Can a genre be revolutionized without knowing it? The programmer of the first Final Fantasy proves that it can.

Nasir Gebelli, an iconic developer in the history of video games, revealed in a recent interview that he had never had prior contact with the role-playing game genre before working on the Final Fantasy series. Despite being a fundamental figure in the development of the first three titles of the celebrated saga and Secrets of Mana, Gebelli confessed that, until his incorporation into the Final Fantasy project, he had not seen an RPG. This lack of experience in the genre presented him with significant challenges, but also gave him the opportunity to explore new creative frontiers.

A Programming Genius Who Knew Nothing About RPGs

“I thought it was quite similar to what I was doing for Apple on the same processor,” commented Gebelli, adding that the coding itself was not complicated for him. However, the structure of RPGs, with multiple levels and constant messages, required a more innovative approach in memory and system resource management. “It was a challenge, but at the same time it was exciting to be able to do something different,” he expressed. This mix of uncertainty and excitement underscored the experience of development in a completely new environment for him.

The impression Gebelli left on the industry is such that some developers believe that the remastering of the classic Final Fantasy games could have taken up to 16 years due to the complexity and quality of his code. Gebelli’s initial work not only laid the foundations of the modern RPG but also established a standard difficult to replicate, highlighting his enduring legacy in the world of video games.

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