This is the 2016-2017 page of the Shigeru Miyamoto Archive.
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2016
Living in Digital Times: Shigeru Miyamoto accepts the Lifetime Pioneer Award at the KAPi Awards
Publication Date: January 27, 2016
Subject(s): Inspiration, real versus virtual experiences
Format: Award ceremony (spoken English, dubbed)
People: Tim O’Leary (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgSqOb-9JvU
Notes: The Kids At Play Interactive Awards (KAPi) were managed by Living in Digital Times. They were given to children’s interactive media sold in the United States and you can read more about them here. Mr. Miyamoto recorded a video accepting his Lifetime Pioneer Award in 2016.
Summary: He’s honored to be recognized in children’s interactive media. Since he didn’t have a TV or car growing up he had to make his own media.
An idea for a guy chasing a gorilla became his first game.
He explored the natural environment a lot growing up, which inspired The Legend of Zelda.
Gardening with his wife lead to another idea for a game.
He made a game based on his experiences taking care of his dogs.
He tries to make sure his games encourage kids to think and be imaginative. People say that virtual experiences are taking over real ones, but virtual experiences allow for trial and error. He looks forward to children balancing real world and virtual experiences.
Nintendo of America: Nintendo Direct 3.3.2016
Publication Date: March 3, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard (0:30)
Format: Promotional video (dubbed)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct/03-03-2016/
Notes: It appears that this Direct was livestreamed on YouTube, but made private later. It was uploaded separately by YouTube user GamersPrey here.
Summary: He is sorry about the delay.
Star Fox Zero is an authentic action game, which he hasn’t worked on in a long time. The more you practice, the more fun it gets. The plot and game structure is similar to Star Fox 64, but the story and plot structure are new. Teleporters are important to the story and branching paths. Fortuna is challenging and has giant enemies. Once you beat normal mode new paths will appear. Star Wolf and his team are a tough challenge. There is a two-player mode where one player controls the Arwing while the other shoots.
The Project Guard he showed 2 E3s ago is now Star Fox Guard. You use Slippy’s security system to ward off enemies. There are about 100 levels and you can uploaded levels you’ve made.
IGN: Miyamoto Interview: Why We Made Changes to Star Fox Zero
Publication Date: March 3, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Unnamed IGN interviewer, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkLqWOxqkAs
Summary: In other Star Fox games you shoot in the direction you are flying, in Star Fox Zero you can shoot independently of your movement. Honing your skills is an important part of Star Fox games.
The delay was because the game originally was let you choose which missions you wanted to play, you jump in and out. Star Fox fans who play tested that version didn’t like it. They’ve also improved the graphics, enemy AI, enemy placement, and difficulty.
Only the retro Arwing could use the smart bomb originally, but they found it made for more strategic options.
The teleporters are Andross’s most dangerous experiment. General Pepper uses one to put Andross in an alternate dimension.
Star Fox Guard is a companion game to Star Fox Zero. It’s an introduction to shooters for everyone.
Time: 9 Things Shigeru Miyamoto Told Us About the New Star Fox
Publication Date: March 3, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://time.com/4245215/starfox-wii-u/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160405192457/http://time.com/hive.org/web/20160405192457/http://time.com/4245215/starfox-wii-u/
Summary: The gameplay is fresh because it’s split between two screens. It’s going back to its roots, that’s why it’s Star Fox Zero and not Star Fox 4 or 5. He didn’t want to tell a new story, it’s about the relationships between Fox, General Pepper, and Andross. Teleporters play an important role in the gameplay and story.
The teleporters become important after you’ve beaten the game, opening up new routes. They will also answer questions like why Andross was kicked out of Pepper’s team.
They haven’t yet decided to turn Project Giant Robot into a full game. Project Guard is now Star Fox Guard, it’s a companion game and the launch version of Star Fox Zero will come with a separate disc with it.
After E3 2014 they got feedback and decided to make Star Fox Zero more like Star Fox 64, and more like a movie than a TV show.
Star Fox Zero is an action game the likes of which aren’t common anymore. You learn a new skill, perfect it, and use it to find the best path.
It’s also welcoming to younger players that are playing an action game for the first time. The cooperative mode can be played with other people in your household and Star Fox Guard can introduce people to the Star Fox universe if they aren’t good at action games.
The Completionist: Star Fox Zero | Interview With Shigeru Miyamoto! | The Completionist
Publication Date: March 3, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Jirard Khalil, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqpr3uK5rcY
Summary: The most important thing in a Star Fox game is to feel like you’re piloting the ship. For Star Fox 64 they focused on flying and aiming at the same time. This time there are two screens so the flying and the aiming are separate. They called it Star Fox Zero because it’s the same characters as before, but re-imagined.
Star Fox Zero is faster paced and the levels are a little shorter. They extended the gameplay farther than they originally planned. You can replay levels to find new routes, it will be fun for new Star Fox players and old ones.
You can experience the story as you play. He is interested in the idea of parents teaching their children to follow in their footsteps, so those aspects of the story are important to him.
People really like that “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.” quote, but what he meant to say was when he rushes a game and it doesn’t come out right he’ll always regret it. He didn’t mean to tell anyone they made a bad game.
They replayed levels over and over, fine tuning enemy placement and working with Platinum Games.
They started with a game where you controlled a radio-controlled airplane, controlled with the GamePad. Then they thought a cockpit view on the GamePad would be fun. If you add shooting they realized it would make a great Star Fox game, you can move around freely during movie scenes, watching on the TV or the GamePad.
It will be fun to play in the living room where other people can watch you. There’s a co-op mode where one player flies and the other shoots.
There is more focus on whether Andross is truly evil and if General Pepper is truly good. There are Japanese folktales about rabbits and monkeys.
This is a hardcore action game with a great story. Mastering the controls will make you feel like a pilot.
TheJWittz: Interview with Miyamoto: Star Fox Zero
Publication Date: March 3, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: TheJWittz, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Summary: There are alternate paths in Star Fox Zero, just like in Star Fox 64. The teleporters are important to the story and gameplay and add to the replayability.
They’ve created a new way to play, there are new enemies and bosses, but Star Fox Zero is mostly based on Star Fox 64.
Someone on the development team of Star Fox 64 was their equivalent of Slippy.
The Star Fox crew’s “metallic legs” were a design choice.
The vehicles that were best for Star Fox Zero, with its two screens, were different than what was best for other Star Fox games. The Gyrowing missions are slower paced, focused on exploration.
He didn’t mean to say a bad game is always bad, he meant you’ll always regret releasing a game in a bad state.
They used the delay to further polish the game and to make the game not focused on short missions and feel more like an adventure.
There’s a kind of multiplayer that is suited to Star Fox, but they weren’t ready to bring that online. A related game will have an online component.
He has seen the new Thunderbirds. Being a fan of the original he hoped the BBC would ask to do a Star Fox show with puppets.
He can’t comment on Slippy being playable in Super Smash Bros., Masahiro Sakurai gets to decide that. He’s been reluctant to have Mario using weapons in Smash Bros. Sakurai has done a good job making the Star Fox characters cool, but Kirby should be stronger.
As new hardware comes out they can find new ways for Star Fox to take advantage of it.
Video games used to mostly be played by technology enthusiasts and people in arcades. With smartphones everyone, from kids to grandparents, are playing games.
It used to look like video games would require bringing hundreds of people together, but now small teams can make games thanks to the tools available. The definition of what a game is has expanded, and now anyone can make a game. He can choose whatever genre he wants.
Star Fox Zero will be fun for old fans and people who have never played one. It rewards mastery.
The Game Theorists: Game Theory SPECIAL: Miyamoto Reveals Star Fox Secrets!
Publication Date: March 3, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Matthew Patrick, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6a8Oswk1s
Summary: They weren’t planning on making a Star Fox game, Star Fox Zero came from experiments with a radio controlled airplane.
He felt like Star Fox 64 perfected the gameplay of Star Fox, but the GamePad opened up new possibilities. Fans of the older Star Fox games focused on what was different so they made it more like Star Fox 64. Separating movement and aiming is refreshing and feels new.
Every new technology is an exciting new opportunity to do something creative. Most people have grown up with video games by this point.
After they decided to use a fox as the main character of the original Star Fox they realized the Fushimi Inari Shrine was near Nintendo, and then used that as further inspiration. They designed the characters to look somewhat human, they weren’t thinking about a pilot’s blood flow or metal legs. He’s more worried about Fox’s tail when he sits.
They do some research on physics when they work on certain games, but sticking too close to reality can make the game harder to control.
They called it “rolling” in Japanese, but it was translated as “barrel roll”. He approved it because it reminded him of Donkey Kong. He asked Bill Trinen recently why people love “do a barrel roll”.
Entertainment Weekly: Nintendo’s Star Fox Guard details, release date
Publication Date: March 3, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Guard
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Aaron Morales, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://ew.com/article/2016/03/03/star-fox-guard-details-release-date/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160609203216/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/03/star-fox-guard-details-release-date
Summary: The whole family can enjoy Star Fox Guard. People in the living room can help by pointing things out. The level editor is as easy to use as Excitebike’s.
Entertainment Weekly: Star Fox Zero preview, Shigeru Miyamoto interview
Publication Date: March 4, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Aaron Morales, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://ew.com/article/2016/03/04/star-fox-zero-preview-shigeru-miyamoto-interview/
Summary: They canceled Star Fox 2 because new hardware was coming out soon and they couldn’t keep the frame rate stable.
The strategic elements from Star Fox 2 were reused in Star Fox Command. For Star Fox Zero they wanted to use two screens and have the aiming and shooting independent from each other.
It’s always important to Nintendo to be doing something unique when designing hardware or software. They also want their systems connected to the living room TV so the games are fun for everyone to play or watch.
They started with experiments involving flying a radio-controlled plane on the TV, with the GamePad showing a cockpit view. They realized it would make for a good Star Fox game. They started with Star Fox 64 3D, which had motion controls.
The main reason they partnered with Platinum Games is because they are close by, but they also asked to put Fox into Bayonetta 2.
They’ve put a lot into making Star Fox Zero a replayable game. There aren’t a lot of games anymore that focus on improving and mastering your skills. Hopefully young players can experience a game like that.
Game Informer: Shigeru Miyamoto Discusses His Favorite Movie And Games Of 2015
Publication Date: March 4, 2016
Subject(s): Favorite movies and games
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Mike Futter, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: He stopped watching Star Wars movies as they relied more on CG. He was very impressed with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He respects the challenge they had. He liked seeing several of the actors return.
He’s been very happy with Splatoon, a young team made it and they have introduced a new kind of shooter. He’s been happy to see fathers playing Super Mario Maker with their children.
