The Japanese genius offered an unusual response when asked which game inspired him to pursue a career in the gaming industry.

Hideo Kojima was interviewed by Wired magazine as part of a series in which participants answer quick questions submitted by the audience. The interview touches on familiar topics, such as Kojima’s favorite film directors. However, his answer to the question of which game he has played the most is somewhat unexpected.

“Super Mario Bros., definitely. I played it for a year. I was a college student. I skipped school to play it at home. Without Super Mario Bros., I probably wouldn’t be in this industry. I can’t really play it now, though. It’s a side-scrolling action game. Mario just goes from left to right. He’s basically just jumping. But there’s a dash button. Use that, and the jump subtly changes to attack or dodge. There was almost no story, but it felt like you were on an adventure. When I saw that, even though it was pixel art with no story, I felt that one day this medium would surpass movies. That’s what brought me to the gaming industry”, Kojima answers without hesitation.

The 1985 masterpiece may not seem like the most obvious source of inspiration for a creator known for his cinematic excesses and sweeping narrative ambitions, but it’s a good game. Super Mario Bros. differed from other platform games of the time in that it required balance and finesse in speed and jumping. It’s still fun to play today thanks to how much Nintendo got out of those two buttons. Super Mario Bros. isn’t the only game of its era that relies less on narrative. However, Nintendo created a wonderful and varied visual world full of surprising elements, incorporating influences from Japanese folklore and Alice in Wonderland.

After all, why does Mario grow when he eats mushrooms? The Mushroom Kingdom was just a backdrop, but it felt like a living world, and as Kojima puts it, an increasingly exciting adventure.

Forrás: PCGamer