Hiroshi Yamauchi, a visionary who is credited with transforming Nintendo from a trading card company to a leading force in video games, has died of pneumonia. He was 85 years old. He ran Nintendo from 1949 until 2002, and had an enormous influence on the gaming industry.
Yamauchi was a driving force behind getting Nintendo into arcades. How many of you remember putting quarters into a Donkey Kong machine (after waiting around for your turn)? He was president of Nintendo during the NES, the SNES, the N64 and the Gamecube.
I’ve never met Hiroshi Yamauchi. I didn’t know him personally. Yet, I find myself saddened by his death. Where would console gaming be today without his influence? I think back to happy memories of playing Super Mario Brothers on the NES with my siblings for hours upon hours.
One of my siblings has autism. He was able to completely memorize all the details and patterns in Super Mario Brothers. His interest in the game encouraged him to try and communicate more with the rest of the family. He wanted to teach us how to play the game better. This was remarkable, and would not have happened without the existence of the NES.
I’m certain that I am not the only gamer who has fond memories involving Nintendo games. What are some of yours?
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