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What are your favourite memories of Satoru Iwata?

E

Euron

Member
From the other thread:

StarStabbedMoon said:
Wanted to share this quote from an Iwata Asks for Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

When I first started making Kirby, there was a kindergarten right next door. I'll never forget how moved I was the first time I saw doodles there of Kirby. That may have been the first time I realized that the world would recognize what we had made.

Because of that feeling, Kirby is special to me.
Click to expand...

CJwK9qsVAAIZVFU.jpg
Click to expand...
Just shows you how much love he had for his work. And that love continued to the day he died.
 
J

JDSN

Banned
His Kid Icarus Iwata Asks is amazing, you can feel that he see a lot of himself on him on Sakurai and their back and forth is great, like two people who understand each other perfectly and convey their ideas in economic ways.
 
C

Couleurs

Member
Colonel Mustard said:
Yeah.

Even as a CEO, he has this childlike sense of wonder about him. Like he really enjoyed and loved what he did
Click to expand...

It was great how his passion for gaming came across so strong in the Nintendo Direct videos, even with the language barrier. Say what you will about any of his decisions we might have disagreed with over the years, but it's clear he loved Nintendo and tried to do what he thought was best for his games, even when he knew it wasn't the popular choice.
 
K

kaito1412

Neo Member
When he presented the Nintendo DS along with Reggie. I was so hyped when he lifted it in his hand up high and the camera zoomed in
 
H

Hatchtag

Banned
In general: Iwata Asks.
But specifically? The gif of him punching things a la Rhythym Heaven. You can tell he just loved his job.

JDSN said:
His Kid Icarus Iwata Asks is amazing, you can feel that he see a lot of himself on him on Sakurai and their back and forth is great, like two people who understand each other perfectly and convey their ideas in economic ways.
Click to expand...

No one can replace Iwata, but Sakurai totally needs to continue his Iwata Asks series in his honor.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
TI82 said:
gscmap_zpsa75115bc.jpg


This, simply amazing
Click to expand...
It cannot be overstated how magical it was playing Gold and Silver in middle school, getting to the end, thinking you've beat the game, and then discovering that you're only halfway done.

To me, as a kid, Kanto and Johto may as well have been real places. Even something as simple as revisiting Saffron City with a day-night cycle filled my imagination with awe. Simply amazing.
 
K

Kaizu

Member
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63mG4k-VIyY

The Game Center CX episode on Balloon Fight because it captured the legendary Iwata Asks' (laughs) on video and truly showcase how genuine all the Iwata Asks interviews are. He also talk about his experience in programming which is akin to his 2005 GDC speech. A perfect embodiment of what he actually is in a single video.
 
T

TI82

Banned
Neiteio said:
It cannot be overstated how magical it was playing Gold and Silver in middle school, getting to the end, thinking you've beat the game, and then discovering that you're only halfway done.

To me, as a kid, Kanto and Johto may as well have been real places. Even something as simple as revisiting Saffron City with a day-night cycle filled my imagination with awe. Simply amazing.
Click to expand...

Yep, I somehow made it through school pretending how to read it wasn't until my cousins got Pokemon and I couldn't play that I learned how to read.

Anyways suffice to say I loved Pokemon, and Gold is still my favorite (Heart Gold now). That ending was simply amazing
 
C

Celine

Member
My favorite is the GDC conferences and the unveiling of the Wiiremote at TGS '05 however this gif is funny too:

lpPLvHp.gif
 
ColonialRaptor

ColonialRaptor

Member
Meeting him in person and having some long discussions over lunch about the future of Nintendo the success of the Wii and Nintendo DS (which at the time were flying high) and getting along with him like a close friend.

Amazing person.
 
C

chris3116

Member
On my business card, I'm a corporate president.
In my mind, I'm a game developer.
But In my heart, I'm a gamer.

GDC 2005
 
D

DICKS AHOY

Banned
I still think the story of him announcing a sequel to Melee before anything actually existed and then organizing a meeting with Sakurai in his hotel room to talk about him coming back to work on Smash for Nintendo is pretty amazing. There's obviously an enormous amount of respect those two had for each other.
 
S

ShockingAlberto

Member
Never met Iwata, but I know some people who work for Nintendo. They always described a boss that fought for them, to ensure they were happy, that wanted an end goal of producing art that people loved.

Most people are never going to know the battles Iwata fought to make Nintendo less conservative. A lot of older people in Nintendo actually referred to him as a cowboy for having wild ideas like games with no retail option or working with Disney on major initiatives (one of which people should see relatively soon).

But I got the feeling from everyone that worked there is Iwata saw everyone in Nintendo as his family. People in Treehouse, people in warehouses, developers, accountants, everyone knew that Iwata would move heaven and earth to make sure his family was alright.

