only be viewed in the Wii U’s browser.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 update)
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171108042635/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADOUgHrJsJ6Qw
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003427/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAABtUhptH9Lngw
Summary: A Pikmin 3 update was released that adds a 6th stage to Collect Treasure! in Mission Mode. It is free and takes place in the same area as Stage 1. He hasn’t gotten the Platinum Medal yet.
Stages 7 to 10 are available to purchase in the eShop.
Polygon – Super Mario 3D World: The Shigeru Miyamoto interview
Publication Date: October 24, 2013
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D World
Format: Transcribed interview, demonstration
People: Colin Campbell, unnamed members of the press, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Kenta Motokura, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.polygon.com/2013/10/24/5022354/super-mario-3d-world-the-shigeru-miyamoto-interview
Summary: Everyone loves cats and they included the Cat Suit in Super Mario 3D World because it is cute and it offers an element of freedom.
People think of Mario jumping on things, but they thought of climbing walls.
They’ve taken the simplicity of 2D games and combined it with the exploration of a 3D game.
It’s been a long time since you could play as Princess Peach in a Mario game.
Toad is good for speedrunners.
Some find 3D games too hard, and others are tired of 2D games. Super Mario 3D World combines the best of both.
GamesRadar – Shigeru Miyamoto tells us if HD Mario remakes are possible
Publication Date: October 24, 2013
Subject(s): Remakes
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Henry Gilbert, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.gamesradar.com/hd-miyamoto-tells-us-if-hd-mario-remakes-are-possible/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20131109152612/http://www.gamesradar.com/hd-miyamoto-tells-us-if-hd-mario-remakes-are-possible/
Notes: GamesRadar was able to ask one question via video conference. This was almost certainly from the same event as the previous entry.
Summary: It is possible that they will remake games in high definition, but they’re working on new things right now. They would want the GamePad to add something new to it.
Official Nintendo Magazine – Meeting a Legend
Publication Date: November, 2013
Subject(s): Work life, games he plays, apprentices
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Chandra Nair, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scan:
Notes: This interview commemorated Official Nintendo Magazine’s 100th issue. Nintendo UK’s website included this barely legible scan in their article about the event. Scans by Out of Print Archive.
Summary: He wants to continue to be deeply involved in game development. He can’t work as long as he used to when he was young. He has to balance his time carefully to be involved in all the games he wants to be involved with.
He plays the games he works on, but doesn’t have time to play others. The last non-Nintendo game he played was Puzzle & Dragons.
Eiji Aonuma doesn’t need him anymore, he can leave The Legend of Zelda to him. It’s the same with Yoshiaki Koizumi and the Mario series. Hideki Konno handles Mario Kart. Also Katsuya Eguchi of Animal Crossing. These producers are talented enough to oversee game development to the Nintendo level of quality. For years they would show him what they were working on, and he’d tell them not to look to him for feedback, look to the consumer.
Gamekult – Super Mario 3D World, l’interview en trio (reported on by Polygon, untranslated from French)
Publication Date: November 1, 2013
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D World
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by boulapoire , Yoshiaki Koizumi, Kenta Motokura, Shigeru Miyamoto
Links: https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/super-mario-3d-world-l-interview-en-trio-112458.html
https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/04/miyamoto-wont-work-on-the-next-mario
Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20170906035650/https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/super-mario-3d-world-l-interview-en-trio-112458.html
Notes: The next Super Mario game was Super Mario Maker, and the game he was heavily involved with was likely Star Fox Zero.
Summary: He is unlikely to have much involvement in the next Mario game after Super Mario 3D World, since he is busy with another project.
He wants to work on more small projects.
Iwata Asks – Super Mario 3D World
Publication Date: November 14, 2013
Subject(s): Super Mario 3D World
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wiiu/super-mario-3d-world/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221019040247/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wiiu/super-mario-3d-world/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/interview/ardj/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220313030205/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wiiu/interview/ardj/vol1/index.html
Summary: No upending the tea table this time, he mostly did spot checks and made sure the game follows the overarching concept. The concept was a 3D Mario game that fans of the New Super Mario Bros. series can enjoy.
The idea for controlling multiple Marios at once was not new, but the worry had been it would be too taxing.
They decided on the multiplayer aspect early on, which narrowed the possibilities for how the camera worked.
Super Mario transcends cultural differences because the games are based on what instinctively feels good.
He realized that “Land” games were for handhelds, while “World” games were for consoles.
Nintendo of America – Nintendo Direct – Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre
Publication Date: November 27, 2013
Subject(s): Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre
Format: Promotional Video (subtitled)
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: This features Mr. Iwata and Mr. Miyamoto walking around the Louvre using Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre. The Iwata Asks interview goes into more depth.
Summary: You can’t get lost with the map. You can turn the view with the L and R buttons.
Put down the guide when you walk on the stairs.
They wanted to use an outdoor background for Winged Victory of Samothrace, but they had abandon the idea.
The rod-like object on the wall is what tracks your location. They had to hide these devices.
You can look more closely at the art on the 3DS than you can being there.
The Louvre’s 3DSes make logs detailing where they have been.
