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Changes: Yusuke Nakano

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{{VG Designer|image = [[File:Yusuke Nakano.jpg|thumb|200x200px]]|company = [[Nintendo]] (since 1992)|position = Illustration Supervisor|firstgame = ''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]''|latestgame = [[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)|''The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening'' (Switch)]]|born = 1969<br>Hokkaido, Japan|university = |caption = }}
   
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'''Yusuke Nakano''' is a long-time illustrator at [[Nintendo]], mostly known for his work in the art of ''[[The Legend of Zelda (series)|The Legend of Zelda]]''[[The Legend of Zelda (series)| series]].
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{{VG Designer|image = [[File:Yusuke Nakano.png|thumb|200x200px]]|company = [[Nintendo]] (since 1992)|position = Illustration Supervisor|firstgame = ''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]''|latestgame = ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]''|born = 1969<br>Hokkaido, Japan|university = |caption = Portrait from ''The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts''}}
  
   
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'''Yusuke Nakano''' is an illustrator who works for [[Nintendo]]. He creates the artwork for many Nintendo published video games, or at least helps supervise the creation of art. According to him, before he creates artwork for a particular character or item, he'll sit down with the game's developers to help him determine what exactly to create. Because of the shifts in character design, it's a challenge for him to complete a concrete piece of artwork. Without a doubt he is one of Nintendo's primary artists.
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He creates the artwork for many Nintendo published video games, or at least helps supervise the creation of art. According to him, before he creates artwork for a particular character or item, he'll sit down with the game's developers to help him determine what exactly to create. Because of the shifts in character design, it's a challenge for him to complete a concrete piece of artwork. He has been considered one of Nintendo's primary artists.
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⚫
Nowadays his work consists mostly on illustration management, although he has sometimes drawn illustrations by himself on some of the most recent [[The Legend of Zelda (series)|Zelda]] titles.
  
   
 
==Biography==
  
==Biography==
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[[Image:YusukeNakano.jpg|thumb|right|Self portrait with a miniature Mario sitting on his shoulder.]]
  
[[Image:YusukeNakano.jpg|thumb|right|Self portrait with a miniature Mario sitting on his shoulder.]]
   
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In the beginning, he was, like many illustrators at Nintendo, a fan of comic books. He was particularly fond of American comics and appreciated the work done by Richard Corben and Frank Frazetta. In school, he was concerned that he wouldn't be able to get a job as an artist. At the same time he didn't view video games as anything special. After playing ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'' and the [[Fire Emblem series|''Fire Emblem'' series]], he began to really have a love for the medium. He noticed that the art used in these games were not only the art that he loves, though the kind that he specializes in as well, which urged him to get a job at Nintendo.
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In the beginning, Nakano was, like many illustrators at Nintendo, a fan of comic books. He was particularly fond of American comics and appreciated the work done by Richard Corben and Frank Frazetta. In school, he was concerned that he wouldn't be able to get a job as an artist. At the same time he didn't view video games as anything special. After playing ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'' and the [[Fire Emblem series|''Fire Emblem'' series]], he began to really have a love for the medium. He noticed that the art used in these games were not only the art that he loves, though the kind that he specializes in as well, which urged him to get a job at Nintendo.
   
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He started work on video game illustration with ''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]'' as the packaging designer along with [[Fujiko Nomura]]. He later went on to work on ''[[Super Metroid]]'''s printed artwork and various [[Virtual Boy]] video games. For the [[Nintendo 64]] video games, which include the likes of ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' and various others, he would create CG artwork, though also for games such as ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', which features traditional hand drawn images.
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He started work on video game illustration in [[Nintendo R&D1]] with ''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]'' as the packaging designer along with [[Fujiko Nomura]]. He later went on to work on ''[[Super Metroid]]'''s printed artwork and various [[Virtual Boy]] video games. Later on, he moved to [[Nintendo EAD]], where he worked on various [[Nintendo 64]] video games, which include the likes of ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart 64]]''; in those titles, he would create CG artwork, though also for games such as ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'', which features traditional hand drawn images.
   