They try to make games that will sell for two years, so they can take their time with the next one.
Game Informer: Star Fox Zero Preview
Publication Date: April, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Michael Futter, Shigeru Miyamoto
Scans:
Notes: This interview took place at some kind of preview event that Game Informer attended with Nintendo employees. Scans by Retromags.
Summary: They try to make sure as broad of an audience as possible can enjoy their games. They rethought things with Star Fox Zero, since Star Fox is about overcoming a challenge. Newer players can choose to be invincible if they want.
Nintendo France: Star Fox Zero Monsieur Miyamoto dévoile les secrets de la licence ! (Wii U) (untranslated from French)
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Presentation, interview (live translator)
People: Bertrand Amar, Michel Ancel, Grégoire Hellot (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhzwYH8s0L8
Notes: This is from Japan Expo 2015, which was held in Paris, France.
The Official Pokémon YouTube channel: #Pokemon20: Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: April 15, 2016
Subject(s): Pokémon’s 20th anniversary
Format: Promotional video
People: Shigeru Miyamoto (subtitled)
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv_bZt0kUsY
Summary: Congratulations to Pokémon. About six years before the first Pokémon game released he worked with Tsunekazu Ishihara on testing things out. It took a long time because they were also working on Earthbound. He worked on implementing the Nintendo Game Link Cable.
Nintendo UK: Star Fox Zero It’s Got to Feel Immersive and Look Cool
Publication Date: May 13, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Yugo Hayashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2016/May/Star-Fox-Zero-Dev-Team-Interview-Part-One-1106940.html
Archive Link: https://archive.ph/tvUui
Notes: This interview was conducted by Japanese outlet Nintendo Dream and translated by Nintendo UK some time later. This is part one of a three part interview. Nintendo UK’s website is excluded from the Internet Archive so I have used archive.ph.
Summary: At the time of Star Fox 64 it was popular to have characters with voiced lines, but he thought it would be better to not have them if they were repetitive. It was a fast-paced game so the lines needed to be quick and punchy.
When you’re holding the GamePad and sound comes from the speakers it’s like someone is whispering to you. Enemy sounds come from the left speaker and allies from the right.
As a child he would hold model rockets and move them around while making sound effects.
The TV and GamePad show different perspectives. During experiments he found that replays that aren’t from the cockpit look cooler, so he wanted to incorporate that. You can choose which perspective you want to see, and it’s fun for others to watch. You’ll want to complete levels again and again to find cool scenes.
The two controls sticks and motion controlled aiming are really intuitive. They weren’t sure about including all the vehicles during training, but decided they didn’t want players to have no clue how to handle something in a later level. He recommends everyone start with training mode.
Nintendo UK: New Vehicles Broaden the Scope of the Gameplay
Publication Date: May 20, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Yugo Hayashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2016/May/Star-Fox-Zero-Dev-Team-Interview-Part-Two-1107887.html
Archive Link: https://archive.ph/17KA0
Notes: This interview was conducted by Japanese outlet Nintendo Dream and translated by Nintendo UK some time later. This is part two of a three part interview. Nintendo UK’s website is excluded from the Internet Archive so I have used archive.ph.
Summary: The Arwing can transform into the Walker, an idea which goes back to Star Fox 2.
They wanted to utilize Fox and Falco’s amiibo, they change your Arwing and Walker into a retro model.
He wasn’t being totally serious when he suggested the Walker’s wings should flap, but everyone liked it. They wanted it to be bird-like. They worked on making an Arwing amiibo that can turn into a Walker, but weren’t sure the joints would be strong enough.
The Gyrowing gives you a lot of freedom and allows you to hover. The Gyrowing level is like an adventure game.
You can catch sharks in Zoness if you let a shark swallow Direct-i and reel it in. You can get a lot of points this way.
He’s credited as producer and supervising director, but he was basically the director. He was almost a director on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but the last time he was actually credited as one was Super Mario 64.
Nintendo UK: Our Focus During Development
Publication Date: May 27, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Yugo Hayashi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2016/May/Star-Fox-Zero-Dev-Team-Interview-Part-Three-1109190.html
Archive Link: https://archive.ph/kck97
Notes: This interview was conducted by Japanese outlet Nintendo Dream and translated by Nintendo UK some time later. This is part three of a three part interview. Nintendo UK’s website is excluded from the Internet Archive so I have used archive.ph.
Summary: It was really important that the player feels like a pilot. The appeal of an action game is in improving your skills. You can find different routes through stages and perfect them, then compare them and find which route is best.
He’s often said that story isn’t as important as gameplay, but he gave it a lot of his attention. A plain good versus evil story wouldn’t be interesting. Dogs and monkeys don’t get along in Japanese culture, but they wanted to delve into that with more backstory. Teleporters are a major part of the story, some want to use them and others want to destroy them. Watching Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins will allow players to understand the game world better.
They came up with Star Fox Guard as an introduction to Star Fox Zero. It’s easy to understand. They’ve been experimenting with this idea since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
There’s about 20 ways through the game. Players should watch videos of others playing for tips.
They had trouble deciding if the invincibility mode prompt should be after three or six deaths.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The NES Connection Nintendo E3 2016
Publication Date: June 14, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Interview/demonstration (live translator)
People: Samantha Robertson, Ed, Chiko Bird, Bill Trinen, Raymond Elliget (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Originally part of a live Nintendo Treehouse event at E3 2016.
Summary: He wanted to go back to the original spirit of Zelda, which was about freedom. You have to search and talk to people to figure out what’s going on and who you are.
There are different footstep sounds for different areas.
He thinks he is credited as executive producer, but did a lot of things a director usually does. He made sure Link’s movements and interactions with nature are natural, and looked after the financials.
You can take an enemy’s weapons and use them against them.
He tried to recreate nature as-is.
As more features get unlocked there are more ways to solve puzzles.
He was in the Boy Scouts as a child and once climbed a mountain and got a view of a lake. A scene in The Legend of Zelda reminded him of that, and now in this game it’s even grander. Sometimes you’ll have a destination in mind but then something strikes your interest and you’ll go explore that.
When he’s out of arrows he lets the enemy shoot him, then collects the arrows.
The higher you go up a mountain, the colder it becomes. You need to use food and armor to prepare.
Fanbyte: Miyamoto: New Zelda channels spirit of the original game
Publication Date: June 14, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Danielle Riendeau, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.fanbyte.com/readyset/miyamoto-new-zelda-channels-spirit-of-the-original-game/
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2016.
Summary: As they added more features to The Legend of Zelda games they realized it was becoming more linear. They wanted to return to the freedom the series originally had.
Non-player characters were telling you everything, now they have gone back to not knowing who you are or what you’re supposed to be doing.
Nintendo of America: Pokémon GO Demonstration Nintendo E3 2016
Publication Date: June 15, 2016
Subject(s): Pokémon Go Plus, Pokémon Go
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Bill Trinen, Josh Wittenkeller, Aaron Zheng, David Numrich (translator), Raymond Elliget (translator), Tsunekazu Ishihara, Junichi Masuda, Tatsuo Nomura, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqbsdqjgj-k
Notes: The release date of Pokémon Go had not been announced, but Mr. Miyamoto states that Pokémon Go Plus will be released before July ends. It did not release in North America and the United Kingdom until mid-September.
Summary: Satoru Iwata and Tsunekazu Ishihara started work on the Pokémon Go Plus.
The light on the Pokémon Go Plus will tell you what’s going on, it will connect to your phone via Bluetooth and allow you to play Pokémon Go.
They want to release the Pokémon Go Plus before July ends. It will cost $34.99.
Nintendo made games that use location information as far back as the Game Boy Advance, but they weren’t able to get good data. Pokémon Go uses GPS data, which lets them expand gameplay. Pokémon Go Plus is the first Nintendo-related device that doesn’t connect to Nintendo hardware, it will expand their horizons.
You can connect Pokémon Go Plus to your parent’s smartphone and play with them.
Game Rant: Legend of Zelda Creator Says Main Series Will Not Feature Female Link
Publication Date: June 16, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed Game Rant interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://gamerant.com/zelda-female-link-miyamoto/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160617153525/http://gamerant.com/zelda-female-link-miyamoto/
Notes: There was some speculation as to whether the character we saw in some early footage of Breath of the Wild was female. This interview took place at E3 2016.
Summary: Link is the protagonist of The Legend of Zelda, not Zelda. You can use different types of characters in Hyrule Warriors.
IGN: E3 2016: Why Zelda: Breath of the Wild Is Coming to Wii U and NX
Publication Date: June 17, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jose Otero, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: Eiji Aonuma is interviewed separately for this article, too.
Summary: Developing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took longer than expected, the physics engine prevented them from releasing it last year. A new The Legend of Zelda game for the Switch wouldn’t appear for a long time, and Breath of the Wild doesn’t focus on the Wii U’s features, so they changed direction and decided to release it for both systems a while ago.
GhostRobo: MIYAMOTO CHALLENGE!!
Publication Date: June 18, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, hobbies, amiibo
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: GhostRobo, Bill Trinen, Raymond Elliget (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh4_o1grT3Y
Summary: The Legend of Zelda was about being dropped into the world and discovering who you are, and as the series progressed it became more focused on dungeons. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is more like the original where you’re dropped into the world.
The bosses get harder for him over time. He really liked the fight in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time where the boss jumps from painting to painting.
It’s difficult making stories for the Zelda games that don’t contradict the story of another game in the series. The focus in Breath of the Wild is more on the physics system and Link discovering himself than the story.
He makes games based on his personal experiences. Young developers may want to live in a large city and focus on what they find fun. Experience more than games.
As games become more technologically advanced it’s important not to forget the original point of a series.
He can’t talk about his hobbies, but he’s planning an amusement park, and he’s made some short films. Working in these different mediums has been inspiring, it’s sort of his hobby.
He wanted to make a Star Fox amiibo, but they weren’t able to. Wolf Link is probably his favorite amiibo.
If he was stranded on a desert island he would bring Miitomo and Breath of the Wild.
They used to print their own manga to show others, but it’s good that people can now stream their gameplay, people don’t need strategy guides anymore.
[They both draw Mario, Bill Trinen declares Mr. Miyamoto’s better.] [They both draw Yoshi.]Maybe if they put his Yoshi drawing’s face on GhostRobo’s Yoshi drawing’s body? His drawing is maybe 70% complete.
[They both draw Link and Bill Trinen declares Mr. Miyamoto the winner.]Should he draw a Triforce? You don’t know if it’s going to be in Breath of the Wild.
