It should come as no surprise that Nintendo is quite the haven for talented individuals.
Given the sheer quality of its products and the dedication of its development teams, we imagine Nintendo must be a pretty intimidating place for anybody. And indeed, according to Star Fox designer Takaya Imamura (thanks, Automaton), this was indeed the case during his own stint at the company.
In speaking on X, he noted that he felt relieved when he left the company; not because it provided a negative experience of any kind, but rather so that the overwhelming sense of inferiority he felt could be eased. Despite his own huge contributions, it seems even Imamura felt somewhat intimidated by his talented colleagues.
“I really felt that Nintendo is full of amazing people, and I was constantly thinking about how to prove my own worth among them. A sense of inferiority was always lingering somewhere.
“When I left the company, it’s true that I felt a sense of freedom, as if I had been released from the inferiority complex I’d carried for years. But at the same time, there was also a loneliness in thinking, “I won’t be able to work with these people anymore…” That said, with only a few years left until retirement anyway, and since game development often takes many years, I felt a stronger desire to move forward at my own pace, doing more freely creative things.”
Shinji Watanabe, another ex-Nintendo employee and now CEO of Epsilon Software, responded to Imamura and agreed, even describing developers at Nintendo as “celestial beings”.
Imamura has certainly earned his place in the Nintendo Hall of Fame, however, having contributed to massive franchises such as Star Fox, F-Zero, and The Legend of Zelda. He has since released Omega 6: The Triangle Stars on Switch.