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He got the ''Ocarina of Time'' job after hearing about the game and creating a couple concepts for the game's directors. They loved the drawings he made, and chose him to draw the artwork for [[Link]] and various others. His favorite to draw was [[Impa]], though he also like to draw [[Ganondorf]] as well. Following ''Ocarina of Time'', he worked on various other ''Zelda'' titles as well, including ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Wind Waker]]'', and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]''.
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He got the ''Ocarina of Time'' job after hearing about the game and creating a couple concepts for the game's directors. They loved the drawings he made, and chose him to draw the artwork for [[Link]] and various others. His favorite to draw was [[Impa]], though he also like to draw [[Ganondorf]] as well. Following ''Ocarina of Time'', he worked on various other Zelda titles as well, including ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|Majora's Mask]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Wind Waker]]'', and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight Princess]]''. In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons|Oracle of Seasons]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages|Oracle of Ages]]'', he designed the characters on behalf of the development team at [[Capcom]]. He has also designed various pieces of art for games such as ''[[Wave Race: Blue Storm]]'' and even ''[[Animal Crossing]]''.
   
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According to him, the first game in which he worked on a game during its earliest stages was with ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'' for the [[Wii]] and [[GameCube]]. Not only did he help create the artwork, though he also gave examples to the team on how they could express [[Link]], [[Zelda]], and many of the game's monsters via sketches he drew. After he and art director [[Satoru Takizawa]] came up with an idea, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and game director [[Eiji Aonuma]] didn't like it, so they eventually came up with what we have today.
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According to Nakano, the first game in which he worked on a game during its earliest stages was with ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'' for the [[Wii]] and [[GameCube]], where he was the main character designer. Not only did he help create the artwork, though he also gave examples to the team on how they could express [[Link]], [[Zelda]], and many of the game's monsters via sketches he drew. After art director [[Satoru Takizawa]] and him came up with an idea, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and game director [[Eiji Aonuma]] would give their input, until they eventually came up with the final design.
   
  ⚫
Curently, Nakano's work consists mostly on illustration management, although he has sometimes drawn illustrations by himself on some of the most recent [[The Legend of Zelda (series)|Zelda]] titles. Nakano also designed the banner artwork for [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'']], featuring all of the fighters in the title.
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Surprisingly, he also designs various pieces of art for games such as ''[[Wave Race: Blue Storm]]'' and even ''[[Animal Crossing]]''.
  
   
 
==Inspirations==
  
==Inspirations==
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==Game Works==
  
==Game Works==
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''Please note that some of the credits of this list are taken from instruction manuals and are not present in the in-game staff rolls.''
−  
 
*''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]'' (1994) - Package Designer
  
*''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]'' (1994) - Package Designer
 
*''[[Super Metroid]]'' (1994) - Printed Artwork
  
*''[[Super Metroid]]'' (1994) - Printed Artwork
 
*''[[Galactic Pinball]]'' (1995) - Artwork
  
*''[[Galactic Pinball]]'' (1995) - Artwork
−
*[[Virtual Boy Wario Land|''Virtual Boy Wario Land'']] (1995) - Printed Artwork
 +
*''[[Virtual Boy Wario Land]]'' (1995) - Printed Artwork
−
*[[Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War|''Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War'']] (1996) - Artwork
 +
*''[[Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' (1996) - Artwork
−
*[[Wave Race 64|''Wave Race 64'']] (1996) - Package Design
 +
*''[[Super Mario 64]]'' (1996) - CG Illustrator [JP manual]
  +
*''[[Wave Race 64]]'' (1996) - Package Design
  +
*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' (1996) - Package Designer [JP manual]
  +
*''[[Star Fox 64]]'' (1997) - CG Illustrator [JP manual]
 
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' (1998) - Character Illustration
  
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]'' (1998) - Character Illustration
−
*''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|Mario Golf]]''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)| (Nintendo 64)]] (1999) - Package Design
 +
*''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)]]'' (1999) - Package Design
−
*[[Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)|''Mario Golf'' (Game Boy Color)]] (1999) - Graphic Support
 +
*''[[Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)]]'' (1999) - Graphic Support
  +
*''[[Mario Artist: Paint Studio]]'' (1999) - Manual Design, Package and Logo Designer [manual]
⚫
*[[Perfect Dark|''Perfect Dark'']] (2000) - NCL Staff
  
−
*[[Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)|''Mario Tennis'' (Nintendo 64)]] (2000) - CG Design & Package Design
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'' (2000) - Character Illustration / Package Design [JP manual]
  ⚫
*''[[Perfect Dark]]'' (2000) - NCL Staff
  +
*''[[Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)]]'' (2000) - CG Design & Package Design
 
