I understand.

If you're a part of the iGen (Generation Z), then it's a safe assumption that Iwata's impact was strongly felt through games like Pokemon Silver, Gold, Stadium, Super Smash Bros., along with his decisions to direct Nintendo towards gimmicky consoles that separated themselves from their competition and still managed to profit considerably. Prior to that, there was Balloon Fight, but I didn't care much for playing Joust, and Earthbound, a game I never could get my hands on (for monetary reasons), which left me with Kirby's Dream Land. I love the game, and I eventually bought the anniversary collection (with the included soundtrack, of course), but, please understand, that alone doesn't feel as though I should have the right to associate the man with my childhood. Instead, Mr. Iwata played a role in my early adulthood as a shining example of the sort of person I should strive to be, even if I don't end up being as successful as he was.

Satoru Iwata was a man who not only knew what he was doing, and loved what he was doing, but he also enjoyed expressing that love to the public: first, through ensuring high quality content from nearly all of Nintendo's first-party titles, and, later, with the help of various forms of social media to build strong public relations with fellow gamers, especially with his Iwata Asks segments and Nintendo Directs. He was the sort of man I respected most in this world: hands-on, hard-working, humble, and even a bit quirky. The president of a major company who maintained consideration for both his employees and consumers as a result of starting at the bottom, working his way up the corporate ladder, and managing to not forget where he came from in the process. He understood that responsibility begins at the top, a lesson many refuse to learn nowadays, and that money shouldn't be the main focus of a business (though it's certainly an important one), as was indicated by his relatively low base salary. With his passing, the world has become a darker place, and I fear for Nintendo's future because of it. Sure, the company has made plenty of foolish decisions under Iwata's leadership, and many believe his loss will lead to a more business savvy (i.e. soulless) direction, but the thing is, somebody has to take chances, and few gaming companies have both the nerve and money to afford the potential backlash of those risks. Video games need that innovation to help the industry to evolve, which is why I've always loved Nintendo. Now, I can only hope that the company remains as fun and unpredictable as it had been under Iwata's leadership. 

I would eat a banana in the man's honour if I wasn't allergic to them, but I do plan on purchasing Earthbound Beginnings in the near future. That's something I guess. I wish I could think of something more appropriate, and I don't mean adding my name to an assortment of silly petitions. I would purchase Kirby and Ness amiibos if I could find them (aside from scalpers), but that doesn't seem likely at this point. 

I've also been listening to Bound Together, a fan-made soundtrack of remixed music inspired by Mother 2 (That's one more reason to praise Iwata, right?) The music is free to download, and includes tracks by Virt, The OneUps, and Joshua Morse. I recommend it, along with downloading Earthbound Beginnings on the VC.

I really wanted to post about all of this sooner, but, considering the topic was on a more personal level than my usual garbage, I just didn't want to settle for using something I quickly took off of Google images. As a result, you get to look at this eyesore I created. My apologies.