Former Nintendo developer Takaya Imamura has expressed disappointment that he never had the chance to work on the original NES during his time at the company.
In 2021, Imamura left Nintendo after an impressive 32-year career. He is best known for his work as the creative lead on the Star Fox and F-Zero series, overseeing nearly every entry in these beloved franchises.
One of Imamura’s most notable contributions to the gaming industry came in 2000 when he created the quirky, pajama-wearing fairy-man Tingle for *The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask*, a character that has since become an iconic part of Nintendo’s roster.
Despite his influential role and involvement with some of Nintendo’s most cherished cult classics, Imamura recently shared his regret over never having the opportunity to develop games for Nintendo’s original breakthrough console, the NES.
Responding on Twitter to a fellow developer who expressed love for making NES games to work within their technical limitations, Imamura wrote, “I joined the company right when the SNES was in development, so I never had the chance to work on the NES.”
Imamura joined Nintendo in 1989, with his first credited work being *F-Zero* in 1990—a launch title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). He added, “I’ve always wished I could have experienced developing for the NES at least once!”
Earlier this year, Imamura released *OMEGA 6 The Triangle Stars*, a sci-fi adventure game inspired by the SNES era. Interestingly, he showed some curiosity when fans mentioned modern tools available for creating NES-style games, hinting that he might revisit his dream of developing for the NES in the future.
With his passion for retro-inspired gaming and decades of experience, fans eagerly await what Imamura might create next.
https://www.gamesradar.com/platforms/nintendo-switch-2/despite-a-30-year-run-in-charge-of-star-fox-and-f-zero-former-nintendo-veteran-takaya-imamura-always-wished-i-could-have-experienced-developing-for-the-nes-at-least-once/