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Nintendo and legendary creator Shigeru Miyamoto want to keep making Mario games for 100 years - provided they can keep up with new gaming technology

Could Mario reach 100 years of gaming? Depends on if Nintendo is able to keep his games fun.

A promotional image for Super Mario Odyssey — Image credit: Nintendo

News by Trent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer

Published on Wed Oct 29 2025

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As far as gaming mascots go, no one is bigger and better known than Mario. The character has been the face of Nintendo for 40 years and shows no signs of stopping. 2025 saw him return in Mario Kart World, while in 2026, he’ll appear in Mario Tennis Fever. But how long can Nintendo keep players excited by the iconic platforming plumber? They’re not ruling out making Mario games for 100 years or more.

The information comes from an interview with legendary Nintendo creator Shigeru Miyamoto, executive officer Takashi Tezuka, composer Koji Kondo, and SRD president Toshihiko Nakago that is included in the Nintendo Museum Official Book Vol. 1. The book celebrates 40 years of Mario as the face of Nintendo and, to many people, gaming in general.

“One might think it would be a miracle if Mario was still here after 100 years,” Tezuka admitted. “Since we make things while not knowing when our players may get bored with them. If it’s not fun to play, you’ll get bored and I’m always thinking of how to keep it so that something like that doesn’t happen so that people keep playing. Different times bring different kinds of fun. What Mario can do now is completely different from when we started out. I want to continue making things people find fun to play, including the actions you do, by changing things little by little.”

Miyamoto, who is famed as the creator of Mario and other Nintendo franchises like The Legend of Zelda, added that Mario might be a movie star now, but he knows that the heart of the character will always be in gaming. “I want to make sure we keep it interactive and digital. As long as we don’t forget Mario’s prime point – running and jumping – as we add new things, I think Mario will be with us for a long time to come.”

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer: