Summary
Yasuaki Iwata, a composer who worked on some of the most-popular Switch games, has left his position atNintendo. This departure fromNintendodoes not mark the end of Iwata’s music career, though, as it is confirmed that he has new projects underway.
Iwata earned his first credits at Nintendo for his work on the musical arrangements in twoWii U games. Specifically, Iwata contributed to the music inSuper Mario 3D Worldfrom 2013 andMario Kart 8from 2014. After those titles, Iwata shifted his focus to games that would ultimately release on the Nintendo Switch, and his compositions can be heard throughoutThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,Animal Crossing: New Hoirzons, and beyond.
It seems that players should not expect to see Iwata’s name in the credits of future Nintendo games, though, as the composer has recently confirmed his departure from the company. In fact, Iwata indicates that he left Nintendo in July 2023, and he describes his departure as “taking a step in a new direction.”
Zelda: Breath of the Wild & Animal Crossing: New Horizons Composer Leaves Nintendo
While the specifics of that new direction are currently unknown, Iwata does indicate that he has been working on new projects since leaving Nintendo. This could mean that he has been preparing compositions for non-Nintendo games, or perhaps he has even been working on an album of his own. Whatever the case may be, fans may not have to speculate aboutYasuaki Iwata’s post-Nintendo activities for very long, as he states that he hopes to share some of his new projects in the “near future.”
Until then, players can enjoy Iwata’s work when visiting towns, Divine Beasts, andKass inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Fans will also hear Iwata’s work any time they start upAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, as he composed and arranged the game’s main theme, and at various points throughout the day. So too, Iwata’s music can be heard when racing on a variety of courses inMario Kart 8 Deluxe, including Donut Plains 3, Toad’s Turnpike, and Royal Raceway.
Players need not pull out their Nintendo Switches every time they want to listen to a Yasuaki Iwata composition, though, as some can be found on the newNintendo Music app. For the uninitiated, that app is available to current Nintendo Switch Online members, and it features a variety of Nintendo music playlists. While it is recommended that lovers of video game music explore many of the available playlists, Iwata fans may want to turn their attention to playlists like Hyrule Life and Break Time.
