After graduating, Miyamoto joined Nintendo, a company then known for its playing cards and emerging into the arcade game market. He was hired as a staff artist, leveraging his industrial design skills to create cabinet designs.

Miyamoto was tasked with designing a new arcade game to salvage a failing Radar Scope release. Inspired by Popeye, he created Donkey Kong, which became a massive success and established his reputation as a talented game designer.

Donkey Kong was released and became an instant hit, proving Miyamoto's innovative approach to game design and gameplay mechanics. The game's success was vital to Nintendo's expansion into the North American market.

Following the success of Donkey Kong, Miyamoto created Mario Bros. alongside Gunpei Yokoi, introducing Mario as a playable character in a new platforming setting. The game further solidified Miyamoto's role as a lead game designer.

Miyamoto created The Legend of Zelda for the Famicom. Inspired by his childhood explorations, the game featured a vast, explorable world, non-linear gameplay, and a compelling sense of adventure. This became another pivotal moment in his career.