Shigeru Miyamoto, the veteran Nintendo designer behind Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong, told Japanese publication Famitsu that his personal gaming habits have shifted: at 73, he no longer spends long stretches playing alone, but instead often plays with his grandchildren.
Miyamoto — who joined Nintendo in 1977 and has been a defining figure in game design and brand strategy for decades — shared the family-focused approach in a recent interview that underscores how his relationship with games has evolved.
In the Famitsu interview, Miyamoto explained that he keeps games at his own house so his grandchildren come there to play rather than playing extensively on his own.
He said he prefers to host play sessions and help his young relatives through difficult sections, effectively stepping in as their in-house guide for challenging moments.
He specifically mentioned standing in for them on tougher encounters, including boss fights in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a title first released on Wii U in 2014 and later ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018.
Captain Toad remains available on the Nintendo eShop for Switch players.
Miyamoto’s comment highlights a softer, more personal side of a creator best known for shaping modern platforming and character-driven franchises.
Even as he reduces solo play, he remains deeply involved with Nintendo’s public-facing projects.
He served as a producer on Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros.
Movie (2023), which became one of the highest-grossing films based on a video game, and he has played an advisory role in broader brand initiatives such as the Super Nintendo World theme parks developed in collaboration with Universal.
For industry observers, the interview is a reminder that the figures who built today’s game landscape still engage with games in intimate, everyday ways — testing gameplay with family members, passing on skills, and watching how new audiences react to familiar franchises.
Miyamoto’s shift from solo play to shared family sessions is less a retreat from the medium than a different kind of participation: mentoring the next generation of players in his own living room, often on Nintendo Switch hardware.
The Famitsu conversation adds a personal footnote to Miyamoto’s long public career, illustrating how an influential developer’s relationship with games can change while his influence on Nintendo’s global brands endures.
Miyamoto — who joined Nintendo in 1977 and has been a defining figure in game design and brand strategy for decades — shared the family-focused approach in a recent interview that underscores how his relationship with games has evolved.
In the Famitsu interview, Miyamoto explained that he keeps games at his own house so his grandchildren come there to play rather than playing extensively on his own.
He said he prefers to host play sessions and help his young relatives through difficult sections, effectively stepping in as their in-house guide for challenging moments.
He specifically mentioned standing in for them on tougher encounters, including boss fights in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a title first released on Wii U in 2014 and later ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018.
Captain Toad remains available on the Nintendo eShop for Switch players.
Miyamoto’s comment highlights a softer, more personal side of a creator best known for shaping modern platforming and character-driven franchises.
Even as he reduces solo play, he remains deeply involved with Nintendo’s public-facing projects.
He served as a producer on Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros.
Movie (2023), which became one of the highest-grossing films based on a video game, and he has played an advisory role in broader brand initiatives such as the Super Nintendo World theme parks developed in collaboration with Universal.
For industry observers, the interview is a reminder that the figures who built today’s game landscape still engage with games in intimate, everyday ways — testing gameplay with family members, passing on skills, and watching how new audiences react to familiar franchises.
Miyamoto’s shift from solo play to shared family sessions is less a retreat from the medium than a different kind of participation: mentoring the next generation of players in his own living room, often on Nintendo Switch hardware.
The Famitsu conversation adds a personal footnote to Miyamoto’s long public career, illustrating how an influential developer’s relationship with games can change while his influence on Nintendo’s global brands endures.
