Gunpei Yokoi (横井 軍平, Yokoi Gunpei, September 10, 1941 – October 4, 1997), sometimes transliterated Gumpei Yokoi, was a Japanese video game designer. He was a long-time Nintendo employee, best known as creator of the Game Boy and Game & Watch handheld systems, inventor of the modern-day D-pad or 'cross' pad (a design that nearly all video game controllers use today), and producer of a few long-running and critically acclaimed video game franchises.
Tragically died in a road accident. He was inspecting his car, which was lightly hit by a truck, when he and his associate (Etsuo Kisoo) were sideswiped by another car. He died 2 hours later in an hospital.
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Created Koto Laboratories, September 11th, 1996.
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Resigned from Nintendo in August 1996, due to the Virtual Boy's fiasco.
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Has created the Metroid Video Game Series, and some other great games, as Mario Land on GameBoy.
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Invented many video games concepts, most of them very popular, as Nintendo Game&Watches, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color and the Virtual Boy.
$850,000