Gamekult: Interview with Miyamoto: A Difficult Balance to Find
Publication Date: June 18, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda, artists and programmers
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matthieu Hurel, Bill Trinen, Shigeru Miyamoto
French Link: https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/interview-miyamoto-un-equilibre-difficile-a-trouver-165131.html
French Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20240925051806/https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/interview-miyamoto-un-equilibre-difficile-a-trouver-165131.html
Translator: Dri of Dreamnoid.com for Hyrule Interviews
Notes: This interview took place on the last day of E3 2016, June 16.
Summary: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is not trying to recreate the original game, which was built with the idea of freedom and miniature gardens. The series became more linear over time. Breath of the Wild goes back to the roots.
Eiji Aonuma made most of Breath of the Wild and he was a bit surprised to see something like a smartphone. Since the first game they’ve considered using technology and having Link be a link to different time periods.
The core team of programmers is new people, their best internal talents. The art team has people who worked on older The Legend of Zelda games. They were able to scale up their teams thanks to Monolith Soft. More than 100 people worked on Breath of the Wild.
They changed how rupees worked because they’d gotten feedback that there wasn’t enough to spend them on.
They wanted to show that Link can travel and improve over time. If there was no limit to running the map would have been smaller. Things like horses, warps, and the paraglider add variety to the exploration.
He used to be very involved in Zelda games, but now games require multiple teams so he mostly performs small checks. He may help to polish the game.
Even though Breath of the Wild is an open game, there is still a main quest and a final boss. Letting players choose their own path is more important than multiple endings.
They have had talks about a game starring Sheik, but Link is the hero in the main series.
Game Informer: Monolith Is Helping Work On The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Publication Date: June 20, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Monolith Soft
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Ben Reeves, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: Monolith Soft is helping with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There are over 100 people working on the game in Tokyo and Kyoto.
Game Informer: Miyamoto on Breath of the Wild’s Innovations and Zelda’s Future
Publication Date: June 21, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Ben Reeves, Raymond Elliget (translator), Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zjd4A5GDOo
Notes: You can hear Raymond the translator’s voice-over for most of the interview, but there is a portion where translator Bill Trinen is on camera speaking.
Summary: They try to shake up The Legend of Zelda games every time. They implemented a physics engine and tried to recreate nature.
Zelda and Mario games evolve with technology. Mickey Mouse has evolved with movies, that’s why he’s stuck around.
He prefers for the player to make their own story, but they have to find a balance between that and a more guided story.
Animals are an important part of making a believable world. Hunting animals pains him, but that’s reality. They had a lot of talks about how to handle it. The animals create more movement, and you have to be careful because some animals are dangerous.
They had to delay it as they worked on feeling out the shaders, polishing things, and working on the physics.
If they use this physics engine again things will go more quickly.
iHasCupquake: NEW LEGEND OF ZELDA GAMEPLAY & MEETING MIYAMOTO
Publication Date: June 22, 2016
Subject(s): Joining Nintendo, parent’s support, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Cupquake, Red, Raymond Elliget (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EMe1kO41w8&feature=shares&t=268
Notes: The description has a link to the “full” interview, but the website it was on does not exist anymore, and the page was never archived.
Summary: He used to want to be a manga artist, but decided to make toys. It’s surprising to see toys, video games, and movies considered the same media. He wanted to be a puppeteer in elementary school.
His father was supportive of him becoming an industrial designer. His mother was interested in dancing and calligraphy, and she was also supportive.
He joined Nintendo as a toy maker, and that got his first exposure to video games there.
They were making The Legend of Zelda around the same time as Super Mario Bros. He wasn’t very familiar with American or European culture and didn’t know how to make a fantasy story.
They’re calling The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild “open air” because they’re recreating nature. It’s incredible to see it all come together.
As he was sitting on a train watching the scenery he thought it would be interesting if someone was running alongside, jumping over things, that’s Mario. The Legend of Zelda came from his experiences camping and hiking. It’s incredible to see the survival aspects come together with Breath of the Wild.
The delay isn’t really so they can add more content, but rather so they can polish the game. For example, can you climb upside down? Or how do they represent that last spurt of energy when you’re climbing? How do you make shooting an animal realistic, but still maintain the essence of Nintendo?
IGN: Why Miyamoto Didn’t Want to Call Zelda: Breath of the Wild An Open World Game
Publication Date: June 22, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, open world versus Open Air
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jose Otero, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: There is also a statement from Bill Trinen in this article, further explaining the use of Open Air.
Summary: People want to name everything in the game and tech industries, but they don’t want to be swayed by the technology available at the time. They want to use what’s available to make what they want. They wanted to make a game where you can do anything, and it’s fun. They felt it would be best to use their own term, and Bill Trinen used Open Air.
IGN: 6 Cool Things We Learned About Zelda: Breath of the Wild at E3 2016
Publication Date: June 24, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jose Otero, Bill Trinen, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: Bill Trinen was interviewed here too instead of just translating. This interview took place at E3 2016.
Summary: Before anyone used the term sandbox he called Nintendo games gardens in a box.
There is a list of missions and quests in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There is a big emphasis on freedom, so it’s not heavy on the story. You can choose whether to do the missions or not. The story is a bit more vague than with other The Legend of Zelda games.
Kotaku Australia: The Makers Of Zelda On Why Their Games Are Usually Late
Publication Date: June 24, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, delays
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/06/the-makers-of-zelda-on-why-their-games-are-usually-late/
Notes: For this article it sounds like Stephen Totilo had three interviews: first a brief interview with Mr. Miyamoto, a second with Mr. Aonuma, and a third with Mr. Miyamoto. The first may have been the omitted last question from the What Makes Shigeru Miyamoto Tick interview, even though that interview came out later than this one.
Summary: He has to set a release date, even though he doesn’t want to.
The worst kind of delay happens when the direction of a game hasn’t been decided. Sometimes delays happen because making something takes longer than expected.
About two years ago they realized it would take longer to implement the physics, AI, and graphics they wanted in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. He and Eiji Aonuma had an idea of when the game was supposed to come out. Someone else looked into it and convinced them to delay it.
Game Informer: Miyamoto Finally Reacts To Disney’s Mario Homage
Publication Date: July 4, 2016
Subject(s): Tokyo Go
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Ben Reeves, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: The animated short being talked about.
Summary: He hasn’t seen Disney’s animated short Tokyo Go.
[After watching it.]
Is there a copyright issue with them using sound effects from Super Mario Bros.? It’s flattering to have a cameo together. This doesn’t mean they can use Mickey Mouse in a game though, they’re strict.
Game Rant: Miyamoto Updates Fans On Status of Pikmin 4
Publication Date: July 6, 2016
Subject(s): Pikmin 4
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Unnamed Game Rant interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://gamerant.com/pikmin-4-update-miyamoto/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160707154739/http://gamerant.com/pikmin-4-update-miyamoto/
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2016, it is most likely from the same interview as the Legend of Zelda Creator Says Main Series Will Not Feature Female Link entry.
Summary: They are working on Pikmin 4. It has been difficult to fit it on their list of priorities.
Kotaku: What Makes Shigeru Miyamoto Tick
Publication Date: July 6, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the core of a game, sound, game feel
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Stephen Totilo, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://kotaku.com/what-makes-shigeru-miyamoto-tick-1783220930
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160706200212/http://kotaku.com/what-makes-shigeru-miyamoto-tick-1783220930
Notes: This interview took place at E3 2016 and also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Summary: He knows a game is good when he enjoys it. It also needs to be unique as a Nintendo game. What makes a game unique can be the technology used and how things are combined. It’s more like editing. If the core of a game is different from others, then it is unique, even if the technology and techniques are the same as another.
The core has to do with how others experience it. You can only play a game with two screens using the Wii U. If they made The Legend of Zelda realistic it would be like other games. Zelda games are about exploration and adventuring. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is about thinking for yourself as you fight against the land.
The developers felt that Breath of the Wild should have a similar core as The Legend of Zelda. They had been making dungeons larger and more complex, which required them to be done in a set order, and the tutorials had to be longer. They had strayed from the series’s core. The physics engine and freedom to explore has returned Breath of the Wild to its roots.
He doesn’t feel old, it doesn’t feel like he’s gone full circle.
There’s a lot of discussion with the programmer and director to make sure the controls feel good. A feeling of weight is very important. Response is also important, if a character doesn’t respond appropriately to the environment it causes a disconnect.
They try to use sound effects that remind the player of the real world. Games should remind a player of what they know. Wearing headphones while playing is a great experience.
Directors sometimes give vague instructions to programmers, leaving it up to them to decide how to make things. He tells directors and managers to include details. Specific instructions lead to specific feedback, and the discussion it leads to is important too.
Nintendo: Until the animation of Star Fox Zero is completed. [Part 1] At the best production site (untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: July 27, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Kyoji Asano, Eiji Inomoto, Tetsuya Nakatake, Benimaru Itoh, Takaya Imamura, Mitsuhiro Takano, Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Link: https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/5ae6d967-2e23-11e6-8360-063b7ac45a6d
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20200228111235/https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/5ae6d967-2e23-11e6-8360-063b7ac45a6d
Notes: The title is a machine translation. You can watch Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins here.
Nintendo: Until the animation of Star Fox Zero is completed. [Part 2] Stories and Expressions Unique to Anime (untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: July 28, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Kyoji Asano, Eiji Inomoto, Tetsuya Nakatake, Benimaru Itoh, Takaya Imamura, Mitsuhiro Takano, Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Link: https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/6ad8e0a6-2e23-11e6-8360-063b7ac45a6d
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20200228112158/https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/6ad8e0a6-2e23-11e6-8360-063b7ac45a6d
Notes: The title is a machine translation. You can watch Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins here.
Nintendo: Until the animation of Star Fox Zero is completed. [Part 3] Enjoy more if you play after watching (untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: July 29, 2016
Subject(s): Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Kyoji Asano, Eiji Inomoto, Tetsuya Nakatake, Benimaru Itoh, Takaya Imamura, Mitsuhiro Takano, Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Link: https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/7b805637-2e23-11e6-8360-063b7ac45a6d
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20200228113444/https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/7b805637-2e23-11e6-8360-063b7ac45a6d
Notes: The title is a machine translation. You can watch Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins here.
Time: The Man Behind Mario Explains Nintendo’s New iPhone Game
Publication Date: September 7, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://time.com/4482878/super-mario-run-apple-iphone-shigeru-miytamoto/
Notes: This interview took place after Apple’s September Event 2016.
Summary: Super Mario Run is one of the mobile games Tatsumi Kimishima was referring to. The team is mostly people who made Super Mario Bros., Takashi Tezuka was the developer, and he was the producer.
