 The game 's mechanics were inspired by the Nintendo Entertainment System games Fish played in his youth , particularly Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda . Fish cited Fumito Ueda 's Ico as the game 's third inspiration , and he sought to emulate its feeling of nostalgic and isolated loneliness . Fish also sought to emulate Ueda 's " design by subtraction " philosophy , where the Ico development team would periodically remove parts of the game so as to leave only what was essential to their vision . In this way , ideas like player health and object weight puzzles were gradually struck from Fez . Fish made a personal challenge of designing a game without relying on " established mechanics " . As such , Fez was always a peaceful game and there was never an enemy coded into the game . So as to better emulate Hayao Miyazaki 's signature " open blue sky " , " feel @-@ good " atmosphere , Fish watched all of the director 's films one weekend early in the development cycle . 
 The game <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>mechanics <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> inspired by the Nintendo Entertainment System games Fish played in his youth , particularly Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda . Fish cited Fumito Ueda <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>Ico as the game <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>third inspiration , and he sought to emulate its feeling of nostalgic and isolated loneliness . Fish also sought to emulate Ueda <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>" design by subtraction " philosophy , where the Ico development team would periodically remove parts of the game so as to leave only what was essential to their vision . In this way , ideas like player health and object weight puzzles <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> gradually struck from Fez . Fish made a personal challenge of designing a game without relying on " established mechanics " . As such , Fez was always a peaceful game and <a href='dey_it' title='7'><mark>there</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='8'><mark>was</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='9'><mark>never</mark></a> <a href='None' title='10'><mark>an</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='11'><mark>enemy</mark></a> coded into the game . So as to better emulate Hayao Miyazaki <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>signature " open blue sky " , " feel @-@ good " atmosphere , Fish watched all of the director <a href='null_genetive' title='13'><mark>'s</mark></a>films one weekend early in the development cycle . 
The game  mechanics was inspired by the Nintendo Entertainment System games Fish played in his youth , particularly Super Mario and da Legend of Zelda . Fish cited Fumito Ueda  Ico as tdagame  third inspiration , and he sought to emulate its feelin of nostalgic and isolated loneliness . Fish also sought to emulate Ueda  " design by subtraction " philosophy , where thdaco development team would periodically remove parts of the game so as to leave only wht was essential to their vision . In this way , ideas like player health and object weight puzzles was gradually struck from Fez . Fish made a personal challenge of designing a game w/o relying on " established mechanics " . As such , Fez was always a peaceful game and it ain't never no enemy coded into the game . So as to better emulate Hayao Miyazaki  signature " open blue sky " , " feel @-@ gud " atmosphere , Fish watched all of thedarector  films one weekend early in the development cycle .