A Nintendo legend is about to call it a day, as veteran game designer and director Takashi Tezuka will leave the company later this year. Nintendo noted in its investor briefing today that the 65-year-old Tezuka will depart on June 26, closing the book on over four decades of work at the gaming giant.
Tezuka first began his career at Nintendo in 1984, joining as a part-time employee while he was still studying at university. Starting with Punch-Out, Tezuka would then go on to frequently work alongside another Nintendo legend, Shigeru Miyamoto, teaming up with him on several projects. It wasn’t long before Tezuka was hired as a full-time Nintendo employee, serving as the assistant director and designer on 1985’s Super Mario Bros. and then going on to direct the first The Legend of Zelda game.
Over the years, he has worked on multiple Mario games and several other big Nintendo IP like Pikmin and Animal Crossing. In the modern era, Tezuka has served as a producer and supervisor on titles like Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Continue Reading at GameSpot