Iwata Asks – Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS Guides: Louvre
Publication Date: November 27, 2013
Subject(s): Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/louvre-guide/0/0/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220621221440/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/3ds/louvre-guide/0/0/
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/al8j/vol1/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20221205121149/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/interview/al8j/vol1/index.html
Summary: Going to museums is a hobby of his.
He thought the DS could function as a more convenient audio guide. He worked with Oriental Land to trial a guide to the shopping area in Tokyo Disney Resort. Other places had similar guides made, and this software would eventually be released as Make It Yourself: Nintendo DS Guide.
While in talks to make the Louvre guide hegot to explore the museum on a day it was closed. He had a lot of fun taking 3D pictures with the 3DS. There are about 37 hours of audio in Japanese. They had over 500 antennas put up, which had to be concealed and they have to be constantly updated as works are moved around.
They had to get permission to add flourishes to the 3D models of the art, Nike of Samothrace flaps her wings, but they could not give Venus de Milo arms.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 Mission Stages)
Publication Date: December 6, 2013
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171108042636/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYnZZH17ew
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003428/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAAYUKlBPHi5zQ
Summary: There is a third Mission Stage pack available in the eShop for Pikmin 3. It includes eight new stages with new environments.
A new Mission Stage called Fortress of Festivity is set in a home that is celebrating.
The New York Times – In the Footsteps of Lara Croft
Publication Date: December 13, 2013
Subject(s): The portrayal of damsels in distress in video games
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Chris Suellentrop, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This comes from a conversation or interview Chris Suellentrop had with Mr. Miyamoto before E3 2013. Chris told Mr. Miyamoto about the first episode of Anita’s Sarkeesian’s Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, which deals with how video games portray damsels in distress.
Summary: Video games aren’t the only genre to portray damsels in distress, he hasn’t given it a lot of thought.
2014
Nintendo Investor Relations – Corporate Management Policy Briefing / Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing for the 74th Fiscal Term Ending March 2014
Publication Date: February 1, 2014
Subject(s): Wii U’s poor sales
Format: Investor Q & A
People: Unnamed investors, Nintendo executives including Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/140130qa/index.html
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171101105727/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/140130qa/index.html
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/140130qa/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20211023051338/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/140130qa/index.html
Summary: Nintendo didn’t have any games from their main franchises ready for the launch of the DS or 3DS, but they had two for the Wii U: New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land. Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are coming soon. Metacritic gave Super Mario 3D World a top score.
They have failed to communicate the Wii U’s value, to make children persuade their parents to buy them games, and to appeal to parents. Nintendo Land is compelling for groups of four or five, but some of the single player aspects are weak.
They are working on how long it takes to load games. The Wii U has evolved from the Wii, it can use shaders, for example. The time it takes to create a development environment is a bottleneck they are working on.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (end of Year of Luigi announcement)
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
Subject(s): Year of Luigi
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170725000758/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADMUKllG-_pxg
Notes: This was the official declaration of when the Year of Luigi would end. The year ended up being about 13 months.
Summary: It’s been almost a year since he announced the Year of Luigi. They were able to release several Luigi games this year. The Year of Luigi will end March 18.
The Year of Luigi community on Miiverse will stop allowing new posts and comments in one month.
Please leave a comment about Luigi for closure. Do not put any personal information in your comment.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (end of Year of Luigi announcement, asking for more comments)
Publication Date: February 19, 2014
Subject(s): More comments for the Year of Luigi
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170721212749/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADRUqFvx3hxew
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto reposted his previous Miiverse post with a short request for more replies since Miiverse posts only allowed for up to 999 replies. I am only including a summary of the new part here.
Summary: Comment on this post if you weren’t able to on the previous post.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (end of Year of Luigi announcement, asking for more comments)
Publication Date: February 24, 2014
Subject(s): More comments for the Year of Luigi
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170721212747/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADMUKll7p8s6w
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto reposted his previous Miiverse post with a short request for more replies since Miiverse posts only allowed for up to 999 replies. It is identical to his previous post.
Summary: Comment on this post if you weren’t able to on the previous post.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (end of Year of Luigi announcement, asking for more comments)
Publication Date: March 3,, 2014
Subject(s): More comments for the Year of Luigi
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170721212734/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYnmpkB9IA
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto reposted his previous Miiverse post with a short request for more replies since Miiverse posts only allowed for up to 999 replies. It is identical to his previous post.
Summary: Comment on this post if you weren’t able to on the previous post.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Year of Luigi ends)
Publication Date: March 19, 2014
Subject(s): Year of Luigi
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170721212800/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAAYUKlN88GTcg
Summary: Thanks for your comments on Luigi. We have placed a few on our website.
The Year of Luigi is now closed.
Thank you for your support.
Please continue to cheer on Luigi.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin 3 update)
Publication Date: June 5, 2014
Subject(s): Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170731195238/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYn1CDiRSA
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140659/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADMUKlxkhhMtA
Summary: There is a new update for Pikmin 3 that allows you to control them more directly with the GamePad. It may help experts get a better score.
Club Nintendo has a special campaign where if you register Mario Kart 8 you can download a game for free. He hopes you take this opportunity to play Pikmin 3.
Nintendo of America – Play Nintendo – Nintendo E3 Digital Event
Publication Date: June 10, 2014
Subject(s): Wii U GamePad
Format: Promotional Video (subtitled)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Summary: He’s working on more games that use the TV and GamePad. When you play with the GamePad and use the TV it’s fun for people watching, too.
Time – Interview: Shigeru Miyamoto Explains Nintendo’s Star Fox Rethink and His Unusual New Wii U Games
Publication Date: June 10, 2014
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard, Project Giant Robot
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://time.com/2850146/shigeru-miyamoto-nintendo-interview/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140831224252/http://time.com/2850146/shigeru-miyamoto-nintendo-interview/
Notes: This is part one of a two part interview and it took place during E3 2014.
Summary: Project Giant Robot, Star Fox Zero, and Star Fox Guard started development around the same time. They utilized some Star Fox assets they had made on the Wii.
They didn’t look at Star Fox Guard from a genre perspective, but they have been experimenting with since the Nintendo 64. The Wii U GamePad made the interface more intuitive. They decided it is a new genre. After the end of a match the GamePad will show you when and where robots came from.
They experimented with Star Fox and the Wii for around six years.
It’s safe to say there is a learning curve with the controls, but it will be fun when you understand them. It will take around 30 to 60 minutes to get used to it. When you first start playing Star Fox Zero it may be easier to hold the GamePad up so it’s in your line of sight with the TV.
They’re considering having two pilots for the helicopter, one controlling the helicopter and one controlling the robot.
If the Star Fox series has been like a movie series up to now, this new approach is more like a TV series.
Nintendo of America – Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3 2014 — Day 1: Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: June 11, 2014
Subject(s): Wii U, Project Giant Robot, Project Guard (Star Fox Guard)
Format: Interview/demonstration (live translator)
People: Samantha Robertson, Ed, Ryo Tanaka, Yugo Hayashi, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Summary: Nintendo recently released an update to the Wii U that allows players to turn the GamePad on instantly with a quick start menu. It’s E3 so he has to mention Pikmin. They released an update for Pikmin 3 that allows for playing with just the GamePad.
In Project Giant Robot the player rides in the cockpit of a robot. Each joystick controls an arm of the robot. Enemies appear randomly, you can use leaning and punches to knock them down. You lose if you fall over. Making the robot’s feet larger will make it harder to topple, but slower. You can make cute but creepy robots. Women like playing it too. It’s more about leverage than force.
The Wii U games they brought to E3 have a focus not just on the player, but also on other people watching them play. In Project Guard you have a view from 12 cameras, which can control and shoot lasers from. A bird robot will take the cameras away. The GamePad shows where the robots appear. They designed it so that your mom might walk by and give you a hint. They started working on Project Guard for the N64, but it wasn’t powerful enough for what they wanted to do. There isn’t a genre for Project Guard. People found a lot of ways to play Nintendo Entertainment System games and he likes the idea of replaying a game and finding its depth even if it has a simple structure.
The unique factor of the Wii U is to be connected to the TV in the living room so people not playing the game can participate lightly. It is also great for controlling the TV or watching Netflix. Star Fox Zero is going well, it should release within a year.
Nintendo of America – Play Nintendo – Shigeru Miyamoto @ E3 2014
Publication Date: June 11, 2014
Subject(s): Project Giant Robot, Project Guard (Star Fox Guard), Star Fox Zero
Format: Promotional video (subtitled)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Summary: He brought some games that use the TV and GamePad to E3. In Project Giant Robot you use your body to fight opponents, like in sumo wrestling. In Project Guard you use security cameras to defeat the enemy. Star Fox Zero will not be available to play.
Entertainment Weekly – Shigeru Miyamoto on ‘Star Fox’ and the Wii U’s future
Publication Date: June 11, 2014
Subject(s): Wii U, Star Fox Zero
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Darren Franich, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://ew.com/article/2014/06/11/shigeru-miyamoto-star-fox-wii-u/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20151108210748/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/06/11/shigeru-miyamoto-star-fox-wii-u
Summary: People may not understand how useful the Wii U is and what it can do, and some thought they were stuggling to make GamePad experiences. They want to show that they have lots of ideas for the GamePad, and what the Wii U can do.
When he said he wanted to work on small projects, he meant the experimental phases of games. He’s not retiring or going to work on smartphone games.
They worked on a Star Fox game for the Wii, but had no new ideas so it was set aside. While working on experiments for Wii U games they came up with having the cockpit view on one screen and a third person perspective on the other.
He doesn’t make games with the idea that people will play it a certain way, he wants to people to come up with their own ideas. His love of course editors goes back to Excitebike. Super Mario Maker started as an internal Nintendo tool. They designed Super Mario Bros. 3 levels on paper. It was hardest on the programmers.
As hardware has improved so have programming languages. Tools like Unity make things easier.
His focus is on game design, thinking of new play structures and coming up with ideas. A lot of people try to make highly realistic graphics, but he likes to use technology to do new things. With Project Guard they can display the view from 12 cameras at once.
He had an idea for Star Fox that was like the Thunderbirds, who had lots of different mechs and vehicles. The older Star Fox games were for the movie theater, but Star Fox Zero is more like a TV series.
