Nintendo properties are anomalies of the video game world. So many of them sit unused for years or decades at a time, not thanks to commercial flops, disinterest from fans, or projects languishing in development hell, but because the creatives behind them seldom make a sequel for the sake of it.

For years, this was the case with the F-Zero series. F-Zero GX is held up as one of the best racing games of all time, and yet after its 2003 launch on GameCube, it would only get a couple of handheld releases before being put on ice for almost 20 years. Yet for all this time, the fans never went away.

“It probably comes down to something that's in common with all Nintendo IP - the aim is to design something that's timeless,” says Takaya Imamura, a former art director at Nintendo .“If you design something that's aiming to capture some kind of a style or a trend at a time, it's inevitably going to feel old when that [time] is over.”

The franchises that Inamura has worked on, namely F-Zero and Star Fox, have stood the test of time remarkably despite very few actual games being released. These older titles are all we’ve had for years, and for many, that has been enough.

I spoke with Inamura at Gamescom 2024 as he promoted his new game, Omega 6: The Triangle Stars. This is his first solo outing since leaving Nintendo in 2021. On top of this, he also works as a professor, teaching a new generation of artists about the art of video games. But with 32 years worth of experience at Nintendo, the company’s influences still shine through, as he impresses the importance of always creating something new.

Why Nintendo Doesn’t Make More Star Fox And F-Zero Games

As Imamura tells me, it’s perhaps this desire to create something new that’s seen both the Star Fox and F-Zero series put on ice for so long.

“For both those games, Shigeru Miyamoto was behind the originals, and he has very strong feelings towards the IP that he's created,” Imamura explains. In other words, Miyamoto would need a reason to greenlight a sequel, and a vision to follow as he directs it.

“But he's also a very busy person. So I think one of the reasons specifically for those two IPs, why you don't see [games] coming more frequently, is because of the balance between what he has on his plate and his desire to be a big part of new games in those franchises. It's just impossible to have regular, yearly [releases], or every five years, even.”

However, Imamura doesn’t think fans should give up hope. “This is just my personal feeling, but I think of those two games, Miyamoto has got strongest feelings for Star Fox,” he says. “So, I think we'll see another game, film, [or] some kind of new development with the IP at some point, but I don't know when or what.

“I’ve already spoken to Miyamoto and said if there’s going to be a film, please just give me a call because I want to be a part of that.”

Imamura is very passionate about getting more Nintendo IPs adapted into film, seeing it as essential for their survival. “If you create a game on a certain game platform or medium, so for example, F-Zero on the Super Nintendo, once that hardware platform is gone, then the IP itself ceases to be accessible,” he explains. “But if you create a film, then that's accessible through the ages.”

Of course, the resurgence of video game adaptations isn’t the only change in the industry that Imamura has to be mindful of. Another topic that’s difficult to avoid is AI, but even then, he feels optimistic.

“It's human nature to want to see the face of the person behind the creative vision,” Imamura says. “So I do think AI can be used, [...] but I think at the end of the day, there's going to be somebody behind that or creating something alongside, because, without that, there's no connection between the audience and the artist.”

Imamura On His New Game, Omega 6: The Triangle Stars

As for what comes next, Imamura isn’t slowing down. “As a creative person, I just want to work on the things I want to work on. Just keep creating,” he explains.

“Omega 6 has been born in a time when it's actually really difficult to kick off new IP, so I'm really, really thankful to everybody who's been involved.”

Taking a look at Omega 6 now, it looks like it will feel familiar to fans of Imamura’s previous work. A 16-bit adventure game, it gives Immura a chance to return to his roots, with visuals clearly inspired by his earlier work on the Star Fox and F-Zero games. The setting is even retro-futuristic in style, clearly going for a ‘90s vibe.

Omega 6: The Triangle Stars doesn’t have a release date just yet, but is aiming to launch on PC and Nintendo Switch.