Inafune: Mario is "development bible" for game creators

Nintendo's Mario platformer franchise is the "development bible" for game creators, according to Mega Man and Dead Rising designer Keiji Inafune. Speaking with IGN, Inafune described Mario as the "anchor that grounds almost all games."

"If any creator has not played Mario, then they’re probably not a good creator. That's something I can say with 100 percent confidence. Mario is, for game creators, the development bible," Inafune said. "There are so many hints about good design, about cute characters, about innovation in using an existing gameplay system. It's something you have to constantly look at and examine and take hints from as a game creator. It's the anchor that grounds almost all games."

Inafune said he has "total respect" for Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, so much so that he said he believes Miyamoto should be designated a "cultural treasure."

"He's talked about in all different countries. Lots of people know him. He's pushed forward Japanese culture and interest in Japan all over the world," Inafune said. "He's somebody that deserves everyone's ultimate respect, and a lot of that is due to being able to create Mario. And Super Mario Bros. 3, of course, within that, was a fantastic game."

The next core Mario game is Super Mario 3D World, which will be released for Wii U on November 22.