The artist, best known in the gaming industry for his work as a character designer, has been honored by Microsoft with a tribute to Akira Toriyama that highlights one of the games he worked on.

Microsoft tweeted that they wanted to pay tribute to a true legend by releasing a new dynamic dashboard starring Blue Dragon. The art and character design were created by Toriyama, and the game was released for Xbox 360 in Japan in December 2006 and in the West in August 2007, developed by Mistwalker and Artoon and published by Microsoft (so even then they were trying to make exclusive titles with Japanese developers, as Blue Dragon was not released elsewhere).

Toriyama was the character designer for the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon, but he is best known for creating the Dragon Ball series. He was more into the manga genre than the gaming industry, but his talent for character design comes in handy, so it’s no wonder that his work in that industry is also memorable.

Toyiama’s death was announced in a joint statement from Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo: “We deeply regret that he had several works in the midst of creation with great enthusiasm. He also had many things to accomplish. However, he has left the world with many manga titles and works of art. Thanks to the support of so many people around the world, he has been able to continue his creative activities for over 45 years. We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation will continue to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.

Akira Toriyama died of a subdural hematoma on March 1 at the age of 68. His funeral was held in the presence of his family and a few relatives.

Source: VGC

Honoring a true legend.

We’ve added a new dynamic dashboard background featuring Xbox 360’s Blue Dragon, with art and character designs by Akira Toriyama. pic.twitter.com/ZFj20fX2ed

— Xbox (@Xbox) March 29, 2024