*''[[Mario Party 3]]'' (2000) - Package Illustrator
  
*''[[Mario Party 3]]'' (2000) - Package Illustrator
 
*''[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]'' (2000) - Artwork
  
*''[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]'' (2000) - Artwork
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons|''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons'']] (2001) - Character Design
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons]]'' (2001) - Character Design
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages|''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages'']] (2001) - Character Design
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages]]'' (2001) - Character Design
 
*''[[Wave Race: Blue Storm]]'' (2001) - Character Illustration, Package Design (Japanese Version)
  
*''[[Wave Race: Blue Storm]]'' (2001) - Character Illustration, Package Design (Japanese Version)
−
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' (2001) - Original Game Staff (Character Illustration: The Legend of Zelda)
 +
*''[[Pikmin (video game)|Pikmin]]'' (2001) - Artwork [JP manual]
  +
*''[[Animal Crossing]]'' (2001) - Artwork [JP manual]
  +
*''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' (2002) - Artwork [JP manual]
  ⚫
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords]]'' (2002) - Artwork [JP manual]
  +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]]'' (2002) - Artwork [JP manual]
  +
*''[[Animal Crossing e+]]'' (2003) - Artwork [manual]
 
*''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'' (2003) - CG Illustrator
  
*''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'' (2003) - CG Illustrator
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Navi Trackers|''The Legend of Zelda: Navi Trackers'']] (2004) - Illustrator
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]'' (2003) - Illustration [JP manual]
 
*''[[Mario Golf: Advance Tour]]'' (2004) - CG Illustration
  
*''[[Mario Golf: Advance Tour]]'' (2004) - CG Illustration
−
*[[Donkey Kong Jungle Beat|''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat'']] (2004) - Artwork (Japanese Version)
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap]]'' (2004) - Artwork Supervisor [JP manual]
  +
*''[[Donkey Kong Jungle Beat]]'' (2004) - Artwork [JP manual]
 
*''[[Nintendogs]]'' (2005) - Artwork Advisor
  
*''[[Nintendogs]]'' (2005) - Artwork Advisor
 
*''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'' (2005) - In-game Graphic Supervisor
  
*''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'' (2005) - In-game Graphic Supervisor
 
*''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]'' (2005) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]'' (2005) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3|''Mario Hoops 3-on-3'']] (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' (2006) - CG Illustration Supervisor [JP manual]
  +
*''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'' (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
 
*''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]'' (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]'' (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Yoshi's Island DS|''Yoshi's Island DS'']] (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]'' (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
 
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'' (2006) - Main Character Design / Illustration
  
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]]'' (2006) - Main Character Design / Illustration
 
*''[[WarioWare: Smooth Moves]]'' (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[WarioWare: Smooth Moves]]'' (2006) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Practise English|''Practise English'']] (2007) - Character Design
 +
*''[[Practise English]]'' (2007) - Character Design
 
*''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' (2007) - Artwork
  
*''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' (2007) - Artwork
−
*[[Mario Strikers Charged|''Mario Strikers Charged'']] (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]'' (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*''[[Mario Party 8/gallery|Mario Party 8]]'' (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Party 8]]'' (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Itadaki Street DS|''Itadaki Street DS'']] (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Itadaki Street DS]]'' (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast|''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast'']] (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass]]'' (2007) - Illustration [manual]
  +
*''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]'' (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
 
*''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]'' (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]'' (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
 
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games|''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games'']] (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]'' (2007) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario Party DS|''Mario Party DS'']] (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Party DS]]'' (2007) - CG Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Link's Crossbow Training|''Link's Crossbow Training'']] (2007) - Illustration
 +
*''[[Link's Crossbow Training]]'' (2007) - Illustration
−
*[[Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero|''Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero'']] (2007) - Illustration
 +
*''[[Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero]]'' (2007) - Illustration
⚫
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (2008) - Supervisor (Original Games)
  
 
*''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' (2008) - CG Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' (2008) - CG Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario Super Sluggers|''Mario Super Sluggers'']] (2008) - CG Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'' (2008) - CG Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Wario Land: Shake It!|''Wario Land: Shake It!'']] (2008) - Illustration
 +
*''[[Wario Land: Shake It!]]'' (2008) - Illustration [manual]
−
*[[Captain Rainbow|''Captain Rainbow'']] (2008) - Supervisor (Character Models)
 +
*''[[Captain Rainbow]]'' (2008) - Supervisor (Character Models)
−
*[[Style Savvy|''Style Savvy'']] (2008) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Style Savvy]]'' (2008) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[WarioWare: Snapped!|''WarioWare: Snapped!'']] (2008) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[WarioWare: Snapped!]]'' (2008) - Illustration Supervisor
 
