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The Impact of Iwata
Satoru Iwata was a smile maker.
As the legendary President of Nintendo, he dedicated all of his energy and effort to bringing happiness to the world through the wonder of video games. But his story began decades before he first set foot inside Nintendo's doors! This book chronicles the life and lasting legacy of this incredible leader who millions knew as the face of the video game industry's most venerable company - and who millions mourned when he shockingly, suddenly passed away after a battle with cancer. From his first experiences with video games in his childhood through his rise to the top of Nintendo and the ongoing influence he's still having to this day, this is the story of a true gaming icon.
This is the Impact of Iwata!
As the legendary President of Nintendo, he dedicated all of his energy and effort to bringing happiness to the world through the wonder of video games. But his story began decades before he first set foot inside Nintendo's doors! This book chronicles the life and lasting legacy of this incredible leader who millions knew as the face of the video game industry's most venerable company - and who millions mourned when he shockingly, suddenly passed away after a battle with cancer. From his first experiences with video games in his childhood through his rise to the top of Nintendo and the ongoing influence he's still having to this day, this is the story of a true gaming icon.
This is the Impact of Iwata!
244 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2024
9 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 8, 2024
Most people who read this book would already be fans of Satoru Iwata; I, on the other hand, became a fan after reading the book. It's not like a typical biography but talks more about his influence on specific games (and the ripple effects out from there to other games and systems and ways of doing things). He began as a gamer and programmer himself, working his way up to his final position as Nintendo's President. But even then, he was still humble, still supported others, still stooped low to assist where he was needed. I appreciated these insights into his leadership style and how he affected people (both those who knew him directly and fans from afar), and it was also neat to see how he impacted so.many.games in small and big ways.
The author himself, as a Nintendo journalist for two decades, was a fan from afar but did have the opportunity to see him at an E3 conference, so he was "closer" to Iwata than most of us. And as the editor of Nintendo Force magazine, he has been well-versed in Iwata's life and achievements, and he even did an issue featuring Mr. Iwata as a tribute after his passing in 2015. Fans all over the world mourned his passing, as evidenced in the final chapter of the book (which even includes several pieces of "fan art" that people submitted in honor of him). I think this collective appreciation of Mr. Iwata, in addition to the reputation and track record of the author, were the reasons why over 2,500 individuals pre-ordered this book through Kickstarter.
As far as the book itself, it is an engaging read for fans (and even non-fans like me!). The book is set up with many illustrations, text boxes, and sidebars, similar to the ones in the NF Magazine. It is arranged thematically, each chapter focusing on a different game or aspect of Iwata's leadership. There are also four interludes from the author with his reflections. Each chapter begins with a relevant quote, usually from Iwata himself, as well as unique cover art in different artistic styles. And most of the chapters end with reflections on the chapter's topic from a journalist, expert, or fan in the gaming community. It truly seemed to be a labor of love and collective effort from Lucas and the team he assembled. Here are the chapter titles:
Chapter One - Satoru Iwata: The Early Years
Chapter Two - The Pinball Repairman
Chapter Three - Teeing Off with Golf
Chapter Four - The Buoyancy of Balloon Fight
Chapter Five - Swimming with Super Mario
Chapter Six - Rise of the Raster Racers
Chapter Seven - To the West: Dragon Quest!
Chapter Eight - The Creation (and Cancellation) of Kirby
Chapter Nine - Re-Engineering Earthbound
Chapter Ten - Pokémon's Programming Problems
Chapter Eleven - Giving Shape to Smash Bros.
Chapter Twelve - Expanding the Gaming Population
Chapter Thirteen - Brainstorming Brain Age
Chapter Fourteen - Bringing News Directly to You!
Chapter Fifteen - The Man Who Never Said "No"
Chapter Sixteen - In Memory of Mr. Iwata
The author himself, as a Nintendo journalist for two decades, was a fan from afar but did have the opportunity to see him at an E3 conference, so he was "closer" to Iwata than most of us. And as the editor of Nintendo Force magazine, he has been well-versed in Iwata's life and achievements, and he even did an issue featuring Mr. Iwata as a tribute after his passing in 2015. Fans all over the world mourned his passing, as evidenced in the final chapter of the book (which even includes several pieces of "fan art" that people submitted in honor of him). I think this collective appreciation of Mr. Iwata, in addition to the reputation and track record of the author, were the reasons why over 2,500 individuals pre-ordered this book through Kickstarter.
