Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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There's some incredibly sad news coming out of the Super Smash Bros. community today, with the unfortunate announcement on Twitter that composer Kenichi Okuma has passed away at the age of 56.

Okuma passed away last week on 22nd July after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was best known as the composer and arranger of some of remixes featured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii, including Pokémon Gym / Evolution (Pokémon Red/Pokémon Blue), Flat Zone 2 and Gyromite.

This news was shared via Okuma's social media, here's a rough Google translation:

"[Notice] Kenichi Okuma fell asleep on July 22 due to esophageal cancer. He was 56 years old. His time and funeral will be held at his family funeral. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who loved Okuma's music and all the people involved for their long-standing kindness. Thank you very much. (All family members)"

Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai has also shared his condolences via social media - noting how the legacy of the songs Okuma wrote live on in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Here's what he had to say:

"Best wishes for your soul ... Thank you for your support in "Smash Bros. X", but there are some songs that will be used in later series."

On behalf of the community here at Nintendo Life, our thoughts go out to Kenichi Okuma's friends and family during this difficult period.

[source gonintendo.com]