He is a producer on Splatoon, which is being made by the Animal Crossing team. He’s also working on Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
Even though he said Toad is his least favorite racer in Mario Kart he does like Toad. He hasn’t played much Super Smash Bros. but he thinks his favorite to play as would be Fox McCloud. This will be the year of Star Fox.
Children’s Technology Review – Shigeru Miyamoto gives children design advice during Mario Maker E3 preview
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Subject(s): Super Mario Maker, game design, Super Mario Bros.
Format: Demonstration/presentation (live translator)
People: Unnamed children and their parents, person in Mario suit, Bill Trinen (translator), Takashi Tezuka, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOSLBncYzYI
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Tezuka sign a child’s arm cast after making a level with him.
Summary: [Making a Super Mario Maker level with a child.]
It’s good to have mushrooms at the beginning of a level. You only need to put wings on the Goomba on the bottom of the stack.
[Speaking to a group of children.]He’s been making Mario games for 30 years. Mr. Tezuka joined right as they started Super Mario Bros. He made Donkey Kong, too. His first child was born during the making of Super Mario Bros. and he got married recently.
IGN – E3 2014: Miyamoto on What’s Next for Nintendo
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Subject(s): Transitioning between systems
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jose Otero, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/13/e3-2014-miyamotos-thoughts-on-whats-next-for-nintendo
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2014.
Summary: They have been working on improving the transition of the development environment between systems. It went smoothly with the GameCube to Wii, but there were hurdles going from the Wii to Wii U.
He can’t go into the question of whether they will stick with a handheld that can be used as a console.
IGN – E3 2014: Nintendo on Amiibo, Smash Bros., and Custom Figurines
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Subject(s): Amiibo
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jose Otero, Shinya Takahashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/12/e3-2014-nintendo-on-amiibo-smash-bros-and-custom-figurines
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2014.
Summary: There are employees who would like to them to make amiibo based on Miis and they are doing experiments.
The Super Smash Bros. Mario amiibo is different than the regular Mario amiibo. There will probably be a Mario line of amiibo that includes Princess Peach that you would use with something like Mario Party 10. He wants there to be an Arwing amiibo.
Kotaku – Nintendo Is Planning A Future For Both 2D And 3D Metroid
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Subject(s): Metroid
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Bill Trinen (translator), Shinya Takahashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/nintendo-is-planning-a-future-for-both-2d-and-3d-metroi-1590142491
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2014.
Summary: The creators of Metroid and the director of the Metroid Prime games work with Mr. Takahashi.
There’s still a lot they can do with the Metroid Prime series.
Time – This Is What Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto Thinks of Virtual Reality
Publication Date: June 16, 2014
Subject(s): Virtual reality, Wii U
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://time.com/2881482/interview-nintendo-miyamoto-virtual-reality/
Notes: This is part two of a two part interview and it took place during E3 2014.
Summary: They have been experimenting with virtual reality since the Virtual Boy, even the 3DS to an extent. While they are interested in it the Wii U is meant to be fun for everyone in the living room. Virtual reality involves putting on some goggles and playing alone.
The development environment of the Wii U has improved somewhat due to the introduction of Unity. They’ve also finished training their designers and developers.
Star Fox Guard is better because the hardware is better now, they were able to use an old idea and make it work. Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre is an example of making something better with better technology.
You can surprise people with uniqueness rather than graphics. He struggles with figuring out all the details needed to make an idea work. Timing is also very important.
Two ideas went into making the Wii U: you should be able to play it without the TV screen, and it should be convenient to connect to your TV because it can control the TV. You could watch YouTube on a TV with others, and someone could be choosing the next video while one is playing. Other set-top streaming devices cost $100, but the Wii U also gives you instant access on the GamePad. It isn’t just a gaming machine.
He spends a lot of time giving feedback to his teams. He also acts as the first-time player.
KittiesMama – KIDS AT E3! Nintendo Kids Corner E3 2014 | KittiesMama
Publication Date: June 16, 2014
Subject(s): Super Mario Maker
Format: Demonstration (15:01)
People: Noah, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FePEtCbZu84&t=901s
Notes: This took place at E3 2014 and is the same event as the Children’s Technology Review videos. Mr. Miyamoto gives Noah some help making a level in Super Mario Maker.
Summary: Noah’s doing some editing. There may be too many. There should be a mushroom at the beginning.
Kotaku – Shigeru Miyamoto Hears This Left-Handed Gamer’s Pain
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Subject(s): Left-handed modes
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Bill Trinen (translator), Shinya Takahashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-hears-this-left-handed-gamers-pain-1592285438
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140619190334/http://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-hears-this-left-handed-gamers-pain-1592285438
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2014.
Summary: He’ll talk to his teams about more left-handed modes.
He writes with his left hand and throws and does calligraphy with his right.
He thought he’d use the Wii’s Nunchuk with his right hand and the Wii Remote with his left, but that didn’t end up happening. It was easier to move the control stick with his left thumb.
3DS games with writing include a left-handed mode.
IGN – Miyamoto on the Potential for Dual GamePad Wii U Games
Publication Date: June 18, 2014
Subject(s): Playing with two GamePads
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jose Otero, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/18/miyamoto-on-the-potential-for-dual-gamepad-wii-u-games
Notes: The Wii U’s ability to use two GamePads for multiplayer games was announced at E3 2012. This interview took place at E3 2014.
Summary: They’re not yet at a point where it’s realistic to have people buy two GamePads. It should be technically possible and it creates some new possibilities, but it’s not a good use of resources.
Kotaku – Shigeru Miyamoto: ‘We’ve Had Tough Times Before’
Publication Date: June 19, 2014
Subject(s): Wii U sales, Amiibo
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Shinya Takahashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-weve-had-tough-time-before-1593390078
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140626200800/http://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-weve-had-tough-time-before-1593390078
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2014.
Summary: The numbers have never been as bad as they are now, but the difficult times are when they find the next new thing. Younger people are making their own games, like Splatoon.
Amiibo are similar to eReader cards. He has wanted a built-in way of reading and writing data with an object for a while now.
Kotaku – Shigeru Miyamoto Has A Question For All Of You
Publication Date: June 20, 2014
Subject(s): New Wii U games
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-has-a-question-for-all-of-you-1593754129
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140621214637/http://kotaku.com/shigeru-miyamoto-has-a-question-for-all-of-you-1593754129
Notes: Stephen Totilo asked Miyamoto if he had any questions for Kotaku readers while at E3 2014. The results, with a lot of statistics, can be found here.
Summary: The Wii U is suited to the living room. What game do Kotaku readers want Nintendo to make for the Wii U?
Children’s Technology Review – Shigeru Miyamoto’s favorite game; plus, his demo of Mario Maker
Publication Date: June 22, 2014
Subject(s): Super Mario Maker
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Unnamed children and their parents, unnamed moderator, person in Mario suit, unnamed translator, Takashi Tezuka, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fee-6ETQ5s
Notes: This took place at E3 2014.
Summary: Super Mario 64 was the most fun game to make. Everything was brand new. They used to design Mario levels by drawing them out on paper. They started using computer tools after Super Mario Bros. 3. His favorite character is Donkey Kong. It took about 3 months to change the tools they were making into Super Mario Maker.
[Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Tezuka make a level.]They used to only be able to have five enemies on screen at once, but now you can have as many as you want.
Kotaku – Miyamoto Ponders Nintendo Making Games That Run On Handheld And Console
Publication Date: June 23, 2014
Subject(s): Games that run on multiple systems
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Bill Trinen (translator), Shinya Takahashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/miyamoto-can-imagine-nintendo-making-hybrid-console-han-1594989023
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2014.
Summary: It’s now possible to have a similar experience as a console on a handheld. Five years ago many developers felt that they had to make games for the most powerful machine, but now they have expanded and might choose to developer for a range of devices.
The divide in Nintendo between console and handheld development is a cause of stress so they will look at unifying them.
Nintendo Investor Relations – The 74th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
Publication Date: June 27, 2014
Subject(s): E3, Project Giant Robot, Star Fox Guard, Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, open world games, escalating costs, Iwata Asks, Hyrule Warriors, creativity
Format: Investor Q & A
People: Unnamed investors, Nintendo executives including Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/stock/meeting/140627qa/index.html
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20140703195535/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/stock/meeting/140627qa/index.html
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/stock/meeting/140627qa/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20231206212927/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/stock/meeting/140627qa/index.html
Summary: E3 was two weeks ago. It is a trade show not open to the general public and 50,000 people attended. They will release Super Smash Bros. for Wii U this year. They announced Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Mario Party 10, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and Splatoon. Splatoon is a shooter where you try to cover the ground in ink and was developed mainly by young employees.
He wants to show off the Wii U GamePad so he brought the Project Giant Robot prototype, Star Fox Guard, and Super Mario Maker.
Information at E3 used to be disseminated through the media, but now they have a video on their website and Treehouse Live. Their E3 videos have been viewed over 10 million times.
The Wii U’s utility when connected to the living room TV hasn’t been understood, and there is a shortage of games. The Wii U is great entertainment for families in their living rooms. Most other developers showed bloody shooters at E3, while Nintendo had a variety of games.
He can’t talk about the next The Legend of Zelda game, but Hyrule Warriors offers exhilarating action. They have announced that the next Zelda game will be open world, even though he doesn’t like using that term. They want to make a Zelda game that can be enjoyed freely in a vast world. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds allowed players to rent items, a change in the traditional structure.
He doesn’t like using commonly used terms when having discussions with developers. Sony and Microsoft must be having a harder time than we think, it takes a team a year to get used to high performance graphics and two to three times more time and money. It’s a harsh world when expensive top 10 sellers can hardly survive.
Nintendo’s essential question is not how to improve profits, but how to sustain the company over a period of time. Nintendo had a lot of debt loans when he joined the company and now people sometimes say they keep too much cash. He can’t predict what will happen in 10 years. He is fearful of hand-me-down smartphones being used as game systems, since they are cheaper than any system they have ever made. Nintendo has to be careful of Internet security for children. He doesn’t think video games are a transient thing, people love games.
Satoru Iwata’s health is not impacting the frequency of Iwata Asks, they have been discussing how to disseminate information to consumers. They want to try more methods.
It’s important to learn from other media. It may have seemed like there wasn’t much variety in games at E3, this is because of a creative immaturity in the video game industry. In the entertainment industry there is often one winner because everyone will buy your product if it is unprecedented. If Nintendo can expand their creativity they can dominate the industry.
