The man behind the unforgettable Mario and Zelda themes discusses his more subtle, yet critical additions to game music: interactivity.
In the last part of his presentation, Kondo showed how the tables could be turned, allowing music to directly affect gameplay. In New Super Mario Bros., enemies jump or otherwise react in time with voice synth found in the music. While this adds a certain random element to some levels, in other levels like ones with jumping blocks, players must actually take advantage of the timing in order to reach certain parts of the levels.
Even though Koji Kondo does not appear very comfortable in a public setting, and though some of the video clips were perhaps a little too long, Kondo demonstrated each of his points effectively, giving a taste of the interactive elements he’s added to game music over the past 22 years. Directly appealing to other composers, Kondo sought to bring even more interactivity into game music. His genius serves as an inspiration to other composers and his unforgettable tunes have an added layer of complexity that only brings more to the games he has worked on.
Despite an overwhelming week, a very enthusiastic Kondo played a medley of his Mario tunes on piano at the Video Games Live concert on Friday night after the conference. When asked which of his compositions his favorite was, he stated that it would have to be the theme to Super Mario Bros. Since the tune has become so memorable to fans, he holds a place in his heart for it as well. Chris Kohler grabbed an interview with him before the concert, offering more insight into the man and his decisions.
Aaron Kaluszka, Staff Writer
