Reynalda Lynn Nguyen and her husband Thao – creators of the Multi Arcade System (MAS) joystick for home video games – tragically died recently after an accidental cooking fire at their home in Westminster, Calif. Reynalda died as a result of the fire on March 29 and Thao spent two weeks in critical condition before passing away on April 13.
According to Kotaku, they leave behind children Anthony and Alexandria Kristen Nguyen, who are accepting donations via GoFundMe so they can bury their parents.
The made-to-order MAS was a “monumental piece of hardware that helped transform the way fighting games were played” in a time where home video games were becoming popular. Of all the home systems, the Multi Arcade System most closely replicated the arcade experience.
The fighting game community has rallied around the Nguyen family, sharing memories of the iconic duo and raising more than $36,000 of a $50,000 goal.