Super Mario Bros. creator says flaws 'embarrassing'
Famed video game developer Shigeru Miyamoto says the original game embarrasses him. If he were to make the game today he would do things differently.
Super Mario Bros. is a legendary video game that has captivated audiences for 25 years. But its creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, is embarrassed by it.
In an interview last month that has resurfaced this week, Miyamoto said Super Mario Bros. was made for a different time. And because of that, he said, some of the flaws that were unable to be seen 25 years ago are glaringly obvious on today's HD sets.
"Back then, with tube televisions, it was a little blurrier and the images weren't quite so sharp," Miyamoto said. "The places where we tried to fudge it a bit really stand out (on a current display)."
Miyamoto went on to say that if he was developing the title today, he "would fix it." But he acknowledged that those flaws, while potentially embarrassing to him, are actually "well-received" as "part of the game."
Evidently those "flaws" didn't matter all that much to gamers. Super Mario Bros., which turned 25 last month, is an iconic title that helped push the industry forward at a time when it desperately needed it. And it was an inspiration for countless games throughout the years.
Miyamoto's contribution to the industry is just as important. Aside from Mario, Miyamoto is the developer behind several popular franchises, including The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong, to name a few.