As far as the book itself, it is an engaging read for fans (and even non-fans like me!). The book is set up with many illustrations, text boxes, and sidebars, similar to the ones in the NF Magazine. It is arranged thematically, each chapter focusing on a different game or aspect of Iwata's leadership. There are also four interludes from the author with his reflections. Each chapter begins with a relevant quote, usually from Iwata himself, as well as unique cover art in different artistic styles. And most of the chapters end with reflections on the chapter's topic from a journalist, expert, or fan in the gaming community. It truly seemed to be a labor of love and collective effort from Lucas and the team he assembled. Here are the chapter titles:
Chapter One - Satoru Iwata: The Early Years
Chapter Two - The Pinball Repairman
Chapter Three - Teeing Off with Golf
Chapter Four - The Buoyancy of Balloon Fight
Chapter Five - Swimming with Super Mario
Chapter Six - Rise of the Raster Racers
Chapter Seven - To the West: Dragon Quest!
Chapter Eight - The Creation (and Cancellation) of Kirby
Chapter Nine - Re-Engineering Earthbound
Chapter Ten - Pokémon's Programming Problems
Chapter Eleven - Giving Shape to Smash Bros.
Chapter Twelve - Expanding the Gaming Population
Chapter Thirteen - Brainstorming Brain Age
Chapter Fourteen - Bringing News Directly to You!
Chapter Fifteen - The Man Who Never Said "No"
Chapter Sixteen - In Memory of Mr. Iwata
April 30, 2024
Warm, insightful, and easy to read. A must-have for any gamer, Nintendo fan, or Iwata fan. Hands down.
May 8, 2024
A must-read for any Nintendo fan. As much as a history about Nintendo as it is about legendary former Nintendo President Iwata.
September 1, 2024
"What kind of company president is this!?" GameFreak's Shigeki Morimoto famously asked when Satoru Iwata, then President of HAL, helped program Pokemon Stadium, getting Red and Green's battle system, itself so cobbled together that there was no ability to render languages other than Japanese, never mind other well-known errors like psychic being immune to ghost when it was meant to be weak to the type, running for the N64 title in less than a week.
Mr. Iwata was a smile maker. "The Impact of Iwata" is a smile maker as well.
This book is a love letter to the late great Satoru Iwata, but also to gaming history as a whole, from the computer counter at the Seibu department store to Nintendo's superstardom—complete with graphical representations of the, to evoke Pokemon terms, evolution! Those who are frequent engagers with the Nintendo fandom space will smile too because of the frequent contributions from creators from that space, like the picture of Mr. Iwata with the starship Enterprise by Video Game Storytime.
An accessible celebration of video games—each chapter dives into one game/genre, roughly in chronological order—that I recommend to all who love the medium.
Mr. Iwata was a smile maker. "The Impact of Iwata" is a smile maker as well.
This book is a love letter to the late great Satoru Iwata, but also to gaming history as a whole, from the computer counter at the Seibu department store to Nintendo's superstardom—complete with graphical representations of the, to evoke Pokemon terms, evolution! Those who are frequent engagers with the Nintendo fandom space will smile too because of the frequent contributions from creators from that space, like the picture of Mr. Iwata with the starship Enterprise by Video Game Storytime.
An accessible celebration of video games—each chapter dives into one game/genre, roughly in chronological order—that I recommend to all who love the medium.
February 18, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this in-depth and honoring look at Iwata’s life and work! I felt like I was getting to know him on a personal level, as well as learning tons of tidbits about his gaming industry contributions that I never knew, even having followed Nintendo closely for decades. In my opinion, The Impact of Iwata sets the new golden standard for gaming industry books.
