Reggie on his 'kicking ass' quote, Nintendo being unique, and his favorite Reggie meme

Reggie Fils-Aime's time at Nintendo has come and gone, but he will never be forgotten. Reggie became an iconic name for Nintendo fans, and it all started from the second he took the stage at E3 2004. He kicked off his introduction to fans around the world by saying, “My name is Reggie, and I’m about kicking ass and taking names, and we’re about making games!” The rest, as they say, is history!

In an interview with IGN, Reggie looks back on that kickoff statement, and how important it was.

“This was a well-considered statement, and reflected the needs of Nintendo at the time, and the reality of my own personality. My enthusiasm for video games, my love for Nintendo franchises, as well as my approachability, all worked together. This is the real Reggie… whether on stage, in the office or engaging with the community. I think this is why fans welcomed me, and continue to enjoy engaging with me.”

Another important part of Nintendo being Nintendo comes from their desire to be unique. Reggie elaborated on how that idea of uniqueness resonates all throughout Nintendo.

“There is a plaque in the Nintendo executive area in Kyoto that says in Japanese, ‘Create Something Unique.’ This has been Nintendo’s mantra for decades. Within the video game space, Nintendo has innovated so often… from hundreds of games, consoles, controllers and peripherals. Just about every element of modern gaming was started by Nintendo. This focus on innovation runs throughout Nintendo and into the disciplines of Sales, Marketing, Operations, even Finance. Everyone challenged themselves to Create Something Unique.”

Of course, you can't talk Reggie without talking memes. He's been a part of hundreds of memes over the years, but does he have a favorite?

“There’s a meme compilation on YouTube that I got a kick out of seeing; all my funny and epic moments in one place! If I’m pressed to pick just one favorite meme, it would have to be when we launched the Wii Fit, and I was quoted as saying, ‘My body is ready!’”