Satoru Iwata's story is one laced with unbelievable risks, bright thinking in dark times, and a bold ambition to make a difference. For all that can be said about his charming mannerisms, his warm smile, his unquestionable love of video games, it should not be overlooked that Iwata was a visionary businessman who saved Nintendo by reinventing it.

He was a radical force; a revolutionary figure who commanded a century-old company as though it was his own start-up. Foreseeing a bleak future in retreading old ground, Iwata took Nintendo down the uncharted path, often with its future hinging on little more than his peculiar ideas. Those who believed in him were rewarded with the most prosperous period in the corporation’s proud history.

Even Iwata's appointment to the head of Nintendo, in 2002, was unconventional by nature. He was the company's very first elected president who had no blood ties to the Yamauchis; the family that had founded and managed Nintendo across three generations.

His promotion came at a bleak hour for Nintendo, with the