Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本 茂, Hepburn: Miyamoto Shigeru), born on November 16, 1952, in Sonobe, Kyoto, is a pioneering Japanese video game designer, producer, and director at Nintendo. Since 2002, he has served as one of the company's representative directors. Often hailed as one of the most significant figures in the gaming industry, Miyamoto is the mastermind behind some of the most beloved and commercially successful franchises, including Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and Pikmin. Collectively, his creations have sold over 1 billion copies worldwide.

Miyamoto's journey began when he graduated from Kanazawa Municipal College of Industrial Arts, initially aspiring to be a manga artist. However, his passion shifted to video games, leading him to join Nintendo in 1977 after impressing then-president Hiroshi Yamauchi with his toy designs. He contributed to the art for early arcade games and soon made his mark with the 1981 classic, Donkey Kong.

His landmark titles, Super Mario Bros. (1985) and The Legend of Zelda (1986), were instrumental in establishing the Nintendo Entertainment System as a dominant force in the gaming market. Miyamoto's influence extended to other groundbreaking games like Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) and Metroid Prime (2002). After the passing of president Satoru Iwata in July 2015, Miyamoto briefly served as acting president before being appointed as "Creative Fellow," solidifying his legacy within the company.