Today we say goodbye to a pioneer, an enigma among others. I am, of course, referring to the one of the most recognizable names in all of gaming, the one, the only, Tomonobu Itagaki.
Born on April 1st, 1967, Itagaki was destined for greatness, especially in the world of gaming. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined the famed video game company Tecmo in 1992 as a graphics designer for certain SNES/Super Famicom games, such as Captain Tsubasa 4 and Tecmo Super Bowl. His most well-known accomplishment was the creation of the very fighting game series that brought Tecmo out of its financial rot, Dead or Alive, starting with its first game in 1996, and the rest was history, when he founded Tecmo's gaming division, Tecmo Creative #3, better known by its well-known name, Team Ninja.
Dead or Alive became one of the most gaming franchises of all time under Itagaki's leadership, focus solely on its female cast, especially Itagaki's most favorite character, the runaway shinobi of the Mugen Tenshin clan, Kasumi. Not only with the main gaming series, but also its spin-off, Dead or Alive Xtreme, which focuses on the girls spending 2 weeks on Zack Island for a vacation, in their exotic swimsuits. Itagaki not only created DOA, but he also revived the legendary classic gaming series, Ninja Gaiden, for a new generation, bringing the adventures of the Dragon Ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, to a whole new light.
Although highly successful, but like the old saying goes, "Success can really go to your head". Itagaki, known for having long hair and wearing sunglasses in public, is often known for being a bit outspoken and having somewhat of an ego, especially when it comes to games like Dead or Alive. Let's just say, Itagaki wasn't the only one with such bravado. That's what some people say about Koji Igarashi or IGA for short, when he was in charge of making some Castlevania games like Lament of Innocence or Aria of Sorrow, but that's just me. And because that, along with multiple lawsuits among other things, he left Tecmo on June 2, 2008, and formed his own gaming company, Valhalla Games Studios in 2010, creating the action-adventure game, Devil's Third, and then later in January 2021, he created his namesake studio, Itagaki Games.
Unfortunately, even after wanted to create more games, physically and emotionally, Itagaki couldn't commit to what he wanted to do. And on October of 2025, at the age of 58, Tomonobu Itagaki passed away. At first, I thought his death was a rumor, thinking he lost his drive to create more games. But, his death was confirmed by his family on his Facebook page, along with a farewell message thanking the fans for his journey and his apologies for not making a new game. His death was a huge shock to the gaming community, especially those who are fans of both Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, me included. So, in closing I will say this:
Tomonobu-san, thank you for all the memories, especially with Dead or Alive. Through Kasumi, our favorite character, I am forever linked to you. And if I ever do a DOA game, especially your cancelled project, Code Chronos, I will do it in memory of you. Wherever you are now, you are no longer suffering. Godspeed, good sir. Be at peace, father of Kasumi.
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| "I'm sorry, Kasumi", as Ryo Sanada consoles the runaway shinobi, as she sobs for the very man who brought her to life, with cherry blossoms flowing around them, thinking about the legacy Tomonobu Itagaki has left behind. Godspeed, Tomonobu-san. |
So it goes. - そういうものだ。
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