Helldivers 2 probably wouldn't exist without Nintendo as its director says the Mario maker is "the reason why I became a game dev"

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You can thank Mario, Zelda, and Kirby for your democracy

Super Mario 64
(Image credit: Nintendo/supermarble94)

Like so many of us, it seems some of Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt's most formative gaming memories are of early Nintendo games. In fact, Helldivers 2 probably wouldn't exist without Nintendo, as the Arrowhead Studios CEO has revealed the house of Mario is the reason he got into game development.

In response to an utterly silly tweet claiming Nintendo and PlayStation are "the ONLY two REAL gaming brands," accompanied by side-by-side images of the two companies' most beloved icons, Pilestedt asked, "where is the blue side's champ for democracy?" seemingly suggesting Helldivers 2's defenders of democracy should be added to the image of PlayStation characters.

Following up on that, he added: "Also, the reason why I became a game dev is Nintendo. All love for all games everywhere!"

You hear that, big-shot soldiers of the Galactic War? You'd be nothing if it weren't for a couple of chubby plumbers, a nimble gorilla, and a vaguely elvish-looking boy with a pointy green hat. 

I really, really wish Pilestedt would've clarified which early Nintendo games specifically inspired him to take up game development, but one can only imagine Contra is pretty high up the list, what with its focus on commandoes sent to thwart armies of alien invaders intent on destroying the Earth... yeah, it's gotta be Contra.

One thing we do know is that Pilestedt has long been a PlayStation fan in addition to Nintendo, and likewise, he seems to have gravitated toward games about a group of people dedicated to fighting a great injustice in the world. Just this week, he revealed he spent much of his childhood playing Final Fantasy 7 and "walking into a wall" while he slept in real life.

Here are some clutch Helldivers 2 tips to help spread managed democracy.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.