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Koji Kondo is a music and sound composer who worked on the Mario franchise and the The Legend of Zelda franchise.

He composed the well-known Ground Theme for Super Mario Bros., considered to be the most well-known video game score ever.

Biography[]

Early years[]

Born in Nagoya, Japan, Kondo began taking lessons in the electronic organ early in his life, only at the age of five. He improved his skills in the instrument in a cover band that played jazz and rock music.[1] Kondo studied at the Art Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts,[2] but was never classically-trained or particularly dedicated to music. However, he gained some experience in composing and arranging pieces, using both the piano and a computer to assist him. During his senior year, Nintendo sent a recruitment message to his university stating that they were interested in hiring people dedicated to composition and sound programming. An LCD and arcade gamer, Kondo successfully applied for the job in 1984 without requiring any demo tapes.[1]

Works[]

As composer[]

Year Title Note(s)
1985 Super Mario Bros.
1986 Vs. Super Mario Bros.
1986 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
1988 Super Mario Bros. 2
1988 Super Mario Bros. 3
1991 Super Mario World
1995 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
1996 Super Mario 64
2002 Super Mario Sunshine with Shinobu Tanaka
2006 New Super Mario Bros. "Ground BGM" only
2007 Super Mario Galaxy with Mahito Yokota
2008 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Music arrangement: "Ground Theme"
2010 Super Mario Galaxy 2 with Mahito Yokota and Ryo Nagamatsu
2013 Super Mario 3D World with Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, and Yasuaki Iwata
2014 Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Music arrangement: "Super Mario Bros. Medley"
2015 Super Mario Maker with Naoto Kubo and Asuka Hayazaki
2017 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
2017 Super Mario Odyssey with Naoto Kubo and Shiho Fujii
2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Music arrangement: "King Bowser"

As supervisor[]

Year Title Note(s)
1993 Super Mario All-Stars
1998 Mario Party
1999 Mario Golf
Mario Party 2
2000 Mario Tennis
2001 Mario Kart: Super Circuit
2006 Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Sound supervisor
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Yoshi's Island DS
2007 Itadaki Street DS
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
2009 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! Music supervisor
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Sound supervisor
2010 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
Mario Sports Mix
2011 Fortune Street
2012 Mario Party 9
Mario Tennis Open
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
2013 Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move Music supervisor
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Sound supervisor
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
2014 Mario Party: Island Tour
Mario Golf: World Tour
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Supervisor; original games
2015 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Music supervisor
Mario Party 10 Sound supervisor
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
2016 Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge Music supervisor
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Sound supervisor
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Mario Party: Star Rush
2017 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Sound supervision
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions Sound supervisor
Mario Party: The Top 100
2018 Mario Tennis Aces
Super Mario Party

Sound support[]

Year Title
2000 Mario Party 3
2002 Mario Party 4
2003 Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Party 5
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
2004 Mario Power Tennis
Mario Party 6
Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
2005 Mario Party Advance
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Tennis: Power Tour
Mario Party 7
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
2007 Mario Party 8
Mario Party DS
2008 Mario Super Sluggers
2009 Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Sound adviser[]

Year Title
2004 Mario vs. Donkey Kong
2009 New Super Mario Bros. Wii
2012 New Super Mario Bros. 2
New Super Mario Bros. U
2013 New Super Luigi U

Miscellaneous[]

Year Title Note(s)
1996 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Special thanks
1999 Super Smash Bros. Original staff
2000 Paper Mario Original music
2001 Super Smash Bros. Melee Original staff
2003 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Original music
2004 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Mario Pinball Land Special thanks
2005 Super Mario Strikers
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Original music
2006 New Super Mario Bros. Sound director
2007 Super Paper Mario Original music
Mario Strikers Charged Special thanks
2009 Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Original music
2011 Super Mario 3D Land Special thanks

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Chris. Koji Kondo. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2009-09-17.
  2. Mario and Zelda composer Koji Kondo shares all at GDC '07. Music4Games (2007-01-19). Retrieved on 2009-09-18.

External links[]

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