Yoshiaki Koizumi Talks Creation of Super Mario Galaxy

Feb. 5 6:11 PM by Lynxara

If Shigeru Miyamoto ever had to stop making games, would his replacement be Yoshiaki Koizumi? Edge sat down to have a talk with the increasingly influential Nintendo game designer about Super Mario Galaxy and many other things.

Indeed, Koizumis influence is focused on player experience. In all of the games Ive worked on, Id say I spent most of my time working on the player character, Koizumi says, but he cant help but note Miyamotos role once again. Miyamoto has taught me that if the player does not feel right, this can affect the whole game. The more things a player can do, the more possibilities are available for the game. A great example is Super Mario Bros. What if Mario couldnt jump? Even the lowliest Goomba would be unstoppable. But when he can jump, breaking blocks and stomping enemies becomes possible. So several new possibilities can open up from only one new ability. But of course, complexity can become higher. At Nintendo we call it player-based design. Its all about the balance between fun and complexity.