RIP Satoru Iwata

Something went horribly awry with Nintendo Co. Ltd. President Satoru Iwata after he was forced to skip E3 last year for then-undetermined health reasons, which he would have historically never done despite the Wii U’s performance on the market. Nintendo still had big upcoming games to show for both their current platforms, and the company’s presence at the event lacked a special spark only Iwata could contribute. It was shortly afterward that we learned of the bile duct growth found in Iwata, which can prove dangerous depending on many factors. Despite appearing noticeably thinner when he resurfaced in a Nintendo Direct later in 2014, which he went out of his way to acknowledge, it was thought that his condition was improving.

But it was far worse than his appearances suggested, as he tragically passed on July 11th at the young age of 55 — far too young for anyone to go, but especially so considering what Iwata contributed to Nintendo. Since learning of his death, many online have unsurprisingly-but-heartwarmingly mourned his loss. Along with that, they’ve shared their favorite memories of Iwata, remembering everything he contributed to the company. It’s after observing his accomplishments that you can understand how significant a loss he’ll be for Nintendo’s future.

The biggest difference between Iwata and a plethora of other game company executives was how he actually assisted with the development of video games prior to rising to a higher position. Before becoming general manager and subsequently president of the company’s main arm, Iwata spent a sizable amount of his game development time with HAL Laboratory. They’re mainly known for their work with the Kirby franchise, but leaving it at that would be undermining his early accomplishments. Iwata was there to assist with many of Nintendo’s critically-acclaimed titles in minor and major ways.

More specifically, Iwata spent time as one of the best programmers Nintendo had, even outside of HAL. His skills were demonstrated decades ago through titles like Pinball and Balloon Fight, where he was uncredited in the earliest versions. It’s perhaps no coincidence that Balloon Fight was recently played during the Nintendo World Championships. Little did we know it was making for a fitting sendoff at the time, but that moment will most assuredly be viewed differently through the lens of history. While at HAL, Iwata also notably handled most, if not all, of the programming for Earthbound. It helps show that the man was skilled in many areas.

Those aren’t the only programming credits he should be remembered for. It’s not well known, but he also programmed the North American version of Dragon Warrior, referred to as splendid work for its time. He also ported the battle system for Pokémon Stadium to the Nintendo 64 with no prior reference documents in one week. It was also noted late last year that he handled debugging for the original Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64, to ensure that it released on time. The last two examples are especially noteworthy because he did this during a time where he’d been promoted to Nintendo’s General Manger, mere years before becoming the company’s president.

Despite rising through the ranks, he never forgot his past during his tenure as president, and this made him stand out from any other exec you can think of. This was shown though the “Iwata Asks” installments he participated in over the years (including one for Fire Emblem Fates, done only recently), where he knew precisely what to ask developers to make for informative interviews. He also came off as incredibly genuine during public appearances and Nintendo Directs, far more than what you can say for most (or all?) company CEOs. Some may have disagreed with his methods, but no one had anything bad to say about his personality.

What should also be remembered is how he handled the company’s business. You don’t see the executives of companies take the fall for failures often enough, as many try to balance finances out by laying off staff. Iwata realized this would reduce morale, due to the overwhelming feeling of dread that would figuratively hover above the heads of most employees lest they could be next Not to mention some would have to do the jobs of those let go without a raise in pay. Nintendo didn’t mark the first time a company’s execs took pay cuts in response to unfortunate financial performances, but it’s nonetheless rare enough that it should be congratulated whenever it happens. Iwata was accused of being short-term-minded, but he was more long-term minded than many.

The level of humility and expertise Iwata possessed was highly uncommon among execs in high places. That’s the biggest reason why Iwata will be missed, though there’s no shortage of other reasons. This applies not only to Nintendo’s corporate structure, but for those who came to respect and adore him throughout his tenure. It’s certainly possible for Nintendo to find a potentially viable replacement, and for the time being, both Genyo Takeda and Shigeru Miyamoto will take the reins as Representative Directors. But they’ll never have someone like Iwata again. Just the same, no one will prove quite as informative and humble for the audience who enjoyed seeing his contributions; his legacy, however, will live on. May you rest in peace, Satoru Iwata.

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