Takashi Tezuka

**Takashi Tezuka** is an Executive Officer at Nintendo and a Senior Officer at Nintendo EPD. He was the general manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development along with Shigeru Miyamoto, and directed many of the original titles Mario and The Legend of Zelda series in the NES and SNES. Particularly, he has produced various titles in the 2D Mario, Yoshi and Animal Crossing series, among various others.

Former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated that he was glad when Takashi Tezuka took control of Nintendo EAD because it was the first time someone younger than him took control of a department within Nintendo.

## History

After graduating from the Osaka University of Arts, Takashi Tezuka was introduced to Nintendo by a friend who also applied to the company (although his friend never made the cut). In 1984, after assisting part-time with some of the graphics of *Super Punch-Out!!*, Tezuka was hired at the company, originally belonging to the Creative Department under Shigeru Miyamoto.

According to Tezuka, he went into the business hardly knowing anything about it. He apparently never even heard of Pac-Man prior to being hired, though he would wind up being an assistant director on *Devil World*, a maze game very similar to *Pac-Man*. Afterwards, he worked alongside Miyamoto on *Super Mario Bros.*, and *The Legend of Zelda*, the NES' most recognizable titles. As Miyamoto became a producer at Nintendo EAD, Tezuka kept on a directorial role on *Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels* and *Super Mario Bros. 3*. The qualities of Boo from *Super Mario Bros. 3* were influenced by Takashi Tezuka's wife, according to an interview with Nintendo Power. Throughout his work on the NES, Tezuka also drew most of the pixel images by himself.

Following the NES era Takashi Tezuka went on to lead the direction of the SNES's primary launch title *Super Mario World*. He can be attributed to the creation of such concepts as Yoshi and other features that were introduced in the game. After *Super Mario World* he tackled another daunting task as the director of *The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past*, which like *Super Mario World* is often considered one of the best of its series. Following that game he went on to create the next entry in the *Zelda* series, *The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening*, in which he also served as director. His next game was one of his favorites: *Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island*. Because of this, he stated in Nintendo Power that Yoshi is his favorite character. Tezuka also supervised the *Yoshi's Island* designs used in *Tetris Attack* for the SNES.
Right after *Yoshi's Island* was finished Miyamoto's team had to start work on the Nintendo 64's launch game *Super Mario 64*. Takashi Tezuka's role was the assistant director, which he shared with Yoshiaki Koizumi. After this, he took on a supervisory role in various other titles of the Nintendo 64 era including *Star Fox 64*, *Super Smash Bros.*, *Paper Mario*, the two Nintendo 64 The Legend of Zelda titles, and *Yoshi's Story* (which was the first project that he worked on as a producer), among various others.

Takashi Tezuka later became the general manager of all five of the Nintendo EAD studios along with Shigeru Miyamoto. He still plays a major role in the development of games, but he no longer directs them. His recent works include the Yoshi, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Big Brain Academy and New Super Mario Bros. series, among various others. To date, Takashi Tezuka has worked on almost every single *The Legend of Zelda* game; even in the Wii Zapper enabled title *Link's Crossbow Training*, he served as producer.

In 2013, he was replaced by Katsuya Eguchi for the position of deputy general manager; instead, he was promoted to Senior Officer of EAD as a new supervisory role. He kept that position into the transition into Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development. In 2018, he joined Nintendo's executive board as an Executive Officer.

