Since the passing of Nintendo's CEO Satoru Iwata, a petition has been circulating to create an Amiibo of the late company executive, and thus make him into a new character in Nintendo games.
Iwata's unexpected death last weekend caught the world by surprise, and some fans aren't ready to let him go. Over his career, Iwata had a hand in developing many of the classic video games we know and love. He was a key figure in the development of Kirby and Mother while working at HAL Laboratory, and after joining Nintendo he helped develop parts of other games too, including titles in the Mario and Zelda series.
According to the petition page, which currently has 17,000 supporters, Iwata once said "On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer."
Because Iwata cared for video games so much, making him into an Amiibo is a fitting way to honor him. All gamers want to be connected to the games that they love to play. That is why we push the limits of computer gaming, always after an ever more immersive experience that puts us inside of the game.
Although Iwata is no longer with us, by making him into an Amiibo, Nintendo can still make him a part of our games. Iwata is already seen by many as a symbol of the company as a result of his long career at Nintendo. As an Amiibo, Iwata would become an even greater symbol of the company, as players can collect the toy Iwata figure.
Then, in the numerous games being developed by Nintendo that use Amiibos, Iwata could be made into a playable character, and truly become a part of the games in a whole new way.
Although this is just a petition, and even if countless people sign it, there is no guarantee that Nintendo will act on it; I personally hope they do. I would enjoy being able to add Iwata to my Amiibo collection and have him be able to fight against the likes of Kirby, Mario and Zelda in the Super Smash Bros game. It seems a fitting way to honor a man who spent his life trying to make people happy with the games he created.
Even if Nintendo decides against making an Iwata Amiibo, signing the petition is at least a way that mourners can show that Iwata will be missed by so many.
Follow Michael Justin Allen Sexton @LordLao74. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.
