is a Japanese
video game artist
Game art design is a subset of game development involving the process of creating the artistic aspects for video games. Video game art design begins in the pre-production phase of creating a video game. Video game artists are Visual arts, visua ...
, designer and director working for
Square Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, 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 ...
(formerly
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 ...
). He
designed characters for the ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' series, debuting with ''
Final Fantasy VI
also known as ''Final Fantasy III'' from its initial North American release, is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Final Fantasy'' ...
'' and continuing with various later installments. Additionally, Nomura has led the development of the ''
Kingdom Hearts'' series since its inception in 2002 and was the director of the 2005 film ''
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children''.
Early life
Nomura's father influenced his interest in art and games early on, creating little drawings and unique
Sugoroku board games for him. Nomura started drawing at the age of three years and developed his own Sugoroku games during his elementary school years. As a child, he spent much of his free time playing baseball, swimming, fishing and building fortresses. When he was in middle school, his father told him that an
era of computers would come and bought him his own computer. Nomura played ''Legends of Star Arthur: Planet Mephius'' on it and started creating his own video games by learning
programming. He first tried a
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
product with the
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
and
ping-pong
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
variant of the
Color TV Game console and later borrowed a
Family Computer
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
in high school. Around that time, ''
Dragon Quest'' became Nomura's favorite because it surprised him and introduced him to video games with story elements. His art teacher in high school pointed him towards the works of ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' illustrator
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese visual artist, character designer, illustrator, a scenic designer for theatre and film, and a costume designer. He first came into prominence in the late 1960s working on the anime adaptation of ''Speed Racer''. Amano later became ...
. Nomura also created his own
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
during class and intended to do this as a profession although he ultimately abandoned the idea.
Nomura went to
vocational school
A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...
to learn magazine and advertising artwork.
Nomura then looked for an advertising job at a publishing company. However, he eventually applied to
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 ...
after he had seen a job advertisement with a drawing by
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese visual artist, character designer, illustrator, a scenic designer for theatre and film, and a costume designer. He first came into prominence in the late 1960s working on the anime adaptation of ''Speed Racer''. Amano later became ...
.
Career
1990s
In the early 1990s, Nomura was hired by Square and at first worked as a debugger for ''
Final Fantasy IV
known as ''Final Fantasy II'' for its initial North American release, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1991, it is the fourth main insta ...
''.
Some time later, the company's staff was divided and he was placed in the team in charge of ''Final Fantasy''.
After he had received some training by artist
Tetsuya Takahashi
(born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square (now Square Enix), in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received title ...
, Nomura designed the monsters for ''
Final Fantasy V
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992. It is the fifth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom (known internationally as the ...
''.
At that time, each ''Final Fantasy'' developer had their own plan book as a compilation of ideas to present to the director of a game. While the others typed their plan books at the computer and then printed them out, Nomura wrote his by hand and attached many drawings which impressed director
Hironobu Sakaguchi
is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the ''Fin ...
and event planner
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 ...
.
Nomura then became the graphic director of ''
Final Fantasy VI
also known as ''Final Fantasy III'' from its initial North American release, is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Final Fantasy'' ...
''.
For this game, he conceived the characters
Shadow
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, o ...
and
Setzer as well as their background stories.
Their designs were reused from some of Nomura's abandoned concepts for ''Final Fantasy V''.
Following several smaller projects, Nomura was asked to be the principal character designer of ''
Final Fantasy VII'' in replacement for Amano.
Nomura drew the game's characters in a stylized and
super deformed
Chibi, also known as super deformation, or S.D. is a style of caricature originating in Japan, and common in anime and manga where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby with stubby limbs, oversized heads, and m ...
way and came up with the idea for the "
Limit Break
''Final Fantasy'' is a 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 (RPGs). The eponymous fi ...
" attacks.
He also took part in the making of the story and had a hand in plot elements such as
Aerith
, transliterated as Aeris Gainsborough in the English releases of '' Final Fantasy VII'' and ''Final Fantasy Tactics''—is a fictional character in Square's (now Square Enix) role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VII''. She was designed by ...
's death.
In 1998, Nomura worked on both ''
Parasite Eve Parasite Eve may refer to:
* ''Parasite Eve'' (novel), a 1995 Japanese science fiction horror novel by Hideaki Sena
* ''Parasite Eve'' (film), a 1997 Japanese science fiction film based on the novel
* ''Parasite Eve'' (video game), a 1998 action ...
'' and ''
Brave Fencer Musashi
is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1998 for the PlayStation home console. The game involves real-time sword-based combat in a 3D environment; it also features segments of voiced over dialogue and role-p ...
