Shigeru Miyamoto

What if one person's imagination created Mario, Link, and whole worlds you can explore? That's Shigeru Miyamoto! Born in 1952 in Japan, Miyamoto grew up exploring the countryside and drawing pictures — that love of discovery became the heart of his games. The single most important thing about him is that he turned playful ideas into characters and game rules that changed how video games tell stories.

In 1977 he joined Nintendo and in the early 1980s made Donkey Kong (1981), introducing 'Jumpman' — who became Mario. He followed with Super Mario Bros (1985), which turned platform games into huge, colorful adventures, and The Legend of Zelda (1986), which let players explore big worlds and solve puzzles. Miyamoto's era stretches from the late 20th century into today, and he's famous for designing games where fun and discovery come first.

His biggest achievement is changing how games are made: focusing on clever level design, memorable characters, music, and simple controls that let anyone play. That made Nintendo a home for imaginative play and inspired generations of creators. Today his characters appear in toys, movies, theme parks, and new games — proving that one person's ideas can make the whole world want to play. He still helps make games today.