*''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[WarioWare D.I.Y.|''WarioWare D.I.Y.'']] (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[WarioWare D.I.Y.]]'' (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*''[[Punch-Out!! (Wii)|Punch-Out!!]]''[[Punch-Out!! (Wii)| (Wii)]] (2009) - Graphic Supervisor
 +
*''[[Punch-Out!! (Wii)]]'' (2009) - Graphic Supervisor
−
*[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games|''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games'']] (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]'' (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Samurai Warriors 3|''Samurai Warriors 3'']] (2009) - Murasame Castle Mode: Graphic Supervisor
 +
*''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' (2009) - Illustration Supervisor [manual]
  +
*''[[Samurai Warriors 3]]'' (2009) - Murasame Castle Mode: Graphic Supervisor
 
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks]]'' (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks]]'' (2009) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Zangeki no Reginleiv|''Zangeki no Reginleiv'']] (2010) - Artwork
 +
*''[[Zangeki no Reginleiv]]'' (2010) - Artwork
 
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' (2010) - Illustration
  
*''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' (2010) - Illustration
−
*[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!|''Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!'']] (2010) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!]]'' (2010) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Donkey Kong Country Returns|''Donkey Kong Country Returns'']] (2010) - Character Supervisor
 +
*''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' (2010) - Character Supervisor
−
*[[Mario Sports Mix|''Mario Sports Mix'']] (2010) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'' (2010) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D|''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D'']]'' ''(2011)'' ''- Illustration
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D]]'' (2011) - Illustration
−
*[[Super Mario 3D Land|''Super Mario 3D Land'']] (2011) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' (2011) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games/credits|''Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games'']] (Wii) (2011) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]'' (Wii) (2011) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|''The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword'']] (2011)'' ''- Illustration
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword]]'' (2011) - Illustration
 
*''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' (2011) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' (2011) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games/credits|''Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games'']] (3DS) (2012) - Graphic Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]'' (3DS) (2012) - Graphic Supervisor
−
*[[Mario Tennis Open|''Mario Tennis Open'']] (2012) - Artwork
 +
*''[[Mario Tennis Open]]'' (2012) - Artwork
−
*[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star|''Paper Mario: Sticker Star'']] (2012) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Style Savvy: Trendsetters]]'' (2012) - Illustration
−
*[[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon|''Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'']] (2013) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'' (2012) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move|''Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move'']] (2013) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon]]'' (2013) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games|''Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games'']] (2013) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move]]'' (2013) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds|''The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds'']] (2013) - Illustration
 +
*''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]'' (2013) - Illustration Supervisor
  +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds]]'' (2013) - Illustration
−
*[[Dr. Luigi|''Dr. Luigi'']] (2013) - Character Supervision
 +
*''[[Dr. Luigi]]'' (2013) - Character Supervision
−
*[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze|''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'']] (2014) - Illustration Supervisor
  
−
*[[Mario Kart 8|''Mario Kart 8'']] (2014) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'' (2014) - Illustration Supervisor
  +
*''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' (2014) - Illustration Supervisor
⚫
*[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U|''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U'']] (2014) - Supervisor (Original Games)
  
−
*[[Pikmin Short Movies|''Pikmin Short Movies'']] (2014) - Character Supervision
 +
*''[[Pikmin Short Movies]]'' (2014) - Character Supervision
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D|''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D'']] (2015) - Illustration
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D]]'' (2015) - Illustration
−
*[[Mario Party 10|''Mario Party 10'']] (2015) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Party 10]]'' (2015) - Illustration Supervisor
 
*''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]'' (2015) - Illustration Supervisor
  