They wanted to make a Mario game that can be played one-handed. Some people have trouble holding the run button and jumping. To bring the simplicity of Mario to mobile devices they needed Mario to run automatically. Battle mode is for people with just a few minutes to play. As you get better you’ll be motivated to go for high scores.
Smart devices have reached many people around the world and they want to bring their games to as many people as possible. They’ve made a Mario game around smart devices with simple interfaces and a broad audience. They’ll bring Super Mario Run to other devices, but iPhones are very streamlined.
They are not planning connectivity with Miitomo or the Switch. It could interface with My Nintendo. Pokémon Go lead to Pokémon Red and Blue selling more, and they think Super Mario Run will have a similar effect.
It was a shock to meet Tim Cook because he didn’t realize he was older than him.
USA Today: Miyamoto on why Mario is finally coming to smartphones
Publication Date: September 7, 2016
Subject(s): Pokémon Go, Super Mario Run, George Lucas
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Marco della Cava, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: Pokémon Go shows the power of smartphones. People were questioning Pokémon’s popularity before the summer.
They’re bringing Mario to smartphones now because they are becoming more suited to gaming.
While it’s important to keep putting Mario on new platforms, virtual reality isn’t something families can do together, and it’s hard to play for a long time.
He turned into a fanboy when he met George Lucas. George turned his dream into movies.
His friends wanted to start a bluegrass band in college, but they couldn’t find a banjo player.
Apple: September Event 2016
Publication Date: September 8, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run (5:51)
Format: Presentation/demonstration (spoken English, live translator)
People: Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=NS0txu_Kzl8&feature=shares&t=316
Summary: Mario has evolved for every new platform. His next goal is the iPhone.
[Bill Trinen comes on stage to interpret.]They want people all over the world to enjoy playing as Mario, so they are bringing him to iOS. Anyone can pick up and play a Mario game, and now its simpler than ever before.
[Phil Schiller begins demonstrating Super Mario Run.]Mario runs to the right automatically, hurdling gaps and enemies. The longer you tap the higher Mario will jump. You can play while holding a handle on the subway, or eating.
There’s a battle mode called Toad Rally where you challenge a character and try to beat their high score. You can challenge your friends or people around the world. You keep collecting coins until time runs out.
You can expand and customize your Mushroom Kingdom with your coins.
Since they want people of all ages to enjoy the game it will be sold for a set price. Super Mario Run will release later in 2016. They will release Super Mario stickers in iMessage on the same day.
The Telegraph: Shigeru Miyamoto on bringing Mario to the iPhone: ’Nintendo’s platforms were the most popular in the world, but that’s changed’
Publication Date: September 8, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run, Apple, smartphones
Format: Transcribed interview
People: David Phelan, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: It’s important for action games to respond quickly and for the hardware they run on to be stable. They couldn’t get that from phones until now, with the iPhone 7.
They’ve made side-scrolling games to be simpler and for a more casual audience, but they wanted to make something even more simple, even for people who have never played a Mario game.
They have been making hardware hoping to get more people interested in video games because they used to be worried about people quitting gaming. Smart devices have increased the reach of games so now they want to bring Nintendo characters to them.
Pokémon Go brings GPS and an always-online connection to life in a way that’s unique to smartphones.
While they are restricted to Apple’s hardware, they are always trying to do something unique and different.
They want to make things for the maximum number of people, so they won’t make something that requires the latest iPhone.
Super Mario Run will come to Android eventually, but iOS is very stable. Nintendo and Apple work well together because of their similar philosophies.
Nintendo’s hardware used to be the most popular in the world, but now smartphones are. They’ll keep looking for opportunities to make something specifically for them.
TheVerge: Super Mario creator Miyamoto on why Nintendo turned to iPhone, An interview with legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: September 8, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Lauren Goode, Sam Byford, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: They have had to come up with ways to make Mario simple over the years. They previously had an idea that was deemed too simple, but it was used for Super Mario Run. Their main focus is to draw people to their platforms.
Super Mario Run focuses on jumping so people don’t have to worry about running jumping at the same time. It can be played with one hand and for short time periods to bring Mario to a large audience.
Nintendo’s game systems used to be the first device that children interacted with, but now it’s their parent’s smartphone.
A 3D Mario game where you explore would be difficult to do on a smart device, so those will continue on Nintendo platforms.
Super Mario Run didn’t come from his experiences, it came more from watching his wife. She doesn’t play many video games, but she uses her smartphone a lot.
IGN: 11 Things We Learned About Super Mario Run
Publication Date: September 9, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Jose Otero, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/09/09/11-things-we-learned-about-super-mario-run
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160910142817/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/09/09/11-things-we-learned-about-super-mario-run
Summary: It wasn’t new for Nintendo, but Apple had never had live translation during one of their events.
It’s been easier to focus on specific games since he became a creative fellow. He was working on Super Mario Run and Star Fox Zero, and then just Super Mario Run. The director is Takashi Tezuka. Hideki Konno is working on the kingdom portion of the game, all the Super Mario Bros. developers have come together.
The levels in Super Mario Run are a bit shorter than usual. There’s a lot for skilled players to find. The kingdom side of the game is about playing battle mode and customizing your Mushroom Kingdom.
In Toad Rally you can choose an opponent matched to your skill level, or a friend. You can use your My Nintendo friend list.
Beating a level in world tour will make it appear in battle mode, where it will be endless.
They wanted to make sure Super Mario Run was fun for people who aren’t good at games. They also know how to make Mario games difficult, don’t worry about that.
Super Mario Run is distinct from their other Mario games. He hopes to bring people to the Mario games on Nintendo platforms.
They didn’t look at other runner games for inspiration. They made it vertical so that Mario was bigger.
They are selling Super Mario Run for a fixed price so parents will know their kids can play it as much as they want.
Nintendo of America: Mr. Miyamoto introduces Super Mario Run!
Publication Date: September 12, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Promotional video (subtitled)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1116137695137349
Notes: Bill Trinen makes a brief appearance, shaking Mr. Miyamoto’s hand. This video was posted a day later on Nintendo Mobile’s YouTube channel.
Summary: Mario runs on his own so you can play one-handed. Mario will hurdle enemies and small gaps automatically. You can play while holding the handle on the train or eating a hamburger
Famitsu: A 30 year history that looks back through music! Report on the Kyoto performance of the Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary Concert (reported on by Nintendo Everything, partially untranslated from Japanese)
Publication Date: October 2, 2016
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda’s 30th Anniversary, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, NES Classic Edition
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Reported on by Brian, Ruriko Aoki, Eiji Aonuma, Takashi Tezuka, Koji Kondo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Japanese Links: https://www.famitsu.com/news/201610/02117293.html
https://www.famitsu.com/news/201610/02117293.html?page=2
Japanese Archive Links: https://web.archive.org/web/20161001230908/https://www.famitsu.com/news/201610/02117293.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20210828092810/https://www.famitsu.com/news/201610/02117293.html?page=2
Notes: The title is a machine translation. Nintendo Everything has summarized what Mr. Miyamoto said, rather than directly translate it, so the summary is a summary of a summary. It’s also not clear if Nintendo Everything is using machine translation.
Summary: When there’s a Super Mario anniversary there’s a The Legend of Zelda anniversary that follows next year. There’s a deep relationship between Zelda and music.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will return to the roots of the series. They’d like it to form a base for Zelda games going forward.
You can play The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on the NES Classic Edition, and it has suspend points.
Nintendo.co.uk: Nintendo Classic Mini: NES special interview Volume 1: Donkey Kong
Publication Date: November 4, 2016
Subject(s): NES Classic Edition, Donkey Kong
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://archive.ph/K9wbJ
Japanese Link: https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/cb4c1aca-88fb-11e6-9b38-063b7ac45a6d
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20200228110340/https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/cb4c1aca-88fb-11e6-9b38-063b7ac45a6d
Notes: This is volume one of a series of interviews about NES Classic Edition and its games. Nintendo UK’s website is excluded from the Internet Archive so I have used archive.ph.
Summary: He only checked in on the NES Classic Edition’s development. It began as a project at Nintendo European Research and Development. The staff working on the Famicom version borrowed an old, yellowed alarm clock of his in the shape of a Famicom and used it in presentations.
He didn’t work on the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Donkey Kong or Mario Bros. He instead worked on Baseball, Tennis, and Golf.
He told a few friends he wouldn’t be talking to them for a few months as he worked on Donkey Kong. It ended up taking four or five months. There used to be a bath at Nintendo that he would use after spending all day at work. They had a bath to make use of the water they boiled to make playing cards. He made Donkey Kong for the American market.
Mario is 24 or 26 years old. In Donkey Kong Mario’s pet kidnaps his girlfriend. A Nintendo of America landlord was named Mario and he looked like the character so that’s how he got the name. A dictionary said that “Donkey” can mean stupid, but Nintendo of America disagreed. People got used to it.
There was originally a voice clip of Mario’s girlfriend saying “help!”, but a native English speaker heard it and thought she was saying “kelp”.
The Donkey Kong testers would stay at work late playing it. The Nintendo Entertainment System version felt like it was stretched and it had fewer colors. They made Mario die if he fell more than 1.5 times his height, but now he falls much farther and is fine.
Nintendo.co.uk: Nintendo Classic Mini: NES special interview Volume 3: Super Mario Bros.
Publication Date: November 18, 2016
Subject(s): NES Classic Edition, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Takashi Tezuka, Koji Kondo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://archive.ph/CDsaG
Japanese Link: https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/5470f000-967b-11e6-9b38-063b7ac45a6d
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20200228110813/https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/5470f000-967b-11e6-9b38-063b7ac45a6d
Notes: This is volume 3 of a series of interviews about NES Classic Edition and its games. Nintendo UK’s website is excluded from the Internet Archive so I have used archive.ph.
Summary: He wanted Super Mario Bros. to be the ultimate Famicom cartridge game. The first game he made with Takashi Tezuka was Devil World, and he was a big help in making Super Mario Bros. Fitting all their technical know-how into it was like a puzzle.
During development he asked if the screen could show more of what was ahead, but Mario would be smaller if the perspective was farther away. Toshihiko Nakago said it would be fun to have a small Mario too. He decided small Mario would lose a life when hit, but big Mario would become small Mario. The “Super” in the title refers to big Mario.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was directed by Mr. Tezuka and went well, so they decided to make a new game. Super Mario Bros. 3 took over two years to make. The Super Mario Bros. took seven or eight people to make, Super Mario Bros. 3 took 20-30. There was a Map Room where programmers lined up and programmed levels from sheets of paper.
Players ended up being stressed about not being able to save the game, but with the NES Classic Edition you can have four suspend points.