''. He then designed characters and monsters for ''
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation console. Released in 1999, it is the eighth main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Set on an unnamed fantasy world with science fiction elements, t ...
'' in what he described as his "actual style of drawing", working alongside art director
Yusuke Naora
(born January 9, 1971) is a Japanese video game art director and character designer who worked for Square Enix (formerly Square). A former member of Toaplan,Translationby Gamengai. by Gaijin Punch. ). Naora served as the art director for several ' ...
to realize the more realistic approach to the game's graphics.
Additionally, he wrote the character's background stories and was the battle visual director in charge of designing fight sequences.
Afterwards, Nomura worked on several different projects for Square, for example as a character designer of the 1998 fighting game ''
Ehrgeiz
, fully titled ''Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring'', is a 3D fighting video game developed by DreamFactory and published by Namco in 1998 for the arcade platform. It was first ported to the PlayStation and published by Square Co. in 1998, then t ...
'' which also used characters from ''Final Fantasy VII''.
2000s
Nomura was the character designer for 2000's
beat 'em up
The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
''
The Bouncer'' before he returned to the ''
Final Fantasy
is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...
'' series in the same capacity with 2001's ''
Final Fantasy X''. He worked with the staff so that the characters' clothes would be identical in
full motion videos and in-game scenes, unlike in ''Final Fantasy VIII''.
In February 2000, he started working as the director of ''
Kingdom Hearts'' with the production team consisting of over one hundred members from both Square and
Disney Interactive
Disney Interactive is an American video game and internet company that oversaw various websites and interactive media owned by The Walt Disney Company.
History
1995–1996: Formation and beginnings
In December 1994, Disney announced that it wa ...
. Nomura first heard of the game during a discussion between
Shinji Hashimoto and
Hironobu Sakaguchi
is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the ''Fin ...
regarding the use of the character of
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
in a video game. He was inspired to work on ''Kingdom Hearts'' by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
's platforming game ''
Super Mario 64''. After discussing with the Disney staff, Nomura convinced them to use original characters with him as the character designer. The game's protagonist,
Sora, became his favorite character he had designed so far. Following ''Kingdom Hearts'', Nomura worked once again on the ''Final Fantasy'' series with ''
Final Fantasy XI
also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantas ...
'' and ''
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 ...
''.
For the ''
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
The ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'' is a metaseries produced by Square Enix. A subseries stemming from the main ''Final Fantasy'' series, it is a collection of video games, animated features and short stories based in the world and contin ...
''
metaseries
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
which featured new titles based on ''Final Fantasy VII'', Nomura was once again the character designer. A sequel to ''Kingdom Hearts'' started development around the completion of ''
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
is a 2002 action role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first game in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series and is the result of a collaboration between Square and The Walt Disney Company. An ...
'', an international version which added more foreshadowing elements regarding the series' plot.
Nomura continued his work on the series with ''
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. He had originally planned to work directly on the PlayStation 2 sequel ''
Kingdom Hearts II''. However, desire from fans to play the original game on a portable console resulted in the creation of ''Chain of Memories'' which would bridge the gap between ''Kingdom Hearts'' and ''Kingdom Hearts II''.
Afterwards, Nomura was the director and lyricist for the CGI animated film ''
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'' which was released in 2005 in Japan. This marked his film debut, and he redesigned the characters as well. Nomura joined the film's crew after producer Yoshinori Kitase called him and eventually became the director because of his attachment to the character of
Cloud Strife
is a character (arts), fictional character and the main protagonist of Square (video game company), Square's (now Square Enix's) 1997 role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VII'', its Final Fantasy VII Remake, high-definition remake, and seve ...
.
He split the role of directing with Takeshi Nozue.
''Kingdom Hearts II'' was released in 2005, resolving the elements foreshadowed in the first game's secret ending. As a result of being set a year after previous titles, Nomura was careful to make the plot accessible to newcomers. After Square Enix had finished development of the updated version ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+'', Nomura was approached by Disney which expressed interest in a sequel. He said "We have various ideas, but we're not at the point where we can say that." Wishing to stop using the character of Sora temporarily, Nomura instead wanted to continue the series with games that explained different subplots. This resulted in the creation of ''
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
(subtitle read as "Three-Five-Eight Days over Two") is an Action role-playing game, action role-playing video game developed by h.a.n.d. and Square Enix (in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios) for the Nintendo DS. It is the fifth ins ...
'' for the Nintendo DS in 2008 which explored events that set up the story of ''Kingdom Hearts II''.
