Nintendo Director Takashi Tezuka to Retire June 26

Takashi Tezuka, the veteran Nintendo game director who helmed classics including Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, will retire from the company on June 26, Nintendo confirmed in its latest financial report.

Tezuka joined Nintendo in 1984 as a graphics designer and quickly advanced to assistant director, working alongside Shigeru Miyamoto on foundational titles such as Excitebike, Super Mario Bros. and the original Legend of Zelda. He earned early credits under the nickname "Ten Ten" for sprite work on Punch-Out!!. Tezuka later directed Super Mario Bros. 2, known internationally as The Lost Levels, and co-created the character Yoshi with Shigefumi Hino. His design credits extended to Yoshi's Island and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, with his final hands-on design role on 1996's Super Mario 64.

In recent decades, Tezuka shifted to producing and supervising major franchises, including entries in Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing and Pikmin. He contributed to recent releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Known for his global perspective in game design, Tezuka...