The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Pays Tribute To Late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata

Even after almost 8 years since his passing, Nintendo seems to continue honoring late president Satoru Iwata. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom apparently brings back a tribute to him that originally appeared in 2017’s Breath of the Wild.

Warning: Possible spoilers ahead.

IGN reports the Lord of the Mountain, a blue mythical creature found on Satori Mountain, shows up in Tears of the Kingdom. This location returns from Breath of the Wild, and Link is apparently able to summon the noble creature–also known as Satori–by offering fruit at cherry blossom threes spread throughout Hyrule. By doing so, Satori will temporarily mark areas where Blupees, Bubbulfrogs, and treasures can be found with glowing pillars of light, GameSpot confirmed. They won’t show up on Link’s map but just appear in the distance.

In Breath of the Wild, the creature was said to be “a reincarnation of a sage.” There was also a character named Broderick in Breath of the Wild that seemed like a more direct tribute to Iwata, too.

Iwata passed away in July 2015 at the age of 55. He was the fourth president of Nintendo and served in that capacity from 2002-2015. GameSpot captured Iwata’s captivating career in pictures after his death.

As for the future, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has implied the open-world format is here to stay for the franchise. Breath of the Wild has set a precedent going forward, similar to what Ocarina of Time did before it.

If you need help, GameSpot has a Tears of the Kingdom guides hub to assist on your adventure through and above Hyrule. In addition, be sure to check out GameSpot’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review.