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Kensuke Tanabe, veteran producer at Nintendo who became known for his work on the Metroid Prime series, has reportedly announced his retirement.
As covered by VGC, Tanabe’s announcement comes via an interview with the Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream, which has been uploaded online by a user on Weibo. Tanabe states that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was to be his final game at the company, with his protégé producer Risa Tabata succeeding him should another Prime game be made in the future.
Tabata’s first game with Nintendo was, coincidentally, Metroid Prime on the GameCube. She has since worked as an assistant producer on titles such as Donkey Kong Country Returns, Paper Mario: Color Splash, and The Thousand-Year Door on Switch.
As for Tanabe, he reportedly states in the interview that he had wanted to create a Metroid title focused on Samus and Sylux since dropping subtle hints in Prime 3: Corruption and Federation Force. Realising that Prime 4: Beyond might be his last shot to do this, he decided to make it the first entry in the Sylux saga.
“I envisioned Sylux as a dark, resentful villain who resorts to underhanded tactics. After this game, Samus would realize that a direct confrontation with him is inevitable – she must defeat him completely.
“That’s why the final showdown between Sylux and Samus remains unfinished. However, completing this game took far longer than anticipated.
“Furthermore, I have confirmed that I will no longer be involved in the production of the series moving forward. Whether a sequel will be made is still uncertain, but I sincerely hope that one day, Ms Tabata and Retro Studios will be able to tell this story completely and bring it to a close.”
Tanabe leaves behind a remarkable legacy at Nintendo. His first game with the company was Super Mario Bros. 2 in 1987 during which he served as director. Since then, he’s transitioned into one of the most prominent producers at the company, working on everything from Luigi’s Mansion to WarioWare and beyond, and we’re certain he will be sorely missed.
Thanks for everything, Tanabe-san.