Link’s Awakening, Super Mario 64, Ocarina Of Time, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy: what’s the first name to pop into your head? It’s almost impossible not to think of Shigeru Miyamoto, but it’s hard to conceive any other name to attach to such a remarkable series of titles. Yet a man called Yoshiaki Koizumi has quietly toiled on each one of them, most recently as game director for Super Mario Galaxy.

“Mr Miyamoto is known for taking lots of time to create the best player experience. His demands are numerous and exacting, but I actually really like that. He’s effortless in explaining what he wants,” Koizumi explains, recounting a moment during the development of Super Mario 64 where Miyamoto excitedly tried to describe how he felt Mario should swim – by swimming around his office. “I began swimming around with him,” Koizumi laughs. “We get along well together, and time files by when we’re working. Before we know it, sometimes, it’s 2am.”

Miyamoto excitedly tried to describe how he felt Mario should swim – by swimming around his office “I began swimming around with him,” laughs Koizumi.

Did they know while they were creating Super Mario Galaxy that they were creating something so groundbreaking? “Whenever we make a game and approach a new element and begin to flesh it out, we always think: ‘Oh, this is totally new!’ and that excitement builds as we layer all of our new elements together,” Koizumi begins. “The real difficult part comes when you’ve pulled a lot of new elements together and you actually have to see how the game plays. But I try to stay on that track where I always feel like I’m doing something new.”