Hideki Konno
| Hideki Konno 紺野 秀樹 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | May 13, 1965 (age 61)[1] |
| Super Mario–related roles | Manager, producer, director |
| Years active | 1986–2025[2][3] |
Hideki Konno (紺野 秀樹 Konno Hideki, born 1965) is a video game designer who was employed at Nintendo EAD from April 1986 to July 2025. He had served as the Manager and Producer of Software Development Group No.1 of EAD Software Development Department of Entertainment Analysis & Development Division, starting in 2003.
History and work[edit]
At the age of 16, Konno became interested in personal computers, tinkering 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, he decided that he wanted to create video games and, after graduating from Electronic Data Processing Department of Japan Electronics College, Konno immediately applied and was hired for a job at Nintendo, which he recalled as a "true blessing."[4] Konno was immediately drafted into Hiroshi Ikeda and Shigeru Miyamoto's Research & Development 4 Department, in a very hands-on role with designing characters and backgrounds for a variety of video games. Konno worked on a big internal project at Nintendo titled Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic. The game was successful in Japan, but the company executives made a decision to redesign the eccentric title into a Super Mario game for the North American audience. This decision introduced Konno to the franchise, and also established him as one of Miyamoto's top apprentices. Konno's first solo directorial role in a Super Mario game was 1996's Mario Kart 64.
Konno went on to direct several titles such as Luigi's Mansion. He has mostly been involved in directing and producing game titles in the Mario Kart series. Konno later on became the hardware director for the Nintendo DS's successor, the Nintendo 3DS. In 2015, he became the group manager of the Smart Device Production Group at Nintendo EPD.
Konno is also the staff ghost of Rainbow Road in Mario Kart Wii and DS Luigi's Mansion in Mario Kart 7.
Konno left Nintendo in July 2025 after 39 years at the company.[3]
[edit]
- Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic / Super Mario Bros. 2 - Assistant Director, Course Designer
- Super Mario Bros. 3 - Assistant Director, Level Designer, Character Designer
- Super Mario World - Map Director (credited as "Hidequi Konno")
- Super Mario Kart - Director (credited as "Hidequi Konno")
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - Director
- Mario Kart 64 - Director
- Yoshi's Story - System director
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit - Supervisor
- Luigi's Mansion - Director
- Mario Kart DS - Producer
- Mario Kart Wii - Producer
- Mario Kart 7 - Producer
- Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon - Special Advisor
- Mario Kart Arcade GP DX - Special Thanks
- Mario Kart 8 - Producer
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U - Supervisor (Original Games)
- Super Mario Run - Kingdom Builder Director[5]
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Producer
- Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS) - Special Thanks
- Mario Kart Tour - Producer[6]
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass - Producer
- Mario Kart World - Special Thanks
Gallery[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Sinfield, George (2001). Luigi's Mansion Player's Guide - "Developer Interview" with team members Hideki Konno, Tadashi Sugiyama, and Hiroki Sotoike. Nintendo of America (American English). ISBN 1-930206-14-3. Page 88-93.
- ^ September 13, 2010. Iwata Asks - Super Mario 25th Anniversary - Volume 3 : Super Mario developers. Nintendo. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ^ a b @NE_Brian (January 23, 2026). Hideki Konno, who led Mario Kart, 3DS hardware, and more, is gone from Nintendo after 40 years. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ Jose Otero (September 9, 2016). 11 Things We Learned About Super Mario Run. IGN. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ^ D.I.C.E Awards by Video Game Details - Mario Kart Tour. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved June 28, 2026.