- The Washington Times - Thursday, September 19, 2013

The man who introduced the world to Super Mario died Thursday morning of pneumonia at a hospital in Japan.

Former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi introduced the Nintendo Entertainment System to the United States in 1985, launching the greatest video game franchises in history, such as Super Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong, TMZ reported.

Mr. Hiroshi left the company in 2002 and forfeited his $9 million to $14 million pension to be recycled back into the company.

The 85-year-old gaming pioneer was ranked the 13th-richest man in Japan at the time of his death at an estimated $2.1 billion, TMZ reported.

Mr. Hiroshi is survived by his wife and three children, the report said.

• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.

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