Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto (also credited as Miyamoto Shigeru / 宮本 茂) is a Japanese game designer, director, and producer whose work at Nintendo helped define modern video games. Born on November 16, 1952, in Sonobe, Kyoto, he rose from a young artist with manga ambitions to one of the medium’s most influential creative leaders, later serving as a key executive and representative director within the company.

After graduating from Kanazawa Municipal College of Industrial Arts, Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977, earning the confidence of president Hiroshi Yamauchi with his toy concepts. His early assignments in arcade development soon led to designing Donkey Kong (1981), a breakthrough hit that set the stage for character-driven gameplay and storytelling in the industry.

He went on to create and guide landmark franchises including Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, and Pikmin, with games featuring his creations selling well over a billion copies worldwide. Miyamoto also helped steer Nintendo’s internal development culture and contributed to pivotal projects such as Pokémon Red and Blue and Metroid Prime.

Beyond games, he appears in screen and documentary titles such as From Pong To Pokémon - The History Of Video Games, High Score (archive footage), and Shigeru Miyamoto's 1999 GDC Keynote, reflecting his enduring role as a public face of game design.