The Nintendo Entertainment System lasted for so long because of the advancement of game cartridges and new people joined Nintendo.
Nintendo.co.uk: Nintendo Classic Mini: NES special interview Volume 4: The Legend of Zelda
Publication Date: November 25, 2016
Subject(s): NES Classic Edition, The Legend of Zelda
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Akinori Sao, Takashi Tezuka, Koji Kondo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://archive.ph/qPGvB
Japanese Link: https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/4c71577f-9ca2-11e6-9aaf-063b7ac45a6d
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20200228110409/https://topics.nintendo.co.jp/article/4c71577f-9ca2-11e6-9aaf-063b7ac45a6d
Notes: This is volume four of a series of interviews about NES Classic Edition and its games. Nintendo UK’s website is excluded from the Internet Archive so I have used archive.ph.
Summary: He wanted to bring a sense of adventure to a game, like in Indiana Jones movies. He thought it was interesting how people would brag about their role-playing characters. His game would have a sword and sorcery theme, and be based on treasure hunting.
The intro song was originally an arrangement of a Maurice Ravel song, but they realized it wouldn’t enter the public domain for something like another month. The song Koji Kondo came up with to replace it suggests courage.
Link holds up a sign that tells players to look up more information in the manual. They included it so that people who used a Famicom Disk Writer Kiosk would have something physical as proof that they bought the game. It was also meant to give the game an epic feel. With the NES Classic Edition you can use a QR code to look up the game manuals. Overseas versions had a map, but since he felt it would be more fun without one it was sealed and told players to only use it as a last resort.
He wasn’t thinking of the Indian rupee when he named the currency, it just sounded cute. They are more like rubies.
The Nintendo Entertainment System represents competition. People would play its games for much longer than an arcade game. You wouldn’t have to pay 100 yen for each inning when you played Baseball. He worked on design for Baseball.
Nintendo of America: The Vision for Nintendo at Universal Theme Parks
Publication Date: November 29, 2016
Subject(s): Super Nintendo World
Format: Promotional video (subtitled)
People: Mark Woodbury, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9j-MHzwEQ8
Summary: He is amazed at how the essence of Nintendo’s games are being brought to life by the park developers. They are working hard to make it fun for all ages.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jimmy Fallon Debuts the Nintendo Switch
Publication Date: December 7, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Demonstration/presentation, interview (nonverbal)
People: Jimmy Fallon, Reggie Fils-Aimé, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TJ7IUNWGl4&t=67s
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto sits in the audience and does not speak at all during this demo of Super Mario Run and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on The Tonight Show. Bill Trinen, Mr. Miyamoto’s frequent translator, is sitting next to him.
Summary: [Reggie Fils-Aimé tells Jimmy Fallon that Mr. Miyamoto is watching.]
[Mr. Miyamoto waves and shows his shirt to the audience.]
[Jimmy plays Super Mario Run and asks about his performance.]
[Mr. Miyamoto gives him a thumbs down before turning it into a thumbs up.]
[Jimmy briefly talks about Mr. Miyamoto’s experiences exploring outside as a child and he nods.]
BuzzFeed News: Shigeru Miyamoto Explains Why Nintendo Finally Brought Mario To The iPhone
Publication Date: December 7, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview, demonstration
People: Joseph Bernstein, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IchrmP6CBpY
Summary: [Mr. Miyamoto plays Super Mario Run one-handed while eating various deserts with his other hand in an embedded video.]
He’s excited to bring Mario to a new audence and people who haven’t played one for a while.
For years they didn’t think they could get the same level of gameplay response from a cell phone as with their own hardware.
They experimented with a Mario game for the Wii where Mario jumped in time with music.
Nintendo saw footage of highly-skilled players that never stopped running in Mario games and thought about bringing that experience to everyone.
They considered including GPS in the 3DS for a game, but decided it made more sense to make such a game for mobile devices, which already had GPS.
Kids get hand-me-down phones from their parents. They want to bring their IP to children on smart devices.
TheVerge: A chat with Shigeru Miyamoto on the eve of Super Mario Run, Nintendo’s first smartphone game
Publication Date: December 8, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Andrew Webster, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: Mario introduced millions to video games, and he thinks he will continue to do so with Super Mario Run. They experimented with a one-button Mario game for the Wii. The longer a game series goes the more complex it becomes, and the harder it is for new players to get into it.
They started making mobile games to increase the reach of their intellectual properties, but they were surprised by Pokémon Go’s ability to bring that audience back.
He’s been working on making levels with Takashi Tezuka. Once new players play Super Mario Run the question becomes what kind of Mario game is next.
He hopes people will look back on the Wii U and think “look what came from it”.
Time: Shigeru Miyamoto Explains Nintendo’s New iPhone Game
Publication Date: December 8, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Lisa Eadicicco, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://time.com/4594652/super-mario-run-shigeru-miyamoto-interview-iphone-apple-2016/
Summary: He had a good idea for a Mario game since he’s been using smartphones for many years. The biggest challenge was figuring out the core elements to include. It was challenging to get the performance they wanted from the iPhone, they are used to working with their own hardware.
A challenge with game development is that the first game in a series tends to be simple and appeal to a broad audience, but as time goes on more and more mechanics are introduced and it becomes difficult for new people to get into it. They tried to reset things with the Wii and DS. With games its fun to think about what you should have done differently and to plan ahead.
They felt it was important that parents could pay once for Super Mario Run and then let their children play as much as they want. Their other mobile games will have payment structures that make sense for each game.
They have a lot of assets to choose from Mario’s long history, it was hard to choose what wouldn’t make it in. They made Bullet Bills come from behind you and spiky enemies are larger.
He got the idea for the Kingdom Builder mode from playing Neko Atsume with his wife, and to have a place to save your accomplishments.
Smartphones finally got to the point where they could deliver the performance they need. Nintendo products used to be the first computer or game system children interacted with, but now they are getting smartphones and they wanted to reach them. Many adults have also moved away from gaming, but have a smartphone. Pokémon Go reached a lot of those people and he hopes Super Mario Run reaches a lot of people who used to play Mario games.
Vice: We Asked Miyamoto Which Nintendo Character He’d Like to Drink With
Publication Date: December 8, 2016
Subject(s): Drinking with a Nintendo character
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Danielle Riendeau, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: He doesn’t drink beer, but if he were to have a drink with a character he had created it would be Fox McCloud, he’d have the best stories.
Vice: Shigeru Miyamoto on Designing Mario for Mobile in ’Super Mario Run’
Publication Date: December 9, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Danielle Riendeau, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: They hit the reset button with the DS, trying to appeal to a broad audience. When they were making the New Super Mario Bros. series they experimented with a game where you only jump, which is the most fun thing to a broad audience. They went back to this idea when designing Super Mario Run.
Boo levels were designed to incorporate more puzzle elements, there are three types of them in Super Mario Run.
People may see something in Super Mario Run that they want to use for their Super Mario Maker levels.
Events at the Apple Store: Super Mario Run
Publication Date: December 9, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run, getting a job at Nintendo, Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, controls, popularity
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Katie Linendoll, Austin Creed, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/super-mario-run/id1184967541?i=1000430691578
Also available as just audio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/super-mario-run/id1184967541?i=1000430691577
Nintendo of America posted a clip on X: https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/808725929857937408
Summary: He keeps making games because technology keeps evolving and he has new life experiences. He tries to combine them. Things were simpler in the 8-bit days, you could focus on the gameplay. There used to be five people working on a game, you could say “I made this”, but now even a small team is 30 people and you might not know who did what. He has to remind the programmers and artists why he’s still important. They can implement changes much more quickly with something like iOS.
When he was looking for a job Nintendo told him they weren’t looking for industrial designers, but he managed to get an interview. He got the job after showing off his portfolio. Nintendo went into video games because Space Invaders was such a big hit. He got his start making graphics.
Two things make games fun to him: the thinking process after you die and need to try something new, and someone watching you play and wanting to try it themselves. What’s happening on screen has to be simple enough to be understandable, and the goal needs to be apparent. In Donkey Kong it was obvious you needed to follow the girders to get up to the gorilla. Mario was a carpenter at that point. In Super Mario Bros. he decided Mario would have a brother and fight against turtles. To get the turtles from the bottom to the top the game would need pipes. This clearly seemed like the New York sewers, so Mario and Luigi were plumbers. For Super Mario Bros. he wanted Mario to be both big and small, and Mushrooms, like from fairy tales, made sense to make him bigger. If he’s running through a forest it makes sense for him to be chasing after a princess.
When making The Legend of Zelda he asked himself how he could create graphics anyone could understand. He thought back to his childhood, of mountains and lakes. Limited graphics with the player’s imagination helps paint the picture of the world.
If something sells well they say they “we were lucky”, if it doesn’t they say “well, that’s unfortunate”.
He’s worked with a core team for 30 years, including director Takashi Tezuka and programming director Toshihiko Nakago. Things don’t start moving until they are on the same page. When working together they don’t talk about what’s fun, they point out things that are no good. They have postmortems before games release. He has to get back to Japan before December 15th for the postmortem of Super Mario Run.
They’ve always focused on one platform for their games because otherwise they have to spend a lot of time getting it to work on multiple platforms. Even when their platform wasn’t the best selling it was always affordable. The 3DS sold between 50-100 million, but there’s a lot more people with smartphones. With a dedicated gaming system you can use its full power, but now a smartphone can meet their own expectations. Apple has been the best partner.
Nintendo released a system with touch controls before the iPhone. The simplest control interface for everyone around the world is touch. Super Mario Run is instantly fun for first timers due to the controls, but there is also challenge for veteran game players.
Wanted to make sure Mario never stopped running because expert players never stop when they play Super Mario games. New players have issues holding down the B button to make Mario run. There are special blocks that allow Mario to perform other kinds of jumps or go backwards. Super Mario Run has a unique rhythm among Mario games.
He always wanted Fox McCloud and Pikmin to be more popular.
A few years after Super Mario Bros. was released there was a poll that found that Mario was more popular than Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse had been around for 40 years, and Mario for three. He thought that when Mario is 40 he’ll see how he’s doing. Mickey Mouse evolved with cinema and animation, so Mario needs to evolve with technology and video games.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Shigeru Miyamoto Guesses The Size of Random Objects
Publication Date: December 9, 2016
Subject(s): The size of objects
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Unnamed The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon staff members, unnamed translator, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiUeuc7eOh0
Notes: This did not appear on the TV show, it is a web exclusive.
Summary: He started guessing the size of objects 10 or 20 years ago. It’s also fun to guess how much something weighs, they put that into Wii Fit.
[A pizza appears in front of him.]
43 centimeters.
[He measures it.]
45.
[A taxidermied raccoon is brought out.]
