Who created Mario and served as the lead designer of the original Donkey Kong?

Shigeru Miyamoto created Mario and served as the lead designer of the original Donkey Kong.

Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 and became one of the most influential figures in video-game design. For Donkey Kong, released in arcades in 1981, he developed a story in which a carpenter tried to rescue a woman from a large ape. That carpenter eventually became Mario.

Miyamoto also helped shape several of Nintendo's most important series, including Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, and Pikmin. His approach emphasized simple controls, exploration, memorable characters, and distinctive gameplay ideas.

A common mix-up is confusing Miyamoto with Gunpei Yokoi, another major Nintendo designer associated with the Game Boy and other hardware. Takashi Tezuka was a close collaborator on later Nintendo games, but Miyamoto is credited with creating Mario and leading Donkey Kong's design.