Tournament of Genius
(8) Shigeru Miyamoto vs. (9) Alfred Hitchcock
by Tournament of Genius - March 18, 2009 - 7:30 PM

hitchcock.jpg

(8) Shigeru Miyamoto

When it comes to video game pioneers, no one can quibble with Miyamoto’s credentials. Check out this resume: the Nintendo guru created the Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, and The Legend of Zelda franchises. He also found time to invent the wildly successful F-Zero and Nintendogs lines. More recently, he’s made weight loss fun with his invention of Wii Fit. You may not know Miyamoto if you passed him on the street, but chances are he’s taken up more hours of your life than anyone else in this tournament.

(9) Alfred Hitchcock

Impressed by quantity? Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films during his 55-year career. More concerned with quality? The titles speak for themselves. Psycho. Vertigo. North by Northwest. Rear Window. The Birds. Dial M for Murder. And on and on. Hitchcock’s singular visual sensibility, quirky cameos, and droll knack for black humor, combined with his mastery of suspense, ensure that his place in the cinematic canon is unassailable. This is the guy that put scissors in Grace Kelly’s hand, told Janet Leigh to take a shower, and dangled Cary Grant off of Mount Rushmore; how can he not be a genius?

The Breakdown

It’s tough to argue with either of these choices, but 8-9 matchups are supposed to be tight. Just ask yourself which is tougher for you to envision: a world without Mario or a world without Norman Bates?

[poll=20]

[See the whole bracket here.]

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Comments (9)

  1. I would be impressed with Miyamoto if not for the ridiculous number of sequels that the Mario and Zelda franchises have spawned. Hitchcock would win on originality.

    posted by Wilson on 3-18-2009 at 8:06 pm

  2. Wow, close one.

    You forgot to mention that Hitchcock has spawned the adjective Hitchcockian.

    And you didn’t mention my personal fave, Notorious.

    posted by Jonny on 3-18-2009 at 8:51 pm

  3. Most of these have been pretty cut and dry for me, but on this one I really had to think. I was pretty into Nintendo growing up, even subscribed to Nintendo Power, and Zelda vied with Final Fantasy for my favorite gaming series. I think that games can be iconic and meaningful works that deserve a place in our culture just like novels and films.

    That said, the film buff in me won out. Miyamoto’s definitely made his mark on modern culture, but I think Hitchcock’s work just has a bit more artistic merit.

    posted by Jobrill on 3-18-2009 at 8:52 pm

  4. Hitchcock’s greatest achievement (though not his greatest movie) may have been Rope – the great-grandfather of 24. The entire movie is not only shot in real time, there are no scene cuts. When a camera was about to run out of film it would pull in tight on somebody’s jacket, reload, and start from the same place.

    posted by PartiallyDeflected on 3-18-2009 at 10:23 pm

  5. So far, this has been the most difficult decision for me…

    Miyamoto it is!

    posted by Mike on 3-18-2009 at 10:27 pm

  6. It’s at 50/50 right now. Definitely the toughest decision yet.

    posted by Tonberry2k on 3-18-2009 at 11:01 pm

  7. Like I said, can I vote for them both??? Like Nintendo is going to make a Mario version of Psycho.

    LOLOLOL!!!!

    posted by Karl on 3-19-2009 at 3:27 am

  8. Mario is essential–Psycho is not.

    posted by Raul on 3-19-2009 at 12:40 pm

  9. I can’t fall asleep without playing at least one cup on Mario Kart DS. Not a Miyamoto creation, but it would have never been if not for his genius.

    And it’s *still* 50/50!

    posted by Amy D on 3-19-2009 at 1:17 pm

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