Satoru Iwata 1959-2015

It is with great sadness that we remember and say a heartfelt thank you to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. He was a great man and a true gamer at heart. It is through his influence and innovation that many of us are even here: drawing, posting and enjoying works from Nintendo.

He began as a game programmer in the late 1980's for HAL. Satoru worked on such series as Pokemon, Earthbound, Kirby and Super Smash Brothers and helped save HAL from bankruptcy. In 2000, he joined the Nintendo company and only two short years later, he became the fourth president of Nintendo. The company at the time did not have a competitive edge again the next generation of consoles coming out. It was through Satoru's leadership that the game (no pun intended) drastically changed.

For the next 13 years, Nintendo would see a strong and undeniable surge in the market. Satoru spearheaded the development and release of the Nintendo DS and Wii; both of which would change the face of gaming forever. Through it all, Satoru never lost touch of is game programmer roots and continued working on games like Mario, Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing.

All gamers, be they a lover of Nintendo or not, have lost a great man. A man who had great spirit and imagination. There is unlikely a gamer out there who has not been affected by something Satoru Iwata has had a hand in. In a world of console wars and debate, we are united to say good bye to one of the greats.

Rest in peace, Satoru. No doubt your legacy will live on.