Kouichi Kawamoto

Kouichi Kawamoto (河本 浩一) is a group manager for Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development Production Group No. 4. He was previously a Producer and Technology Chief in Nintendo's Software Development & Design Department at Nintendo Software Planning & Development Division. He was the General Director on the Nintendo Switch and is the producer of the Nintendo Switch 2

As a employee of Nintendo, he was one of the key staff on the games in the Touch! Generations series. He later produced many of Nintendo's more experimental games including Miitopia, Nintendo Labo and Ring Fit Adventure.

History

Kawamoto joined the company in 1997 as a programmer on Nintendo EAD, working on the Mario Artist series. He played a key role in Mario Artist: Polygon Studio's Sound Bomber mode which became the inspiration for the WarioWare's microgames, which is why he gets credited under Concepts for every WarioWare entry despite not directly working on the franchise

When Nintendo SPD was established, Kawamoto moved to its Nintendo SDD department, under Shinya Takahashi. In this department, he headlined the "blue ocean" strategy by directing Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!. This department also designed system software such as Wii Channels and the 3DS Mii Maker.

Around 2012, Kawamoto was selected to succeed Takahashi in managing Software Development & Design, producing the Brain Age series, the Streetpass Mii Plaza games and Nintendo Badge Arcade. In 2015, Nintendo EAD and SPD merge into EPD and Kawamoto was chosen to manage Group No. 4 which merged Nintendo SDD and parts of EAD Group 2 and EAD Group 5. He was also chosen to direct the Nintendo Switch. With the experience of several major hits under his belt on the Switch, he produced the Nintendo Switch 2 with Takuhiro Dohta as the General Director.

Game Works

• Mario Artist: Talent Studio (2000) - Programmer
• Mario Artist: Polygon Studio (2000) - Programmer
• Luigi's Mansion (2001) - Program
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords (2002) - Programming (A Link to the Past)
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! (2003) - Game Concept
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (2004) - System Director
• WarioWare: Twisted! (2004) - Concept
• WarioWare: Touched! (2004) - Concepts
• Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (2004) - Director
• Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! (2004) - Director
• Forecast Channel (2006) - Director
• News Channel (2006) - Director
• Photo Channel (2006) - Director
• WarioWare: Smooth Moves (2006) - Concepts
• Minna no Joushiki Ryoku TV (2008) - Supervisor
• WarioWare: Snapped! (2008) - Concept
• Brain Age Express: Math/Arts & Letters/Sudoku (2008) - Producer
• Touch Solitaire (2009) - Director
• WarioWare: D.I.Y. (2009) - Concept
• Mono ya Okane no Shikumi DS (2009) - Project Supervisor
• Photo Dojo (2009) - Game Concept
• Mii Maker (2011) - Director
• AR Games (2011) - Director
• StreetPass Mii Plaza (2011) - Director
• Brain Age: Concentration Training (2012) - Producer
• WaraWara Plaza (2012) - Producer
• Mii Force/Flower Town/Warrior's Way/Monster Manor (2013) - Producer
• Rusty's Real Deal Baseball (2013) - Producer
• Daigasso! Band Brothers P (2013) - Advisor
• Nintendo Badge Arcade (2014) - Producer
• Ultimate Angler/Battleground Z (2015) - Producer
• Slot Car Rivals/Market Crashers/Ninja Launcher/Feed Mii/Mii Trek (2016) - Producer
• Miitopia (2016) - Producer
• 1-2 Switch (2017) - Producer
• Nintendo Labo (2018) - Producer
• WarioWare Gold (2018) - Concept
• Ring Fit Adventure (2019) - Producer
• Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch (2019) - Producer
• Miitopia (Switch) (2021) - Producer
• Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain (2021) - Producer
• Nintendo Switch Sports (2022) - Producer
• Everybody 1-2-Switch! (2023) - Producer
• Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) - Producer

Special Thanks

• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)
• Jam with the Band (2008)
• New English Training: Learn with Tempo (2009)
• Kiki Trick (2012)
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014) - Supervisor (Original Games)
• Boxboy! (2015)
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) - Original Game Supervisor

Interviews

• Iwata Asks: Wii Channels
• Iwata Asks: Brain Age Express
• Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS Built-in Software
• Iwata Asks: Brain Age: Concentration Training
• Nintendo Topics: Miitopia
• Nintendo Labo Interview (archived)
• Nintendo Topics: Brain Training for Nintendo Switch
• Ask the Developer Vol. 16: Nintendo Switch 2