Over the vacation season, we’re republishing a few of the greatest articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors from 2025. This text was initially printed in February. Get pleasure from!
There’s no query that Nintendo makes a few of the greatest video video games on the planet because of its extremely expert and passionate in-house and accomplice builders. However how typically does the corporate let these builders converse freely in regards to the video games they make?
Final yr we received the chance to talk with the legendary artist Takaya Imamura, well-known for Star Fox, Captain Falcon and the various machines in F-Zero, and even Majora’s Masks itself. He was with Nintendo for over 30 years engaged on numerous video games till leaving the corporate in 2021 to pursue one thing totally different. So, naturally, we stated ‘Sure!’ and flew 1000’s of miles to sit down down with the person himself.
Imamura-san is now coming again to gaming together with his new undertaking OMEGA 6: The Triangle Stars, an journey impressed by his personal manga. On this interview, we converse in regards to the upcoming recreation, his days engaged on video games like Zelda, and why he left Nintendo in any case these years…
Nintendo Life (Zion Grassl): Omega 6 appears so much like a long-lost Tremendous Famicom recreation. How lengthy have you ever had the concept for this recreation in your head?
Takaya Imamura: So it’s really fairly new as an idea. It’s derived from the manga. The concept wasn’t there from the start. I wrote the manga, then the prospect to create a recreation based mostly on it got here up.
In that regard, what do you like about working exterior of Nintendo and the way is growing a recreation totally different now for you?
Now I get pleasure from it. I’m blissful.
Did we hear accurately that you just’re a professor as properly? How do you juggle all of that?
Merely put, as a professor I’m educating college students, they arrive to class at a sure time, there’s summer season holidays and I do know after I have to work and after I don’t. Like Indiana Jones. [makes whip-cracking sound]
Are you a giant Indiana Jones fan?
Yea, yeah!
Are you going to play The Nice Circle when that comes out?
Ahh, after all!
What has it been like being a instructor and a well-known recreation developer? Do you could have college students that know of and are followers of your work?
There are some like that, however the majority don’t actually know who I’m.
Wow! That’s so attention-grabbing! I really feel should you have been a instructor within the US or the UK folks would react in another way to you being their instructor.
Even college students who actually look as much as me have a tendency to carry again throughout class. It’s after we exit for a meal or drinks then they ask if I’ll signal or draw one thing!
It’s good that there’s a time and place for that form of factor. To get again to Omega 6, what was your largest inspiration for the artwork course?
As soon as I left Nintendo, I used to be considering, ‘How can I do one thing alone as a inventive?’ The best and very first thing that got here to thoughts was to make a comic book since I can draw. I actually wasn’t considering of how I might promote the comedian and earn money, I simply actually needed to attract this comedian. If I can put it digitally on Kindle and some folks purchase it? Nice!
The sport itself has a large roster of characters, and I really like how there’s an inventory of all of them that you would be able to flip via. Are you sharing design duties with anybody else or are all of them created by you?
Thanks! Principally it was all me besides there are 4 characters in there that my college students designed. I did the pixel artwork for these few characters however my college students got here up with the unique designs.
That’s wonderful! You directed Metal Diver and have labored on loads of different video games with Nintendo over your a few years there, however when’s the final time you’ve gotten to specific your self on this method?
It’s the primary time I’ve been this free, as a result of there’s no one to inform me ‘No’, or to inform me when to cease. I simply do what I would like as a lot as I would like.
After I was at Nintendo, or while you’re doing one thing in an expert atmosphere and the undertaking has milestones that folks must examine off, you get senior folks just like the producers and managers that say, “Alright, it’s essential to reel this one in,” or, “Let’s not do that.” Ya know, I actually by no means appreciated that. I believe for just about anyone who’s an expert recreation developer, that is one thing they’ll undergo. In fact, , while you’re at an organization, the corporate has to earn money!
Do you keep in mind what it was that made you wish to go away Nintendo? You’d been there for a few years, but it surely’s a dream for a lot of to work there.
It’s really fairly easy. I stop after I was 65. This is identical for anyone, however life is brief. We’ve solely received a variety of years on this earth and there’s a restrict to the quantity of issues you are able to do with that point. I used to be form of mulling over that and on the similar time I received an invite from the college to return and train and I assumed, ‘Whoa, this is a chance to vary issues.’
This was three or 4 years in the past, proper?
I left in 2021!
What are some things you miss working at Nintendo?
For the primary six months or so after leaving Nintendo, I stored dreaming I used to be nonetheless going to work. I’d begin growing a recreation after which I’d get up and go, “Oh, oh. Okay that’s bizarre.”