*''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]'' (2015) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes|''The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes'']] (2015) - Illustration
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes]]'' (2015) - Illustration
−
*[[Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash|''Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash'']] (2015) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash]]'' (2015) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games|''Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games'']] (2016) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]'' (2016) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD|''The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD'']] (2016) - Stamp Design
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD]]'' (2016) - Stamp Design
−
*[[Metroid Prime: Federation Force|''Metroid Prime: Federation Force'']] (2016) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]'' (2016) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Paper Mario: Color Splash|''Paper Mario: Color Splash'']] (2016) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'' (2016) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World|''Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World'']] (2017) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World]]'' (2017) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild|''The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'']] (2017) - Ganon Battle Illustration
 +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]]'' (2017) - Ganon Battle Illustration
−
*[[Snipperclips - Cut it out, together!|''Snipperclips - Cut it out, together!'']] (2017) - Art Adviser
 +
*''[[Snipperclips - Cut it out, together!]]'' (2017) - Art Adviser
−
*[[Mario Sports Superstars|''Mario Sports Superstars'']] (2017) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]'' (2017) - Illustration Supervisor
−
*[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe|''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'']] (2017) - Illustration Supervisor
 +
*''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' (2017) - Illustration Supervisor
  +
*''[[Ever Oasis]]'' (2017) - Graphic Art
  +
*''[[Mario Party: The Top 100]]'' (2017) - Illustration
  +
*''[[Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers]]'' (2018) - Artwork
  +
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' (2018) - Illustration
  +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)]]'' (2019) - Illustration
   
 
=== Special Thanks ===
  
=== Special Thanks ===
−
* ''[[Teleroboxer]]'' (1995)
 +
*''[[Teleroboxer]]'' (1995)
−
* [[Mario Kart 64|''Mario Kart 64'']] (1996)
 +
*''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' (1996)
−
* [[Pocket Monsters Stadium|''Pocket Monsters Stadium'']] (1998)
 +
*''[[Pocket Monsters Stadium]]'' (1998)
−
* ''[[Pokémon Stadium]]'' (1999)
 +
*''[[Pokémon Stadium]]'' (1999)
  +
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' (2001) - Original Game Staff (Character Illustration: The Legend of Zelda)
⚫
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure|The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]'' (2004)
 
  +
*''[[Soulcalibur II]]'' (2003) - Nintendo Staff
⚫
* [[Mario Kart Arcade GP|''Mario Kart Arcade GP'']] (2005)
 
  +
*''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]'' (2004)
⚫
* [[Mario Kart Arcade GP 2|''Mario Kart Arcade GP 2'']] (2007)
 
  ⚫
*''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP]]'' (2005)
⚫
* [[Minna no Joushiki Ryoku TV|''Minna no Joushiki Ryoku TV'']] (2008)
 
  ⚫
*''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP 2]]'' (2007)
−
* [[New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat|''New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat'']] (2008)
 
  ⚫
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (2008) - Supervisor (Original Games)
⚫
* [[Xenoblade Chronicles|''Xenoblade Chronicles'']] (2010)
 
  ⚫
*''[[Minna no Joushiki Ryoku TV]]'' (2008)
⚫
* [[Golden Sun: Dark Dawn|''Golden Sun: Dark Dawn'']] (2010)
  
  +
*''[[Jam with the Band]]'' (2008)
⚫
* [[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords|''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition'']] (2011)
  
−
* [[New Super Mario Bros. 2|''New Super Mario Bros. 2'']] (2012)
 +
*''[[New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat]]'' (2008)
  ⚫
*''[[Xenoblade Chronicles]]'' (2010)
−
* [[New Super Mario Bros. U|''New Super Mario Bros. U'']] (2012)
  
  ⚫
*''[[Golden Sun: Dark Dawn]]'' (2010)
⚫
* [[Nintendo Land|''Nintendo Land'']] (2012)
  
  ⚫
*[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords|''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition'']] (2011)
⚫
* [[New Super Luigi U|''New Super Luigi U'']] (2013)
  
−
* [[Pikmin 3|''Pikmin 3'']] (2013)
 +
*''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' (2012)
−
* [[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX|''Mario Kart Arcade GP DX'']] (2013)
 +
*''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' (2012)
  ⚫
*''[[Nintendo Land]]'' (2012)
−
* [[Super Mario 3D World|''Super Mario 3D World'']] (2013)
  
  ⚫
*''[[New Super Luigi U]]'' (2013)
⚫
* [[Hyrule Warriors|''Hyrule Warriors'']] (2014)
  
−
* ''[[Bayonetta 2]]'' (2014)
 +
*''[[Pikmin 3]]'' (2013)
  +
*''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]'' (2013)
−
* [[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker|''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker'']] (2014)
  
−
* [[Super Mario Maker|''Super Mario Maker'']] (2015)
 +
*''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' (2013)
  ⚫
*''[[Hyrule Warriors]]'' (2014)
⚫
* [[Skylanders: Superchargers|''Skylanders: Superchargers'']] (2015)
  
