Introduction: A surprising rivalry
When people talk about Shigeru Miyamoto’s rivals, you might expect Sega mascots or competing studios. Instead, Miyamoto once said his biggest creative rival was a tiny, multicolored plastic puzzle you can hold in one hand: the Rubik’s Cube. Odd? Absolutely. Perfectly Miyamoto? Also yes.
How a toy became a creative yardstick
Back in the mid-’90s, in an interview that later made the rounds, Miyamoto explained that his background in industrial design shaped how he measures success. He admired creations that make anyone — even people who don’t play video games — stop and say, “Whoa, that’s clever.” The cube fit that bill: instantly understandable, timeless, and not tied to any single genre.
The accidental sprint (aka video game serendipity)
Some classic game mechanics were planned, others were accidents. Miyamoto admitted that Mario’s run button started as a programming glitch but stuck around because it felt right. That kind of happy mistake—simple, surprising, and immediately fun—reminds him of the Rubik’s Cube: intuitive to pick up, but with depth if you want it.
Nintendo’s weird little mission
For Miyamoto, the goal wasn’t to beat competitors at their own game. Nintendo’s aim was more mischievous: make something that pulls in people who don’t usually touch controllers. That means designing experiences that catch the eye of non-gamers and make them curious, not just pleasing the usual audience.
Sequels, remakes, and passing the torch
He’s also been blunt about Nintendo’s habit of returning to familiar franchises. Critics who accused the company of living off sequels had a point, Miyamoto conceded. That’s partly why, over the years, he handed major series like Mario and Zelda to newer teams—so he could tinker with offbeat ideas like Pikmin and chase experiments that might surprise non-gamers.
Why the comparison still matters
The Rubik’s Cube comparison is useful because it sums up philosophy: it’s not a race to outdo PlayStation or Xbox on raw power or catalog size. It’s about making things that anyone can pick up, play with, and find delight in—whether they’re a hardcore player or someone who thinks a controller is just a fancy TV remote.
Want more geeky interviews?
If you enjoy little windows into game design brains, there are archive collections of interviews that dig into these moments and choices. They’re the kind of long reads that will eat an afternoon in the best possible way.