There's no one in the industry like Iwata.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
It's a work night, I really shouldn't be digging through a walk-in closet trying to find my GBC cartridge for Pokemon Gold
 
D

DashReindeer

Lead Community Manager, Outpost Games
Kaizu said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63mG4k-VIyY

The Game Center CX episode on Balloon Fight because it captured the legendary Iwata Asks' (laughs) on video and truly showcase how genuine all the Iwata Asks interviews are. He also talk about his experience in programming which is akin to his 2005 GDC speech. A perfect embodiment of what he actually is in a single video.
Click to expand...

Such a great video. Thanks for linking that. He has a such a joy and love of games about him at all times.
 
F

Finale Fireworker

Member
At the request and suggestion of Neiteio, I'm going to copy/paste something from one of our PMs.

I've had a lifelong relationship with Nintendo. For the first fifteen years of my life they were, very strictly, the only games I played. My parents hated video games and discouraged my indulgence. They felt it came at the expense of "healthier" pursuits. So my gaming became something I did, to use your word, sheepishly. I didn't like to play with other people, or let my parents know I was playing. Many a time I would quickly pause my games, turn off my TV, and pretend to be doing something else when any kind of spectator drew near.

Playing video games was very stressful, and difficult, but my passion and interest remained. Because video games made me so happy. Even if I had to squint in the dark to see my Pokémon on my muted Game Boy, my connection with Nintendo was inseverable and defining,

As I got older it became harder to feel that same joy. My appetite changed. I wanted to play different games. And I did. But Nintendo's influence on me remained, as did my soft spot for their properties, which is why Super Smash Bros is... crucially important to me. It's a special place to be with old friends.

Iwata both was and wasn't Nintendo. More than anything, he seemed to know what Nintendo was. It was the company that brought me all that joy as a child. It was the company that made me imagine and explore and discover my own sense of individual creativity. Nintendo was the color on the pages of my youth.

And even if I eventually outgrew that, somewhat, Iwata was watching the company and making sure it never lost sight of its one goal: bringing people like me happiness.

I'm still struggling a great deal to communicate what I'm feeling. The words feel far away from me. If you had asked me yesterday what I thought of Iwata I would have said I liked him. I would have said I thought he was unwaveringly earnest and I respected that.

It's been, like, two hours. But if you asked me now, I would struggle to express how much I miss him.

I've said a lot of nothing here. I'm hammering this out on my iPhone, which is not conducive to fluid expression.

Iwata was an icon of everything I grew up with. His passing is like a family member I stopped calling and now I regret the time we've lost.
Click to expand...

This all just feel so weird. You don't know what you got, you know?
 
B

Bass260

Member
"You want Nintendo revolution?

Well, we've got one!"

I was just a kid at the time (yes, I am young) and this was one of the first e3's I was able to watch. Seeing the Nintendo president pull their next console out of his jacket was unbelievable.

And I can't leave out ALL the Iwata Asks. No one else interviews developers like Iwata.
 
K

KuwabaraTheMan

Banned
Lots of stuff that he worked on. Earthbound is my favorite game of all time, after all. He's brought so much joy to me, and other people.

I'll also always remember the Iwata Asks columns. They were so insightful. His laughter, his insightful questions, and the personal anecdotes.

His presence in the directs was always a joy. Whether it was hunting naked creatures, and coming directly to us, or anything else.

He was a guy who seemed to love his job, he would goof off, and he wasn't afraid to make jokes about himself.

ShockingAlberto said:
Never met Iwata, but I know some people who work for Nintendo. They always described a boss that fought for them, to ensure they were happy, that wanted an end goal of producing art that people loved.

Most people are never going to know the battles Iwata fought to make Nintendo less conservative. A lot of older people in Nintendo actually referred to him as a cowboy for having wild ideas like games with no retail option or working with Disney on major initiatives (one of which people should see relatively soon).

But I got the feeling from everyone that worked there is Iwata saw everyone in Nintendo as his family. People in Treehouse, people in warehouses, developers, accountants, everyone knew that Iwata would move heaven and earth to make sure his family was alright.

There's no one in the industry like Iwata.
Click to expand...

I always got this feeling from him, but it's lovely to hear from second hand reports that it's pretty much all true. He always has felt like that sort of a guy; the person who really cares about employees and customers and the industry.
 
E

ErrorMacro

Member
He had one of the qualities that I most respect and admire in people: authenticity.

Stuff like Nintendo Directs, Iwata Asks, the E3 digital events showed an honesty and authenticity that is hard to come by, specially between executives running companies.
 
P

Pinky

Banned
What a passion this man had for video games. I loved reading Iwata Asks and loved his presence in the Nintendo Directs. He will be sorely missed.
 
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