December 28, 2024
"Satoru Iwata: December 6, 1959 - July 11, 2015"
To paraphrase how the book puts it within the conclusion, our time on Earth has very few definitives. Aspects of our lives which lack our own opinion or input on the subject matter. We're given the day of birth, the day of death, and all that takes place between is encompassed by a dash. Your obituary, your headstone, a short form writing of your entire existence.
Today, December 28th, 2024, I have finished "The Impact of Iwata." It's just a little over a year since I've moved out of my parents place in my pursuit of higher education at University.
"So - what are you going to do with your dash?"
In the time between now and then, I didn't know. I don't know. I was figuring it out, and I will continue to figure it out. For the longest time, I meandered about life and things just happened to work out, I felt. I never truly attributed my successes to myself, and I never felt like being all too public in regards to my personal successes regarding projects or education. "Job's not finished, why celebrate now?" I recall telling my dad, wondering when or if I was going to do anything for my upcoming graduation regarding my associates degree.
Today, I have it a little more figured out than I did yesterday, and the day prior to the that, and all the ones that came before.
Today, I have faith in my first and only hero, Satoru Iwata. What I want to do with my dash? I want to live a fulfilled life just as he has.
The man who could do anything, the man who could do everything. The man who brought smiles to people he never even knew existed. The man who could revive entire projects and even companies with his intelligence and guidance. The man who loved his work and who's work loved him. The man who was simultaneously CEO and the everyday worker. Programmer, director, designer, and even the lunch runner, all the same.
Reading this book made me emotional page after page. Much in what I saw of Satoru Iwata as a younger individual I partially saw in myself. I don't even stand a chance against him if he were at my age, but I'm going to work my god damn hardest to be able to at least hold a candle to him and his legacy. I find it hard to believe our lives even had some overlap in the first place. Like living in the same era as Michelangelo, but never being allowed to cross paths. Word of mouth, depictions and appearances on a screen.
I'm 19, seeing what he was able to accomplish at his age and who he was by the time he got out of college, it's inspiring. With the understanding of how I want to live now, I think I can catch up. Maybe I'm not as far behind as I imagine, but I know it's going to take a lot of work. I have many ambitions I put forth in honoring his legacy.
With my dash, I hope to make an impact on the world, just as he has.
To paraphrase how the book puts it within the conclusion, our time on Earth has very few definitives. Aspects of our lives which lack our own opinion or input on the subject matter. We're given the day of birth, the day of death, and all that takes place between is encompassed by a dash. Your obituary, your headstone, a short form writing of your entire existence.
Today, December 28th, 2024, I have finished "The Impact of Iwata." It's just a little over a year since I've moved out of my parents place in my pursuit of higher education at University.
"So - what are you going to do with your dash?"
In the time between now and then, I didn't know. I don't know. I was figuring it out, and I will continue to figure it out. For the longest time, I meandered about life and things just happened to work out, I felt. I never truly attributed my successes to myself, and I never felt like being all too public in regards to my personal successes regarding projects or education. "Job's not finished, why celebrate now?" I recall telling my dad, wondering when or if I was going to do anything for my upcoming graduation regarding my associates degree.
Today, I have it a little more figured out than I did yesterday, and the day prior to the that, and all the ones that came before.
Today, I have faith in my first and only hero, Satoru Iwata. What I want to do with my dash? I want to live a fulfilled life just as he has.
The man who could do anything, the man who could do everything. The man who brought smiles to people he never even knew existed. The man who could revive entire projects and even companies with his intelligence and guidance. The man who loved his work and who's work loved him. The man who was simultaneously CEO and the everyday worker. Programmer, director, designer, and even the lunch runner, all the same.
Reading this book made me emotional page after page. Much in what I saw of Satoru Iwata as a younger individual I partially saw in myself. I don't even stand a chance against him if he were at my age, but I'm going to work my god damn hardest to be able to at least hold a candle to him and his legacy. I find it hard to believe our lives even had some overlap in the first place. Like living in the same era as Michelangelo, but never being allowed to cross paths. Word of mouth, depictions and appearances on a screen.
