Hideo Kojima is widely known for crafting some of the most cinematic and philosophically dense games in the industry, yet the origin of his career traces back to one of gaming’s simplest foundations: Super Mario Bros.
In a recent interview with Wired Japan, Kojima said that Super Mario Bros. wasn’t just an influence on him, but a turning point, explaining that he likely wouldn’t have entered the game industry without it.
During his college years, Kojima became so absorbed in the game that he spent nearly a year playing it obsessively, even skipping classes to stay home and continue progressing through its stages.
What Made Super Mario Bros. So Impactful to Kojima?
According to Kojima, the game’s power lay not in its stripped-down story, but in the freedom and momentum players felt while moving through its world.
Even with its modest pixel art and simple mechanics, the game inspired a genuine spirit of adventure that stayed with Kojima.
According to him, Mario’s uncomplicated progression and timing-based mechanics demonstrated how emotion could emerge purely from player control.
From that point forward, Kojima no longer saw games as inferior to film, but as a medium with the potential to become even more expressive.
Although Kojima’s work is heavily shaped by film influences such as Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, and John Carpenter, he has said that Super Mario Bros. was the defining experience that reshaped his creative direction and affirmed his decision to pursue games professionally.
Films shaped his storytelling, but Mario revealed the true power of games. The experience crystallized his conviction that interactivity, rather than narrative complexity alone, is what gives games their unique strength.
How Does This Connect to Kojima’s Later Games?
Even long after his early inspirations, Kojima notes how Mario’s simple design stands in stark contrast to the sprawling worlds of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding.
He lightly dismisses Super Mario Bros. as a basic side-scroller he can’t really play now, though that modesty ultimately reinforces how important the game remains.
The foundational idea that games can evoke emotion, imagination, and philosophical reflection through play itself remains central to his work.
In retrospect, Kojima’s remarks suggest that Super Mario Bros. helped influence his decision to pursue a career in game development.
A modest platformer centered on curiosity and motion became the foundation for Kojima’s decades-long pursuit of expanding video games as an art form.
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