Hideo Kojima Cites Super Mario Bros. as the Reason He Makes Games

Hideo Kojima is a legend in the video game industry, known for cinematic masterpieces like Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding. However, the auteur recently revealed that his career might never have happened if not for Nintendo’s most famous plumber.

In a recent interview with WIRED, Kojima was asked which game he has played the most in his life. His immediate answer was the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES.

“I Skipped School to Play” Kojima reminisced about his college days, admitting that the allure of the Mushroom Kingdom was strong enough to keep him away from his studies.

“Super Mario Bros., definitely. Played it for a year. I was a college student. I skipped school to play at home,” Kojima said. “Without Super Mario, I probably wouldn’t be in this industry.”

Surpassing Movies While Super Mario Bros. is often praised for its tight controls and level design, Kojima saw something deeper in the 8-bit graphics. He noted that despite the game having almost no story and simple “left to right” movement, it felt like a genuine adventure.

“When I saw that, although it was pixel art with no story, I felt this medium would one day surpass movies,” Kojima explained. He highlighted the subtle mechanics—like using the dash button to alter jump trajectory—as evidence of the medium’s unique potential.

A Lasting Legacy Interestingly, while the game sparked his career, Kojima admitted, “I can’t really play it now, though,” perhaps alluding to the difficulty or how much the medium has evolved since those 8-bit days.

Kojima is currently working on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and OD. While his games are known for complex narratives and photorealistic graphics, it is fascinating to know that the DNA of his design philosophy can be traced back to a simple, pixelated jump in World 1-1.