[Exclusive] Nobuo Uematsu: "Final Fantasy IX Remake? Ask Square Enix!"

It was one of the main attractions of the first San Diego Comic-Con in Málaga and possibly the panel where the most solemn silence of the four-day event reigned: Nobuo Uematsu, the composer to whom we owe the Final Fantasy soundtracks, attended the event and offered the attendees an intimate and overwhelming piano concert that, we can attest, was one of the experiences that one will carry forever in one's memory.

And taking advantage of the master's visit, Gamereactor had the very exclusive opportunity to speak in person with Uematsu himself and his fellow panellist, artist and voice actress Rie Tozuka, with whom he combined his music with a voice-over of some of the most memorable scenes from the game series. Unusually, we had to conduct the interview in Spanish, so be sure to turn on your local subtitles.

It's hard to separate Nobuo Uematsu from his best known work, Final Fantasy, of which we all have our favourite instalment in mind. Our colleague David Caballero certainly did, and that's why he asked Uematsu if he would like to see a remake of his beloved Final Fantasy IX now that they're so hot, or if he saw it coming in the future. This was his response: "You'll have to ask Square Enix about that. I never thought about whether I wanted the remake or whether they would ask me, so if Square Enix wants to do it, so be it."

Of course, we couldn't be left wondering what the composer's favourite instalment of the series was either, even if he was just limiting it to the sound side: "Well, I couldn't do it on a musical level because I think they're all memorable," Uematsu began. "But I think Final Fantasy IX is interesting, because it has a surprisingly good balance of different genres of music.

So now you know. Don't miss the full interview with Nobuo Uematsu above, where we also chat about his take on his pupils' revisions of his work, as well as influences on such legendary tracks as Sephiroth's "One Winged Angel".