This week, we reported that a prominent Nintendo figure had left the company after a 40-year career. We are talking about Kensuke Tanabe, who has been involved in countless Nintendo's biggest games, including The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, as well as the Donkey Kong Country and Metroid Prime franchises.
But apparently, he is not the only well-known person the company has lost recently. Famiboards has now brought attention to the fact that Hideki Konno has also left, another veteran who, like Tanabe, began working at Nintendo in 1986. His list of achievements includes being the director of the NES classic Ice Hockey, assistant director of Super Mario Bros. 3, creator of Super Mario Kart, director of Super Mario 64, creator of the Luigi's Mansion series, and producer of several Mario Kart titles (including perhaps the best game in the series, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe).
Apparently, his departure has nothing to do with Tanabe's, though. He actually left the company six months ago, something that's only now getting attention after he updated his Facebook page. Konno will turn 61 in 2026, so it is possible that his age played a role in his decision, but regardless of what he has in mind for the future, we wish him the best of luck and would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all the great entertainment.
It seems that there is a slight shift happening at Nintendo right now, with veterans who started working during the NES era are now approaching retirement. Shigeru Miyamoto will also turn 74 in the fall, and several other well-known figures are also growing older. We believe and hope that Nintendo is well prepared, however, and has trained new generations of developers so that the magic can be passed on in good hands.