Kojima: How Super Mario Bros. Shaped His Career

• Key Takeaways:
• Hideo Kojima says playing Super Mario Bros. in college convinced him to join the games industry.
• Kojima believes the game’s design made him feel video games could one day surpass movies.
• He played Super Mario Bros. extensively, skipping classes to keep playing, but finds the simple side-scroller hard to replay now.

Kojima credits Mario with launching his career

Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, told Wired that Super Mario Bros. was the single game he played most and that it played a decisive role in his career choice.

From college distraction to life’s work

Kojima recalled playing Super Mario Bros. for about a year while he was in college — to the point he skipped classes to play at home. "Without Super Mario Bros., I probably wouldn’t be in this industry," he said, underscoring how formative the experience was.

Why a simple side‑scroller mattered

What stood out to Kojima wasn’t a cinematic story but the gameplay itself. He described Mario as a side‑scrolling action game with limited narrative, yet it felt like an adventure because of the mechanics — running, jumping and a dash button that subtly altered jumps for attack or dodge.

Games vs. movies: a turning point

Seeing what Super Mario Bros. achieved with pixel art and minimal storytelling convinced Kojima that video games had the potential to outstrip film as a medium. "Although it was pixel art with no story, I felt this medium would one day surpass movies," he said. That conviction, he added, is what drew him into game development.

Perspective on replaying classic games

Despite its influence, Kojima admitted he can’t really play Super Mario Bros. the way he once did. He called it straightforward — Mario moves left to right, essentially jumping and dashing — and noted that his tastes and expectations have changed as a veteran designer.

Legacy and influence

Kojima has repeatedly praised the cultural impact of Nintendo’s work; his comments tie Super Mario Bros. directly to why some of today’s leading game creators entered the field. For fans and creators alike, it’s a reminder of how early design innovations still shape modern game thinking.

Watch the interview

Wired’s feature includes Kojima discussing this and other topics; the clip is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Ah5VQrzvA