Shigeru Miyamoto, the veteran Nintendo designer best known for creating Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, has expressed surprise at critical reactions to a recent Mario film in an interview with Japanese outlet Nintendo Dream Web.
Miyamoto — who joined Nintendo in 1977 and has overseen the Mario franchise across multiple hardware generations including the NES, SNES and most recently the Nintendo Switch — spoke about the gap he perceived between critical response and the film industry’s broader efforts to bring video game properties to cinema.
Miyamoto said he understood the reviews for the first feature film adaptation, but expected a different reception this time.
He noted that reviews for the newer Mario movie were notably harsher and that he found that contrast baffling.
In journalistic terms, Miyamoto said he had hoped the film would be received more positively and was surprised that critics were more negative than they had been for the first adaptation.
The Super Mario Bros.
Movie, produced by Illumination in partnership with Nintendo and distributed by Universal Pictures, opened in April 2023 and received broadly mixed-to-positive coverage from critics and audiences.
Miyamoto’s public comments are notable because he rarely weighs in on critical reception; his career focus at Nintendo has historically emphasized gameplay design and long-term franchise direction rather than critical debate.
In the interview, Miyamoto framed his involvement as an effort to bridge media and energize the film industry, and expressed disappointment that some critics did not appear to support that goal.
Reporting on his remarks does not change the role professional critics play: to assess films independently for readers and viewers.
Miyamoto’s perspective highlights the tension that can arise when creators engage directly with critical discourse surrounding high-profile adaptations of beloved game properties.
For Nintendo and its partners, cinematic adaptations are part of a broader strategy to expand the Mario brand beyond games found on platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo eShop.
Miyamoto has previously discussed how elements from other media can inform future game development, and industry observers will watch how Nintendo integrates narrative or design ideas from film projects back into its interactive releases.
Miyamoto’s comments are another data point in the ongoing conversation about how game creators and critics interact when popular franchises cross into film and television.
As Nintendo continues to cultivate its IP across platforms, public statements from senior creators like Miyamoto will likely remain closely followed by fans, developers and the gaming press.
Miyamoto — who joined Nintendo in 1977 and has overseen the Mario franchise across multiple hardware generations including the NES, SNES and most recently the Nintendo Switch — spoke about the gap he perceived between critical response and the film industry’s broader efforts to bring video game properties to cinema.
Miyamoto said he understood the reviews for the first feature film adaptation, but expected a different reception this time.
He noted that reviews for the newer Mario movie were notably harsher and that he found that contrast baffling.
In journalistic terms, Miyamoto said he had hoped the film would be received more positively and was surprised that critics were more negative than they had been for the first adaptation.
The Super Mario Bros.
Movie, produced by Illumination in partnership with Nintendo and distributed by Universal Pictures, opened in April 2023 and received broadly mixed-to-positive coverage from critics and audiences.
Miyamoto’s public comments are notable because he rarely weighs in on critical reception; his career focus at Nintendo has historically emphasized gameplay design and long-term franchise direction rather than critical debate.
In the interview, Miyamoto framed his involvement as an effort to bridge media and energize the film industry, and expressed disappointment that some critics did not appear to support that goal.
Reporting on his remarks does not change the role professional critics play: to assess films independently for readers and viewers.
Miyamoto’s perspective highlights the tension that can arise when creators engage directly with critical discourse surrounding high-profile adaptations of beloved game properties.
For Nintendo and its partners, cinematic adaptations are part of a broader strategy to expand the Mario brand beyond games found on platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo eShop.
Miyamoto has previously discussed how elements from other media can inform future game development, and industry observers will watch how Nintendo integrates narrative or design ideas from film projects back into its interactive releases.
Miyamoto’s comments are another data point in the ongoing conversation about how game creators and critics interact when popular franchises cross into film and television.
As Nintendo continues to cultivate its IP across platforms, public statements from senior creators like Miyamoto will likely remain closely followed by fans, developers and the gaming press.