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New Miyamoto interview

by rawmeatcowboy
06 July 2006
GN 1.0 / 2.0

An interview with Miyamoto conducted by LEVEL, a European magazine.

Q: You have said that development teams are too big today, and that you prefer to work with a max total of 10 persons. In that perspective, it must had been fun creating New Super Mario Bros.

Miyamoto: Yes, and I had to do Donkey Kong all alone. We a lot grew during the NES era, but I had to do Super Mario Bros and Legend of Zelda the same time. Back then I welcomed new co-workers. Today it’s easy to look back and see the charm with that time.

Q: New Super Mario Bros has got some criticism for being too easy. Has it been difficult to make games for both new and old gamers?

Miyamoto: I always try to make games that caters to both accustomed and unaccustomed gamers, so that’s always a difficulty. But sure, I had never to deal with it directly as this time.

Q: You’re known to customize Nintendo’s next game controller after a new Mario game. How was your input with the DS?

Miyamoto: I am an industry designer at base, so I contributed with advice and assistance in the big perspective. I checked how the buttons fitted, the distance between the screens, things like that.

Q: How do you know when a game is real good?

Miyamoto: I use to invite my colleagues and their families and let them play. I don’t tell them anything, but I study them how they play. I give them no hints at all. It’s very good to see how people manage to play a game for the first time. Then I have help by Super Mario Club, a team that bug test all the games. They also say what they think of the games if they’re good or bad. They always speak their mind and give criticism on level of difficulty and other things.

Q: The music in the Mario games had always been special, and is apparently inspired by bluegrass that you like a lot, but still you haven’t written any music since Donkey Kong.

Miyamoto: It because I don’t have time, but I still have an influence what kind of music that is selected. I have benefit to work with Nintendo’s best composers. I often bring discs that I play for them, so they understand what genre I am looking for and what feelings I want to supply with the music. For me, the genre, the feeling and the pace are more important than melodies. I also have my point of view on the sound effects.

Q: Nintendo is sometimes accused of catering too much to the Japanese gamers. Are you afraid that westerners don’t understand them? (the games)

You can find the rest of the interview HERE