It’s always uneasy to hear that someone from Nintendo will no longer be working there. They figured out a formula for business that is both successful and influential. This is why I held my breath when I heard that Takehiro Izushi has retired.
But who exactly is Takehiro Izushi?
Back in 1975. he started at Nintendo as an engineer. He would go on to program and produce a number of games before working under Gunpei Yokoi at Nintendo Research and Development 1. When Yokoi left the company in 1997, Izushi was promoted to general manager of Nintendo R&D1. He stayed there, spearheading new game projects until 2005 when Satoru Iwata implemented a restructuring of the company. After this, Izushi would step back from game development for a spot in the General Affairs Division.
You might now know the name, but you know his work. He worked on over 55 different game titles in his 42 years at the company. Some notable projects he was a part of include:
- Donkey Kong (Game & Watch) – Programmer (1982)
- Kirby’s Dream Land 3 – General Manager (1997)
- Pokémon Red and Blue – Producer (International Version) (1998)
- Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition – Producer (1998)
- Pokémon Gold and Silver – Producer (1999)
- F-Zero: Maximum Velocity – Producer (2001)
- Wario Land 4 – Producer (2001)
- Advance Wars – Producer (2001)
- Metroid Fusion – Producer (2002)
- Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire – Producer (2002)
- Fire Emblem- Producer (2003)
- Metroid: Zero Mission – Producer (2004)
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U – Supervisor (2014)
Takehiro Izushi has proven himself to have been a valuable member of Nintendo’s staff. While it is unfortunate to see him go, I commend his efforts and wish him an enjoyable retirement.
Nintendo has not made any statements about his replacement. His final years with the company were in the General Affairs Division. So I don’t expect his replacement will be something worth announcing.