In a move that seems surreal to me as a lifelong Nintendo fan, acclaimed producer Takashi Tezuka has announced that he will be retiring from Nintendo on June 26th, 2026. Having worked with the company for 42 years now, he was the director of games such as Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. Following the ’90s though, he stepped into a producer role and helped guide the company on games such as Animal Crossing, Luigi’s Mansion, and pretty much every Mario game.

Seeing as how I’m 38 now, his name has been in the credits of almost every Nintendo game I’ve ever played. It will be bizarre to not see him in some capacity, though I imagine there will be “Special Thanks” credits for him over the next year or so. Tezuka maybe doesn’t get as much recognition by the public as someone like Shigeru Miyamoto, but he was responsible for the creation of Yoshi and was instrumental in the creation of Super Mario 64. His impact on gaming, as a whole, is immeasurable.

With Tezuka turning 66 this year, it’s unlikely he’ll be moving onto another role at a different company. This is likely the end of his professional career, which is something most people in gaming don’t get to say with certainty or under good conditions. If this is the final goodbye, then Tezuka has certainly earned a fruitful and loving retirement.

A walk down Nintendo memory lane with Takashi Tezuka

Have a look at some memorable moments that Mr. Tekuza participated in with Nintendo over the years in the videos below. They’re definitely worth a watch!