Gunpei Yokoi
Nintendo inventor of the Game Boy and Game & Watch
- Lived
- 56 yrs
- 1941 – 1997
- Works listed
- 2
- Handheld games, Handheld console
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 2003
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Gunpei Yokoi was a Japanese toy maker and game designer at Nintendo who invented the Game & Watch handhelds, the cross-shaped D-pad and the Game Boy. His philosophy of “lateral thinking with withered technology” used cheap, proven parts in new ways. He died in a road accident in 1997.
Biography
Ultra Hand
Yokoi studied electronics at Doshisha University and joined Nintendo in 1965 to maintain card machines. Hiroshi Yamauchi saw an extending arm he had made for fun and sold it as the Ultra Hand toy (1966), a hit.
Game & Watch
Seeing a businessman playing with a calculator on a train, he created Game & Watch (1980), pocket LCD games. For Donkey Kong’s version he invented the D-pad.
Game Boy
His team made the Game Boy (1989), using a simple monochrome screen for long battery life. With Tetris it sold over 100 million units with its successor.
Virtual Boy and death
The Virtual Boy (1995) failed, and he left Nintendo in 1996 to start Koto Laboratory. He died in 1997 after being hit by a car while helping at a crash scene.
Timeline
-
1941
Born in Kyoto, Japan
-
1965
Joins Nintendo
-
1966
Ultra Hand
-
1980
Game & Watch
-
1982
D-pad
-
1989
Game Boy
-
1995
Virtual Boy
-
1997
Dies
-
1997
Died, aged 56
Notable works
-
1980
Game & Watch Handheld games
-
1989
Game Boy Handheld console
Awards and honours
-
Game Developers Choice Lifetime Achievement Award
2003 · Posthumous.
Did you know?
-
1
He produced the Metroid and Kid Icarus games.
-
2
His Game Boy survived a bombing in the Gulf War and still worked.
-
3
He mentored Shigeru Miyamoto.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Gunpei Yokoi?
Gunpei Yokoi was a Japanese toy maker and game designer at Nintendo who invented the Game & Watch handhelds, the cross-shaped D-pad and the Game Boy. His philosophy of “lateral thinking with withered technology” used cheap, proven parts in new ways. He died in a road accident in 1997.
When did Gunpei Yokoi die?
Gunpei Yokoi died on 4 October 1997 at the age of 56.
Where is Gunpei Yokoi from?
Gunpei Yokoi was born in Kyoto, Japan.
What is Gunpei Yokoi known for?
Gunpei Yokoi is best known for Ultra Hand toy; Game & Watch (1980); Game Boy (1989); the D-pad; Virtual Boy.
What awards has Gunpei Yokoi received?
Notable honours include Game Developers Choice Lifetime Achievement Award (2003).
References
- Gunpei Yokoi — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Gunpei Yokoi — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Gunpei Yokoi — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Gunpei Yokoi (Q366261) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Gunpei Yokoi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Gunpei Yokoi.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/gunpei-yokoi
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