Miyamoto on why Mario has been so popular

When you think about games and the most popular characters in the medium, Mario has to be there as one of the top choices. He’s been around for decades, in multiple titles and genres – and now he’s even getting his own animated movie.

So what’s been behind Mario’s long-term popularity? Shigeru Miyamoto, the character’s creator, recently shared some thoughts.

Speaking with NPR, Miyamoto stated:

“You know, before, when I was asked this question, I thought that it’s perhaps because the game sold well. And a lot of people have this experience of playing this game and playing it over and over, that it becomes commonplace for them. But now I feel that it’s a little bit different in that Mario is kind of like a – your avatar or the person that represents you in this world. And that experience is, you know, because it’s been around for so long, an experience that can be shared multi-generations, you know? A father and their children can share that experience.

Miyamoto went on to say that another aspect of Mario’s popularity is that he “was created as a character within an interactive medium.” Had he been a comic book character, he may not have had the same staying power.

Miyamoto mentioned:

And I really think another factor is the fact that Mario was created as a character within an interactive medium. So for example, if I maybe, you know, drew Mario as a comic book character, I don’t think he would have had this much staying power. You know, there was a time when people might have compared Mario with Mickey Mouse. And, you know, Mickey Mouse is a character that was born, you know, 50 years before my time and was obviously still around in my generation. And I really felt like Mickey Mouse as a character grew alongside the medium of animation. And in that same vein, I feel that Mario is growing alongside this digital medium.”