Akira Toriyama is recognized for his work in mangas and animes such as Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, Sand Land and more. However, his portfolio goes beyond this medium, since she always had a close relationship with video games. Although we never saw him as a director or producer, the mangaka is famous for being the designer of monsters and characters in multiple interactive experiences that have nothing to do with anime, such as Chrono Trigger. Thus, We tell you about four projects of this type that demonstrate the talent of Akira Toriyama.
Dragon Quest
In 1986 the first installment of Dragon Quest by Enix. This title was created by what some have called the holy trinity of RPGs. On the one hand, we have Yuji Horii, the creator and director of the series. Then we have Koichi Sugiyama, composer responsible for some of the most iconic songs of this medium. Last but not least, There is Akira Toriyama, character and monster designer.
Despite the limitations of an 8-bit game, Akira Toriyama's style can be seen in the first game of Dragon Quest. His work is part of the identity of the series, as much as Sugiyama's music and Horii's direction. In one of his many anecdotes, the creator of this property revealed that he had the idea of Slim, the franchise's mascot. However, it was Toriyama who redesigned this creature to give it the simple and charismatic style that we all associate with Dragon Quest right now.
For 11 main games, and countless spin-offs, Toriyama was involved in some way or another in Dragon Quest. While it is very likely that the mangaka had the opportunity to work on the 2D-HD remake of Dragon Quest IIIas well as in Dragon Quest XII, We do not know to what extent he collaborated. What is clear to us is that Akira Toriyama is, and always will be, a fundamental part of the DNA of this series.
Chrono Trigger
The famous Dream Team of video games was made up of Yuji Horii, creator of Dragon Quest, Hironobu Sakaguchi, responsible for Final Fantasy, and Akira Toriyama, father of Goku. On a trip to the United States, this trio came together to shape what many consider the best RPG of all time. While the developers were in charge of conceptualizing the mechanics and story of this installment, Toriyama was tasked with designing the title's aesthetic, including the creation of characters, monsters, vehicles, and the look of each era.
Although Toriyama was not the only designer who worked on this project, his characteristic style, which had already dominated Japan by then, was the main inspiration and a guide that all artists who worked in Chrono Trigger they happily followed.
All those who have played Chrono Trigger you can appreciate one of Akira Toriyama's best works. The artist used the concepts he was known for, and substantially elevated his ideas by implementing them in a world like no other. We all know what Chrono, Marle, Frog, Lucca, Robo, Ayla, Magus, Lavos looks like, and all the main and secondary characters that accompany us on this adventure. Even with the limitations of 16-bit, Toriyama's work manages to shine.
Tobal No. 1
One of Akira Toriyama's not so well-known collaborations with Squaresoft was Tobal No. 1a fighting game developed by DreamFactory, and the first title that the creators of Final Fantasy published on the PlayStation 1. After the 8 and 16-bit era, This new generation allowed us to appreciate the mangaka's designs in a 3D worldsomething that presented a challenge, but also had positive results.
In Tobal No. 1, the artist's work is recognized with great reference. Along with the repertoire of characters, it is also possible to fight against Toriyama Robot, a creature named after Akira Toriyama in his honorand it is one of the few times that the mangaka has been represented in a video game.
Blue Dragon
One of the first games from Mistwalker, a studio created by Hironobu Sakaguchi after his departure from Square Enix, was Blue Dragon, an RPG that once again allowed Akira Toriyama's original designs a space to shine. On this occasion, We saw works that reminded us of the mangaka's first workssince it focused on cartoonish dragons, children, and demons.
In an interview, Sakaguchi mentioned that Blue Dragon It represented a challenge for Sakaguchi, since the artist was not used to working with modern software for the time, such as Photoshop. Even with these walls, The final work makes it clear that the artist's characteristic style still had a place in game development in the new century..
Although time has not treated in such a positive way Blue Dragon, The work that Akira Toriyama did on this occasion continues to be fondly remembered by all the fans of this mangaka.and clearly redefined a style that we could see even in his last days as an artist.
These are just four examples of the extensive legacy that Akira Toriyama leaves in the world of video games. In addition to original titles, The mangaka also participated as a designer on a huge list of Dragon Ball games and other Shonen Jump properties. throughout practically all generations of video games, from the NES to the present.
Let us remember that next April 25, 2024 will arrive Sand Landan adaptation of Akira Toriyama's manga, and where the mangaka worked. On related topics, these were Yuji Horii's parting words. Likewise, these were the messages from the Dragon Ball voice actors.
Editor's Note:
Akira Toriyama's legacy goes beyond anime and manga. Without his involvement in video games, multiple series and titles may not have existed. Without him, Dragon Quest would not have the same identity. Without him, Chrono Trigger maybe it wouldn't have existed. Toriyama leaves an extremely important legacy that we can all admire.
Via: Akira Toriyama
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