is a Japanese video game writer. He is best known for writing several installments of

Square Enix is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game franchises, among numerous ...

's ''

Final Fantasy is a Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games. The ...

'' franchise—namely ''

Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was r ...

'' and its spin-offs '' Advent Children'' and '' Crisis Core'', ''

Final Fantasy VIII is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation console. Released in 1999, it is the eighth main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Set on an unna ...

'', and ''

Final Fantasy X is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth main entry in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Originally released in 2001 for PlayStation 2, the game was re-released as ''Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster'' for PlaySta ...

'' and '' X-2''—in addition to the '' Kingdom Hearts series'', the ''Glory of Heracles'' series, and the story to the Subspace Emissary mode in ''

Super Smash Bros. Brawl ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 crossover fighting video game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, it was announced at a pre-E3 2005 press conferenc ...

''. Nojima also wrote the original lyrics of "

Liberi Fatali The music of the video game ''Final Fantasy VIII'' was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The ''Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack'', a compilation of all music in the game, was released on four Compact Discs by DigiCube in ...

" for ''Final Fantasy VIII'' and both "Suteki da Ne" and the "Hymn of the Fayth" for ''Final Fantasy X''. He is also the founder of Stellavista Ltd.

Biography

Kazushige Nojima first joined Japanese

video game developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...

and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

Data East , also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game, pinball and electronic engineering company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles. Its main headquarters were located in Suginami, Tokyo. The A ...

Square Co.

He joined

Square In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...

in 1994. He began work on ''

'' after the main character settings were done, though Nojima considered this early in the process; he was still working on ''

Bahamut Lagoon is a 1996 tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom. ''Bahamut Lagoon'' was released on the Virtual Console in Japan on September 29, 2009 for the Wii and on February 5, 2014 for the Wii U. Gameplay ''B ...

''. Nojima also wrote the mythology of ''

Fabula Nova Crystallis ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy'' is a series of games within the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise. It was primarily developed by series creator and developer Square Enix, which also acted as publisher for all titles. While featurin ...

'', which has been used as the story foundation for all the titles within the series. Nojima also wrote most of the Kingdom Hearts games. He also wrote the scenario for Final Fantasy XV ''(Previously known as Versus XIII)''.

Freelance

Kazushige Nojima left Square Enix in 2003 and founded Stellavista Ltd, a freelance scenario company. He wrote the story for '' Sakura Note''. He also contributed some story concepts to the script of ''

Final Fantasy XIII is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and later for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Released in Japan in December 2009 and international in March 2010, it is th ...

''. While developing the scenario for '' Glory of Heracles'', Nojima took inspiration from the

Fall of Troy In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...

and the

Battle of Thermopylae The Battle of Thermopylae ( ; grc, Μάχη τῶν Θερμοπυλῶν, label= Greek, ) was fought in 480 BC between the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Xerxes I and an alliance of Greek city-states led by Sparta under Leonidas I. Lastin ...

. Not many actual Greek locations were used, but locations derived from Greek mythology were. In 2011

Enterbrain , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing founded on 30 January 1987 as . Magazines published by Enterbrain are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy ...

announced on its

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...

resource that a short anime and audio drama, based on a novel written by Kazushige Nojima, will be streamed with a name ''Busō Chūgakusei Basket Army (Armed Middle School Student Basket Army).''

Writing style and reception

Nojima has been called one of the "strongest voices" in the video game industry for his writing. His stories have been noted for their complexity and fearlessness in delving into romantic plot lines.

Works

Video Games

* '' Tantei Jingūji Saburō: Kiken na Futari'' (1988–1989; as Scenario Writer) * '' Heracles no Eikō II: Titan no Metsubō'' (1989; as Scenario Writer) * '' Tantei Jingūji Saburō: Toki no Sugiyuku mamani...'' (1991; as Scenario Writer) * '' Heracles no Eikō III: Kamigami no Chinmoku'' (1992; as Scenario Writer) * '' Heracles no Eikō IV: Kamigami kara no Okurimono'' (1994; as Scenario Writer and Director (with Eiichi Nishiyama)) * ''

'' (1996; as Director) * ''

'' (1997; as Scenario Writer) (with

Yoshinori Kitase is a Japanese game director and producer working for Square Enix. He is known as the director of ''Final Fantasy VI'', ''Chrono Trigger'', ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''Final Fantasy VIII'' and ''Final Fantasy X'', and the producer of the ''Final Fa ...

) * ''

'' (1999; as Scenario Writer) * ''

'' (2001; as Scenario Writer) (with

Daisuke Watanabe is a Japanese video game writer employed by Square Enix. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series ''Final Fantasy'' and the action RPG series ''Kingdom Hearts''. Career Watanabe first became interested in writing ...

Motomu Toriyama is a Japanese game director and scenario writer who has been working for Square Enix since 1994. He initially worked on cutscenes in '' Bahamut Lagoon'' and ''Final Fantasy VII'' before serving as one of the 3 directors on ''Final Fantasy X'' ...

and Yoshinori Kitase) * ''

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya Nomura, a longtime Square ...