I'm 19, seeing what he was able to accomplish at his age and who he was by the time he got out of college, it's inspiring. With the understanding of how I want to live now, I think I can catch up. Maybe I'm not as far behind as I imagine, but I know it's going to take a lot of work. I have many ambitions I put forth in honoring his legacy.
With my dash, I hope to make an impact on the world, just as he has.
January 30, 2024
The author of this book really likes exclamation marks! To the extent that I'd be hard-pressed to find a page that doesn't have at least one! It gets a little exhausting to read at times! But it's one of only a handful of complaints I have about The Impact of Iwata, so that's good, right?!
Hyper exuberance aside, this is a fascinating book. It's a little astounding, just how many projects Iwata had some sort of involvement with. He wasn't always a key developer--in fact, I'd argue that the lion's share of his legacy can be found in his lesser roles--but he played a part in translations, negotiations, the less glamorous coding of compression algorithms, physics models, and plenty more. He was a Renaissance man, whose influence extended farther through the gaming industry than I ever would have guessed.
The Impact of Iwata is a very enjoyable look at the life of a man whose accomplishments and insights changed not only Nintendo, but the gaming industry as a whole in a variety of ways. It's marred only by enough exclamation marks to choke an elephant, and a few unfortunate printing defects. There are plentiful sidebars where the text shifts to white on a black background, and unfortunately in a few of these, the font is quite small, and strangely...thin, is the only way I can describe it. The end result is something that can be very hard to read when the problem crops up--which thankfully isn't very often, but often enough to be worth mentioning. Aside from those issues though, it's an easy book to recommend.
Hyper exuberance aside, this is a fascinating book. It's a little astounding, just how many projects Iwata had some sort of involvement with. He wasn't always a key developer--in fact, I'd argue that the lion's share of his legacy can be found in his lesser roles--but he played a part in translations, negotiations, the less glamorous coding of compression algorithms, physics models, and plenty more. He was a Renaissance man, whose influence extended farther through the gaming industry than I ever would have guessed.
The Impact of Iwata is a very enjoyable look at the life of a man whose accomplishments and insights changed not only Nintendo, but the gaming industry as a whole in a variety of ways. It's marred only by enough exclamation marks to choke an elephant, and a few unfortunate printing defects. There are plentiful sidebars where the text shifts to white on a black background, and unfortunately in a few of these, the font is quite small, and strangely...thin, is the only way I can describe it. The end result is something that can be very hard to read when the problem crops up--which thankfully isn't very often, but often enough to be worth mentioning. Aside from those issues though, it's an easy book to recommend.
August 31, 2025
This is a charming book that details some of Iwata's most notable contributions to the video game industry. It's full of great illustrations, anecdotes about Iwata, as well as from people inspired by him, and games his work would inspire.
If you've watched some documentary-esque YouTube videos about Iwata, you probably won't find anything new here, but it's a touching tribute to an important figure in Video Game History. If you're interested I think you'll like it.
If you've watched some documentary-esque YouTube videos about Iwata, you probably won't find anything new here, but it's a touching tribute to an important figure in Video Game History. If you're interested I think you'll like it.
January 24, 2025
An excellently written book that went over Iwata’s contributions to video games. Engagingly written, and I loved all the art and info panels. Would recommend to any Nintendo fan who would like to learn more about the company’s history. The book forms a great trio with Reggie’s Disrupting the Game and Ask Iwata.
November 23, 2024
A decent tribute to Mr Iwata. I would have liked to have more depth or first-hand accounts of his earlier working years and experiences rather than speculation but I understand the spirit of the book is just to pay respect to Iwata's accomplishments. The artwork and sidebars were well done.
January 7, 2025
Warmly written and informative but it took a while to finish because it’s not exactly the most attention-holding book in the world and the format of it not working on my kindle was a let down but I’m glad to have read it and learned more about such a great man
August 17, 2024
A great informative book and a love letter to Nintendo and of a very beloved man.
January 19, 2026
This man is a treasure, and you'd be hard pressed to find a CEO in the video game industry that understood games and developers like he did.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews