1.1 Icon: Koji Kondo

Koji Kondo is the composer to the first Mario game, Super Mario Bros., released by Nintendo in 1985. I’ve chosen him as my Old New Media Icon because his work has proven to be seminal to how video game music is composed. Kondo’s work in Super Mario Bros. and the first Legend of Zelda is notable because it provided a touchstone for how game music could be catchy and energizing without creating boredom when it repeats. Composing music that can smoothly loop is important to game development because the segment in which the music plays can theoretically last indefinitely. Composing repeating music that doesn’t drive the listener up the wall is a difficult task, and Kondo’s scores are an important example for developers to look back on. Some notable examples are the Overworld Theme to Super Mario Bros. and the Hyrule Field theme in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Because I am interested in game design, Kondo is to me a great example of how every aspect of game design needs to be well crafted. Without well-composed music and sound design, a game would be far less engaging for the player. His work is also full of proof that music developed for use in games can be impactful and memorable—not just silly tunes that fade into the background.