Mario Kart World’s credits don’t feature Nintendo’s most famous designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario himself. But as fans who complete the game spot Miyamoto’s absence, others have pointed to his changed role of late as something of an explanation.
In days gone by, Miyamoto’s name was synonymous with much of Nintendo’s gaming output. From Donkey Kong to Nintendogs, Pikmin to Pokémon, Miyamoto was in the credits for dozens of games each year. Indeed, video game credit tracking website Mobygames has 20 credits for Miyamoto in games released within 2000 alone.
But Miyamoto’s role has changed over the years, and increasingly so within the past decade after he adopted the more supervisory role of Creative Fellow at Nintendo in 2005. Once a familiar face during Nintendo Direct broadcasts, Miyamoto now most commonly appears in relation to the company’s expanded reach beyond games — such as when there is news to share on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, or its Super Nintendo World theme parks.
Miyamoto’s most recent game credits before the Nintendo Switch 2 launch are from 2024, where he is listed as a Senior Supervisor on Mario spin-off games Mario & Luigi: Brothership and Princess Peach: Showtime! And while Miyamoto is credited as a Supervisor on 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the company’s last big Mario platformer, it was notably fellow Nintendo veterans Takashi Tezuka and Shiro Mouri who took charge of the game’s development as its producer and director, respectively.
So, while Mario Kart 8 featured Miyamoto in its credits back in 2014, it’s perhaps not surprising to see Mario Kart World does not — and simply being the original creator of Mario isn’t a factor. (Miyamoto wasn’t credited for the more recent spin-off Mario Kart Tour, either.)
Another familiar name not in Mario Kart World’s credits is voice actor Samantha Kelly, who discovered her 18-year tenure as Super Mario characters Princess Peach and Toad was over on Nintendo Switch 2 launch day, when Mario Kart World released without her in it.
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
