Eiji Aonuma

Eiji Aonuma

Eiji Aonuma at the Game Developers Conference 2007
Born Eiji Onozuka (小野塚 英二)[1]
March 16, 1963[2]
Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Occupation Video game producer, video game director

Eiji Aonuma (Japanese: 青沼 英二 Hepburn: Aonuma Eiji, born March 16, 1963) is a Japanese video game designer and video game director. He currently works for Nintendo as the Group Manager of Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No. 3. He has directed and produced several installments in The Legend of Zelda series of video games.

Early life

Aonuma attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music where he majored in design, working on moving mechanical figures. He graduated in 1988.

Career

Nintendo

After graduating, he interviewed at Nintendo. Aonuma met Shigeru Miyamoto during the interview, and showed Miyamoto samples of his college work. His first projects involved graphic design, creating sprites for Nintendo Entertainment System games such as 1991's NES Open Tournament Golf. Aonuma was director of development on 1996's Marvelous: Mouhitotsu no Takarajim for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.[3]

In a move which Aonuma attributes to his position on the Marvelous team, Miyamoto recruited Aonuma to join the development team for the Zelda series.[3]

He spent several years as a lead developer of The Legend of Zelda series: 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and its sequel Majora's Mask, both for the Nintendo 64; and The Wind Waker, the first Zelda game for the Nintendo GameCube. After The Wind Waker, Aonuma considered moving onto other projects, but was convinced by Shigeru Miyamoto to continue with the Zelda series.[4] He codeveloped The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the second major Zelda game to be released for the GameCube and a launch game for the Wii. He was voted Designer of the Year for his work on Twilight Princess in Electronic Gaming Monthly‍ '​s 2006 1Up Network Awards.[4] He then codeveloped a sequel to The Wind Waker for the Nintendo DS, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, followed by another Nintendo DS title, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. He codeveloped Link's Crossbow Training, which is the first game to use the Wii Zapper. He has since produced The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo 3DS, and is producing The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U.[5][6][7]

Other work

Aonuma is a member of the band The Wind Wakers, named after The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which is composed of several Nintendo employees who perform concerts four times a year for employees of the company.

Gameography

YearGame titleRole
1991NES Open Tournament GolfSprite designer
1996BS Super Mario USA Power ChallengeGraphic designer
1996Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no TakarajimaDirector
1998The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeDesigner
2000The Legend of Zelda: Majora's MaskDirector
2002The Legend of Zelda: Wind WakerDirector
2003The Legend of Zelda: Collector's EditionProducer
2004The Legend of Zelda: The Minish CapSupervisor
2004The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords AdventuresProducer
2006The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessDirector
2007Link's Crossbow TrainingProducer
2007The Legend of Zelda: Phantom HourglassProducer
2009The Legend of Zelda: Spirit TracksProducer
2011The Legend of Zelda: Skyward SwordProducer
2013The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HDProducer
2013The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between WorldsProducer
2014Hyrule WarriorsSupervisor
2015The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3DProducer
2016The Legend of ZeldaProducer

References

  1. ↑ "今度のゼルダは「ダンジョンがたいへん」らしい。その１". 「ゼルダの伝説　時のオカリナ」の情報・産地直送！. Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun. 28 November 1998. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  2. ↑ "ニンドリドットコム〜ゼルダの伝説 夢幻の砂時計 開発スタッフインタビュー〜". NINDORI.com. August 2007.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Szczepaniak, John. "Before They Were Famous". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (35): 77.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Electronic Gaming Monthly, Issue 213, March 2007. Page 79.
  5. ↑ McWhertor, Michael. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past sequel coming to Nintendo 3DS this holiday". Polygon.
  6. ↑ "IGN: GDC 2004: The History of Zelda". IGN. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "IGN: Miyamoto and Aonuma on Zelda". IGN. Retrieved October 10, 2014.

External links