Several people messaged me the night on which Mr. Iwata passed.  I in turn quickly shared the news and many of us discussed the event that seemingly came out of nowhere.  There had been some updates on the man’s health over the last few years but we quickly look past it like most things in this world in the modern age.  

I’m not sure why the death of Mr. Satoru Iwata reaches me at such a level.  We knew of the man, sure, and sporadically tuned into Nintendo Directs in which we watched with bated breath for some exciting news.  Many of us are only now after his death learning about how much he had done for Nintendo and the gaming world, and are figuring out how is death affects us so. 

While painting this tribute piece, I would find that I could easily list off all the reasons as to why the death of a man who was so disconnected from me felt like a personal loss.  It was because we could get behind a man of such power who frequently came down to our level, and talked to us as equals.  He shared our passion for gaming, and worked his way up in a company which was responsible for all the entertainment that built up our childhood.  He wasn’t afraid to get silly in a corporate world and make us laugh, and was our man on the inside.  He was among the faces I was looking forward to see when when I really got into the world of gaming; when E3 became Christmas morning year after year.  

He was the kind of person who exuded a genuine passion for what he loved, and shared it with everyone around him, including us as fans and family of Nintendo.  That said, my painting is but one offering in between all the love and support from the community and a chance for me to say thank you, Mr. Iwata.

-Bonny