Takaya Imamura, widely recognized by Nintendo fans as the art director behind The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, is the creative mind responsible for some of the series’ most memorable and unsettling visuals, including the eerie moon and the quirky character Tingle.
A Lifelong Fan
Imamura revealed on Twitter that his connection to the franchise goes back decades: “I’ve been a fan of The Legend of Zelda since my student days! I have fond memories of working hard with my friends to beat the ‘Second Quest.'”
The Challenge of the Second Quest
For context, the Second Quest is a more difficult version of the original NES game. Players unlock it after defeating Ganon for the first time, or by entering ‘ZELDA’ as their name on the start screen. While not the hardest game in the NES library, completing the Second Quest—with its remixed dungeons and hidden secrets—requires serious dedication and teamwork.
The Legend of Zelda first debuted in Japan on the Famicom Disk System in 1986, and Takaya Imamura joined Nintendo just a few years later, in 1989. His early work included designing characters and graphics for F-Zero, the racing game, before moving on to sprite work for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Imamura admitted he “wasn’t too pleased” about that assignment, as he would have preferred to simply enjoy the game as a fan.
Reflecting on the creative process for those classic titles, Imamura explained in a tweet: “Back then, Windows didn’t even exist yet, and we used specialized software for our work.” He continued, “Many creators I know say that the real joy comes from creating something interesting within limitations. I feel the same way.”
