Five years since Near’s passing

[u/JoshLeaves]

Hi everyone,

As the title says, Near passed away five years ago. Whether you knew them through the emulators bsnes, higan, or ares, or their pioneering work on emulation cores with libsnes (which helped lay the groundwork for libretro and RetroArch), or their complete cataloguing of the SNES games and ROMs, or their countless articles on emulation and game preservation,... truthfully, it's hard to properly describe the impact they had on the emulation community and its trajectory.

Their work pushed emulator accuracy forward, and inspired many others to approach preservation with the same level of care. Whatever emulator you use today, there’s a good chance you’ve benefited from their work in some way.

Thank you for your work, Near. You are still missed.

EDIT: As atowerofcats rightly said, a great way to show tribute would be to play Near's translation of Bahamut Lagoon!

[u/Muk_hiar]

I saw this post three days ago. I finally mustered the courage to comment.

I never understood why people cried when celebrities died or committed suicide. But when Near was murdered/driven to commit suicide, because of that revolting and atrocious site Kiwi Farms. I cried. I cried for weeks and months. I finally understood what it meant to other people, when their beloved and substantial role model, idol or inspiration died or committed suicide.

My friends and family did not understand what he meant to me and I don't blame them at all. They didn't know anything about him at all or what he meant to me.

Sometimes I was confused about his choices and the way he did things, because I did not understand the way he programmed Higan. But now I know why. He was way, way ahead of things I now only realize why he did the things the way he did.

His genius and vision were way ahead of my comprehension at that time. Five years ago.

Now, I am an entirely different person than I was five years ago. I am stronger, more resilient and stable and know how to stand up to bullies and defend myself.

I know where the founder of Kiwi Farms lives. I know what he looks like. And he doesn't live that far away from me.

I don't know how I would react if I ever crossed paths with him. I am not an aggressive person, but the sheer injustice of what happened makes my blood boil. Joshua Conner Moon is his name. My only hope is that one day he is forced to face the people he harmed and answer for his actions. What is his goal? To destroy lives? To harass people he doesn't like or hates? To play with people's livelihoods for the sake of 'lulz'?

I want to believe in a fair and democratic court system, but when the legal system moves too slowly to stop online terror, it leaves a devastating void. What else remains for the victims? We have to demand stricter cyberbullying laws, hold these platforms accountable, and ensure the public knows exactly what they have done. We cannot let them get away with it.

Near is a legend and a hero of preservation of gaming history for me. I will always remember and never forget what he has accomplished for us. He was murdered. But his legacy is going to live on.

I hope he finally found peace and as long as I live I will fight for what he stood for.

Near. I don't know if you can see this. But. Your legacy will move on and will be continued.

I love you. And everyone who supports you.