In mid-2007, Nomura mentioned a desire to create a spin-off Kingdom Hearts game on a mobile platform and wanted it to play slightly differently from other titles in the series. The resulted was ''
Kingdom Hearts Coded
''Kingdom Hearts Coded'' is an episodic action role-playing puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, for mobile phones. ''Coded'' was a Japan-only release announced at the 2007 ...
'', a game set after the events of ''Kingdom Hearts II'', which was later remade for the Nintendo DS in 2010.
In the meantime, Nomura was also responsible for the main character designs and orchestration of ''
The World Ends with You
''The World Ends with You'' is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Jupiter and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. Set in the modern-day Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, the game uses urban fantasy elements insp ...
'' for the Nintendo DS. In 2009, he was also the main character designer 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 the ...
''. The graphics capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 compared to previous consoles allowed Nomura to use more complex elements in the character designs than before, such as Lightning's cape and detailed facial features. This in turn meant that the art team had to do much more work for each character or area than in previous games. Nomura did not take an involved role in the creation of the
non-playable characters
A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
.
In 2008, he was the character designer of ''
Dissidia Final Fantasy
is a fighting game with action RPG elements developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign for the '' Final Fantasy'' series' 20th anniversary. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in Nor ...
''. The game was originally envisioned by Nomura as a ''Kingdom Hearts'' spin-off featuring a cast of Disney characters. He later felt uncomfortable with the Disney characters fighting each other and instead opted to use ''Final Fantasy'' characters. Nomura was responsible for the character designs, which changed much of the look and style of Amano's illustrations.
2010s
In 2010, Square released ''
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep'', a prequel of the first ''Kingdom Hearts'' that explained scenes shown in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' and its updated version.
In early 2011, Square released a follow up to ''Dissidia'' titled ''
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
''Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy'' (pronounced as ) is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the ''Final Fantasy'' series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department and released in J ...
''. The game carried several ideas Nomura had ever since early development, such as the inclusion of new characters and new gameplay mechanics.
For 2011's ''
Final Fantasy XIII-2
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released in 2011 in Japan and 2012 in North America and PAL regions, and was ported to Microsoft Windows in 2014 and iOS and Android ...
'', Nomura only created the new characters' faces as other staff members designed their clothes. Once the ''Kingdom Hearts coded'' remake was released, Nomura and his companions had already thought about creating ''
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'', a game that would set up the events of ''
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 ...
''. The game was released for the Nintendo 3DS owing to the team's positive reaction to the console's quality.
Nomura confirmed that he would be considering what he called an "HD Technical Test" in order to commemorate the series' tenth anniversary and to entice players new to the series.
This occurred on March 3, 2012 in the form of a premiere event where footage from the game, including its full CGI introduction sequence, was showcased to celebrate the game's release. In May 2012, Nomura revealed he was working as the director of a new ''Kingdom Hearts'' game that had yet to be announced by Square Enix. He was directing ''
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 ...
'' which originally entered production as ''Final Fantasy Versus XIII'' shortly before its announcement in May 2006. Nomura left his position of director on ''Final Fantasy XV'' following "changes in development structure" by Square Enix in December 2013. After his departure from ''Final Fantasy XV'', development of ''
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, playe ...
'' began, with Nomura directing the project and other key members of the original ''Final Fantasy VII'' development team, Kitase and
Kazushige Nojima
is a Japanese video game writer. He is best known for writing several installments of Square Enix's ''Final Fantasy'' franchise—namely ''Final Fantasy VII'' and its spin-offs '' Advent Children'' and '' Crisis Core'', ''Final Fantasy VIII'', an ...
returning as producer and scenario writer. At
E3 2015
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015 (E3 2015) was the 21st E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It took place from June 16 to June 18, 2015, with 52,200 total attendees.
Major exhibit ...
, ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' was announced with Nomura confirmed to be the director of the game. Nomura designed the "Torna" organization for ''
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released on December 1, it is the third installment in ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' and the seventh main en ...
'', finally working with
Tetsuya Takahashi
(born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square (now Square Enix), in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received title ...
again who had wanted to work with Nomura for over 20 years since it was decided Nomura would work on ''Final Fantasy VII'' instead of ''
Xenogears
''Xenogears'' is a 1998 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation video game console. It is the debut entry in the larger ''Xeno (series), Xeno'' franchise. ...
''.
In 2019, Nomura also contributed to ''
Final Fantasy XIV
''Final Fantasy XIV'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida, it was released worldwide for Windows and PlayStation 3 in August 2013, as a rep ...
