Pausing to take my leave, I thank Miyamoto for his time before
extending a hand and a few gentle words of gratitude for the untold
opportunities he's opened not only for me but also for countless
other video-game fans. And, of course, I wish him the best of luck
in bucking industry trends.
At which point, he unexpectedly stands up straight and tall, and,
true to form, chuckles heartily. "Others talk of gaming's next
generation," he grins. "We're offering an entirely new one. Luck's
got nothing to do with it."
And just like that, I walk away a convert - knowing that, come what
may, in one sense, it's already game over for the competition.
Hall of Game
An inside guide to Miyamoto's greatest hits
-1981
Donkey Kong is released, marking the initial appearance of Jumpman
(a.k.a. Mario). The arcade game is an overnight success and
Nintendo's first hit outside Japan.
-1983
Coin-operated debut of Mario Bros. introduces star sibling Luigi.
Headliner trades carpentry for plumbing.
-1985
Super Mario Bros. ships, catapulting
Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) and Miyamoto to instant stardom. It also sets a benchmark for
side-scrolling adventures and sells more than 40 million copies
worldwide, a Guinness World Record.
-1987
Enter fantasy dungeon crawl The Legend of Zelda, inspired by
Miyamoto's childhood spelunking adventures. It single-handedly
defines action-based role-playing outings.
-1991
Super Mario World ships with the Super NES (SNES), ensuring the
console's immediate success.
-1993
Futuristic space-flight game Star Fox for SNES launches. It proves
that Miyamoto's vision readily extends into the third
dimension.
-1996
Super Mario 64 catapults Nintendo 64 to chart-topping performance,
selling more than 11 million units. The title is hailed as a
watershed moment for
3-D gaming.