Ryo Nagamatsu has leftNintendo. The famed composer who gave us the soundtracks forSplatoon 2and3, Wii Sports Resort,Super Mario Galaxy 2,Mario Kart 8,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and bothThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s AwakeningandA Link Between Worlds, as well as others, departs from the company after 17 years.“I have made a decision to leave the company of June 20, 2025,“wrote Nagamatsuin both English and Japanese in a statement on Twitter. “I will work a little wider and more directly to help those who need my help and to help the industry. Thank you all for your kind support! I look forward to [serving] you in the future!“Related:Exploded Nintendo Consoles Are My Favorite Kind Of Video Game ArtNagamatsu added that his departure was “an amicable settlement,” so it sounds like he just wanted to spread his wings and leave the Nintendo nest. It also sounds like he’ll be able to offer his services as a freelancer to other game studios, but this doesn’t mean he can’t still provide Nintendo with another soundtrack here and there.
Although Nagamatsu is just 40 years old, he has 17 years of experience working as a composer at Nintendo. Perhaps realizing that his youthful appearance doesn’t properly convey this experience, Nagamatsu offered a second photograph that has been lightly doctored to appear as old as his resume suggests.
Fans responded to Nagamatsu’s announcement with thanks and well wishes on his future endeavors, while some fans lament his departure from Nintendo.
“Wow. He was a fantastic arranger,” remarkedone ResetEra user. “His work on A Link Between Worlds and Link’s Awakening was superb. Just perfectly tasteful interpretations of the source materials.” Anotheragreed: “Splat music is so unique and distinct, sad for Nintendo. Sounds like he’s going to move around though which is cool.”
In other Nintendo news, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has officially become the highest-grossing video game adaptation to ever hit the big screen, withover $1 billion in worldwide box office sales. The Mario Movie hit the $1 billion milestone on Sunday, cementing its position as the best-selling video game film of all time.
