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5 best and funniest Reggie Fils-Aime moments Nintendo fans will remember

My name is Reggie. I’m about kicking ass. I’m about taking names and we’re about making games

5 best and funniest Reggie Fils-Aime moments Nintendo fans will remember

This article was originally published on February 22nd. It has been republished today to coincide with Reggie Fils-Aime's last day at Nintendo.

Reggie Fils-Aime and Nintendo go together like bread and butter. That’s why when the news dropped that he would be retiring from the company after 16 years, fans around the world were shocked and understandably saddened by the thought of not seeing the long-term Nintendo of America president and COO at the helm anymore.

Fils-Aime’s first appearance in the limelight arrived back in 2004. Taking the stage at Nintendo’s E3 conference and opening the show with the lines “My name is Reggie. I’m about kicking ass, I’m about taking names and we’re about making games”, he immediately made his presence known.

From here Fils-Aime became a key component for all of Nintendo’s marketing in North America while being looked upon as one of the main public representatives for the gaming giant going forward.

Industry icon

His last day at Nintendo will be on April 15th, 2019, with the appropriately named senior vice president of sales and marketing Doug Bowser taking charge.

However, before this industry icon sets off into retirement, we thought this would be an appropriate time to highlight some of Reggie’s best and funniest moments.


Click here to view the list »
  • 5 Reggie turns into a Muppet for Star Fox

    E3 2015 was a strange time for Nintendo. Sales with the Wii U were low, while behind the scenes numerous big name titles like a Mario + Rabbids and Zelda were held back for its successor.

    Nevertheless, Nintendo remained one of the quirkier games hardware companies and opened the conference with Fils-Aime, Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata all recreated as muppet interpretations of themselves.

    The transformation of all three into their Star Fox alter-egos is a joy to watch to this day.


  • 4 Reggie Fire Flowers audience member

    Featuring a packed show that included Pokemon, Zelda, Mario Maker and Fils-Aime taking on then Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in hand-to-hand combat à la Smash Bros, it was Fils-Aime’s confrontation with a fan that is most fondly remembered.

    Mother 3 has been request from Western Nintendo fans ever since the title released on Game Boy Advance in 2006.

    So when Nintendo teamed up with stop motion television show Robot Chicken, Fils-Aime took the opportunity to take out his built up rage at this repeated question at one unfortunate audience member.

    Five years later and Mother 3 is still nowhere to be seen outside of Japan, though it’s likely Fils-Aime never heard anymore enquiries about it.


  • 3 Reggie introduces E3 2017 and ushers in the age of Switch

    Reggie Fils-Aime is known for his sense of humour but at E3 2017 he reminded us all that at heart he’s a gamer.

    With a rousing monologue that centred on fun, battles and the journey that video games can take us on, Fils-Aime conveyed the Switch’s message for all that were undecided on the console/handheld hybrid.

    The video culminated in Fils-Aime’s surroundings falling down to reveal an open meadow and the dawn of a new age for the company following the Wii U years. After this, trailer after trailer hit showing Nintendo was back.


  • 2 Reggie trains for the Nintendo World Championship

    Probably one of the most zany and downright bananas sketches to come out of the games industry. We head to Nintendo of America’s HQ where executives are speaking with Fils-Aime about what ideas they can come up with to make E3 better than ever.

    Drifting off into the world of nod, a thought manifests itself into the Fils-Aime’s head. He jumps out of his seat to declare that the Nintendo World Championship should return for the first time in 25 years and that he will be competing.

    Fils-Aime then quits his role, hires a kid by the name of Tanner and leaves to pursue his goal. We then get a Rocky-style montage of Reggie pumping iron with GameCubes and Super Scopes while Mario waves encouragement from the backdrop.

    The whole skit is topped off by translator Bill Trinen being fired so Fils-Aime can have his original role back. Incredible.

    This bonus video put together by 'MrYodadrinkingsoda' on YouTube shows the continuing rivalry between Trinen and Fils-Aime.


  • 1 My body is ready

    Fils-Aime may have announced himself to the world at E3 2004, but at E3 2011 his popularity soared into uncharted territories as he transcended into an internet meme. As Shigeru Miyamoto demonstrated the Wii Fit’s Balance Board, a “body check” for the peripheral was required.

    Up steps Fils-Aime ushering the words: “My body is ready”. Little did he know that that this off-hand quip would launch an endless number of jokes, memes, GIFs and general tomfoolery that would define the man.


Deputy Editor

Matthew Forde is the deputy editor at PocketGamer.biz and also a member of the Pocket Gamer Podcast. You can find him on Twitter @MattForde64 talking about stats, data and everything pop culture related - particularly superheroes.