The Impact of Nasir Gebelli: The Programming God behind Final Fantasy

by Sylvia January 18, 2025

Renowned Iranian-American programmer Nasir Gebelli played a pivotal role in the creation of the iconic Final Fantasy series during his time working for Square in Japan. Recognized for his exceptional coding skills, Gebelli is hailed by John Romero as a programming god. He is credited with programming Final Fantasy 3’s speedy airship, a feat unmatched by other programmers. After his work on Secret of Mana, Gebelli retired but recently spoke about his time at Square in an interview with NHK World. Transitioning from developing action games for Apple II to working on the NES was a relatively simple transition for Gebelli due to his familiarity with the MOS Technology 6502 processor. Despite his lack of experience with role-playing games, he found the challenge of working on Final Fantasy exciting and enjoyed collaborating with the team, particularly Hironobu Sakaguchi. A glimpse of his expertise is evident as he watches gameplay during the interview and suggests a slight adjustment to improve the airship’s appearance. For more insights into Gebelli’s contributions, the documentary Legendary Games Chronicle: Final Fantasy on NHK World’s website offers further footage and interviews.

The Impact of Nasir Gebelli: The Programming God behind Final Fantasy

– Nasir Gebelli was an Iranian-American programmer who played a crucial role in the creation of the Final Fantasy series while working at Square in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
– Gebelli’s programming skills were highly praised, and John Romero even called him his idol and programming god.
– Gebelli transitioned from developing action games for the Apple II to programming for the NES, as both systems used the same processor, making the transition relatively smooth for him.

Nasir Gebelli, an Iranian-American programmer, made a significant impact on the iconic Final Fantasy series during his time at Square in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His exceptional coding skills earned him high praise, with renowned game designer John Romero hailing Gebelli as his ultimate programming idol. One particular achievement that showcased Gebelli’s talent was the creation of Final Fantasy 3’s airship. This vessel navigated the overworld map with such incredible speed that other programmers struggled to replicate it.

After his influential work on Secret of Mana, Gebelli chose to retire, only making sporadic public appearances. One notable occasion was his interview with Romero at an Apple II reunion in 1998. However, Gebelli recently granted an interview to NHK World, which GamesRadar spotted, where he reminisced about his time at Square. Before joining Square, Gebelli primarily developed action games for the Apple II, including the Defender-inspired Gorgon released in 1981. Transitioning from Apple II to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) wasn’t as daunting as one may assume.

In a rare interview featured on Japanese national TV, Nasir Gebelli, the brilliant Iranian-American programmer, shared his expertise as the programmer behind the very first Final Fantasy game. His exceptional programming skills also spearheaded the development of Final Fantasy 2 and 3. Undoubtedly, Gebelli is a legendary figure in the gaming world.

Reflecting on this transition, Gebelli explained, “I found the NES surprisingly similar to the Apple system. They shared the same processor, and I was already acquainted with almost every machine code for that processor.” Both the Apple II and NES utilized the MOS Technology 6502 processor, a popular choice for numerous home computers and consoles in the 1980s. Therefore, coding for the NES proved relatively straightforward for Gebelli, as there was no steep learning curve. However, the concept of role-playing games (RPGs) was entirely new to him, with Final Fantasy being his introduction to the genre.

During the 1980s, RPGs like Ultima and Wizardry had yet to become mainstream, though Dragon Quest’s success in Japan convinced Square to greenlight Hironobu Sakaguchi’s leadership in developing Final Fantasy. Despite his lack of experience in RPGs, Gebelli embraced the challenge and reveled in the opportunity to venture into unfamiliar territory. He particularly enjoyed collaborating with the team, especially Sakaguchi-san.

Towards the end of the interview, Gebelli sat down to play a bit of Final Fantasy on a television screen. Observing the airship racing across the screen, he contemplated its speed and suggested that it could benefit from being around 10% slower, perhaps enhancing its visual appeal.

If you’re interested in watching more footage from the documentary called Legendary Games Chronicle: Final Fantasy, which delves into Gebelli’s contributions, you can find the English version on NHK World’s website.