Nintendo Company LimitedEntertainment Analysis & Development Division
EAD Software Development Department
Eiji Aonuma
Manager of Software Development Group No.3
Graphic Design / 1988
Eiji Aonuma was born on 1963 in Nagano, Japan. Aonuma is a graphic artist, planner, and game designer working for the development department of Nintendo Co., Ltd. Aonuma earned his degree in 1988 from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music where he studied graphic design. After being interviewed by Mr. Miyamoto, Aonuma was hired by Nintendo at the age of 25. Aonuma had a passion for making marionettes and sculptures, and originally envisioned himself designing hardware products for Nintendo. After spending his initial years in more of a supporting role, Aonuma's break was drawing characters and offering designs for Masayuki Uemura's R&D2 department, which was a group concentrating on system tools and ports. Aonuma received the opportunity to design an original adventure game for Super Famicom titled Marvelous, which caught the attention of Shigeru Miyamoto. Aonuma admits that it wasn't until he began drawing characters and designing video games, that he fell in love with developing video games.
Miyamoto drafted Aonuma to join the EAD Department in 1997, where Aonuma took charge of dungeon designs for the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since that project, Aonuma has become the team leader and producer of The Legend of Zelda series for Nintendo.
In 2004, Eiji Aonuma became the Manager and Producer of Software Development Group No.3 of the Entertainment Analysis & Development Department. Aonuma now manages and produces The Legend of Zelda franchise.
Major Works
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swords (Wii / 2011) - Producer
- The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords DSi (DSiWare / 2011) - Producer
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo 3DS / 2011) - Producer
- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo DS / 2009) - Producer
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS / 2007) - Producer
- Link's Crossbow Training (Wii / 2007) - Producer
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii / 2006) - Director
- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance / 2005) - Supervisor
- The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GameCube / 2004) - Producer
- The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (GameCube / 2003) - Producer
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube / 2002) - Director
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64 / 2000) - Director
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64 / 1998) - Director
- BS Marvelous: Time Athletic (BS-X Satellaview / 1996) - Director
- Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no Takarajima (Super Famicom / 1996) - Director
