Shigeru Miyamoto
Nintendo designer who created Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong
- Age
- 73 yrs
- Birthday in 12 days
- Works listed
- 3
- Video game
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 2019
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese game designer at Nintendo who created Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Pikmin. Often called the father of modern video games, he has shaped how games are designed for more than 40 years.
Biography
Background
Miyamoto grew up in rural Sonobe, exploring caves and forests, which later inspired Zelda. He studied industrial design at Kanazawa College of Art and joined Nintendo as an artist in 1977.
Donkey Kong and Mario
In 1981 he designed Donkey Kong, featuring a carpenter later named Mario. Super Mario Bros. (1985) became one of the best-selling games and defined platform games.
Zelda and more
The Legend of Zelda (1986) introduced open exploration. He also led Star Fox, Super Mario 64, Pikmin and Wii Sports.
Executive
He became a Nintendo representative director in 2002, helped make The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and oversees Super Nintendo World theme parks.
Timeline
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1952
Born in Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan
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1977
Joins Nintendo
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1981
Donkey Kong
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1985
Super Mario Bros.
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1986
The Legend of Zelda
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1996
Super Mario 64
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2006
Wii Sports
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2023
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Notable works
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1985
Super Mario Bros. Video game
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1986
The Legend of Zelda Video game
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1996
Super Mario 64 Video game
Awards and honours
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Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
1998
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Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities
2012
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Person of Cultural Merit
2019
Did you know?
-
1
Pikmin was inspired by his gardening.
-
2
Mario wore overalls and a cap because they were easier to draw in low resolution.
-
3
He plays bluegrass banjo.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Shigeru Miyamoto?
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese game designer at Nintendo who created Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Pikmin. Often called the father of modern video games, he has shaped how games are designed for more than 40 years.
How old is Shigeru Miyamoto?
Shigeru Miyamoto is 73 years old, born on 16 November 1952 in Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan.
Where is Shigeru Miyamoto from?
Shigeru Miyamoto was born in Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan.
What is Shigeru Miyamoto known for?
Shigeru Miyamoto is best known for Creating Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda; Nintendo representative director.
What awards has Shigeru Miyamoto received?
Notable honours include Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame (1998), Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities (2012), Person of Cultural Merit (2019).
References
- Shigeru Miyamoto — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Shigeru Miyamoto — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Shigeru Miyamoto — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Shigeru Miyamoto — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Shigeru Miyamoto — Invaluable artist page. Invaluable. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Shigeru Miyamoto (Q12382) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Shigeru Miyamoto”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Shigeru Miyamoto.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/shigeru-miyamoto
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