We were all saddened to hear the shocking news that Satoru Iwata had passed away at the young age of 55.  While he had previously announced his health problems and stayed in Japan during E3 because of them, the sudden nature of his passing has shocked not only the gaming industry but also his close colleagues.

Satoru Shibata, Nintendo of Europe's President, has described Mr. Iwata as a "strong leader, a unique figure in the gaming industry and an important part of Nintendo's history" and this is how he will be remembered.

Starting his career over 30 years ago at HAL, Satoru Iwata has been responsible for beloved titles such as Balloon Fight, EarthBound and the Kirby series.  While in recent years he has been known for his position as Nintendo's President, his programming skills made him a valued figured in the industry early on.  It has been reported that he programmed EarthBound singlehandedly and, in spite of not working for Nintendo at the time, recoded Pokémon Red and Blue for Pokémon Stadium. 

Taking over as Nintendo's President when Hiroshi Yamauchi retired in 2002, Satoru Iwata suddenly became a much more recognisable figure in the wider gaming industry.  His 13 years as President has seen the company witnesses some of its biggest successes and biggest losses, but Iwata stayed true to Nintendo's commitment to provide entertainment for everyone and to release hardware that challenges conventions.  

In recent years he has begun to steer Nintendo in a new path.  Sadly he'll never be able to see the outcome of his commitment to the Quality of Life platform, mobile games and widened licensing of Nintendo's IPs but his dedication and drive will continue at Nintendo in his absence.  His influence will still be felt for many years to come.

Many will of course remember him for his lively and quirky Nintendo Directs.  In the last few years he has looked deeply at a bunch of bananas, worn many hats (literally and figuratively), got in a fight with Reggie and, most recently, been recreated as a puppet.  His style was certainly different from his predecessor and hopefully he managed to pass on this zest for fun to his colleagues.

Satoru Iwata was a man who not only loved video games, but also knew to enjoy life.  He has left behind a legacy of games that people for generations to come will enjoy.  We here at N-Europe are saddened by his passing and wish his family, friends and colleagues are deepest condolences.  

Whatever you are doing today we hope you find some time to remember and appreciate all Satoru Iwata did.  With a number of his early titles available on the Virtual Console, and of course many recently Wii U and 3DS titles, we also encourage that you spend some time playing them because that's what Satoru Iwata always wanted - for gamers to enjoy themselves.  It is certainly something he committed his working life to and something the world will forever owe him for.