Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have more going for it than just Legendaries and shiny Pokémon. They also have a tribute to the late Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata.
For those who don't know, Iwata was the fourth president of Nintendo, who passed away at the age of 55 because of a bile duct growth. He influenced the gaming industry by prioritizing gameplay and entertainment over top-of-the-line hardware and graphics, making various titles that appeal to a broader audience.
'Pokémon Ultra Sun,' 'Ultra Moon' Tribute To Iwata
Thanks to Serebii.net webmaster Joe Merrick, the special little tidbit dedicated to Iwata is making rounds online.
#ThanksIwata pic.twitter.com/4U1YSqOwr0
— Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) November 23, 2017
For convenience's sake, here's what the in-game character says:
"When we were having trouble fitting all the data in for Gold and Silver, and we were really in a pinch, this amazing guy came along and made a program for us that solved all our problems. He went on to become the amazing president of a real big company soon after that, too."
He is, of course, referring to Iwata.
If you want to see this for yourself in your copy of Pokémon Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, you need to have a copy of Pokémon Silver, which is available via the Nintendo eShop for $9.99, and transfer a Pokémon from it.
After that, all you have to do is make sure the Pokémon you carried over from Pokémon Silver is in your party and head on over to the Game Freak building in Akala Island's Heahea City. Once there, talk to Morimoto until he tells you the dialogue mentioned above.
Serebii.net has the compilation of the things Morimoto will tell you, from Pokémon Red and Blue to Pokémon Yellow and Gold.
Other Tributes To Iwata
In Nintendo's latest console the Switch, there's a hidden game in it, but what's more interesting than that is it's Golf, a game that Iwata programmed all by himself. If that's not convincing enough to be considered as a tribute, one of the many requirements to unlock the game is that the system date must be set to July 11, which is the day Iwata passed away.
Before all of these, Nintendo of America's CEO Reggie Fils-Aimé, Nintendo of Europe's president Satoru Shibata, and Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto paid tribute to Iwata, and after that, the Game Developers Choice Awards showed its appreciation toward the former Nintendo head with a heartfelt video in 2016.