'' (2002; as Scenario Writer) (with

Jun Akiyama is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion. He is best known for his time working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was the president, representative director, c ...

and Daisuke Watanabe) * ''

Final Fantasy X-2 is a 2003 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation 2. Unlike most ''Final Fantasy'' games, which use self-contained stories and characters, ''X-2'' continues the story of ''Fin ...

'' (2003; as Scenario Writer) (with

) * '' Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII'' (2004; as Scenario Supervisor) * '' Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' (2004; as Scenario Supervisor) * ''

Kingdom Hearts II is a 2005 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game is a sequel to ''Kingdom Hearts (video game), King ...

'' (2005; as Scenario Writer) * '' Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII'' (2007; as Scenario Writer) (with Sachie Hirano) * ''

'' (2008; as Scenario Writer for Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary) (with

Masahiro Sakurai is a Japanese video game director and game designer best known as the creator of the ''Kirby'' and ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. Apart from his work on those series, he also led the design of ''Meteos'' in 2005 and directed '' Kid Icarus: Upri ...

) * '' Glory of Heracles'' (2008; as Scenario Writer) * '' Sakura Note'' (2009; as Scenario Writer) * ''

'' (2009; as Scenario Concept) * ''

Last Ranker ''Last Ranker'' is a 2010 role-playing video game developed by Imageepoch and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable. Set in a fantasy world where warriors are ranked by Bazalta, the world's ruling military and government who are dedica ...

'' (2010; as Scenario Writer) * ''

Lord of Arcana is an action role-playing game for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix. A remake titled , was released in Japan and Asia in December 2011 for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Portable. Gameplay ...

'' (2010; as Original Lyrics) * '' Black Rock Shooter: The Game'' (2011; as Scenario Writer) * '' Sol Trigger'' (2012; as Scenario Writer) * ''

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is a high-definition remaster of the role-playing video games ''Final Fantasy X'' and '' Final Fantasy X-2'', originally developed by Square (now Square Enix) on the PlayStation 2 in the early 2000s. It also features story content previously o ...

'' (2013, Scenario Writer, Audio Drama Writer) * ''

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pa ...

'' (2015; as Scenario Writer) * ''

Mobius Final Fantasy was an episodic role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for iOS, Android (operating system), Android, and Microsoft Windows. It was released in Japan in June 2015, and released internationally in August 2016. The player con ...

'' (2015-2020; as Scenario Writer) * ''

Dragon's Dogma Online ''Dragon's Dogma Online'' was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Capcom for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in 2015; As of 2019, the servers have been shut down. A follow-up to ...

'' (2015; as Scenario Writer) * ''

Final Fantasy XV is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The fifteenth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016, Microsoft Windows in 2018, and as a launch title ...

'' (2016; as Original Story Plot) * '' Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary'' (2017; as Scenario Supervisor) * ''

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a fighting game with action role-playing elements developed by Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja and published by Square Enix for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. The game is a follow-up to '' Dissidia Final Fantasy'' and ''Dissidia 012 Final F ...

'' (2018; as Scenario Concept) * '' Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition'' (2018; as Original Story Plot) * ''

Kingdom Hearts III is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, and serves as a conclusion of the ...

'' (2019; as Scenario Supervisor) * ''

Final Fantasy VII Remake is a 2020 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It is the first in a planned trilogy of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game ''Final Fantasy VII''. Set in the dystopian cyberpunk metropolis of Midgar, players co ...

'' (2020; as Story and Scenario Writer. Lyrics for Main Theme.) * ''

Astria Ascending ''Astria Ascending'' is a 2021 role-playing game developed by Artisan Studios and published by Dear Villagers. Set in the fantasy world of Orcanon, the story of ''Astria Ascending'' follows a group of demigods called the "Fated Eight". They act as ...

'' (2021; as Scenario Writer) * ''Final Fantasy VII: First Soldier'' (2021; as Scenario Supervisor) * '' Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin'' (2022; as Scenario and Story) * '' Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion'' (2022; as Scenario Writer) * '' Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis'' (TBA; as Scenario Writer) * ''

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth ''Final Fantasy VII Rebirth'' is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix, scheduled to release for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. It is a sequel to ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' (2020), and the second in a ...

'' (TBA; as Scenario Writer)

Novels

* ''Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile'' (2005-2009; as Writer) * ''Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story'' (2011; as Writer) * ''Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~Eien no Daishō~'' (2013; as Writer) * ''Basket Army'' (2013; as Writer) * ''Final Fantasy VII Remake: Trace of Two Pasts'' (2021; as Writer)

Film

* ''

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is a 2005 Japanese computer-animated film directed by Tetsuya Nomura, written by Kazushige Nojima, and produced by Yoshinori Kitase and Shinji Hashimoto. Developed by Visual Works and Square Enix, ''Advent Children'' is part of the ''Compilat ...

'' (2005; as Scenario Writer)

Anime

* ''

Last Order Final Fantasy VII , also abbreviated as ''Last Order'' or ''LO'', is a 2005 Japanese anime original video animation produced by Madhouse and released by Square Enix. It was directed by Morio Asaka, and produced by Masao Maruyama, Jungo Maruta and Akio Ofuji. T ...

'' (2005; as Story) * '' Lupin the 3rd Part V'' (2018; as Screenplay for episode 12)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nojima, Kazushige 1964 births Living people Square (video game company) Square Enix people People from Sapporo Video game writers