Next month’s annual DICE Awards will see Koji Kondo, composer and sound director of the Mario games, inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame.
In a press release, AIAS president Meggan Scavio called his work “timeless and impactful. […] For 39 years, he’s delighted all of us…with sounds and songs that…became a pop culture phenomenon.”
Each year, a new game industry veteran is inducted into the HoF for their contributions to the medium. Previous inductees include Hideo Kojima, Rockstar co-founders Dan and Sam Houser, and PlayStation veteran Connie Booth.
Kondo, who started in games with 1984’s Punch-Out!!, extended his thanks to “everyone who helped and supported me. It is a true honor to be recognized in this way.”
Along with his audio work on Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Kondo has been an EP on several Nintendo games. He also assisted with the soundtrack for 2023’s Mario movie.
Last year, Kondo’s theme for the Super Mario Bros. franchise became the first-ever piece of video game music to be archived by Congress. He’s also Nintendo’s first Hall of Famer since original inductee Shigeru Miyamoto in 1998.
“I will continue my efforts in the music and sound aspects of development to hopefully make everyone’s game experience even more enjoyable in the years to come,” he concluded.
Along with being an inductee, he’s a nominee at this year’s DICE Awards. Super Mario Bros. Wonder was been nominated for game direction, animation, family game, and game design.
The 2024 DICE Awards will take place on Thursday, February 15.