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Upcoming Wii U space shooter Star Fox Zero features an emotional send off message for fallen Nintendo CEO and beloved gaming personality Satoru Iwata.
While many gaming CEO’s come and go, gamers agree that there was one CEO that stood out among the rest: Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata. Despite heading one of the biggest game companies in the world, Iwata seemed to be a personable and entertaining man of the people – who was as comfortable lending his voice to a puppet as he was shepherding billion dollar franchises like Pokemon . Thus, when Iwata passed away, the gaming community mourned the loss of a beloved public figure. While Nintendo has marched on – appointing long-time Nintendo financial executive Tatsumi Kimishima as new CEO– the company has not forgotten the selfless work put in by the affable Iwata. With the release of Star Fox Zero , Nintendo has even opted to pay homage to the fallen programmer and president with a touching send-off message.
Iwata, a perennial company man who cut his teeth at HAL Laboratorybefore making the transition to Nintendo, dubbed himself a “gamer at heart,” leading to the president taking a hands-on approach to many of Nintendo’s titles. In his regular Nintendo Direct presentations, the CEO would talk at length about the various games and systems that the Japanese developer was working on. Thus, when it came time to unveilto the public, Iwata took a personal interest in the title, leading to his famous puppet-appearance at E3 2015.
However, Iwata did not live to see the release of Star Fox Zero , leading to the Shigeru Miyamoto produced game paying homage to the fallen CEO. In a video uploaded by a YouTuber dubbed “Jack Williams,” footage shows the message left for the departed Iwata. The video has since been taking down, but, upon completing the game and sitting through a few credits, gamers are treated to a bright sky with a message that reads:
“This game is dedicated to our wingman who fell in battle.”
While several Nintendo producers (such as the creator of Super Smash Bros. ) have paid homage to the beloved CEO, this small, touching gesture feels like the proper send off for the fallen Nintendo luminary. With Nintendo continuing to look towards the future, this small nod to the man responsible for Nintendo’s past is sure to please fans of the amiable gaming personality. Gamers looking to earn the message themselves can see the it in all of its glory after playing through Star Fox Zero later on this April when it releases for the Wii U.
Star Fox Zero releases exclusively for the Nintendo Wii U on April 21, 2016.
Source: YouTube(via Destructoid)