Edge – Return of the King
Publication Date: October, 2014
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero, challenge in video games, Wii U, Star Fox Guard, Splatoon, Garage, shooters, trends, dedicated hardware
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Nathan Brown, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scans:
Notes: Scans by mattandi.
Summary: Star Fox Zero’s missions aren’t difficult once you break them down. It’s important to him that players get better and better over time. Many in the world don’t understand this charm which is specific to video games.
They don’t want to focus on making games for passive gamers, the kind who might watch a movie instead of going to Disneyland. They don’t understand that it’s more interesting to challenge yourself.
They had some concerns at Nintendo about the Wii U’s two screen system since you can’t watch the TV and the GamePad at the same time. They’re still sure it’s revolutionary.
It’s important that Star Fox Guard is not just fun for the person playing it, but for everyone in the living room.
There were debates about whether Splatoon should feature Mario or a squid. Anyone would accept Mario, but then they wouldn’t have a new IP.
He’s always liked how shooters controlled, he was a producer on Metroid Prime. He thought they’d be able to come up with a new control scheme for shooters. Nintendo also doesn’t do photorealism, unlike most shooters.
There are more younger employees at Nintendo now, who want to express themselves. The people in Nintendo’s Garage come up with new projects unrelated to their daily work, and decide which ones they should pursue.
His comment about “bloody shooter software” was based on being unsatisfied with his and other developer’s inspirations. Trends tend to be prioritized instead of uniqueness. When the people in charge of the budget take over, games that are like what’s already popular are made. He hopes Nintendo always invests in new things.
Since so many people are needed to make a game now they have to spend more time communicating. They experiment with small teams and assemble a larger team to make the final game.
They need dedicated hardware to make games for people who want to get really involved. Unique software can be made with hardware that has a unique interface.
Nintendo tried to expand the reach of video games with the DS and Wii, but people take games for granted now because of smart devices. This is good since it means they don’t have to convince people that games are something relevant to their lives.
There are many free-to-play games, but they ask players for a decent amount of money. Thinking about what kind of games people will spend money on leads to the kinds of games they are making.
His point of comparison is only his past work, he looks at what other people make so he can make something new.
He thinks of Nintendo as a sponsor, as it grows it is able to be a better sponsor and he’s able to do more. He can’t say anything that will upset the shareholders, but it’s important he is able to make unique games. He likes making games.
Nintendo Investor Relations – Corporate Management Policy Briefing / Semi-Annual Financial Results Briefing for the 75th Fiscal Term Ending March 2015
Publication Date: October 30, 2014
Subject(s): Amiibo, judging future technology, rate of software development
Format: Investor Q & A
People: Unnamed investors, Nintendo executives including Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/141030qa/index.html
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220523012823/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/events/141030qa/index.html
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/141030qa/index.html
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220625135442/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/events/141030qa/index.html
Summary: They are still trying to demonstrate all of the charms of the Wii U. It can be started without turning on the TV, it boots up quickly, and more games that use the GamePad are being developed. Should have made more use of the NFC features earlier. Nintendo is also a toy company, and toys must give a sense of wonder. To differentiate hardware, it must feel like playing with a new toy. Amiibo have appeal as highly detailed figures. There will be Amiibo cards in the future and has the potential to create new ways to play card games. Amiibo will be used for new ways to play.
He has taken the position of guardian to younger developers, talks to them about what makes things Nintendo-like. Discussions often come down to what technology has the best performance or will be cheapest, but people like him stress that products should have a unique point. Trying to establish internal systems for people 20 years younger than him.
It is more important to create titles more people are interested in than more titles. Nintendo has always offered games that can be played for a long time, and DLC is part of that. Pikmin Short Movies and a Pikmin 3 demo are promotional campaigns that lay the groundwork for Pikmin in the future and motivate people to buy Wii Us. “Make more!” has been a rallying cry as they make more DLC. He wants to create more smaller spinoffs so players don’t have to wait 3 years between releases. Nintendo has started to work with new second and third parties.
The Hollywood Reporter – Super Mario Bros. Creator Debuts First Movie Project at Tokyo Film Fest
Publication Date: October 30, 2014
Subject(s): Pikmin Short Movies
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Patrick Brzeski, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/super-mario-bros-creator-debuts-745099/
Summary: Thirty years ago Nintendo of America licensed their properties for TV and movie adaptation, but they’ve stopped them from doing that now. He likes being involved in how Nintendo’s characters are portrayed.
People have asked to make a movie with him before, but he felt the release of Pikmin 3 was the right time to make a sort of animation pilot.
Interactivity is the most important thing to him, where the player is sort of the creator.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin Short Movies)
Publication Date: November 6, 2014
Subject(s): Pikmin Short Movies, Pikmin 3
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170731195247/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAAYUKluAMAsRA
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140531/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYoW26uGgQ
Summary: Pikmin Short Movies are now available on the eShop. These are short computer animated movies showing the Pikmin outside of their normal habitat in video games.
There is now also a demo of Pikmin 3.
