Takashi Tezuka

Takashi Tezuka
Takashi Tezuka from an Iwata Asks video
Born	November 17, 1960
Occupation at Nintendo	Executive Officer of EPD, Nintendo Co., Ltd.

“I have never consciously separated casual users and hardcore gamers when I design a game. For the past 20 years, I have always been trying to make games so that anyone -- as many people as possible -- can enjoy them... I cannot help but say that I love my job of making games from the bottom of my heart.”

—Takashi Tezuka

Takashi Tezuka (in Japanese: 手塚 卓志), sometimes credited under the name Ten Ten, is a veteran video game designer currently working for Nintendo. A graduate of the Design Department of Osaka University of Arts, he joined Nintendo in 1984 and set to work along side Shigeru Miyamoto, creating some of the company's most iconic series and characters, such as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.

He currently holds the position of Executive Officer of EPD, and previously served as General Manager of EAD Software Development Department along side Shigeru Miyamoto.

Some of his better known works including the writing of the script and story for The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, being the senior designer for Super Mario Bros. 3 and leading the production of the animated movie Super Mario Brothers: Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!

Games credited

• Super Mario Bros. - Assistant Director
• Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels - Director, Game Design
• Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic - Meddler
• Super Mario Bros. 2 - Motion Design
• Super Mario Bros. 3 - Director, Game Design
• Super Mario World - Main Director
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - Director
• Super Mario 64 - Assistant Director
• Tetris Attack - Advisor
• Game & Watch Gallery - Design Advisor
• Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Design Advisor
• Yoshi's Story - Producer
• Game & Watch Gallery 3 - Design Advisor
• Super Mario Bros. Deluxe - Supervisor, Original Game Design
• Luigi's Mansion - Producer
• Super Mario Sunshine - Producer
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!! - Producer
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga - Production Supervisor
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - Character Supervisor
• Donkey Kong Jungle Beat - General Producer
• Yoshi Touch & Go - Producer
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time - Production Supervisor
• New Super Mario Bros. - General Producer
• Yoshi's Island DS - Senior Producer
• Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - Senior Producer
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Producer
• Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Producer
• Super Mario 3D Land - General Producer
• New Super Mario Bros. 2 - Producer
• New Super Mario Bros. U - Producer
• Super Mario 3D World - General Producer
• Yoshi's New Island - Producer
• Yoshi's Woolly World - Producer
• Super Mario Maker - Producer
• Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS - Producer
• Super Mario Run - Director
• Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World - Producer
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions - Supervisor
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Producer
• Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey - Supervisor

Gallery

• 

  Tezuka in his early days at Nintendo

• 

  Tezuka with Miyamoto and Kondo at a Super Mario Maker show in Japan

Trivia

• Tezuka's wife was the inspiration for the Boo enemy. This is because she is often very shy but then became angry at him one day for spending too much time at work.