It’s rare that I write something on this site that truly overwhelms me with emotion, but this article will be that kind of thing. Masahiro Sakurai has been blessing us all for some time with his “Creating Games” channel, which will soon come to an end. Today, he did the last episode of his “Grab Bag” special, and he focused entirely on his time and memories of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata. You are not ready for the joy and tears that this video will bring.
Without spoiling too much, Sakurai talks about how he was hired at Hal Laboratory by Iwata himself, and how Iwata was always there to help him and others should they need it. Then, as Sakurai watched Iwata go up the rank at both Hal and Nintendo, he continued to see his shining personality and style coming through. He was there when Super Smash Bros. was both first programmed and named, and helped ensure Melee got finished on time.
Whenever Sakurai and Iwata were in town together, they would always hang out, or Iwata would personally request Sakurai for meetings at Nintendo, something he did with numerous other people as well.
By the time you get to the end, where Sakurai talks about his last days and talks with Iwata…yeah, the tears will be flowing.
It’s so obvious that Masahiro Sakurai owes many things to Satoru Iwata and that he’s grateful to have known him. And he, like all of us Nintendo fans who watched him for years via E3 or Nintendo Directs, miss him so very much. Please enjoy this tribute video:
