John Kirby is a name some may not know but he was an important part of Nintendo history. Kirby was the one who represented Nintendo when the company was in a legal dispute with Universal over claims that Donkey Kong was based on King Kong. Kirby led Nintendo to victory in that case and was given a $30,000 sailboat known as the Donkey Kong. More importantly, he also became the namesake of the famous video game character Kirby.
John Kirby passed away on Wednesday due to complications of the blood cancer Myelodysplastic syndrome at age 79. John Kirby may no longer bee with us, but his Nintendo legacy remains.