The Telegraph – Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto: ‘What can games learn from film? Nothing’
Publication Date: November 10, 2014
Subject(s): Pikmin, Pikmin Short Movies, Super Mario Bros (1993 film)
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Robbie Collin, Yasuhiro Minagawa, three unnamed assistants, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This interview took place before the 2014 Tokyo International Film Festival’s screening of Pikmin Short Movies, between October 23rd and 31st.
Summary: Ants have a leader and tend to carry things, so he started thinking about a game about small people carrying things in a line. He asked why games have to be competitions, why not work together and carry things as a team?
Pikmin die, but are reborn, or new Pikmin are born to replace them. He thought it was worthwhile to teach this to children.
He doesn’t think of games as a method of storytelling. Even though people ask him about it all the time he has never been interested in making a movie.
Nintendo of America gave away a lot of licenses. They put a stop to that after the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. But he decided he wanted to be involved in the future.
Younger game makers want to make stories that touch people’s hearts, which worries him. The game player should be the director, making something only they can create in the process of playing the game.
When you’re playing a game you’ll be playing it and suddenly feel like you’re in its world. You can’t do that with movies or novels.
Other game companies are making smart business decisions, but it’s boring to make the same game over and over.
People playing Virtual Boy didn’t look beautiful.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin Short Movies drawing challenge)
Publication Date: November 11, 2014
Subject(s): Pikmin Short Movies
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170731195223/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADMUKmJLY2HUQ
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140531/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADMUKmJLjnT8Q
Summary: To commemorate Pikmin Short Movies he is asking artists with Art Academy: SketchPad to share Pikmin’s charm.
The Art Academy: SketchPad community will have a “Pikmin Spotted!!” drawing challenge. It will end November 30, 2014.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Pikmin Short Movies storyboards, untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: November 14, 2014
Subject(s): Pikmin Short Movies
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140619/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAADRUqGjf9X5EA
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto talks about storyboarding Pikmin Short Movies using Flipnote in this post.
Nintendo of America – Nintendo Direct 11.5.2014
Publication Date: November 14, 2014
Subject(s): Pikmin 3, Pikmin animated shorts (25:42)
Format: Promotional video (dubbed)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Summary: Today he is wearing a Pikmin T-shirt.
He has been working on games that use the Wii U GamePad and on a Pikmin animation. He has never worked on an animation before but he wanted to show the Pikmin up close for once. The shorts are around 20 minutes long and debuted at the Tokyo International Film Festival. They will be selling the animations on the eShop. He used Flipnote Studio to storyboard them.
There will be a demo for Pikmin 3.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (end of Art Academy: SketchPad Pikmin drawing event)
Publication Date: December 1, 2014
Subject(s): Art Academy: SketchPad Pikmin drawing event
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170731195256/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAADVHhng4GnpA
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140645/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAADVHhngqg43Q
Summary: They have closed submissions for the Art Academy: SketchPad Pikmin drawing event today. It will take some time to go through them and select their favorites. Leave a Yeah on your favorites.
Nintendo of America – Wii U – The Legend of Zelda – Gameplay First Look from The Game Awards
Publication Date: December 5, 2014
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Promotional video/demonstration (dubbed)
People: Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: This was played during the 2014 Game Awards and was uploaded by Nintendo on their channel on the same day. This was the first footage of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild shown to the public.
Summary: You can tell Link is facing West because of the setting sun. Your hands are free while riding a horse. Star Fox Zero will arrive before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, next year.
The Game Awards 2014
Publication Date: December 5, 2014
Subject(s): Super Mario Maker (20:44)
Format: Promotional video (spoken English)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlLvCLP2h84&t=1245s
Notes: The Super Mario Maker trailer was uploaded to Nintendo’s YouTube channel, but not the parts before and after with Mr. Miyamoto speaking.
Summary: In 2015 they will expand worlds and characters, and create new experiences. 2015 will see the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and they will release Super Mario Maker, which may become a popular series of its own one day.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Art Academy: SketchPad Pikmin drawing event winners)
Publication Date: December 12, 2014
Subject(s): Art Academy: SketchPad Pikmin drawing event
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170722173425/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAADVHhvJZ60Kg
Notes: This post and its replies showcase the winners of the Art Academy: SketchPad Pikmin drawing event. There seem to be a few honorable mentions, too.
Summary: Thank you for sharing the Pikmin you saw on Miiverse. The gold goes to くらげ. Silver goes to Mikito. Bronze goes to David.
He also asked MariChan to pick her favorite.
Rosanna Pansino – MARIO KART 8 KOOPA SHELL CAKE POPS – NERDY NUMMIES
Publication Date: December 16, 2014
Subject(s): Upcoming games, Pikmin Short Movies
Format: Interview, presentation/demonstration (live translator)
People: Rosanna Pansino, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNUcDkNI24o&t=434s
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto gives Rosanna a Nintendo 3DS XL Super Mario Bros 2 Limited Edition, draws Mario on it, and signs it.
While playing Mario Kart 8 Bill Trinen chooses Link (1st place), Rosanna chooses Princess Peach (2nd place), and Mr. Miyamoto chooses Toad (he is in 4th place but hasn’t finished at the end of the video).
Summary: These cake pops are amazing, is there a turtle inside? These belong in Sweet Sweet Canyon.