54 centimeters.
[He measures it.]
65. It would be 70 if you stretched the tail out.
[A Jägermeister bottle appears.]
About 23 centimeters.
[He measures it.]
22.
[A lightsaber appears.]
108 centimeters.
[He measures it.]
110.
[A bowling pin appears.]
Should be about 40 centimeters.
[He measures it.]
38.
[A question block appears.]
30 centimeters.
[He measures it.]
Perfect, 30 centimeters.
Glixel: Q&A;: Shigeru Miyamoto on ’Mario’, ’Minecraft’ and Working With Apple
Publication Date: December 11, 2016
Subject(s): What he’s proud of, the three people he works with the most, Super Mario Run, inspiration, Wii Fit, working with Apple
Format: Transcribed interview
People: John Davison, Shigeru Miyamoto
Summary: He has struggled with how to answer the question of what he’s most proud of, but he’s realized it’s the fact that he’s been working with the same group of people for 30 years. Working with Takeshi Tezuka, Toshihiko Nakago, and Koji Kondo for so long has allowed them to work well together.
They always strive to make sure they’re making something fun. They spend a lot of time with each other, going to lunch and dinner together. They generally agree on what’s fun and trust each other.
They knew they wanted Super Mario Run to be as simple as possible. Part of the appeal of Super Mario Bros. was just running to the right and jumping. The initial idea was a game where all you did was jump.
He doesn’t try to make something others will like, he makes things that he likes.
He sees it like running a talent agency, and he chooses Mario to represent new technology that comes along. They also always change how Mario looks to keep him fresh.
He doesn’t play games for inspiration, he watches a lot of dramas on TV. Looking at how they’re structured and which are successful can overlap with video games.
There was a fad in Japan where people would gather in their homes and do a silly dance. He saw a lawyer dance and make his children laugh one time. That image was in his mind as he was making Wii Fit.
He makes sure he spends the weekends with his family. He doesn’t golf or gamble because they take a lot of time. He used to camp with his children but now he gardens and does carpentry.
He makes graphs and flowcharts to design the structure of a game.
He’s a designer, not an artist. He creates products, not works. A planner works within constraints.
A few years ago he talked about giving more responsibility to younger people at Nintendo and that was interpreted as him saying he was going to retire soon. The younger people have designed the Switch while he’s focused on Super Mario Run and Super Nintendo World.
They took an early version of Super Mario Run to Apple because they needed a certain level of performance. They didn’t want to make a free to play game so they had to talk to Apple about having a free trial. At first they were told that a free to play approach would be good, but they were willing to try something new.
Apple is like Nintendo in that they think about how people will end up using their products. Both companies make sure their products are easy to use. He told Apple about how Nintendo of America decided not to use multicolored buttons for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller and how he liked Apple’s old colorful logo. Apple focuses on simplicity and making a safe environment. They wanted to be sure parents would feel safe letting their children play Super Mario Run and not having them worry about transactions.
They should have made Minecraft. They have some old experiments from the Nintendo 64 that were similar.
Katie Linendoll: Katie Linendoll Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto
Publication Date: December 11, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run, hobbies, sound
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Katie Linendoll, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xqKeBox0s8
Summary: He was nervous about playing music with professionals on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
He joined Nintendo to make toys, but Space Invaders became a big hit.
Interaction is what makes games fun, not just for the player, but also people who watch and think they can do better, or trying new things to overcome challenges.
When he makes a game he starts with a fun idea, and then he thinks about how to convey that fun. Everyone knows that you’ll get tired after exercising, Wii Fit was about turning that into a fun interactive experience.
They had to draw on their memories to draw simple objects for The Legend of Zelda, since they were working with 16 x 16 pixel tiles. They had to use memories that are common to all people.
There’s a quality to Super Mario Run that doesn’t exist in the real world, so they can’t rely on their memories to make it.
It was easier to focus on gameplay when the graphics weren’t as advanced. Younger developers also want to focus on graphics, but they can add more detail to animations than they could before.
It’s important to him to have fun in his everyday life.
His hobby is more practicing guitar than playing it. Bluegrass is very technical, so it’s hard to perform.
He weighed himself every day while working on Wii Fit and now he checks his blood pressure every day. He would use a tape measure so check how long things were after guessing. He’s also been into carpentry lately. He made a cat hammock out of a stool.
It’s important to think that what you’re doing is fun.
Where video games go in the future depends on what technology arises, and what can be used at what price.
He tried to refresh the Star Fox characters, though that might not have gone how he hoped. The Pikmin aren’t as popular as they used to be, but he still wants to make them more popular.
He works closely with the music team, going over what kind of sound effects to use. They worked hard on having the right sound effects for collecting coins in Super Mario Run.
UpUpDownDown: Nintendo’s SHIGERU MIYAMOTO talks with Austin Creed!!! Expansion Pack
Publication Date: December 14, 2016
Subject(s): Game design, Super Mario Run
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Austin Creed, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba_vjAKkEOI
Summary: It would be easy to follow trends, but instead he thinks about what he finds fun. If he finds it fun, others will too. He also sticks to things everyone understands, human truths.
Super Mario Bros. was a game that anyone could play, but the Mario series became more complex, and it was harder for people to play it for the first time. New Super Mario Bros. was a restart, but smart devices appeal to an even wider audience. They wanted to make a game where all you do is jump, and making that as fun as possible.
CNN Business: Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto dreams about strange forests
Publication Date: December 14, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run, dreams
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Rachel Crane, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdP1kYN31oo
Notes: This video was also included in an article about Super Mario Run, which uses a quote from it.
Summary: He doesn’t want to reveal too many secrets about Super Mario Run. When you find the five pink coins you’ll be able to collect purple coins, and when you collect those you’ll be able to collect black coins.
Nintendo systems were often the first platform that children played video games on, but now that is often an iPhone. They have also recently become powerful enough to meet their needs.
Super Mario Run is for people who grew up playing Nintendo but stopped, as well as children playing their first game.
He’ll often have a dream where he’s had a great game idea but then forgotten it, or he’ll solve a problem he’s been having in his dream but then not remember how he did it when he wakes up. He has dreams where he picks a mushroom in a forest and a beetle comes out, and he keeps grabbing beetles.
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed Game Journalism, Nintendo & Violence
Publication Date: December 15, 2016
Subject(s): Getting ideas, Mario’s popularity, game interfaces
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Alison Haislip, unnamed translator, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/b6f3207823645e4482f30d79b6c6dd82 (probably not available in all regions)
A clip was also posted on Nintendo of Amercia’s X account: https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/809882253643935744
Available for purchase from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B01NA9KXIG/ref=atv_pp_tt_0
Notes: Establishing shots show footage from both E3 2013 and E3 2015. The 30th anniversary of Super Mario is mentioned several times in the interview, and the couch shown has a Super Mario 30th anniversary pillow, strongly suggesting the interview occurred at E3 2015.
Summary: He doesn’t create gameplay and then tell someone to make hardware for it, and he doesn’t see hardware and ask what he can build with that. Due to his background in industrial design he has the mindset of storing away ideas for the right time.
[A clip from Gameheadz (incorrectly shown on-screen as “Gamerheadz”), a 2003 documentary, plays. Mr. Miyamoto is showing a concept sketch of Donkey Kong.]
The gorilla snatches the girl and runs away with her. The man chases after with a hammer, while avoiding barrels. A hole appears in the ground, which the gorilla falls into, and dies.
[Back to the interview.]
Early on there were polls that said Mario was more popular than Mickey Mouse. At the time he said Mickey Mouse has 30 years on Mario, let’s wait and see where Mario is when he’s 30. Maybe Mario is up there with Mickey Mouse at this point in his career.
When he has a controller and a TV screen he looks at what the interaction is between him and the screen, if he sees something interesting, then that’s what he starts with. In the beginning he was working with a stick and a couple buttons, his inspiration at the time was finding what he can do with that. As the interfaces changed over time, he was able to broaden his vision.
They didn’t set out to make a game based on motion controls. They saw that people were becoming uninterested in games because the controls were too complicated. They asked how they can bring more people to gaming.
Wired: Super Mario Run Is Here and Shigeru Miyamoto Told Us 7 Surprising Things About It
Publication Date: December 15, 2016
Subject(s): Super Mario Run
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Chris Kohler, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.wired.com/2016/12/miyamoto-interview-2/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20161215194638/https://www.wired.com/2016/12/miyamoto-interview-2/
Summary: They experimented with a Wii game where the only control was pressing A to make Mario jump, but ultimately didn’t want to force people to use one button. They considered making it into a rhythm game.
Super Mario Run has some of the skill that speedrunners who never stop running use. There are special blocks that allow Mario to do different types of jumps, which gives novice players a sense of what that is like.
With games like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Run where they take a new step he gets more directly involved.
Super Mario Run has a big development team and he’s been part of it since the start.
Super Nintendo World and Super Mario Run are part of a larger project to reconnect with older players and establish a connection with younger ones.
Nintendo systems are best enjoyed in living rooms by families.
Porting Super Mario Bros. to smartphones would be boring, Mario evolves with each platform. It’s more rewarding to take advantage of what’s unique about the iPhone. People would expect Super Mario Bros. to be free.
2017
Nintendo of America: Nintendo Switch Presentation
Publication Date: January 12, 2017
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (1:00:25)
Format: Promotional Video (subtitled)
People: Reggie Fils-Aimé, Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Mr. Miyamoto is seen in the background before Reggie introduces him. The original stream of this event was set to private. Uploaded by YouTube user Valiantenger.
Summary: The new Legend of Zelda game is good. Ask Eiji Aonuma when it’s releasing.
Vox: How the inventor of Mario designs a game
Publication Date: January 12, 2017
Subject(s): Getting started in the industry, game design, Super Mario Run
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Christophe Haubursin, Joe Posner, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-NBcP0YUQI
Notes: Contains brief footage from several other interviews, including the Sajber interview from 1998.
Summary: Everyone told him he had to have microtransactions in Super Mario Run, but he doesn’t like to be told he has to do something because that’s how it’s done.
A game needs a sense of accomplishment.
Video games were originally made by programmers, but he was a designer and artist.
He has to consider how to convey to the player what they’re supposed to do. They asked themselves why people stopped playing Mario over time, and it’s often because the controls were too difficult. Anyone can play Super Mario Run.
Nintendo of America: Nintendo Minute 5 Favorite Things about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Publication Date: January 20, 2017
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Kit Ellis, Krysta Yang, Raymond Elliget (translator), Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: All Nintendo Minute episodes were set to private in late 2022. Uploaded by YouTube user Zelda Densetsu.