''
's third expansion ''Shadowbringers''. The raid series Eden (featuring elements of ''
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation console. Released in 1999, it is the eighth main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Set on an unnamed fantasy world with science fiction elements, t ...
'') features a character named Gaia, along with bosses designed by Nomura.
2020s
In April 2020, Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix launched the critically acclaimed ''
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, playe ...
''. He worked as the director of the project, character designer, and concept designer. After a successful launch, Nomura would go on to work on downloadable content for the game called "intermission", which released in 2021. During this, he was also working on the next installation, ''
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 ...
''. Work for that project began in 2019, however it was revealed in an interview with him that progress for the game would be shown in the year 2022. As for a specific date on when it would be shown, or a release date for the project, one was not announced. He would begin working on it as the Creative director ( the person in charge of the creative vision for the game), as well as the concept designer and the character designer. He is also working on the recently announced ''Kingdom Hearts IV''. Just as the previous game, he will be in charge of the character design, the story, and the concept design. as for this projects release date, and when more news would be shared, no release date was given, and any more visual showcases for the game will come at a later date, and not during the summer. Testsuya Nomura also created art pieces for his characters, on post cards which can be purchased in October. He also created artwork which was used to introduce Kingdom Hearts IV, which displayed many of the characters he has created through the games long timespan
Style and influences
Nomura considers
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese visual artist, character designer, illustrator, a scenic designer for theatre and film, and a costume designer. He first came into prominence in the late 1960s working on the anime adaptation of ''Speed Racer''. Amano later became ...
one of his biggest inspirations when doing artwork.
His four "seniors"
Hironobu Sakaguchi
is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the ''Fin ...
,
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 ...
,
Hiroyuki Ito
, is a Japanese game producer, director and designer who works for Square Enix. He is known as the director of ''Final Fantasy VI'' (1994), ''Final Fantasy IX'' (2000) and '' Final Fantasy XII'' (2006) and as the creator of the Active Time B ...
and
Tetsuya Takahashi
(born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square (now Square Enix), in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received title ...
were also described as major influences.
He even compared Sakaguchi to something "like a godly figure" during his early days at Square. At that time, Nomura was also taught the basics of game design by Ito. He told Nomura never to stick to existing concepts but rather to reuse just specific ideas and explained concepts such as ease of control and effortless accessibility of magic spells.
Ito's work as a battle system designer inspires Nomura when thinking of the gameplay system for the ''Kingdom Hearts'' games.
When designing characters, Nomura wants their names and outfits to be related with their personalities. An example occurs in ''Final Fantasy X'' where the protagonist
Tidus
is a character (arts), fictional player character, character in Square Enix's ''Final Fantasy'' series and the main protagonist of the 2001 role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy X''. Tidus is a 17-year-old from the city of Spira (Final Fantas ...
was given a colorful uniform in order to reflect his cheerful personality and to contrast with the previous moody ''Final Fantasy'' characters. His name as well as
Yuna
Yuna may refer to:
Geography
*Yuna River, Dominican Republic
*Yuna, Western Australia
Music
* ''Yuna'' (album), a 2012 album by Malaysian singer Yuna
* ''Yuna'' (EP), a 2008 album by Malaysian acoustic singer Yuna
People Japanese
*Yuna Aoi, wr ...
's, another character appearing in the game, also have a common theme, the former being Okinawan for "Sun" and the latter Okinawan for "night".
Various characters such as
Squall Leonheart and
Lulu
Lulu may refer to:
Companies
* LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer
* Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer
* Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia
* Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...
are given multiple accessories, making the games more challenging for the programmers.
When directing ''Advent Children'', Nomura explained how the film was different from Western films due to the lack of direct answers from the plot. He added that he wants viewers to interpret certain scenes themselves and then discuss them with friends as another way to enjoy the film.
The same occurs within the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series where the scenes that show unknown characters are left to the player's imagination until the following scene reveals it.
Works
Accolades
Nomura received the "Excellence in Visual Arts" award by the
International Game Developers Association
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is a nonprofit professional association whose stated mission is to "support and empower game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers."
The IGDA is incorpo ...
for his work on the
first ''Kingdom Hearts'' game, alongside
Shinji Hashimoto.
In
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's "The Top 100 Video Game Creators of all Time" Nomura was listed at number 84.
References
External links
*
Tetsuya Nomura's Biography and Artwork''Tetsuya Nomura''Rap sheet at
MobyGames
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nomura, Tetsuya
1970 births
Final Fantasy designers
Japanese video game designers
Japanese video game directors
Living people
People from Kōchi Prefecture
Square Enix people
Video game artists
Video game writers
Artists from Kōchi Prefecture