Shigeru Miyamoto Says He Rarely Plays Video Games, Helps Grandchildren Instead

Shigeru Miyamoto, the 73‑year‑old creator of Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong, told Famitsu that he almost never plays video games by himself. He only picks up a controller to assist his grandchildren when they become stuck, for example by defeating the boss in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

Miyamoto said playing together fits Nintendo’s philosophy of shared fun. He also explained that he looks for staff who have interests beyond gaming, drawing inspiration from gardening, music and dogs – influences that produced titles like Pikmin, Wii Music and Nintendogs.