Tetsuya Nomura - Your Thoughts?

[Scarlet]

You don't seem any better.

Face it, if Nomura hadn't been the character designer for VII, then what?

Ermmm, I don't think it would matter. VII was revolutionary for it's time because techology and graphics was outstanding. There was no other game like it. There are other elements besides the character designs, they're only the tip of the iceberg.

The PS1 FFs might not all be great in your opinion, either, but I'll warrant that Nomura's designs are part of what made them so successful.

Yes and Nomura did the character designed for FFVIII. That game was disliked by many fans. Not saying that Nomura was to blame, it was his idea for a school setting, but awesome character designs doesn't make a game good.

 

[Miss Valentine]

I agree. Sometimes you can have a great story regardless of the character designs, I think the storyline creators have more to do with what makes a game great than the character designers. True there are some fans out there that lap up the characters, but they aren't the be-all and end-all, regardless of whether it was Nomura or Amano or whoever else that created them. The scriptwriters breathe more life into them that who designs their clothes imo.

 

[Red_Mage]

Nomura(And for that matter, Toriyama) are okay. To me, there styles are just... There styles. Of course they look similar.

Sometimes I think I might just be the least complainy gamer out there, you people can't be pleased.

 

[Reality.Fantasy]

Nomura(And for that matter, Toriyama) are okay. To me, there styles are just... There styles. Of course they look similar.

Sometimes I think I might just be the least complainy gamer out there, you people can't be pleased.

Nah, I'm not that complain-y either, except when it comes to FF12.

Anyway, I'm kind of indifferent towards Nomura as well. I mean, I thought the school setting in FF8 was on point, and the character designs have been okay even with Yuffie and Aeris's fashion emergencies. I thought the FFX designs were very amazing and appropriate for the game setting, although I'll have to agree that Lulu looked rather out of place. However, I liked her costume on an individual level, however ill-equipped she might be for battle.

I think Nomura could afford to alter his style a bit, but changing your style every game doesn't really make it a style, 'cause it's not consistent.

 

[Rockman X]

No one complains about the actual character designs on FFVII, its everything after that, all the characters look the same, and he destroyed KH2 compared to the the first KH. You can tell Nomura's work straight away, they all have the overused belts and zippers on them. Belts and zippers do not make up a costume, he just can't design to save his life at the moment.
More belts and zippers! More!!

Yarly. I complain about the character development in VII And you make the excellent point about the belts and zippers. They're the only things you can look at to distinguish between his artwork and any other anime artist.

Now I must say, I do like Axel and Roxas in KH2. But guess wut? I think Axel's design is just okay, and Axel looks like any other boring generic anime character. So now WHY, praytell, do I like them? Because of their personalities. So just to let all you overly defensive Nomura fans know, I'm merely attacking Nomura's designs, what the character looks like, not the personalities. Granted I think alot of the characters he helped design DO have shit personalities (or none at all, like Auron and Kimahri), but in this thread I'm strictly criticizing the looks.

Sometimes I think I might just be the least complainy gamer out there, you people can't be pleased.

We're the customers. It's our jobs to be picky bastards and not settle for less just because it happens to be the mediocre style that's popular atm. I happen to find anime a subpar art style, so naturally I'm going to whine and complain that it's pervaded SE and practically everything else.

 

[Nothing]

I really was a fan of his work on the ps1 titles. Now I think he's stale and too generic, he ran his course. Time to put him to sleep.

 

[V_Translanka]

I Did someone just compare Nomura to Toriyama?!?

Well, whatever...I didn't want to post in here and get all negative because I mostly don't like Nomura's stuff...but I thought some people in here might get a kick outta this...It's someone's (BlackArts) idea of what would have happened if Nomura had designed Crono from Chrono Trigger...on one hand I can see Nomura fans thinking it's awesome, but, I think the intention (and certainly what I take from it) was HILARITY!!!

 

[Rockman X]

I Did someone just compare Nomura to Toriyama?!?

Two of us did, actually

Well, whatever...I didn't want to post in here and get all negative because I mostly don't like Nomura's stuff...but I thought some people in here might get a kick outta this...It's someone's (BlackArts) idea of what would have happened if Nomura had designed Crono from Chrono Trigger...on one hand I can see Nomura fans thinking it's awesome, but, I think the intention (and certainly what I take from it) was HILARITY!!!

I lol'd.

And then I shuddered in fear. CT character designs were lame enough as it was, since all of them looked like DBZ characters in different palettes. At least Toriyama isn't batshit crazy over belts and zippers though.

I really can't say much for the guy who designed the characters in Chrono Cross though, ugliest character designs I've ever seen. I'd rather have a hundred Nomura characters stuffed into a game than see one of Nobuteru Yuki's characters in a game ever again.

 

[Scarlet]

I Did someone just compare Nomura to Toriyama?!?

Well, whatever...I didn't want to post in here and get all negative because I mostly don't like Nomura's stuff...but I thought some people in here might get a kick outta this...It's someone's (BlackArts) idea of what would have happened if Nomura had designed Crono from Chrono Trigger...on one hand I can see Nomura fans thinking it's awesome, but, I think the intention (and certainly what I take from it) was HILARITY!!!

LMAO! That's pretty accurate right there. I'd send a letter bomb to Nomura if he ever resigned any of the Chrono Trigger characters.

CT character designs were lame enough as it was, since all of them looked like DBZ characters in different palettes. At least Toriyama isn't batshit crazy over belts and zippers though.

Aww I liked the character designs in Chrono Trigger! D: They were cute!

Mercurial is right though, Nomura is obsessed with belts and zippers! o_o

 

[V_Translanka]

Yeah, I liked the CT designs...I mean, except for some of their hair, I don't see much of people's comparisons to teh Dragonball characters...I mean, it's the same style, but it's the same guy making them...of course it's going to be similar in that regard...