Summary: They were able to mesh together the horse riding, paragliding, and climbing in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You can feel a sense of growth through climbing. At first you can’t climb a tree, but eventually you will be scaling cliffs.
Tetris is digital and it’s clear where a piece will fit, but Zelda is analog and there can be many ways to solve a puzzle.
There are touching moments in the story, and sometimes players will feel moved because of what they put into the game.
You can feel when it becomes night, when it is cold, or when it rains.
Nintendo of America: Super Mario Odyssey Nintendo Treehouse: Live with Nintendo Switch
Publication Date: January 20, 2017
Subject(s): Super Mario Odyssey
Format: Interview (live translator)
People: Samantha Robertson, Nate Bihldorff, Raymond Elliget (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Originally part of a live Nintendo Treehouse event.
Summary: Mario games go back and forth between accessible and more complex. Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine were a bit more for core gamers, so Super Mario Galaxy is a bit more on the casual side. Super Mario 3D World is a 3D game, but is a bit more accessible. Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Run are more casual, so they wanted to make Super Mario Odyssey an action game for core players.
After letting his pet hamster run around his house he wanted to be able control Mario as if he was a hamster running loose.
They were able to make the camera controls feel good in Super Mario Odyssey. Mario travels all over in Odyssey, the younger developers came up with a lot of ideas. He wasn’t always sure Mario fit into these places, but that’s the kind of game it became.
This team has worked on a lot of 3D Mario games and they went back to the roots, to Super Mario Sunshine.
People can be afraid to bring him ideas, but he is open-minded.
Nintendo of America: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Treehouse: Live with Nintendo Switch
Publication Date: January 20, 2017
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Interview/demonstration (live translator)
People: Nate Bihldorff, Noriko (translator), Eiji Aonuma, Raymond Elliget (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: Originally part of a live Nintendo Treehouse event.
Summary: When you complete shrines they become warp points. With warping, horses, paragliding, and rolling off a cliff there are many ways to get around.
You can use the horses for battle. They put a lot of work into the animals and making them seem natural. It was important that it feel right to run and climb around.
Animators and sound people had to work together to make sure riding a horse felt and sounded right.
Fire can spread, and it goes out when it rains.
You can go straight to Hyrule Castle when you start the game.
The Completionist: Breath of the Wild Interview with Miyamoto & Aonuma | The Completionist
Publication Date: January 27, 2017
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Interview (live translator, subtitled)
People: Jirard Khalil, Raymond Elliget (translator), Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n7vqDy6mqE
Notes: Raymond Elliget the translator can be heard briefly from off camera.
Summary: They categorize games into two types: those that will obviously be great from start of development, and those where you can only tell once development is complete. They weren’t sure about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild until they’d finished. When a log doesn’t move properly, or an apple doesn’t look right it’s hard to tell how it will all turn out. The staff seemed to increase every day, from 30 to 300.
You can choose when to fight the final boss, they haven’t made a game like that in a long time. You can increase your stamina or your hearts.
Nintendo Investor Relations: Corporate Management Policy Briefing / Nine Months Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2017
Publication Date: February 3, 2017
Subject(s): Pokémon Go, Pokémon Sun and Moon, Nintendo Switch, third-party developers
Format: Investor Q & A
People: Unnamed investors, Nintendo executives including Shigeru Miyamoto, smart device games, development structure
Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2017/170207e.pdf
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220516224335/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2017/170207e.pdf
Japanese Link: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2017/170203.pdf
Japanese Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20210213110802/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2017/170203.pdf
Summary: He was surprised when Pokémon Go took off the way it did, as it did not seem to get much attention before release. It had a big impact on Pokémon Sun and Moon’s sales. Nintendo should make use of smart devices, especially to reach younger children. Pokémon Go’s spread far exceeded their expectations. It and Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition show how important it is to catch the attention of people who have stopped playing video games, and to bridge generational gaps.
During the development of the Switch younger developers showed they understood that Nintendo creates unique things.
Nintendo has combined the handheld and console teams. Third-party developers can easily port PC games to the Switch. Even though developers from the United States and Europe have a better reputation than Japanese developers, Nintendo has mastered state-of-the-art technologies like the Unreal engine.
They are trying many things with mobile games, including monetization options. Super Mario Run was moved ahead in their schedule.
One of their greatest challenges is not having so many employees that they can’t nurture their resources efficiently, which is why they work with external partners. Hiring too many new people risks losing an understanding of Nintendo’s DNA.
ZackScottGames: Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma! The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!
Publication Date: February 3, 2017
Subject(s): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the “Link is actually dead” fan theory
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Zack Scott, Chiko Bird, (translator), Raymond Elliget (translator), Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qH7DvSBlwk
Notes: Raymond Elliget and Chiko Bird are not visible but can be heard speaking a few times. There is a transcript available on Zelda Universe.
Summary: As you make choices you become in tune with Link.
The Zelda team knows the series well, and they know it’s essential for players to solve puzzles themselves. The items Link uses to solve puzzles will always be important, as well as the environment. It’s important that Link grows.
They made The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the stereoscopic 3D and so you could play it outside. You can tell when an arrow won’t hit you on the 3DS, that’s why they made The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword you could choose your destination, in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild you can set markers since the whole world is connected.
A difficult question he gets a lot is “why is it called ‘The Legend of Zelda’ if Link is the protaganist?”. When they first made Link he was to be the link between people, or between a person and the Triforce. There’s a long running anime and manga series called Sazae-san. When a series runs for so long urban legends develop around it and there’s an urban legend that the main character is dead. It makes him happy to think that The Legend of Zelda is old enough to have such urban legends too.
Game Informer: 51 Rapid Fire Questions About The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Publication Date: February 9, 2017
Subject(s): The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Ben Reeves, Eiji Aonuma, Raymond Elliget (translator), Chiko Bird (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video:
Notes: The camera briefly pans over to the translators after Ben asks if he can trust them.
Summary: Dubious Food is the strangest thing Link can eat.
Link’s last name is Link, and he’s not human.
He thinks Pauline lives in New Donk City.
The longest he’s slept was 20 hours.
The secret to a happy life is to enjoy everything.
Time: 10 Things Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto Told Us About Switch and More
Publication Date: February 13, 2017
Subject(s): Switch, Gunpei Yokoi, virtual reality, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Hiroshi Yamauchi, artificial intelligence
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Matt Peckham, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://time.com/4668908/nintendo-switch-miyamoto-interview/
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170302222827/http://time.com/4668908/nintendo-switch-miyamoto-interview/
Notes: This interview took place in mid January 2017.
Summary: It is important to Nintendo to do something that only they can do. Gunpei Yokoi put fun first and would calmly examine a situation. They’ve been trained to be suspicious when everyone is doing the same thing.
Genyo Takedo, Satoru Iwata, and himself would give feedback on the Switch as it was being designed. Iwata put a lot of emphasis on making it that allows for networking. They discussed how they might incorporate mobile devices or browser features.
HD Rumble provides something new. There’s a group at Nintendo researching rumble technology.
The problem of being together online with virtual reality is being solved. A parent would probably worry if they saw their child using virtual reality. Making an experience short but fleshed out is a challenge too.
Eiji Aonuma has found a way to balance story and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s important that a game’s story lingers in the mind. It’s important for Zelda games to allow the player to live the story. They wanted to make sure everyone had a different experience with the game.
Hiroshi Yamauchi’s philosophy was to not have a personal philosophy. Despite that he left the company with a philosophy that they should only use their money to make fun. That simplified things, they just had to think about fun.
Artificial intelligence doesn’t make sense in terms of cost performance. The scope of what they can do will increase as A.I. improves. Unlike the medical field they can do a bit of guessing and take shortcuts. They are interested in A.I.
He would like to set the standards for the possibilities of the next 10 years.
When he has a few days of work he works in his garden, hoeing. He made a cat hammock.
Game Informer: Miyamoto and Aonuma on Zelda’s Storytelling And Breath Of The Wild’s Trick
Publication Date: February 16, 2017
Subject(s): Story in games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Ben Hanson, Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpM0S8kWsRw
Summary: He may have said things about story not mattering. It’s not that story is unnecessary, it gives a game world substance. A story can be so strict that you have to follow a certain path, or a story can take a long time to set up while you want to experience the gameplay.
Everyone will have their own story of their experience playing through The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Eiji Aonuma knows the secret of tying story and gameplay together.
Game Informer: Nintendo’s Miyamoto And Aonuma On Zelda’s Balance Of Fan Feedback
Publication Date: February 20, 2017
Subject(s): Testing and feedback, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, animals
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Ben Hanson, Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAqOq435K-I
Notes: A few quotes from this interview also appear in the March, 2017 issue of Game Informer.
Summary: He has stressed how important white paper testing and monitor testing are to getting feedback on games under development. You also can’t just ask someone “how was it?”. Monitor testing sees whether the concept of a game has been conveyed. He watches recordings of people playing games.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was very different from The Legend of Zelda, they wanted to focus on the action. They named it the way that they did because it’s almost a different series.
Starting with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time he loved Epona and all the animals. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a designer and programmer just working on the animals. You can get to know the horses, raise them, and ride them. You can choose whether to hunt other animals for food or not. It’s fun to wonder where the birds are going.
Game Informer: Miyamoto And Aonuma On Training Nintendo’s Next Generation Of Developers
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Subject(s): Training younger developers
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Ben Hanson, Eiji Aonuma, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK0VlF-A9xU
Summary: There’s two parts of game design, the skeleton and the decorative exterior. Old people like him can’t keep up with the latter, so it’s better to let the younger developers handle it. But then younger people tend to follow trends.
When younger developers ask him how something they made is he tells them with an open mind and heart to go with it.
Nintendo’s philosophy has always been to be unique, they’re not fighting against the current trends. He tells younger developers to make what they want to make.
Nintendo of America: Have you ever wondered what Mr. Miyamoto’s favorite power up is? Here you go! #Mar10Day
Publication Date: March 10, 2017
Subject(s): Power-ups
Format: Promotional video (subtitled)
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1116137695137349
Summary: If he could have any power-up in real life it would be a tail so he can spin and fly around.
Retro Gamer: Mario Kart The Untold Story
Publication Date: April 20, 2017
Subject(s): Super Mario Kart
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Nick Thorpe, Hideki Konno, Tadashi Sugiyama, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: This is from issue 167 of Retro Gamer.
Summary: The Mario setting is like a comic, the characters can appear in different roles, so he didn’t have an issue with being able to race as enemies in Super Mario Kart.
Having collectible coins on the track wouldn’t be possible in another racing game. You can jump because that’s essential in a Mario game.
They decided to make the game about competing for position with go-karts. The items seemed a natural way to help players who were behind.
