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Gunpei Yokoi

Lateral thinking with withered technology

Nintendo's Gunpei Yokoi invented the D-pad, Game & Watch, and Game Boy—proving that clever design beats raw power.

NES hardware-pioneersnintendogame-designers 1941–1997

Overview

Gunpei Yokoi joined Nintendo in 1965 as a maintenance engineer for their playing card machines. By the time of his death in 1997, he had invented the modern directional pad, created handheld gaming, and established a design philosophy that still guides Nintendo: use mature, inexpensive technology in creative ways.

Fast facts

  • First hit: the Ultra Hand (1966), an extendable grabbing toy Yokoi built in his spare time. Yamauchi saw it and put him on product development.
  • Game & Watch (1980): LCD handheld games that sold 43 million units and introduced the modern D-pad.
  • The D-pad: Yokoi’s cross-shaped directional controller debuted on the Game & Watch Donkey Kong (1982) and became standard on the Famicom.
  • Game Boy (1989): deliberately used outdated monochrome technology to maximise battery life and minimise cost. It crushed technically superior rivals.
  • Virtual Boy (1995): a commercial failure that led to Yokoi’s departure from Nintendo.
  • Tragically killed: in a car accident in 1997, shortly after leaving Nintendo.

Lateral thinking with withered technology

Yokoi’s philosophy—kareta gijutsu no suihei shikō—rejected the arms race for cutting-edge specs:

  • Withered technology: use components that are well-understood, cheap, and reliable.
  • Lateral thinking: find new applications for old technology through creative design.
  • Result: the Game Boy’s weak hardware outlasted the colour Lynx and Game Gear because it was affordable, pocketable, and had incredible battery life.

The D-pad revolution

Before Yokoi, game controllers used joysticks or individual buttons for each direction. The D-pad was:

  • Compact: fit on handheld devices where joysticks couldn’t.
  • Precise: digital input suited platformers and action games.
  • Iconic: the cross shape became synonymous with gaming itself.

Metroid and beyond

Yokoi also produced games, including the original Metroid (1986) and Kid Icarus (1986). He championed projects that didn’t fit Nintendo’s family-friendly image, pushing for darker themes and exploration-based gameplay.

Legacy

Yokoi’s influence extends beyond any single product. His philosophy—that innovation comes from clever use of existing technology, not spec sheets—remains Nintendo’s guiding principle. The Switch, with its modest hardware but brilliant design, is pure Yokoi thinking.

See also