[1989: p. 124]
[2003: p. 128]
DIMENSIONAL SLIP 5
Mario is Built on Ideas and Animation,
MOTHER is Built on Words and Story
Shigeru Miyamoto
宮本茂
Super Mario Producer (Nintendo)
About ten years ago, nearly all computer games were made solely by programmers. Even teams that took it a bit further saw no more, I believe, than a designer drawing pictures then handing the sketches over to the programmers. Even the music would be composed by someone making a sound program, which is why you'd catch a lot of Game Over scenes that used Beethoven.
When I first started as a game director — in other words, when Mario first appeared in Donkey Kong — I approached it from both the angle of a director coming up with game ideas, and the angle of a designer wondering how to animate a character in the game. I believe Mr. Itoi got into game development because of his words-and-story-centered point of view. In that kind of sense, you could say, just as I gave Mario energy in his movement, Mr. Itoi breathed into his MOTHER characters a life with a lived-in feel to it. They say a lot that scenario is crucial to RPGs, but implementing it is easier said than done. I believe MOTHER's scenario has, in a very real sense, implemented a new way to make a connection between a writer with a story and a reader.
For example, the existence of the tragic Flying Man, or the child in a town of children, who says, "I don't understand money too well..." but takes admirable charge of things. I felt ashamed of myself for having the gall to show up at their houses two or three times, but in moments like that, where that child's face would randomly pop into my head, I can sense the stage direction behind a new genre that can only be implemented through this process we call games.
At the moment, as I listen to the MOTHER album playing on top of my desk, I look back on the Super Mario Bros. days. Just picking out the single aspect of music, I'm impressed at how we've come a step closer toward integrated media, the kind where pros from each genre join in on making it. Those days were a mere three or four years ago, and when you compare them with where we are now...
Trying to be like a professional composer, or trying to make sure something or other doesn't fall below par. We've been making games with those kinds of things in mind. Now we can have pros from all sorts of genres join in seriously on game development. However, there aren't any pros at making games yet. As experts from all around join in on such a young art form, I hope to be able to one day call the Famicom the medium of a new genre. In that sense as well, the fact that Mr. Itoi has participated seriously in game development for this title has, I think, an enormous significance.
Thank you for all your hard work.
[Screenshot: From the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario has just restored the king of World 6 to his normal appearance. The plumber is in a Hammer Bros. suit, prompting a different response than usual from the king. We all know what this response is in the North American release: "Hey, you! How about lending me your clothes? No dice?! What a drag." Of course, there's simply no improving on the official translation, but just for kicks, here's a more literal take:]"Would you be willing to give me your clothes? ... Guess not. ... Oh well, can't be helped."
(N) Miyahon¹
(L) Howard²
(A) Rui
(T) Raymond
(F) Jumbo Curry
¹ Miyahon: Shigeru Miyamoto's pseudonym during his early Nintendo days, devised by a purposeful misreading of the "moto" kanji.
² Howard: Possibly named after Howard Phillips, the face of Nintendo of America at the time, who corresponded frequently with Miyamoto.
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