I really met with Shigeru Miyamoto as soon as after I left and I stated, “Hey, very long time no see!” However I really didn’t really feel like that was true since I used to be seeing him in my goals on a regular basis. He received a very good giggle out of that.
You have been at Nintendo for such a very long time, so have been you fairly shut with numerous your colleagues?
Yeah, I nonetheless maintain involved with all of them. For instance, the director of Animal Crossing, Aya Kyogoku, is popping out to see me train within the classroom in October.
Wow, actually?! Is she going to be talking or simply sitting in to look at?
She’s simply coming over for a chat! If I’ve her give a lecture or one thing like that, then she’s gotta ask Nintendo and it must be accepted.
How does it really feel for you to have the ability to cross on all of the belongings you’ve discovered to a more moderen technology?
It’s very tough as a result of if I used to be to host a speech, numerous folks would come and pay attention, I believe. After we flip it into a proper lecture, then there’s people who find themselves like, “Ughhh, I don’t wanna be right here.” Individuals sleep in school, so it’s like several lecture in class.
So I do know you’re very well-known for creating Tingle – was there something particular that actually impressed you to make him?
The background and the lore of the character was determined beforehand and I used to be solely chargeable for the visuals. Principally, I discovered a man on the crew and drew a caricature and there was Tingle!
That appears to be a operating theme for you, taking members of your crew and placing them within the recreation! You probably did this with Star Fox, Falco and Slippy too, yeah?
I’m fairly good at caricatures. With Star Fox, it wasn’t a direct caricature however as an alternative I used to be taking inspiration from totally different folks. However yeah, that is among the methods I do it.
So that you’re saying there’s a real-life Tingle roaming round on the planet?
Sure.
We all know there have been numerous character designs that have been carried over from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to Majora’s Masks however did you design every other characters in that recreation?
The one actual NPC I made was Tingle, however I designed the Moon and Majora’s Masks and that was form of iconic. I used to be the artwork director, so I wasn’t designing the precise characters, extra setting the general theme and course for the artwork.
Do you keep in mind why you have been tasked with designing Tingle then? Did somebody on the crew need you to do it?
It was only a coincidence actually. Everybody else was busy so somebody requested me, “Hey, might you do that one?” and I stated, “Certain!”
Majora’s Masks was developed in a really brief period of time, which sounds prefer it may very well be actually traumatic, however while you assume again to that point making that recreation, is there something that stands out? A humorous second, possibly the way in which you bonded with a coworker, or a method you made your self proud?
It was a extremely brief undertaking in comparison with common Nintendo timelines, so all people was actually centered on getting it accomplished. So there actually wasn’t a lot room for enjoyable, video games, and hijinks. However, close to the top of improvement, I had a homepage on the time and I used to be drawing caricatures on it only for enjoyable and a TV firm received involved. There’s a program in Japan the place they get folks on they usually compete by drawing caricatures they usually’re judged and every thing, and I received invited to go on that!
And I assumed, ‘Huh, okay!’ It’s a reasonably well-known program in Japan, so I assumed I’d ask Nintendo they usually stated, “Yeah, go forward, why not!” Nintendo stated okay, however I used to be planning to go on with out making a giant deal in regards to the reality I labored for Nintendo. Then I heard the date this system was going to go stay, and it was the discharge date for Majora’s Masks in Japan!
So I assumed, ‘Properly, in that case, I’ll go on and say who I used to be!’ Then this system ended up coming all the way down to the studio and filmed us growing the sport just a little bit, and there was me at my desk drawing some photos. It was such a cheerful coincidence.
Have you learnt if that’s out there on-line to observe?
I haven’t been capable of finding it really.
Oh actually?! I’d personally accomplish that a lot to see that!
This system was known as TV Champion. *picks up telephone and begins trying* It’s a knockout competitors and I made it via to the ultimate!
By the way in which, are you a fan of Tingle?
*shrugs and shakes head*
[Laughs] I do know there was a fan marketing campaign to do away with Tingle at one level, very like Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars!
I used to be fairly younger when the sport got here out, I believe I performed it after I was eight. I keep in mind eager to be Hyperlink after I was a child, so after I noticed Tingle, I used to be like, “Oooo, who is that this man?” He doesn’t match within the swimsuit, flying round on balloons, letting out a humorous scream while you shoot him down. I’ve grown to like him now, however as a child I all the time needed to be the ‘cool man.’
This interview has been edited for readability and to take away some particulars on the request of the interviewee.
Journey lodging for this journey have been offered by Gamescom.
Many because of Mr Imamura for talking with us. Omega 6: The Triangle Stars launches for Swap within the West on twenty eighth February. Darkish Horse Comics has additionally introduced that the Omega 6 manga shall be out there in English in October this yr.
