Kojima’s biggest gaming influence is… Mario?!

Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series, revealed his top five most memorable and influential video games, and the list may surprise you…

Super Mario Bros. series – At first glance it seems that Mario would have nothing in common with Solid Snake, but maybe Kojima looked at Mario for inspiration on how to create a character that is universally known and loved.

Xevious – This is a classic Namco vertical scrolling-shooter. It was a huge cult hit when it was released into Japanese arcades in 1982, and is considered to be one of the first games to feature end-of-level bosses. Kojima’s games are well-known to feature spectacular and numerous boss-battles. (This game is also now available on the Wii’s virtual console if you’d like to see what the fuss is about.)

Another World – It may seem strange that a man who loves his drawn-out cut scenes and endless over-explanatory conversations would love a game which features no dialogue at all, but Another World blew us away in 1991 with its excellent use of cinematic-style presentation.

Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken – Ermm.. this is a Japan-only murder-mystery adventure game. Apparently the title translates as ‘The Portopia Serial Murder Case’. It was ported to the NES in 1985.

Metal Gear Solid – We can’t tell if it’s big-headedness, logic or pride that would drive a man to name his own game as one of his biggest influences. Obviously the first Metal Gear Solid game would have inspired the following ones, but the same is true for all sequels. Still, it can’t be denied that Kojima got a lot of things right in the production of this outstanding title.

Kojima said, “Games are a composite art that evolves absorbing new technologies. I hope to make a big wave in the game world.”

Well, having created a franchise that has sold in excess of 20 million games worldwide; it’s probably safe to say that Kojima has achieved his goal.