Satoru Iwata - 10 Iconic Nintendo Games You Should Play As Tribute

5. Metroid Prime

Nobody really thought that the Metroid series would be able to work in 3D. Even Nintendo themselves seemed to have a little trouble with the concept, failing to bring out a Metroid game on the N64 despite the fact that they had managed to reinvent both the Mario and Zelda series for the era. By contrast, Samus Aran's only major appearance on the console was in Super Smash Bros, which was essentially played out on a 2D plane and so offered little hint of what could be done with a full game. However, when the Gamecube came along, the idea that Samus couldn't do 3D was completely blown out of the water thanks to the magnificent Metroid Prime. Combining the exploration and platforming of the older games with a new, first-person shooting system, the game was a revelation and achieved an enormously positive critical reception, with many lauding it as one of the most influential games of the time. Like with many Nintendo games of the era, Satoru Iwata acted as Executive Producer and oversaw the Metroid series' transformation into something that could stand alongside the Marios and Zeldas of the world.