This past weekend was the official-official 35th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. series. In preparation for the special day, CNN Business was able to briefly interview Shigeru Miyamoto, Kenta Motokura, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and other notable members of the video game community about the carpenter-turned-plumber. You can read their anecdotes and, in the case of Miyamoto, encouragement to keep a strong and healthy mustache.
Shigeru Miyamoto
“I was trying to use the technology available at the time to produce a distinctive-looking character from a small number of pixels, and that resulted in Mario,” said Miyamoto in comments translated from Japanese.
As to why this Japanese engineer and artist picked a 26-year-old Italian-American plumber from New York as the protagonist, Miyamoto said, “We wanted him to be someone who might live near you, and not a superhero.”
If Mario was really a 35-year-old man, and not the 26-year-old he’ll remain forever in the game, his creator Miyamoto would encourage him to keep “living in a way that’s true to yourself is more enjoyable than being in competition with others.”
“You’ll be keeping plenty busy, so don’t forget to work out and keep your mustache well groomed,” he said.
Kenta Motokura
“I hope that people who played these games before will play them again, like I’m doing. It not only brings back some nostalgic memories, but it may allow them to find there are plenty of fun things they haven’t yet discovered,” said Kenta Motokura, who directed Super Mario Odyssey and produced Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
Yoshiaki Koizumi
“No matter what worlds he takes on, Mario remains Mario. Maybe this is strange but I find that fact very comforting,” said Yoshiaki Koizumi, who produced “Super Mario 3D Land” and “Super Mario 3D World,” among others.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars will invoke nostalgia trips and first-time adventures for many on Friday, September 18th.
Leave a Comment
Written by Jennifer Burch
Illustrator, designer, writer and big Nintendo geek, you can find Jennifer with an N3DS within reach 24/7. As the oldest of three, she has survived many Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart sessions intact in addition to getting her brothers hooked on some really weird games. (Cubivore anyone?)