## List of games

* *Devil World* (1984) - Assistant Director, Designer
* *Excitebike* (1984) - Designer
* *Super Punch-Out!!* (1984) - Graphic Designer
* *Super Mario Bros.* (1985) - Assistant Director, Designer
* *The Legend of Zelda* (1986) - Director, Designer (as **Ten Ten**)
* *Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels* (1986) - Director
* *Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic* (1987) - Meddler (as **Ten Ten**)
* *Super Mario Bros. 3* (1988) - Director
* *Super Mario World* (1990) - Main Director
* *The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past* (1991) - Director
* *The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening* (1993) - Director
* *Super Mario All-Stars* (1993) - Director
* *Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island* (1995) - Director
* *BS Zelda no Densetsu* (1995) - Original Game Design
* *Super Mario 64* (1996) - Assistant Director
* *Tetris Attack* (SNES) (1996) - Advisor
* *Tetris Attack* (GB) (1996) - Design Adviser
* *Game & Watch Gallery* (1997) - Design Adviser
* *BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no Sekiban* (1997) - Supervisor
* *Star Fox 64* (1997) - Supervisor
* *Game & Watch Gallery 2* (1997) - Design Adviser
* *Yoshi's Story* (1997) - Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* (1998) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX* (1998) - Supervisor
* *Super Smash Bros.* (1999) - Original Game Staff ("Yoshi's Story" Production; Advice)
* *Game & Watch Gallery 3* (1999) - Design Advisor
* *Super Mario Bros. Deluxe* (1999) - Original Game Design, Supervisor
* *Mario Golf* (Nintendo 64) (1999) - Supervisor
* *Mario Golf* (Game Boy Color) (1999) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask* (2000) - Supervisor
* *Mario Tennis* (Nintendo 64) (2000) - Supervisor
* *Paper Mario* (2000) - Supervisor
* *Mario Tennis* (Game Boy Color) (2000) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons* (2001) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages* (2001) - Supervisor
* *Super Mario Advance* (2001) - Supervisor
* *Animal Crossing* (2001) - Producer
* *Mobile Golf* (2001) - Supervisor
* *Mario Kart: Super Circuit* (2001) - Supervisor
* *Luigi's Mansion* (2001) - Producer
* *Pikmin* (2001) - Progress Management
* *Super Smash Bros. Melee* (2001) - Original Game Staff (Producer: Yoshi's Story)
* *Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2* (2001) - Supervisor
* *Sakura Momoko no Ukiuki Carnival* (2002) - Advisor
* *Super Mario Sunshine* (2002) - Producer
* *Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3* (2002) - Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords* (2002) - Producer (A Link to the Past), Supervisor (Four Swords)
* *The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker* (2002) - Producer
* *Nintendo Puzzle Collection* (2003) - Character Supervisor (Yoshi's Cookie)
* *Soulcalibur II* (2003) - Nintendo Staff
* *Animal Crossing e+* (2003) - Producer
* *Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3* (2003) - Producer
* *Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour* (2003) - Supervisor
* *Mario Kart: Double Dash‼* (2003) - Producer
* *Mario Party 5* (2003) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition* (2003) - Producer
* *Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga* (2003) - Production Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures* (2004) - Supervisor
* *Mario Golf: Advance Tour* (2004) - Supervisor
* *Pikmin 2* (2004) - Producer
* *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door* (2004) - Supervisor (Characters)
* *Mario Power Tennis* (2004) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap* (2004) - Supervisor
* *Mario Party 6* (2004) - Supervisor
* *Yoshi Topsy-Turvy* (2004) - Supervisor
* *Donkey Kong Jungle Beat* (2004) - General Producer
* *Mario Party Advance* (2005) - Supervisor
* *Yoshi Touch & Go* (2005) - Producer
* *DK: King of Swing* (2005) - Supervisor
* *Star Fox: Assault* (2005) - Project Management
* *Big Brain Academy* (2005) - General Producer
* *Mario Superstar Baseball* (2005) - Supervisor
* *Mario Tennis: Power Tour* (2005) - Supervisor
* *Mario Party 7* (2005) - Supervisor
* *Animal Crossing: Wild World* (2005) - General Producer
* *Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time* (2005) - Production Supervisor
* *New Super Mario Bros.* (2006) - General Producer
* *Mario Hoops 3-on-3* (2006) - Supervisor
* *Yoshi's Island DS* (2006) - Senior Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess* (2006) - Supervisor
* *Super Paper Mario* (2007) - In-Game Graphic Supervisor
* *Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree* (2007) - General Producer
* *Mario Party 8* (2007) - Supervisor
* *Itadaki Street DS* (2007) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass* (2007) - Supervisor
* *Donkey Kong Barrel Blast* (2007) - Supervisor
* *DK: Jungle Climber* (2007) - Supervisor
* *Mario Party DS* (2007) - Supervisor
* *Link's Crossbow Training* (2007) - Producer
* *Super Smash Bros. Brawl* (2008) - Supervisor (Original Games)
* *Mario Super Sluggers* (2008) - Supervisor
* *Captain Rainbow* (2008) - Supervisor (Character Models)
* *Wii Music* (2008) - Producer
* *Animal Crossing: City Folk* (2008) - General Producer
* *New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat* (2008) - General Producer
* *Flipnote Studio* (2008) - Producer
* *New Play Control! Pikmin* (2008) - Supervisor
* *Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story* (2009) - Senior Producer
* *New Play Control! Pikmin 2* (2009) - Supervisor
* *New Super Mario Bros. Wii* (2009) - Producer
* *Samurai Warriors 3* (2009) - Murasame Castle Mode: Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks* (2009) - Supervisor
* *Super Mario Galaxy 2* (2010) - Producer
* *Mario Sports Mix* (2010) - Supervisor
* *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D* (2011) - Senior Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition* (2011) - Senior Producer
* *Super Mario 3D Land* (2011) - General Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword* (2011) - Supervisor
* *Fortune Street* (2011) - Supervisor
* *Mario Party 9* (2012) - Supervisor
* *New Super Mario Bros. 2* (2012) - Producer
* *Animal Crossing: New Leaf* (2012) - General Producer
* *Paper Mario: Sticker Star* (2012) - Supervisor
* *New Super Mario Bros. U* (2012) - Producer
* *New Super Luigi U* (2013) - Producer
* *Mario & Luigi: Dream Team* (2013) - Supervisor
* *Super Mario 3D World* (2013) - General Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds* (2013) - Supervisor
* *Mario Party: Island Tour* (2013) - Supervisor
* *Yoshi's New Island* (2014) - Producer
* *Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U* (2014) - Supervisor (Original Games)
* *Mario Party 10* (2015) - Supervisor
* *Yoshi's Woolly World* (2015) - Producer
* *Super Mario Maker* (2015) - Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes* (2015) - Supervisor
* *Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam* (2015) - Supervisor
* *Paper Mario: Color Splash* (2016) - Supervisor
* *Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS* (2016) - Producer
* *Super Mario Run* (2016) - Director
* *Tank Troopers* (2016) - Supervisor
* *Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World* (2016) - Producer
* *The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* (2017) - Supervisor
* *ARMS* (2017) - Production Management
* *Hey! Pikmin* (2017) - Producer
* *Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions* (2017) - Supervisor
* *Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* (2018) - Original Game Supervisor
* *Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey* (2018) - Supervisor
* *New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe* (2019) - Producer
* *Yoshi's Crafted World* (2019) - Producer
* *Super Mario Maker 2* (2019) - Producer

### Special Thanks

* *Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble* (2000)
* *Nintendo Puzzle Collection* (2003)
* *Mario Pinball Land* (2004)
* *Odama* (2006)
* *Donkey Kong Country Returns* (2010)
* *Crashmo* (2012)
* *Pushmo World* (2014)
* *Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker* (2014)
* *Stretchmo* (2015)
* *Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge* (2016)
* *Super Mario Odyssey* (2017)

## External links

* Takashi Tezuka at IMDB
* Takashi Tezuka at RAWG
* Takashi Tezuka at Mobygames
* Takashi Tezuka at Wikipedia