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Hideki Konno is a Nintendo producer and the former group manager of Nintendo EAD 1, mostly known for his work on the Mario Kart and Nintendogs franchises, among other games. He was also the hardware director for the Nintendo 3DS, and worked on most of the connectivity features of the console, like StreetPass and SpotPass.
Currently he works on Nintendo's Smart Phone development group, with Kosuke Yabuki taking over his previous role on EPD's Production Group No. 9.
History[]
At the age of sixteen, Hideki Konno became interested in personal computers, messing around with Japanese PCs and the Apple II. He became intrigued with video games after playing around with some of Apple II's titles. After purchasing the Famicom in Japan, he decided that he wanted to create video games and, after his graduation, joined Nintendo in April 1986.
His first project at the company was Ice Hockey. After he worked on that title, he helped on designing maps and levels on Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World with Katsuya Eguchi. Later, he co-directed Super Mario Kart with Tadashi Sugiyama, where he was in charge of the technological aspects, such as the game system. That work led him to direct Mario Kart 64 and, eventually, he became the main producer of the Mario Kart series. He also directed Luigi's Mansion.
He explains that the games he's worked on during the age of the NES and SNES hold a special significance to him because of the strife that was involved while making them and the new discoveries that he made. He says that his favorite part of development is when all of the ideas of the team come together when the game is nearly finished.
Eventually he became the group manager of Nintendo EAD 1, where he produced titles such as Nintendogs, Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii. Konno also went on to become the hardware director for the Nintendo DS's successor, the Nintendo 3DS. He still produced games for EAD Group 1 after that though with Nintendogs + Cats, Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8.
With Nintendo's venture into the mobile market, Hideki Konno went to lead their projects.
List of games[]
- Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987) - Assistant Director (as Hide Q), Course Design (as Konno)
- Ice Hockey (1988) - Director
- Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) - Assistant Director, Course Design
- Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) - Assistant Director, Course Design
- Super Mario World (1990) - Map Director
- SimCity (SNES) (1991) - Director
- Super Mario Kart (1992) - Director
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) - Director
- Mario Kart 64 (1996) - Director
- Yoshi's Story (1997) - System Director
- F-Zero X (1998) - Sequence Support
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) - Supervisor
- Luigi's Mansion (2001) - Director
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) - Supervisor
- Nintendogs (2005) - Producer
- Geist (2005) - Producer
- Mario Kart DS (2005) - Producer
- Mario Kart Wii (2008) - Producer
- Nintendo DSi Sound (2008) - Producer
- Nintendo 3DS Camera (2011) - Producer
- Nintendo 3DS Sound (2011) - Producer
- Nintendogs + Cats (2011) - Producer
- Mario Kart 7 (2011) - Producer
- Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (2013) - Special Advisor
- Mario Kart 8 (2014) - Producer
- Super Mario Run (2016) - Producer
- Fire Emblem Heroes (2017) - Producer
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) - Producer
- Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (2017) - Producer
- Dragalia Lost (2018) - Producer
- Dr. Mario World (2019) - Producer
- Mario Kart Tour (2019) - Producer
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass (2022-2023) - Producer
Special Thanks[]
- 1080° Avalanche (2003)
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) (Japanese Version)
- Metroid Prime Hunters (2006)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) - Supervisor (Original Games)
- Mario Kart Arcade GP DX (2013)
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U (2014) - Supervisor (Original Games)
- Luigi's Mansion (3DS) (2018)
Interviews[]
- Super Mario World - 1990 Developer Interview (translated byShmuplations)
- Super Mario Kart - 1992 Developer Interview (translated by Shmuplations)
- Mario Kart 64 - 1996 Developer Interview (translated by Shmuplations)
- N.O.M.: Luigi's Mansion
- The Guardian - March 2011
- Modojo - 2012
- Digital Trends - June 2013
- Gamespot - April 2014
- Super NES Classic Interviews: Super Mario Kart
Iwata Asks[]
- Mario Kart Wii
- E3 2010: Nintendo 3DS - Video
- Super Mario 25th Anniversary
- Nintendo 3DS Vol. 2
- Nintendogs+Cats
- Mario Kart 7
- Mario Kart 7 Direct - Video
Trivia[]
- Hideki Konno was interviewed in Nintendo Power V233 as part of the Power Profile feature.
- He was the Normal Nintendo Staff Ghost for Rainbow Road in Mario Kart Wii.
- He was the Normal Nintendo Staff Ghost for DS Luigi's Mansion in Mario Kart 7.