2015 will see the release of Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Party 10, which will use amiibo. There will also be Super Mario Maker, to celebrate Super Mario Bros.’ 30th anniversary.
Splatoon is for big gamers. The main character is a squid that can transform into a human.
He’s also working on a new Star Fox game.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will come out in 2015.
They recently started offering the Pikmin Short Movies on the eShop. You can watch them in 3D on the 3DS.
He wants to give this 3DS to her as a present.
[They eat the cake pops and Rosanna asks if they can play Mario Kart.]Sure, they can play Sweet Sweet Canyon.
[They play Mario Kart 8.]
iJustine – Shigeru Miyamoto Interview (Creator of Mario!)
Publication Date: December 17, 2014
Subject(s): Super Mario Maker, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Star Fox Zero, Splatoon, Yoshi’s Woolly World, Pikmin Short Movies
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: iJustine, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto gives iJustine a signed Nintendo 3DS XL Super Mario Bros 2 Limited Edition.
Summary: They want to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and Super Mario Maker is coming out, so the timing worked out perfectly. They had to draw out every level of Super Mario Bros., but you can quickly make changes to levels with Super Mario Maker. There’s a lot to discover and experiment with. There will be popularity rankings online and you can exchange courses.
They’ve tried to make The Legend of Zelda games with big worlds to explore, but they’ve always had to break them into segments. In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild you might get sidetracked and forget what your goal was.
Breath of the Wild uses the GamePad for the map, but with Star Fox Zero it shows a cockpit view while the TV has a more cinematic view. His favorite Star Fox character is Fox because his eyebrows look like a fox.
They didn’t have a gender for Toad in mind when they were created, but after Toadette was introduced people assumed Toad was male.
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is for core gamers, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D is coming out too.
Splatoon is made by young team of developers, it’s a shooter you can play online. You play as a squid child that shoots ink and can swim through it. It’s a game where you try to claim territory.
Yoshi’s Woolly World is an action game for everyone. After they made Kirby’s Epic Yarn they thought the style would fit Yoshi well too.
You can press buttons to make sounds during Pikmin Short Movies.
iJustine – Playing Mario Kart 8 with Mr. Miyamoto
Publication Date: December 18, 2014
Subject(s): Mario Kart 8
Format: Interview, demonstration (live translator)
People: iJustine, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2KxS32Q1g
Notes: iJustine chooses Mario (8th place), Bill Trinen chooses Link (2nd place), and Mr. Miyamoto chooses Toad (4th place).
Summary: His favorite Mario Kart racer is Toad.
[Mr. Miyamoto chooses Yoshi Circuit because it’s simple.]Their goal is always to make something that they find fun.
AP News – Miyamoto on ‘Amiibo,’ ‘Zelda’ and ‘Mario’ Movie
Publication Date: December 18, 2014
Subject(s): Amiibo, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Star Fox Zero
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Derrik J. Lang, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://apnews.com/article/56c0fd74d6f5498581bedc1c29a5380f
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20230125235550/https://apnews.com/article/56c0fd74d6f5498581bedc1c29a5380f
Summary: They will continue to make games with Amiibo support, and new ways to use it in the future. Some games have specific amiibo and others can use past amiibo. They may re-release an amiibo as a card.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was designed with the open world nature of the first games in mind. The world will change and be effected by what you do.
Star Fox Zero’s story may not be too different from past games, but it will play very differently due to the Wii U GamePad.
He does not have a vision that the next iteration of Mario will be a film. He wants Mario to usher in each new technological era.
Nintendo Dream
Publication Date: December 2014 (reported on January 1, 2015)
Subject(s): Yes or no questions
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unknown Nintendo Dream interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Translator: Garou for NeoGAF
Notes: Nintendo Dream had Miyamoto answer a list of yes or no questions in 1997 and 2006, and asked him the same questions in 2015. My Nintendo News reported on the NeoGAF post with some context.
Summary: He has always had fun at work but has never dreamed about it.
He doesn’t want to be president of Nintendo.
He was glad he was born Japanese in 1997, but this turned into maybe and then no.
He always answered that he does not want to make a movie.
Nintendo Dream (reported on by Nintendo Everything)
Publication Date: December, 2014 (reported on January 11, 2015)
Subject(s): Food, music, obsessions
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Brian, unknown Nintendo Dream interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://nintendoeverything.com/miyamoto-talks-about-some-non-gaming-topics/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20150115053050/http://nintendoeverything.com/miyamoto-talks-about-some-non-gaming-topics
Translator: Brian for Nintendo Everything
Notes: This is from the same article as the previous entry. Nintendo Everything refers to this as “our” translation, so Brian is not necessarily the translator.
Summary: His favorite food is pasta. Anything goes with noodles.
He likes being able to go everywhere by bicycle in Kyoto.
He’s thankful for the increase in Mario cosplay.
He likes cats and dogs about the same.
He met Jerry Douglas, a dobro player, backstage after a concert in Osaka. His bassist was a Star Fox fan.
He’s obsessed with swimming.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Moving Memo Pad 3D Pikmin contest, untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: December 25, 2014
Subject(s): Moving Memo Pad 3D Pikmin contest
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140532/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAADVHh7gXeAGw
Notes: This post was about the end of the Moving Memo Pad 3D Pikmin contest
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