GamesPlatformerSuper MarioSuper Mario 64Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto found it hard to watch his own kids playtest Super Mario 64: “Geez, does this kid have any brains?“When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesPlatformerSuper MarioSuper Mario 64Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto found it hard to watch his own kids playtest Super Mario 64: “Geez, does this kid have any brains?“When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Children take after their parents in all sorts of ways, but one of games industry icon Shigeru Miyamoto’s children may not have inherited their old man’s gaming pedigree asSuper Mario 64playtesting revealed.
In an interview originally featured in Japanese strategy guides and now available onShmuplations, the legendary developer and producer of Super Mario 64 discussed the game’s development at length. When discussing playtesting, Miyamoto revealed that the team had a group of 10 middle schoolers, including his own child, play around on King Bob-omb’s stage, Bob-omb Battlefield.
Unfortunately, it appeared that Miyamoto’s gaming pedigree may have fallen rather far from the tree, with his child’s performance leaving something to be desired. “Seeing him try dozens of times, over and over, to get up this unclimbable hill, as a parent I couldn’t help but think, ‘Geez, does this kid have any brains?'” Miyamoto laughed. Thankfully, the children’s abilities (or lack thereof) aside, the playtest had been a success. “Afterwards we asked the children what they thought of the game, and they said it was fun, and that they wanted to play it again.”
Instances like this influenced Miyamoto and Nintendo’s approach to games, creating a focus on fun being the most important aspect. “I think there’s been this image with games that if you can’t beat it, it’s not a fun or good game, right?” he explains. “That’s a philosophy we’ve stuck to at Nintendo, too, but I figured that if a game was this fun to play even if you weren’t getting anywhere, well, it must be alright. Until this game, I was very sceptical about something like this being fun.”
Check out where Super Mario 64 fits in our list of thebest Mario games of all time.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”