Nintendo's "Father of the Famicom" Masayuki Uemura passed away. He once brought joy to millions of people.

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The Game Research Center of Ritsumeikan University issued an obituary on December 9: Professor Masayuki Uemura, the father of the Famicom, passed away on December 6, 2021 at the age of 78.

△ Image source: Ritsumeikan University

Professor Masayuki Uemura was the former chief designer of the Nintendo Famicom. It was in his hands that many people's childhood classic Famicoms and unforgettable games were born.

After the obituary was issued, many netizens came to pay tribute after hearing the news:

If you haven't heard of Mr. Masayuki Uemura, you might as well take a brief look at the resume and contributions of this legendary figure.

Main resume and contributions

Professor Masayuki Uemura was born in 1943 and graduated from the Department of Electronic Engineering of Chiba Institute of Technology in 1967.

After joining Nintendo in 1971, he became the director of the second development department in 1979, and was mainly responsible for the development of the Famicom, Famicom Disk System and Super Nintendo.

At the beginning of the development of the Famicom, Mr. Uemura revealed the story of the birth of this game console in an interview.

It was a day in 1981 when Masayuki Uemura received a call from Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi.

"President Yamauchi asked me to make a video game system that can be played with cartridges. He always called me after a few drinks, so I didn't think much of it. I just verbally agreed and hung up."

"It wasn't until the next day that he came to me soberly and asked, 'Have you started doing what I said yesterday?' That's when I realized the president was serious."

Subsequently, the game console officially named Family Computer (ファミリーコンピュータ, Family Computer) was launched in 1983, which is what we commonly call the red and white machine.

It is this red and white machine that carries many classic games: such as Super Mario, MapleStory, Contra, Tank Wars, etc.

As a result, the Famicom became popular everywhere. From its launch to its discontinuation in 2003, its cumulative global sales exceeded 60 million units (excluding pirated and imitation copies) .

The following picture shows the Famicoms in different regions. See if there is one you are familiar with:

△ Image source: Wikipedia

In 1990, the Super Nintendo (SFC) developed by Mr. Masayuki Uemura was released. By the time it was discontinued in 2003, more than 49 million units had been shipped worldwide.

After Mr. Masayuki Uemura retired in 2004, he served as professor, director of the Game Research Center, and visiting professor at Ritsumeikan University.

In Memory of Professor Uemura

The death of Professor Masayuki Uemura has aroused the childhood memories of many netizens as well as their respect and remembrance for him:

His inventions and vision have brought unforgettable memories to millions of children and created family memories that span generations…

One of the best gifts I ever received was an old Nintendo console passed down from my dad, allowing me to continue playing Duck Hunt, Mario, and Tecmo Super Bowl.

There are also many netizens who are not familiar with his name, but sincerely affirm his influence:

He is a true legend. Although I don’t know his name, what he did changed my childhood.

The Super Nintendo is still my favorite console, and the pixel style it pioneered still exists today and brings back fond memories. Thank you, Mr. Uemura.

Reference links:
[1] https://www.rcgs.jp/?p=1598
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/gadgets/comments/rck2cy/masayuki_uemura_creator_of_the_nes_and_snes_dies/
[3] https://kotaku.com/the-designer-of-the-nes-dishes-the-dirt-on-nintendos-ea-1844296906