Programmer Kazuhisa Hashimoto, finest identified within the games neighborhood because the creator of the Konami code, handed away final evening on the age of 61.
Hashimoto’s loss of life was first shared online by composer Yuji Takenouchi, who has labored on quite a few Konami titles. Konami itself later confirmed Hashimoto’s passing over Twitter.
“We are saddened to hear about the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply talented producer who first introduced the world to the ‘Konami Code,’” Konami wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Hashimoto-san’s family and friends at this time.”
We are saddened to listen to in regards to the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply gifted producer who first launched the world to the “Konami Code”.
Our ideas are with Hashimoto-san’s household and buddies presently. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/vQijEQ8lU2
— Konami (@Konami) February 26, 2020
The now well-known Konami command – Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A – was developed by Hashimoto within the 1980s when he labored for Konami growing a Nintendo Entertainment System port of the arcade title Gradius.
“I hadn’t played that much and obviously couldn’t beat it myself, so I put in the Konami Code,” Hashimoto stated in an interview in 2003. “Because I was the one who was going to be using it, I made sure it was easy to remember.”
Although it was by no means supposed to be included within the ultimate game, the Konami Code by chance made it onto retailer cabinets. The Konami Code has since discovered its method into many games – According to Wikipedia, greater than 100 Konami games now embrace some model of the code – in addition to into popular culture as an entire.
