One ofNintendoboss Shigeru Miyamoto’s favorite games isn’t even on a Nintendo console, but his passion for the game goes to show how much he is invested in fun as a core pillar for the titles that the company releases. For reference,Miyamoto is one of the most important names in the company, being well-known as the creator of franchises likeThe Legend of Zelda,Mario, andDonkey Kong. His involvement within Nintendo was pivotal to the company’s success, and is seen across several occasions. One example isMiyamoto’s fight forZelda: Ocarina of Time’s best character, Young Link.
While he is mainly credited for these franchises, Miyamoto has had a hand in the creation ofPokémon,Metroid, and many other hit Nintendo series.Miyamoto’s criticism ofSplatoonled to the success it is today, too. He temporarily acted as president of the company following the death of Satoru Iwata in 2015, but has now been operating as a Representative Director and Executive Fellow at the developer.Miyamoto is widely seen as the face of Nintendo, and while he does represent the company, he is still a fan of gaming that extends beyond the reaches of the corporation.
Miyamoto Shoutout Pokémon GO As One Of His Favorite Games Back In 2021
The Game Designer Also Cited Pac-Man & Tetris
In a meeting with shareholders in 2021, reported byKotaku, several executives from the company talked about their favorite games of all time. The president of Nintendo, Shuntaro Furukawa, for example, mentioned that the originalSuper Mario Bros.is one of his favorite titles, while Senior Executive Officer Satoru Shibata cited Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. Meanwhile,Shigeru Miyamoto made a shoutout to third-party titlesPac-Man,Tetris, andPokémon GO. During the conversation, Miyamoto explained that he was playingPokémon GOwith his wife and that it is “a dream come true” of playing a game with his whole family.
BothPac-ManandTetrishave been available on Nintendo consoles before, with releases on Game Boy Color, for example. Alternatively,Pokémon GOis not exactly a first-party title for Nintendo, despite the franchise being under the company’s belt. This is becauseGOis developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Niantic’s acquisition by Scopely earlier this year hasn’t yet affected the general player experience too much, despite howplayers became concerned withPokémon GO, going so far as to transfer their creatures to Pokémon HOME.
Pokémon GO Is Still A Mobile Game, & Not On Any Nintendo Console
The Title Will Likely Never Make It Onto A Console
Curiously enough,Pokémon GOis the only one of Miyamoto’s favorite titles that hasn’t been on any Nintendo console. The title is available exclusively on mobile devices, and there have been no indications of it heading toward another type of platform any time soon.This is because it would disrupt the very essence of the game itself, which incentivizes players to walk around and explore the locations they live in to find different Pokémon, and tackle a variety of activities, such as Raids – even if players canchallenge Remote Raids inPokémon GO.
To participate in Remote Raids, you need an item called Remote Raid Pass, which can be obtained via in-game purchases, though Niantic has improved the quantity you’re able to obtain by simply playing.
Even thoughPokémon GOis not available on a Nintendo console, and despite it being a Nintendo product at its core because it is part of one of its franchises, Shigeru Miyamoto’s love for the title is well-justified. The title provides a unique type of gameplay experience compared to otherPokémongames, and the multiplayer aspect it enables is appealing to both Miyamoto and a portion of the player base. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever seePokémon GOon aNintendoconsole per se, but its teachings could be a stepping stone for the company’s development processes moving forward.
