Shigeru Miyamoto · "With *Donkey Kong*, I wanted to convey the feeling of something being alive, e..."

*The Ultimate History of Video Games* (book), 2001 · Gecheckt op 12 maart 2026

With *Donkey Kong*, I wanted to convey the feeling of something being alive, even though it was just pixels on a screen.

Analyse

In the 2001 book *The Ultimate History of Video Games*, Miyamoto is quoted saying he wanted the characters in Donkey Kong to feel alive and to give players a sense of a living entity on screen. However, the specific wording “even though it was just pixels on a screen” does not appear in the published interview, indicating the statement is a paraphrase rather than a direct quote.

Achtergrond

Shigeru Miyamoto designed Donkey Kong in 1981, aiming to create a more character‑driven platformer than previous arcade games. Interviews from the early 1980s reveal his focus on animating characters to convey personality and life, a theme he reiterated in later retrospectives. *The Ultimate History of Video Games* compiles many such interviews but does not contain the exact sentence cited.

Samenvatting verdict

Miyamoto expressed a desire to make Donkey Kong feel alive, but the exact phrasing quoted is not found verbatim in the book.

Geraadpleegde bronnen

— Kent, Steven L. *The Ultimate History of Video Games*. Three Rivers Press, 2001. (Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, pages 184‑186)

— Miyamoto, Shigeru. Interview in *Nintendo Power* (June 1991) discussing Donkey Kong's character design.

— Miller, Chris. "Shigeru Miyamoto on Donkey Kong's Creation," *Retro Gamer* Magazine, Issue 70, 2010.