2025年10月16日，遊戲界失去一位真正的傳奇人物——被譽為“忍龍之父”的板垣伴信（Itagaki Tomonobu）。板垣伴信以其鮮明的個性、硬核的戰鬥哲學以及對遊戲品質近乎苛刻的追求，塑造《忍者龍劍傳》和《生死格鬥》兩大經典系列，定義整個遊戲時代。當日，他的代理人在Facebook上發佈一段遺言，文中寫道：“我的生命之火即將熄滅……我的人生，是連續的戰鬥。我一直在贏，也給許多人添了麻煩。但我自信，我始終遵從自己的信念，戰鬥到了最後。我的一生無悔。只是，對所有支持我的粉絲，沒辦法再為大家帶來新作了，我滿懷歉意。對不起。人生就是這樣。So it goes。”這最後一句“So it goes”引用自美國作家庫爾特·冯内古特的《五號屠場》，意味著“人生就是如此”，也映照板垣伴信跌宕起伏卻坦然自信的人生。

板垣伴信1967年出生，1992年加入特庫摩（Tecmo）擔任圖形程式員。90年代中期，公司面臨財政危機之際，他力排眾議，孤注一擲開發《生死格鬥》，以截然不同於當時主流格鬥遊戲的方式，迅速在街機市場取得成功，並解決特庫摩的財政困境。此後，他帶領TEAM NINJA立項重啟特庫摩經典FC遊戲《忍者龍劍傳》，儘管當時主機性能有限、開發困難重重，但在2004年，首部新《忍者龍劍傳》終於在Xbox平台問世，之後又推出《忍者龍劍外傳》和《忍者龍劍傳2:黑之章》，成為經典IP。

板垣伴信也因與特庫摩的糾紛而離職。2008年，他在《忍者龍劍傳II》發佈前宣布辭職，並對特庫摩提起訴訟，索賠約1.48億日元，原因是公司未支付其應得的獎金。離開後，他成立Valhalla Game Studios，推出《惡魔三全音》（Devil’s Third），雖然該作評價不佳，但仍延續他追求創新的精神。2021年，他再次成立Itagaki Games，計劃推出新作，繼續在遊戲領域發光。

板垣伴信的逝世得到TEAM NINJA官方和多位好友的公開悼念。他的好友、BitSummit聯合創辦人James Mielke在社交平台上表示：“今天我失去一個真正如兄弟般的人，他永遠是我的忍者。”板垣伴信的離世，意味著一個時代的落幕，但他創造的經典遊戲及其“硬核戰鬥、真性情”的理念，將永遠留在玩家心中，成為遊戲歷史上不滅的傳奇。

簡而言之，板垣伴信用他的一生，定義街機格鬥遊戲和動作遊戲的標準，他的離去雖令人哀痛，但他留下的作品和理念將繼續激勵著一代又一代遊戲開發者與玩家。

On October 16, 2025, the gaming world bid farewell to a true legend, Tomonobu Itagaki, famously known as the “Father of Ninja Gaiden.” Renowned for his uncompromising battle philosophy, distinctive personality, and relentless pursuit of game quality, Itagaki defined an era with the creation of the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises. On that day, a final message he had entrusted to a loved one was posted on his Facebook account, in which he wrote: “The light of my life is finally fading… My life has been a series of battles. I kept winning, and yes, I caused trouble for many. But I am confident that I always followed my beliefs and fought to the end. I have no regrets. However, I am filled with sorrow that I can no longer deliver new works to all my fans. I am sorry. This is life. So it goes.” The last phrase, “So it goes,” from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, reflects the unpredictability of life—a fitting epitaph for Itagaki’s own extraordinary journey.

Born in 1967, Itagaki joined Tecmo in 1992 as a graphics programmer. In the mid-1990s, when the company faced a financial crisis, he went against the odds to develop Dead or Alive, a fighting game that broke away from contemporary norms. Its instant success in arcades rescued Tecmo financially and established Itagaki as a creative force. He later led TEAM NINJA in rebooting the classic FC game Ninja Gaiden, a challenging project given the hardware limitations of the time. The first new Ninja Gaiden released on Xbox in 2004, followed by Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2, cementing both franchises as enduring classics.

Itagaki’s career was not without controversy. In 2008, shortly before the release of Ninja Gaiden II, he resigned from Tecmo and filed a lawsuit seeking 148 million yen (~$1.4 million) in withheld bonuses, also pursuing claims against Tecmo’s president for “unreasonable and disingenuous statements.” After leaving, he founded Valhalla Game Studios, producing Devil’s Third, which, despite mixed reviews, continued his commitment to innovative gameplay. In 2021, he established Itagaki Games, planning new titles for modern platforms, showing that his creative drive remained undiminished.

Itagaki’s death was publicly mourned by TEAM NINJA and confirmed by numerous friends, including James Mielke, co-founder of BitSummit, who wrote: “Today I lost someone who was truly like a brother. He will always be my ninja.”

Tomonobu Itagaki’s legacy lies not only in the iconic franchises he created but also in his uncompromising philosophy of game design. His passing marks the end of an era, yet the games he produced and the ethos he championed continue to inspire generations of developers and players alike, ensuring that his influence on the gaming world remains timeless.