As a lifelong Nintendo enthusiast and a dedicated fan of Masahiro Sakurai‘s work, I found the latest Grab Bag episode to be a poignant and heartfelt tribute to Satoru Iwata. Having grown up playing games like Kirby’s Dream Land and Super Smash Bros., it was fascinating to learn about the behind-the-scenes role that Iwata played in shaping these beloved titles.
Next week brings the final installment of Masahiro Sakurai’s series on game creation, but in a heartfelt farewell to this chapter, he’s released an extraordinary Grab Bag episode today. This special topic is close to my heart: the late Satoru Iwata, former CEO of Nintendo. Moved by the significant influence Iwata had on my career path, I felt it was only right to delve into the profound impact this legendary gaming leader has left on me.
This week, Masahiro Sakurai shared a new edition of his Grab Bag series, centering on Satoru Iwata’s early career at HAL Laboratory. In this episode, Sakurai recounted their professional relationship, with Iwata serving as his supervisor in business and management. He reminisced about Iwata being the one who interviewed him initially, and later shared stories of Iwata’s support during challenging times, such as issues encountered with games like Kirby’s Dream Land and Kirby’s Adventure. Sakurai also highlighted that even after Iwata ascended to the position of Nintendo’s Corporate Planning Division head, he still motivated programmers to fix bugs in Super Smash Bros. Melee, ensuring its timely release in 2001.
According to Sakurai, whenever issues came up, he would step in and do his best to enhance things for various teams. On a personal note, he never instructed me on how to create the content for my games. Instead, he seemed to trust that I could make those decisions based on what I thought was best.
According to Sakurai, his friendship with Iwata extended beyond the realm of gaming. He stated that Iwata was prompt in responding to his requests and regularly found time for him and other significant individuals. Even during Iwata’s periods of poor health, they continued their meetings. Tragically, Iwata passed away in 2015.
Despite his assertion, Sakurai believes that his gaming career may not have endured without Iwata’s help, camaraderie, guidance, and impact on both Iwata and the companies he was associated with. This heartfelt homage to the late Nintendo CEO provides a poignant conclusion to the Grab Bag series featuring Masahiro Sakurai. The final regular episode is scheduled for October 15, marking the end of the series’ planned episodes for now.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-10-11 20:27