Up until this point, Shigeru Miyamoto had a major influence in leading development of nearly all of Nintendo's hardware. From helping to design the SNES controller, to coming up with the idea for the DS' touch screen. But with Nintendo Switch, Miyamoto has taken a step back, and is not involved with the development of the platform. Instead, Super Mario Galaxy director Yoshiaki Koizumi is spearheading Nintendo's new console as general producer.
Handing the Switch's development over to Koizumi and his team was perhaps the best move Nintendo has made with it's hardware in a long time. Koizumi always struck me as more of a risk taker than Miyamoto. He Directed Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, wrote the story segments for Mario Galaxy and Majora's Mask, and even came up with the Z-Targeting system. I don't think these things would've ended up the same way under Miyamoto's direction.
This is evident with the design and concept of the Switch itself. It feels ballsier, and more cutting edge than any of Nintendo's previous hardware, while still staying true to the company's core philosophies. And I don't think even Miyamoto would be bold enough to take inspiration from Nintendo's oldest roots as a playing card company for the Switch.
I hope to see him have a more prominent role at Nintendo in the future.
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