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.” I didn’t draw the key art, but I was responsible for several in-game graphics and their designs. https://t.co/covpOFIY1HNovember 9, 2025
Zelda first arrived in Japan on the Famicom Disk System in 1986, and Imamura joined Nintendo three years later in 1989. His earliest assignments included character and graphic design for F-Zero, before he moved on to sprite work for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past — a role he admits was bittersweet, since he would have preferred to experience the game as a player rather than as a developer.
Describing how graphic production worked in those days, Imamura explains in another tweet that “Windows hadn’t even become standard yet, so we relied on bespoke tools for our work.” He adds, “Many creators I know say the thrill comes from making something compelling within strict constraints. I feel the same way.”
These are the best Zelda games of all time.
