Veteran Nintendo designer and director Takashi Tezuka is retiring after over 40 years

Nintendo veteran Takashi Tezuka, the director, designer, and producer behind many of the company’s most iconic Mario and Zelda games, will retire from his role as executive officer in June after more than 40 years at the company.

The details:

• Nintendo confirmed Tezuka’s retirement in a personnel notice published alongside its latest financial results, stating that he will step down as an executive officer following the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting on June 26 at the age of 65.
• Tezuka joined Nintendo in 1984, first working as a graphics artist on the arcade version of Punch-Out before becoming the assistant director on the original Super Mario Bros., working under Shigeru Miyamoto. He later went on to direct some of the company’s most iconic titles, including Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Yoshi’s Island.
• Later in his career, Tezuka moved to serving as a producer and supervisor, overseeing even more high-profile game releases such as Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Maker, Animal Crossing, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.