As a student, Iwata developed a deep passion for programming. He created simple electronic games using calculators, laying the groundwork for his future career.

At HAL Laboratory, Iwata honed his programming skills, contributing to the development of various games for platforms like the NES.

Iwata was instrumental in programming 'Balloon Fight,' a classic NES game known for its engaging gameplay and challenging level design. His technical skills were crucial to the game's success.

Iwata played a crucial role in rescuing the development of 'EarthBound' (Mother 2). He stepped in to debug and optimize the game, allowing it to be completed and released. This saved the project from cancellation.

Iwata personally helped with the compression needed to fit all of the original 151 Pokémon into "Pokémon Stadium" for the Nintendo 64.

Even as President of Nintendo, Iwata remained deeply involved in game development, often providing technical expertise and guidance to development teams. He believed in staying connected to the creative process.

Iwata continued to write code for video games, even after becoming president. He and his team, with the help of Shigeru Miyamoto, created the game 'Creatures', a puzzle game for the Nintendo DSi. The game was never localized, but became available in Japan in 2009.