Yesterday marked 15 years since October 4, 1997, the day a highway accident claimed the life of one of Nintendo's greatest creators. And it's a little hard to believe it's already been that long. Gunpei Yokoi is still a well-known name among Nintendo fans. We've all seen to that. We've all contributed to keeping his memory alive since that tragic day, honoring him by remembering his contributions to our favorite hobby. And it's in that spirit that we're once again looking back on the life and achievements of Mr. Yokoi – now with a full 15 years of perspective to apply in examining how his legacy has continued to take shape through the modern Nintendo.
Gunpei Yokoi was one of the old-timers at Nintendo in Japan. We're starting to think of Shigeru Miyamoto as representing that role these days, but Yokoi was the man who mentored Miyamoto – he was the one who taught Shiggy the ropes in the first place. Gunpei became a pioneer for the company in the era before video games, designing a variety of best-selling toys like the Ultra Hand (an extending arm that could reach and grab things) and the Ultra Machine (an automatic pitching machine for baseball fans). And when video games did become the company's focus in the late '70s, he became one of Nintendo's first game designers.
http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/all/~3/T-jbUEP60eM/the-incredible-legacy-of-gunpei-yokoi
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