Biographic - Sunday November 27, 2005 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Countless millions around the world have spent endless hours absorbed in the video games that sprang from his brilliant imagination... but Shigeru Miyamotto, the genius who gave the world Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda, grew up in a household that didn't even own a TV set! Born in Sonebe, Japan, on November 16, 1952, Shigeru Miyamoto grew up as a keen baseball player with a passion for cartooning. He also enjoyed exploring the local countryside, and one day stumbled upon the entrance to a large cave. Returning to the site of a number of times, Shigeru finally pluked up the courage to explore, armed only with a lantern to light his way, he ventured the entrance to a second and deeper chamber. That secret chamber would later have a huge influence on his work. After studying for five years at the Kanazawa Munici college of industrial arts and crafts, he landed a job as a designer at Nintendo toy company. In 1980, Shigeru was assigned the task of developing a video arcade game, a new fad in the toy business at that time. Shigeru's creation, a game called Donkey Kong, was a great success! Donkey Kong also introduced a little jumping character who would soon provide the key to Nintendo's global success. Arcade games were followed by entertainment systems for the home, and Shigeru's little character became the star of Super Mario Brothers, one of the most successful games in history. The Hallmarks of Shigeru's games are the fantastic worlds of secret chambers and hidden adventures- worlds no doubt inspired by that sonebe cavern of his youth! Shigeru went on to create the hugely popular Legend of Zelda, as well as hits such as Star Fox, Pikmin, and Mario Kart. Mario has starred in over 100 titles across a variety of game platforms, from Nes to Shigeru has been dubbed the "Steven Spielberg" of video gaming and is the most famous and is the most famous and most honored figure in the industry.

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