Earthbound’s creator reflects on Iwata’s passing ⊟
Mother/Earthbound series creator Shigesato Itoi collaborated with Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s celebrated president and CEO who passed away suddenly over the weekend, a number of times over the years. Iwata, a brilliant programmer, actually came in and saved Earthbound from problems that would’ve likely killed the project many years ago, and the two men had been friends since.
Itoi posted a farewell to his friend this morning – here it is translated by Yomuka/Lindsay Nelson (Hobonichi Techo translator):
“When I’m parting with a friend, regardless of the circumstances, I find it best to just say, ‘See you later.’ We’ll meet again. After all, we’re friends.
That’s right—nothing unusual about it. I’ll see you later.
You went on a trip far, far away, even though it was planned for many years from now. You wore your best outfit and said 'Sorry for the short notice,’ though you didn’t say it out loud.
You always put yourself last, after you’d finished helping everyone else. You were so generous as a friend that this trip might be your very first selfish act.
I still can’t grasp what’s happened. It feels like I could still get a light-hearted e-mail asking me out to lunch at any moment—after you’ve made sure lunch wouldn’t disrupt my schedule, of course.
You can invite me out whenever you want. I’ll invite you, too.
So for now, let’s plan on meeting again. You can call me up whenever you like, and I’ll give you a call, too. I still have a lot to talk to you about, and if I come up with any particularly good ideas, I’ll let you know.
No–I suppose we’re already meeting. Right here, right now.”
The sprites of Iwata and Itoi above come from an interview with the two conducted by Japanese magazine BRUTUS – read it in English here.
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