They all fit the world they were in...unless you're basing it off of the crap that TOIE did to them in the anime cut scenes for FFChronicles, I just can't agree...

 

[Rockman X]

Yeah, I liked the CT designs...I mean, except for some of their hair, I don't see much of people's comparisons to teh Dragonball characters...I mean, it's the same style, but it's the same guy making them...of course it's going to be similar in that regard...

You don't see it?

Chrono = Goku with orange hair and a sword
Magus = Piccolo with gray/blue skin and long hair
Luca = Bulma with purple hair and a stupid helmet
Ayla = Lunch with cavemen talk

And don't even get me started on Dragon Quest characters. Still though, Toriyma's designs are quite lively, despite being horribly similar to each other. I do prefer him over Nomura, especially since Nomura is all about beanie caps and emo/scene/Jrock looks now. Ugh, can't we have something different? These are videogames, they don't have to remind us so much of our world

 

[vincent_91]

i do see why everyone hates him so much i love the designs the old and the new. yes there have been some similarities in designs but some people do have similarities and the characters are not exactly the same. i like nomuras designs and especially the newer designs, what difference does it really make if one character looks a bit similar to another from a different game, they are different characters and each have different personalities and backgrounds

i say keep up the good work

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

You don't see it?

Chrono = Goku with orange hair and a sword
Magus = Piccolo with gray/blue skin and long hair
Luca = Bulma with purple hair and a stupid helmet
Ayla = Lunch with cavemen talk

I didn't either to be honest, but then again I didn't really give it a second thought. But I've just been on the "World Ends With Us" or whatever its called and its got to win an award for the most depressing designs ever
...and then they send you 'threatening' emails advertising the game

http://i26.tinypic.com/do0741.jpg

 

[Rockman X]

i do see why everyone hates him so much i love the designs the old and the new. yes there have been some similarities in designs but some people do have similarities and the characters are not exactly the same.

No, they aren't all exactly the same...but there ARE enough similarities and overused concepts that most of the time when you see a new character, it automatically reminds you of an older one.

That's not a sign of talent, that's a sign of running out of ideas and rehashing your old designs.

what difference does it really make if one character looks a bit similar to another from a different game, they are different characters and each have different personalities and backgrounds

*sighs*

I suppose I'm going to have to repeat myself. A few posts back I tried to make it clear that most people in this thread (including myself) are NOT talking about personalities and backgrounds. We're simply talking about the designs themselves, that's the entire point of the thread. I like Axel from KH2, he has a cool personality. But I also think he looks like a boring, crappy anime character that could easily fit into any other game or manga out there.

...and then they send you 'threatening' emails advertising the game

http://i26.tinypic.com/do0741.jpg

WTF O_O

 

[L]

i do see why everyone hates him so much i love the designs the old and the new. yes there have been some similarities in designs but some people do have similarities and the characters are not exactly the same.

A lot of negative attention towards that subject is aimed at facial appearances of characters. ffs, I'm playing DoC now, and Lucrecia's face looks just like Yuna's.

compare:

 

[Scarlet]

i do see why everyone hates him so much i love the designs the old and the new. yes there have been some similarities in designs but some people do have similarities and the characters are not exactly the same. i like nomuras designs and especially the newer designs, what difference does it really make if one character looks a bit similar to another from a different game, they are different characters and each have different personalities and backgrounds

i say keep up the good work

There are a lot of similarities... It's getting really annoying seeing character designs get recycled over and over. Yes, if one or two characters had SOME similarities from another character is fine. Nomura is just taking MANY of his previous designs and ideas, and using them in a new game. All he does is change the outfit a bit, put belts and zippers.

Sure, I like this old designs but that's about it.

Those two new characters from KH look exactly alike Zack and Roxas. When ever I see those characters I will think: "Hey it's Zack, and that's Roxas!" Then I'll start thinking about Zack and Roxas.

 

[V_Translanka]

Besides their similarly spiky hair, I don't see the Crono=Goku thing...I mean, by that logic Cloud looks exactly like them only with blond hair...>_> Or maybe that's what the whole comparison w/Toriyama & Nomura is based on?!? Pretty ridiculous if you ask me...

 

[Rockman X]

Besides their similarly spiky hair, I don't see the Crono=Goku thing...I mean, by that logic Cloud looks exactly like them only with blond hair...>_> Or maybe that's what the whole comparison w/Toriyama & Nomura is based on?!? Pretty ridiculous if you ask me...

It's not the hair, the hair and outfit are what have been altered. It's the facial structure. The eyebrows. The smirk. The muscles on the arms. It's the same person.

Cloud does not by logic equal Goku, because you misinterpreted the logic. However, Nomura does the same thing within his own style. Many of his characters share defining characteristics which makes them incredibly reminiscent of past characters.

 

[Red_Mage]

There's a zipper on Chrono's sword... D:

 

[Rockman X]

There's a zipper on Chrono's sword... D:

No not rly

I'd like point out something I just noticed. I should have noticed it sooner, but truth me told I try not to pay too much attention to KH characters.

Kairi has THREE sets of zippers running down her shirt/skirt thing. Wtf is the point of that? So she can take it off from three different angles? And Mickey has zippers running down the middle of his pant legs. I can understand going ACROSS them, like if they were those tacky zip-off cargo pants...but down the middle? Wtf for? So he can make his pants all breezy and air out his mouse parts?

*EDIT*

I forgot about this. Donald has two zippers...on his bloody hat...AND a belt around the base of it.

Nomura isn't a good designer, he's off his rocker and too fascinated with belts and zippers to realize sticking them everywhere is NOT cool.