He wanted to make sure Super Mario Kart worked well with two players and that they could battle, like in Mario Bros.
Ubisoft E3 2017 Conference
Publication Date: June 12, 2017
Subject(s): Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Format: Presentation (spoken English, live translator)
People: Yves Guillemot, Bill Trinen (translator), Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKXDIp3bm4s&t=3593s
Notes: I’m pretty sure this is the first time Mr. Miyamoto appeared at a non-Nintendo E3 presentation.
Summary: [Yves Guillemot introduces Mr. Miyamoto, who walks down the aisle and onto the stage with a blaster on his arm.]
This is blaster is a weapon from Mario + Rabbids :Kingdom Battle. He brought one for Yves Guillemot.
[Bill Trinen hands him a blaster.]These are different from the weapon in Ghost Recon.
He’s thankful to have been able to work with Ubisoft over the years. He’s known Yves for 25 years and gets to spend time with him at E3. He feels the passion Ubisoft has for Nintendo. They’re also software rivals. He has rabbids figures on his desk, and he’s a fan.
His condition for Davide Soliani was that the game couldn’t be a platformer and that it’s a Mario game that has never been made.
Mario + Rabbids :Kingdom Battle has a European feel and some great strategy and tactics.
GameTrailers: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle: Behind the Scenes E3 2017: Ubisoft Conference
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Subject(s): Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Xavier Poix, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqp9KHZEXAc
Notes: The video bounces between several groups of people, but Mr. Miyamoto is sitting with Xavier Poix.
Summary: When Ubisoft pitched Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle to them, it felt new and it was a genre they had no plans to use for Mario.
Davide Soliani was very passionate during the presentation, that made him realize it could work.
The action of Mario and the playfulness of the Rabbids fit together.
The Ubisoft developers understand Mario. They know how to make unique games and have been supportive of Nintendo’s systems.
Game Informer: Miyamoto On Breath Of The Wild, Nostalgia, And If Yoshi And A T Rex Can Co Exist
Publication Date: June 15, 2017
Subject(s): Super Mario Odyssey, Yoshi, New Donk City, Mario Bros.
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: The rest of this interview was published October 25, 2017 online. This interview occurred during E3 2017.
Summary: There’s an underlying philosophy at Nintendo that applies to both the Tokyo and Kyoto office.
His role with Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was to play the prototypes and make sure they felt good to play.
He’s seen movies where dinosaurs look like Yoshi and thought that they looked more like lizards. Mario knows the difference between the T-Rex he can capture and Yoshi, which he can ride.
They were worried people wouldn’t get New Donk City, but people have accepted it. He wants to be sure kids don’t copy Mario by jumping on Taxis or walking on the edges of buildings.
It’s important that young people today don’t see games like Pac-Man as old. By having a common thread among generations he hopes that Mario will be supported by children.
He played a Mario Bros. machine with the winner of Nintendo’s T-shirt design contest. It was nostalgic and he easily won.
Newsweek: What Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto Asked Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot Not To Do With ’Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle’
Publication Date: June 18, 2017
Subject(s): Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Zulai Serrano, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.newsweek.com/mario-rabbids-kingdom-battle-win-nintendo-switch-627029
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170619105550/http://www.newsweek.com/mario-rabbids-kingdom-battle-win-nintendo-switch-627029
Summary: In the Mario & Luigi role-playing games the jump action is selected as a command. When other developers work on Mario games he tells them to have a unique element in the game and to only use jump as a command.
He likes it when Rabbid Peach throws down her wig.
Eurogamer: Miyamoto: Pikmin 4 still progressing
Publication Date: June 19, 2017
Subject(s): Pikmin 4
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Tom Phillips, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.eurogamer.net/miyamoto-pikmin-4-still-progressing
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220408041453/https://www.eurogamer.net/miyamoto-pikmin-4-still-progressing
Notes: This is a follow-up to a Eurogamer interview from 2015 when Mr. Miyamoto said that Pikmin 4 was being developed. This interview took place at E3 2017.
Summary: Nintendo’s public relations people told him not to say anything, but work on Pikmin 4 is progressing.
Eurogamer: The big interview: Shigeru Miyamoto and Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot
Publication Date: June 19, 2017
Subject(s): Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Tom Phillips, Yves Guillemot, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-big-interview-shigeru-miyamoto-and-yves-guillemot
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20220704214045/https://www.eurogamer.net/the-big-interview-shigeru-miyamoto-and-yves-guillemot
Notes: Ths interview took place at E3 2017 and was part of the same interview as the previous entry.
Summary: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle started when Ubisoft asked to put Mario in Just Dance. Nintendo has had a relationship with Ubisoft for 20 years, but this is the first time they’re at the level of sharing characters.
They talked at Nintendo about how to appropriately depict Mario with a gun. Splatoon was almost a Mario game. There was a lot of discussion with Ubisoft.
Ubisoft understands how Nintendo works. The humor shows how Nintendo can handle those kinds of jokes.
IGN: Shigeru Miyamoto and Yves Guillemot Discuss Mario + Rabbids Partnership
Publication Date: June 20, 2017
Subject(s): Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Format: Interview (subtitled)
People: Unnamed IGN interviewer, Yves Guillemot, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShaLs6qVfM
Summary: People say he’s strict about how people use Mario, but he thinks he’s pretty open. Ubisoft understands their characters, so he felt safe.
Mario games haven’t had the Rabbid gag before, but they go well together. He likes how Princess Peach throws her wig.
They talked a lot about Mario’s weapon.
IGN: E3 2017: Shigeru Miyamoto and the Legacy of Mario
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Subject(s): Game design, Mario
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Andrew Goldfarb, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/06/27/e3-2017-shigeru-miyamoto-and-the-legacy-of-mario
Notes: This is the video linked in the article demonstrating a Tox Box. This interview took place on June 13, 2017, during E3 2017.
Summary: It’s important to involve younger people in game design, it makes things more fun and there’s only so much you can make by yourself.
He tells his teams where the line is for Mario, though they try to push past it a bit. He has to be very clear when external developers make a game with Mario.
He was worried about the reaction to Mario being in New Donk City with normal sized people, but it worked out well.
Ideally they will have old characters do new things. It’s great when a new character fits a new mechanic, but he resists when someone is overbearing and tries to make new characters all the time.
He wanted to be a manga artist as a child and manga artists tend to have a character that they use in many things. That’s who Mario is.
He doesn’t want to remake any Mario games, making something new is more natural.
They have more in their tool set than just polishing a game now thanks to technological advancements.
He starts with a game’s mechanics and makes sure that the character they use is a good fit. It’s like he owns a talent agency. The difference between Mario and The Legend of Zelda is one of density.
His inspiration comes when playing games and thinking about how they might be improved.
It’s important to tell the programmers exactly what you want. He tells the directors to use flowcharts and numbers.
Players need to know what will happen, what’s safe to touch and what isn’t. The Tox Box is very clear and understandable, it’s one of his masterpieces.
He doesn’t want games to become completely controlled by thinking or moving your eyes in the future.
The creative levels in Super Mario Maker are great, especially the puzzle ones.
Future Mario developers will need to be creative, but so will the players. Mario is popular and relatable because the games require creativity.
Nintendo of America: The Nintendo Guessing Game Filmed at E3 2017
Publication Date: June 29, 2017
Subject(s): Guessing game
Format: Promotional video (subtitled)
People: Hisashi Nogami, Kosuke Yabuki, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhEgsvNTEio
Summary: Two pairs (Hisashi Nogami and Kosuke Yabuki, Yoshiaki Koizumi and Shigeru Miyamoto) have to answer questions about each other on a whiteboard.
Both Mr. Koizumi and Mr. Miyamoto think that Mr. Miyamoto is more like Mario than Luigi.
They both think he is team Callie rather than team Marie.
Mr. Koizumi writes that his favorite Nintendo franchise is Super Mario, while Mr. Miyamoto guesses Zelda.
Mr. Koizumi writes that his favorite Joy-Con color is red, while Miyamoto guesses blue.
History: Von Pong zu Pokémon Die Geschichte der Videospiele (untranslated from German)
Publication Date: August 20, 2017
Subject(s): Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Popeye, Pokémon
Format: Interview (dubbed)
People: Unknown History interviewer, Shigeru Miyamoto
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f33oeSKpDh0&t=406s
Notes: The title translates to “From Pong to Pokémon – The History of Video Games”. Mr. Miyamoto appears at 6:46, 15:43, and 41:40. Uploaded by YouTube user Yakuza112 Inc.
Miyamoto on Miiverse (Miiverse closure)
Publication Date: October 11, 2017
Subject(s): Miiverse
Format: Social media post
People: Shigeru Miyamoto
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171103113849/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAADAAADV44komMdQA
Notes: This was Mr. Miyamoto’s last post on Miiverse, about a month before it closed, and contained a single image.
Summary:
Game Informer: Shigeru Miyamoto On Potentially Remaking Mario 64 And Yoichi Kotabe’s Art
Publication Date: October 25, 2017
Subject(s): Super Mario Odyssey
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Shigeru Miyamoto
Notes: The first part of this interview was published October 15, 2017 online. This interview occurred during E3 2017.
Summary: When Mario went 3D the camera had to evolve, which made the games harder to play. Super Mario Galaxy tried to not have a controllable camera. With Super Mario Odyssey they decided it was ok to have a controllable camera, but they made sure it was easy to do. There removed game overs so you can try different things. Odyssey isn’t a game you navigate through, it’s almost a puzzle game. There’s a lot of A.I. so that you don’t need to adjust the camera often.
He’s looking forward to players thinking for themselves and experimenting. It’s the idea of a boxed garden.
The Legend of Zelda series had been losing its open worldness over time. They weren’t sure how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild would be accepted. It wasn’t until they were doing the final touches in the last few months that they felt they were going in the right direction.
The modern Mickey Mouse is losing some flavor he used to have. They try to make sure that doesn’t happen at Nintendo. They want to evolve Yoichi Kotabe’s style of art if they can. They could probably make a game that looked like Mr. Kotabe’s art, but young children wouldn’t recognize it.
The New York Times: Nintendo’s Switch Brings Some Magic Back
Publication Date: December 29, 2017
Subject(s): Wii U, Switch, Nintendo employees
Format: Transcribed interview
People: Simon Parkin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/technology/nintendo-switch.html
Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20171231185853/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/technology/nintendo-switch.html
Notes: There are quotes from several Nintendo employees in this article but it’s not clear if they were all interviewed for this.
Summary: It was hard for players to understand the Wii U.
The Switch combines the different play styles Nintendo has used.
Over time he’s been trying to let the younger people take control. He tries to make sure their designers have more interests than video games.
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