Mario Creator Reveals Plan for Mario to Reach 100 Years

Nintendo Plans to Support Super Mario to Reach 100 Years Old

As Nintendo celebrates the 40th anniversary of the iconic Super Mario Bros. franchise, the series’ legendary creators are already looking a century into the future. Shigeru Miyamoto (Mario creator and original director) and Takashi Tezuka (Super Mario World director) discussed the strategy required to ensure the beloved plumber remains a cultural icon until his 100th anniversary in 2085. Their insights were shared in a special book released for the Nintendo Museum.

The Strategy for a Century of Fun

The two veteran developers emphasized that maintaining Mario’s relevance for another 60 years requires constant evolution and an unwavering commitment to fun.

• Constant Evolution: Miyamoto stressed that Super Mario must constantly evolve by incorporating new digital technology. He stated that while Nintendo is branching out into visual fields like movies, the core focus must remain interactive and digital.
• The Core Principle: Miyamoto believes the key to longevity lies in never forgetting Mario’s “prime point,” which is running and jumping. As long as they maintain this fundamental, they can confidently add new elements and features.
• Fighting Boredom: Tezuka acknowledged the immense challenge, calling 100 years a “miracle” given the nature of player boredom. He said the development team is always thinking of ways to ensure players do not get bored with the games.
• Changing with the Times: Tezuka noted that what Mario can do now is completely different from when the series started. He is committed to continuing to make things people find fun to play by changing things little by little over time.

The Multi-Generational Experience

Beyond technical and gameplay evolution, the creators believe the social aspect of Mario is essential for the franchise’s survival.

• Generational Bonding: Tezuka highlighted that Mario has already reached a point where three generations—grandparents, parents, and children—can play together. He hopes to continue making games that can be shared with family and friends for generations to come.
• Unique Challenges: Miyamoto added that Nintendo is known for taking on unique challenges. He believes that by incorporating any interesting new technology, they can make the fun expand and grow, much like rolling up snow to create a snowman.

Other members of the original team, including composer Koji Kondo, also contributed their long-term dedication, with Kondo stating he hopes to continue creating music for the series that is intuitively conveyed to others.

Our Take: Running and Jumping to Immortality

We love the fact that Nintendo’s long-term plan for one of the most successful cultural icons in history is essentially, “Don’t forget how to jump.” It’s peak Miyamoto genius—a simple, elegant philosophy for an industry that constantly chases complicated trends. Super Mario proves that sticking to the fundamentals and adding clever, surprising new twists (like an elephant form or a sentient cap) is a far better strategy than just chasing graphical realism. Mario will absolutely make it to 2085, probably still rocking the same overalls and moustache. Because, let’s be honest, he’s basically the Benjamin Button of gaming—a timeless, plucky plumber who just keeps getting better.

 origin: VGC