History

Biography

Asuka Ohta is the composer of a wide range of titles produced by Nintendo EAD. She learned to play the piano from a young age and was also fond of Super Mario games. Ohta received classical training while studying music at university, but also participated in bands with friends and listened to a range of music, including techno. Shortly after graduating, she impressed Koji Kondo so much with her musical experience and was recruited to Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development’s sound team in 2003. Debuting on the GameCube’s cooperative multiplayer title The Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventures, Ohta mixed arrangements of Kondo’s score to A Link to the Past with a few new compositions. Though many of the arrangements were straightforward, whole new passages were added to the two overworld themes. Sumptuous arrangements of Kakariko Village’s theme and an orchestral piece of field music further demonstrated Ohta’s musical maturity.

Ohta embraced platforming for the first time with light-hearted new compositions for the DS’ Yoshi Touch & Go. Once again, she demonstrated an admiration for Nintendo’s history and even incorporated a number of classic arrangements. She was subsequently chosen as Kazumi Totaka’s assistant on the DS’ Animal Crossing: Wild World after he was impressed with her work on Yoshi Touch & Go. The project was very demanding given she was expected to create a very large number of original compositions and maintain a similar style to its predecessor. The setting themes mixed mellow acoustic pieces, catchy jazz-based tunes, and experimental ambience, while the ’K.K.’ themes proved to be a mixed and quirky bunch. To enhance the interactivity of the title, 24 themes were also composed to change with each hour of the game.

In 2006, Ohta composed the majority of the score to New Super Mario Bros. under the supervision of Koji Kondo. Having adored Super Mario Bros. and its soundtrack as a child, Ohta was conscious of creating a soundtrack worthy of its legacy. Most of the original music maintained the catchy and endearing aura of the series’ classics, thanks to a combination of the inspired composition and retro synthesis. The artist also extensively incorporated Kondo’s catchy main theme throughout the game and offered some fitting homages to the series’ classic tunes. In another high-profile work, Ohta was assigned to co-compose the soundtrack for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess alongside Toru Minegishi. She added to the drama of the game with orchestral and piano-based event themes, as well as a number of battle themes.

The artist returned to the lead role once again for Mario Kart Wii, where she matched the gameplay with frantic compositions and individualising each course with diverse compositions. She went on to handle the music for Wii Fit Plus, building on the concept of the original with soothing, metronomic compositions and lively jingles. The soundtracks for both of these best-selling games were eventually released through Club Nintendo. In guest roles, she also contributed an arrangement of Yoshi Touch & Go’s "Flower Field" to Super Smash Bros. Brawl and produced a special arrangement of Nintendogs for the Touch! Generations Soundtrack. Her latest credit is The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, where she created several additional pieces of music. Having last been credited on a game in 2009, it is unclear whether Ohta is still active at Nintendo EAD or the industry as a whole.

References:

- Various Game & Album Credits
- Interview with Nintendo (Japanese, January 2005, Archived)

© Biography by Chris Greening (September 2007). Last updated on January 20, 2013. Do not republish without formal permission.