Nintendo has waved goodbye to one of its most influential – and longest serving – voices with the news that producer and developer Takehiro Izushi has officially retired at the age of 65.
The legendary figurehead joined Nintendo in 1975, where he was involved in the mechanical design of the Beam Gun Custom, a series of wooden, beam-rifle toys. He went on to play an influential role on the Game & Watch line, including programming Donkey Kong for the Multi Screen series in 1982.
He continued to make a significant impact in both Nintendo’s hardware and software development, working on Game Boy Colour in the mid to late ’90s and several Pokémon titles. He’s worked on plenty of entries in the Fire Emblem series (including Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 on Super Famicom and The Binding Blade/The Blazing Blade for Game Boy Advance), and even worked on Star Wars Episode I: Racer. Izushi-san stepped away from development in 2014 to serve on the General Affairs team. It’s staggering to think the man spent 43 years helping shape many of Nintendo’s most important consoles and games.
Let us know what you make of the news of Izushi-san’s departure.It’s sad news to hear, but incredible to know how storied his career has been.