Earlier this week, longtime Nintendo producer and current executive officer Takashi Tezuka announced that he would be retiring from the company . Tezuka had been with Nintendo since the mid-80s, cutting his teeth on Punch-Out‼ before tackling some of the most pivotal games in history. This rap sheet includes Super Mario Bros. , The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing . However, those at Nintendo speak of Tezuka most reverently on Link’s Awakening , a game they feel pivoted the Zelda series towards its greatest adventures. Fresh out of art school, Tezuka applied to Nintendo alongside a friend. His pal didn’t make the cut, but Tezuka did, which was only curious due to the fact that Tezuka had little interest or exposure to video games prior to his new job. His influences were more rooted in art and film than arcade hits. He claims he had never even heard of Pac-Man before joining Nintendo. Over time his outsider proposals became his secret weapon. Boos in Super Mario Bros.…