Kensuke Tanabe

Kensuke Tanabe is an Senior Officer at Nintendo, and the producer of several franchise at the company over the years. He primarily works with overseas developers who aren't part of the immediate Nintendo structure such as Next Level Games, Kuju, Nintendo Software Technology in Redmond, Retro Studios, and various others.

History
Tanabe joined Nintendo in April 1986, where he was in charge of Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic (and its eventual conversion Super Mario Bros. 2) as his first project. Later he assisted with course design on Super Mario Bros. 3, as well as scriptwriting in Zelda games and support in several others.

In 2003, he was made Group Manager of Nintendo SPD3. Ever since he has taken over Shigeru Miyamoto's production role on various franchises like Metroid Prime, Donkey Kong, Paper Mario, Chibi-Robo and many others.

Since then, he has been sort of promoted to an Executive Officer in Nintendo SPD, with Keisuke Terasaki being the Deputy Manager of SPD3.

Game Works

 * Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic (1987) - Director (as Chappy), Course Design (as Tanabe)
 * Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) - Director, Course Design
 * Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) - Course Design
 * The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) - Script Writer
 * The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993) - Script Writer
 * Stunt Race FX (1994) - Map Designer
 * Kirby's Dream Course (1994) - Map Designer
 * Donkey Kong Country (1994) - Additional Support
 * Kirby's Avalanche (1995) - Nintendo Staff
 * Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995) - Map Designer
 * Kirby's Block Ball (1995) - Supervisor
 * Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996) - Screenplay Advisor
 * Super Mario USA Power Challenge (1996) - Original Game Design
 * Kirby Super Star (1996) - Adviser
 * Special Tee Shot (1996) - Map Designer
 * Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (1996) - Japanese Text Translation, Nintendo Co., Ltd.
 * Pocket Monsters Stadium (1998) - Battle Director
 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) - Script Support
 * Pokemon Snap (1999) - Supervisor
 * Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000) - Assistant Manager
 * Pokémon Stadium 2 (2000) - Pokémon Stadium: Staff
 * Super Mario Advance (2001) - Supervisor
 * Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! (2001) - Advisor
 * Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) - Mobile Support (Japanese Version)
 * Magical Vacation (2001) - Advisor
 * Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest (2002) - Supervisor
 * Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak (2002) - Advisor
 * Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002) - Supervisor
 * Metroid Prime (2002) - Coproducer
 * The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past &amp; Four Swords (2002) - Script (A Link to the Past)
 * GiFTPiA (2003) - Supervisor
 * Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue (2003) - Advisor
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) - Supervisor
 * Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004) - Producer
 * Star Fox: Assault (2005) - Project Management
 * Kirby Canvas Curse (2005) - Producer
 * Chibi-Robo!: Plug Into Adventure! (2005) - Producer
 * Geist (2005) - Producer
 * Battalion Wars (2005) - Producer
 * Metroid Prime Pinball (2005) - Producer
 * Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA) (2005) - Producer
 * Super Mario Strikers (2005) - Producer
 * Tottoko Hamtaro Nazonazo Q: Kumonoue no? Jou (2005) - Producer
 * Metroid Prime: Hunters (2006) - Producer
 * Mother 3 (2006) - Producer
 * Magical Starsign (2006) - Producer
 * bit Generations series (2006) - Producer
 * Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland (2006) - Producer
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (2006) - Producer
 * Custom Robo Arena (2006) - Producer
 * Kirby Squeak Squad (2006) - Producer
 * Excite Truck (2006) - Producer
 * Super Paper Mario (2007) - Producer
 * Mario Strikers Charged (2007) - Producer
 * Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol (2007) - Producer
 * Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007) - Producer
 * Theta (2007) - Producer
 * Battalion Wars 2 (2007) - Producer
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) - Producer
 * Captain Rainbow (2008) - Producer
 * Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (2008) - Producer
 * Kirby Super Star Ultra (2008) - Producer
 * Art Style series (2008) - Producer
 * New Play Control! Metroid Prime (2009) - Producer
 * Picross 3D (2009) - Producer
 * Picturebook Games: Pop-Up Pursuit (2009) - Producer
 * Bonsai Barber (2009) - Producer
 * Excitebots: Trick Racing (2009) - Producer
 * Punch-Out!! (Wii) (2009) - Producer
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (2009) - Producer
 * New Play Control! Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2009) - Producer
 * New Play Control! Chibi-Robo! (2009) - Producer
 * Okaeri! Chibi Robo! Happy Richie Dai Souji (2009) - Producer
 * Irozuki Tingle no Koi no Balloon Trip (2009) - Producer
 * Rock N' Roll Climber (2009) - Producer
 * Metroid Prime Trilogy (2009) - Producer
 * Art Academy (2009) - Producer
 * Picturebook Games: The Royal Bluff (2009) - Producer
 * Excitebike: World Rally (2009) - Producer
 * Eco Shooter: Plant 530 (2009) - Producer
 * A Kappa's Trail (2009) - Producer
 * Aura-Aura Climber (2010) - Producer
 * Face Pilot: Fly with your Nintendo DSi Camera! (2010) - Producer
 * Art Academy (Retail Version) (2010) - Producer
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! (2010) - Producer
 * Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010) - Producer
 * Fluidity (2010) - Producer
 * Pilotwings Resort (2011) - Producer
 * Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident (2011) - Producer
 * Kirby Mass Attack (2011) - Senior Producer
 * Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! (2011) - Producer
 * Pushmo (2011) - Producer
 * Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword (2011) - Producer
 * Dillon's Rolling Western (2012) - Producer
 * Kirby's Dream Collection (2012) - Producer
 * Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! (2012) - Producer
 * Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! (2012) - Producer
 * Crashmo (2012) - Producer
 * Paper Mario: Sticker Star (2012) - Producer
 * SiNG Party (2012) - Producer
 * Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (2013) - Special Advisor
 * Game &amp; Wario (2013) - Directing Support, Game Design
 * Nintendoji (2013) - Producer
 * Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger (2013) - Producer
 * Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (2013) - Producer
 * Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (2013) - Producer
 * Chibi-Robo!: Photo Finder (2013) - Producer
 * Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014) - Producer
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U (2014) - Supervisor (Original Games)
 * Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (2015) - Producer
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (2015) - Supervisor
 * Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash (2015) - Producer
 * Mario &amp; Luigi: Paper Jam (2015) - Supervisor
 * Mini Mario &amp; Friends: amiibo Challenge (2016) - Producer
 * Metroid Prime: Federation Force (2016) - Producer
 * Paper Mario: Color Splash (2016) - Producer
 * Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers (2018) - Producer
 * WarioWare Gold (2018) - Producer
 * Luigi's Mansion (3DS) (2018) - Producer
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) - Original Game Supervisor
 * Luigi's Mansion 3 (2019) - Producer
 * Metroid Prime 4 (TBA) - Producer

Special Thanks

 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)
 * Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995)
 * Pilotwings 64 (1996)
 * Super Smash Bros. (1999) (Diplomacy)
 * Pokémon Stadium (1999)
 * Pikmin (2001)
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) (Nintendo Support Staff)
 * NBA Courtside 2002 (2002)
 * Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011)
 * Mario Kart 7 (2011)
 * Mario Party 9 (2012)
 * Lego City: Undercover (2013)
 * Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins (2013)
 * Kirby: Triple Deluxe (2014)
 * Pushmo World (2014)
 * Stretchmo (2015)
 * Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch) (2018)

Iwata Asks

 * Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (JP)
 * Punch-Out!!
 * Donkey Kong Country Returns
 * Freakyforms (Video)
 * Paper Mario: Sticker Star