Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime retires; Bowser takes over

Reggie Fils-Aime, the likable head of Nintendo of America has announced his plans to go into retirement this April. He was the President and COO of NoA since 2006 and will be succeeded by Doug Bowser. Yes, his last name is actually Bowser. Listen to Reggie’s heartfelt message here.

Reggie has long become an iconic figurehead among Nintendo fans, for his quite funny appearances at various conventions and Nintendo Directs. In his 16 year-long career at Nintendo, Reggie managed to win over the hearts of fans with his sincere and at times frankly funny character. Legendary moments like Reggie’s appearance at Nintendo’s E3 show 2007, where he was part of the Wii Fit demonstration and coined the now-iconic term “My Body Is Ready” surpassed the realm of Nintendo fans and became a widely-used expression across the whole internet. Likewise, the many goofy skits he, alongside other big Nintendo names like Shigeru Miyamoto and the late Satoru Iwata took part in, cemented the image of the Japanese gaming giant as a true fun-oriented company, and earned him the nickname “Regginator”.

“Nintendo owns a part of my heart forever. It’s a part that is filled with gratitude—for the incredibly talented people I’ve worked with, for the opportunity to represent such a wonderful brand, and most of all, to feel like a member of the world’s most positive and enduring gamer community.” – Reggie Fils-Aime

Fils-Aime was part of a large Nintendo history, starting during the GameCube era, throughout the wild success of the casual-oriented Wii, surviving the brutally harsh times the short-lived Wii U had, all the way to Nintendo’s triumphant return with the Switch.

We also learn who will take on the duties from Reggie on April 16. Doug Bowser has been the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at NoA and has some big shoes to fill. His incredibly apt surname will no doubt help him win the hearts of Nintendo fans in no time.