Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s tribute book “Ask Iwata” Getting English Translation

Satoru Iwata was a beloved figure of Nintendo. The news of his passing in 2015 was met with a somber response, but as of 2020, we have a bit of brighter news regarding the legend himself.

“Ask Iwata” is a tribute book focused on Satoru Iwata which was first published in Japan last year. It has now been made public that the book will be getting translated from its Japanese version, “Iwata-San” and shall be coming to the states under the localized title “Ask Iwata”.

Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Nintendo’s Legendary CEO invites you to learn more about the president, game developer, and gamer who forever changed the video game industry as we know it. Coming directly to you Spring 2021 in print and digital. 👐 pic.twitter.com/SNkJ119Vug

— VIZ (@VIZMedia) July 24, 2020

A summary of the book was shared with The Verge:

“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.”

Over his year at Nintendo Iwata held a series of interviews called “Iwata Asks”, where he would interview different developers of Nintendo titles, inquiring to learn more about their creative process. If you haven’t yet seen any of the “Iwata Asks” interviews, be sure to head over to Nintendo’s official website and give them a watch.

The “Ask Iwata” book will be sourcing material directly from his “Iwata Asks” series of interviews. The book itself is a must for any Nintendo fans and for those who appreciate the work that Iwata did for the company we still enjoy today through the Nintendo Switch.