To say the world over has been gutted by the death of Akira Toriyama would be an understatement.
Whether it’s through Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, or the many other works he released over the years, his creations shaped and inspired millions across the world. His absence is one people won’t soon be able to go a day without feeling, and one which will leave the world longing for his specific sense of imagination and wonder for years to come.
And while there’s plenty I can say about his impact on Anime and manga — and likely will in the coming weeks and months — there’s another medium that owes Toriyama just as large of a debt. That medium is, of course, video games.
Over the decades, there have been dozens of titles that owed their success to Toriyama and his work. Key among them are Chrono Trigger and the many entries in the Dragon Quest franchise, which the legendary illustrator designed the characters and art style for. Most anyone who has played titles from either series can’t help but admit that this was to their benefit, as the art lent these franchises so much of their charm.
This is especially true of their monster designs. Whether one looks at the iconic Dragon Quest Slime or the sassy Aecytosaur from Chrono Trigger, Toriyama’s trademark style was and is on full display, helping each and every foe stand out as more than simple creatures to be killed. They have a personality in their aesthetic that makes them instantly recognizable; and, paradoxically, so adorable that many a player might not even want to fight them.
Alongside these are the wealth of Dragon Ball games that have released over the years. Gripes about their ad-nauseum retreading of the series’ plot over and over again aside, it’s impossible to deny that there’s a reason so many people have remained eager to experience stories set within Toriyama’s series over and over again. His tales of facing any challenge in order to get stronger, and to protect those we care about, never lost their luster and made for great backdrops to every game they featured in.
The same goes for the games’ art designs. Even if their more stylized edges were polished away with each new console generation’s graphical leap, Toriyama’s now iconic designs for Goku, Vegeta, and all the other characters in the series remained instantly recognizable and helped make each title that much more desirable among new and old fans alike.
All of this would be reason enough for any gamer to regard him with adoration and appreciation. But alongside these merits is the inspiration game developers — and gamers in general — have taken from Toriyama’s work.
To be sure, there are plenty of games one can see as taking notes from Dragon Ball or Toriyama’s other work. Players wouldn’t be blamed for seeing the fantastical fist fights of Capcom’s Asura’s Wrath or the beam struggles in titles like Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Tekken 8 and thinking at least one person on the titles’ development teams was wowed by the work of Dragon Ball’s creator.
But then, there’s the general adoration of his work that is plain to see; now more than ever. One needs only look at the outpouring of appreciation on Twitter/X and other social media sites to see this is an irrefutable fact, and amongst people across a range of professions and walks of life.
Gamers of all stripes are among these posters en force, and their sentiment remains the same: Toriyama’s work motivated, encouraged, and lifted them up in ways that’s hard to put into words. And while they’re sad at his passing, they still want to celebrate all that he accomplished in their favorite entertainment medium, and to cement the fact that his influence will remain constant within games well after his passing.
I could keep going on and on, but the point remains: Toriyama helped video games become what they are today, and there’s no doubt in my mind they wouldn’t be the same if not for his involvement in the industry. It’s a humbling thought, and adds an extra sting to his passing that is difficult to imagine going away anytime soon.
But more than anything, I’m just grateful that the medium of video games had the chance to be influenced by Toriyama at all. I’m grateful for Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest, and the many adventures they allowed myself and other fans to experience as they grappled with whether or not to kill their eccentric monsters.
I can’t put into words how exciting it was to step into the shoes of the Z Fighters as they fought through the arcs I knew and loved, and how fun it was to see key aspects from the series reimagined by game developers via their projects throughout the years.
It’s surreal to think I was lucky enough to have been alive and able to experience works made by Toriyama first hand, and to know that works made by those who appreciated Toriyama will carry on that impact long after his passing.
Thank you for everything you did for games, Toriyama. May your legacy be as eternal as the discussions of who Goku could beat in a fight.