  ⚫
*''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U]]'' (2014) - Supervisor (Original Games)
⚫
* [[Hyrule Warriors Legends|''Hyrule Warriors Legends'']] (2016)
  
−
* [[Star Fox Zero|''Star Fox Zero'']] (2016)
 +
*''[[Bayonetta]]'' (Wii U) / ''[[Bayonetta 2]]'' (2014)
−
* [[Star Fox Guard|''Star Fox Guard'']] (2016)
 +
*''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]'' (2014)
  +
*''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' (2015)
  ⚫
*''[[Skylanders: Superchargers]]'' (2015)
  ⚫
*''[[Hyrule Warriors Legends]]'' (2016)
  +
*''[[Star Fox Zero]]'' (2016)
  +
*''[[Star Fox Guard]]'' (2016)
  +
*''[[ARMS]]'' (2017)
  +
*''[[Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition]]'' (2018)
  +
  +
== Interviews ==
  +
* [https://www.nintendo.co.jp//nom/0102/interv02/index.html N.O.M.: ''The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons''/''Ages'']
  +
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160310234700/http://zelda.com/universe/game/twilightprincess/inside03.jsp Nintendo Power: Inside ''Zelda: Twilight Princess''] (archived)
  +
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMP-e-c1NZE The Art of Legend of ''Zelda'' Series Masterclass]
  +
* [https://www.ndw.jp/smashsp-illust_hiwa/ Nintendo Dream: ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'']
 
[[Category:Illustrators]]
  
[[Category:Illustrators]]
 
[[Category:Supervisors]]
  
[[Category:Supervisors]]

Revision as of 15:59, 30 April 2020

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Yusuke Nakano   [Edit]   [Talk]


Yusuke Nakano is a long-time illustrator at Nintendo, mostly known for his work in the art of The Legend of Zelda series.

He creates the artwork for many Nintendo published video games, or at least helps supervise the creation of art. According to him, before he creates artwork for a particular character or item, he'll sit down with the game's developers to help him determine what exactly to create. Because of the shifts in character design, it's a challenge for him to complete a concrete piece of artwork. He has been considered one of Nintendo's primary artists.

Biography

YusukeNakano

Self portrait with a miniature Mario sitting on his shoulder.

In the beginning, Nakano was, like many illustrators at Nintendo, a fan of comic books. He was particularly fond of American comics and appreciated the work done by Richard Corben and Frank Frazetta. In school, he was concerned that he wouldn't be able to get a job as an artist. At the same time he didn't view video games as anything special. After playing The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and the Fire Emblem series, he began to really have a love for the medium. He noticed that the art used in these games were not only the art that he loves, though the kind that he specializes in as well, which urged him to get a job at Nintendo.

He started work on video game illustration in Nintendo R&D1 with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 as the packaging designer along with Fujiko Nomura. He later went on to work on Super Metroid's printed artwork and various Virtual Boy video games. Later on, he moved to Nintendo EAD, where he worked on various Nintendo 64 video games, which include the likes of Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64; in those titles, he would create CG artwork, though also for games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which features traditional hand drawn images.

He got the Ocarina of Time job after hearing about the game and creating a couple concepts for the game's directors. They loved the drawings he made, and chose him to draw the artwork for Link and various others. His favorite to draw was Impa, though he also like to draw Ganondorf as well. Following Ocarina of Time, he worked on various other Zelda titles as well, including Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess. In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, he designed the characters on behalf of the development team at Capcom. He has also designed various pieces of art for games such as Wave Race: Blue Storm and even Animal Crossing.

According to Nakano, the first game in which he worked on a game during its earliest stages was with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii and GameCube, where he was the main character designer. Not only did he help create the artwork, though he also gave examples to the team on how they could express Link, Zelda, and many of the game's monsters via sketches he drew. After art director Satoru Takizawa and him came up with an idea, Shigeru Miyamoto and game director Eiji Aonuma would give their input, until they eventually came up with the final design.

Curently, Nakano's work consists mostly on illustration management, although he has sometimes drawn illustrations by himself on some of the most recent Zelda titles. Nakano also designed the banner artwork for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, featuring all of the fighters in the title.

Inspirations

  • Yusuke Nakano has explained that during the time of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, he was deeply into the comic book Hellboy, saying that it probably helped shape the game in one way or another.

Game Works

Please note that some of the credits of this list are taken from instruction manuals and are not present in the in-game staff rolls.

Special Thanks

Interviews

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