The late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata will be celebrated in a tribute book titled "Ask Iwata." Satoru Iwata is known for having a legendary legacy in the world of gaming that has brought joy to many Nintendo and gaming fans across the globe. He was also known for being the unofficial mascot being Nintendo Directs, with fans finding charm in his presence.
When Iwata passed at the age of 55 in 2015, it was a shock to all of those that had grown used to his presence in Nintendo Directs. He was greatly mourned both then and now, having not been forgotten by those working in the company. Masahiro Sakurai, the man behind Super Smash Bros, has stated that the reason why he continues to work hard on the DLC for the game is because Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was the last thing Iwata entrusted to Sakurai. Even five years after his death, Iwata is still kept close to the hearts of both fans and employees at Nintendo.
Iwata's many words of wisdom will be accumulated in VIZ's upcoming book titled "Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom." Announced on Twitter, VIZMedia details that the book will have readers learn more about the man who influenced the gaming climate today. The book is an English translation of the Japanese version released last year titled Iwata-San. A summary of the book shared with The Verge reads as follows:
“In this motivational collection, Satoru Iwata addresses diverse subjects such as locating bottlenecks, how success breeds resistance to change, and why programmers should never say no. Drawn from the ‘Iwata Asks’ series of interviews with key contributors to Nintendo games and hardware, and featuring conversations with renowned Mario franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto and creator of Earthbound Shigesato Itoi, Ask Iwata offers game fans and business leaders an insight into the leadership, development and design philosophies of one of the most beloved figures in gaming history.”
Iwata is also known for his plethora of interviews titled Iwata Asks, in which Iwata has interviewed the developers of various Nintendo games of what the development process was like. Some of his last interviews included Fire Emblem Fates, Splatoon, and games in the Xenoblade franchise like Xenoblade Chronicles X and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. As stated in the summary, Ask Iwata will be taking material from the Iwata Asks interviews in order to give more insight on the man behind the company.
Fans agree that this book is a must purchase for not just for not just those that have closely studied Iwata's history of making games, but for all Nintendo fans. This isn't the first tribute that Iwata has received since his passing, nor will it be the last. The 2016 DICE awards and the Game Developer's Choice Awards both paid tribute to Iwata in their own ways. With the release of Ask Iwata in Spring 2021, there's no doubt that it will bring Satoru Iwata even closer to the hearts of all the people that loved his charisma and legacy of leadership.