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The creator of the Konami Code, Kazuhisa Hashimoto, has died at the age of 61.

The news was first shared by his friend composer Yuji Takenouchi, who shared the news on Twitter. Konami followed up the announcement with a separate statement shortly thereafter.

“We are saddened to hear about the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply talented producer who first introduced the world to the “Konami Code”,” the company said via a statement on its social media channels. “Our thoughts are with Hashimoto-san’s family and friends at this time. Rest In Peace.”

We are saddened to hear about the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply talented producer who first introduced the world to the "Konami Code". Our thoughts are with Hashimoto-san's family and friends at this time. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/vQijEQ8lU2 — Konami (@Konami) February 26, 2020

Hashimoto – a veteran producer credited with creating one of gaming’s most enduring open secrets, the Konami Code – joined Konami in 1983 and worked there for his entire career. He created and implemented code to enable him to test the NES port of the 1986 side-scrolling shooter, Gradius, knowing he would likely struggle to complete the difficult game himself. He implemented cheats that unlocked if he punched in an easy-to-remember code: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start.

His credits include Gradius, The Goonies, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, and – perhaps most famously of all – Track and Field.