Filed under: Interviews
Fire Emblem staff talk Shadow Dragon in conference call [update]
by JC Fletcher 
{ 9 months ago }
Last night, we had the rare opportunity to take part in a conference call hosted by Nintendo, featuring members of the Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon team including producer Tohru Narihiro and directors Masaki Tawara and Masayuki Horikawa. The developers discussed the changes found in the new version of the ancient Famicom game and the motivations behind them, and answered questions from press about the new game and future plans. We've done our best to summarize the discussion without leaving anything out!
The discussion began with an outline of the new features in Shadow Dragon: an enhanced tutorial system that "gets the player so they're ready to play" and get into the main game more quickly; a battle forecasting system, brought in from the second game, that allows players to predict the outcome of battles given the units involved; six difficulty settings; and mid-map save points. As the developers mention later, these changes are intended to increase the accessibility of the game.
Continue reading “Fire Emblem staff talk Shadow Dragon in conference call [update]”
Brownie Brown interested in DS version of Mother 3
by Chris Greenhough { 9 months ago }
The lack of a localized Mother 3 on the Game Boy Advance must rank as one of Nintendo's more heinous crimes, but that's not to say they can't get out of our bad books. All it would take is, oooh, let's say a DS version of the classic RPG and A MILLION DOLLARS. Or, y'know, just the game.And look, Nintendo, Mother 3 co-developer Brownie Brown is happy to indulge us! Speaking to Siliconera, company President Shinichi Kameoka said Nintendo just needs to give the go-ahead. "If we were asked to make [a DS version of Mother 3]," he said, "then we would definitely like for fans abroad to play the game."
The ball is very much in Nintendo's court, then. Until they take a swipe at it, there's only one way to sample (and fully comprehend) Mother 3's myriad delights.
Don't get between Wesley Snipes and Wii
by David Hinkle { 9 months ago }
While attending Sundance, the actor caught up with the MTV Movies Blog and talked briefly about, you know, movies. Turns out he isn't in town for that so much, instead showing up for what he assumes is some last haven for the Wii console. A kind of sanctuary for the Wii or something. Good luck finding that Sony Wii, guy. Just remember to pay for it. You don't want to be in any more trouble. Check out the video past the break.
Sega Europe prez talks MadWorld, core games, and 2009
by David Hinkle { 9 months ago }
Click for more screenage
COO and Sega Europe president, Mike Hayes, is pumped for 2009. With the release of MadWorld quickly approaching, he's anxious for us to try the experience he's calling "so unique it aches." The Sega Europe president opened up on more than just Platinum Games' upcoming title, talking about the success of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, as well as what the company expects going into 2009.
Click here to read the full interview.
[Via CVG]
Atsushi Inaba would love to make more MadWorld
by JC Fletcher { 10 months ago }
Elsewhere in the interview, Inaba mentions that each stage of MadWorld should feature 2-3 Blood Bath Challenges (like the infamous "Man Darts") which are unlocked at certain score milestones.
High Voltage talks hardcore gaming on the Wii
by David Hinkle { 10 months ago }
Click for more screens
Aside from explaining why The Conduit is a "gamer's game," the duo also talk on the game's appeal to the casual crowd, as well as the titles they drew inspiration from. It's an interesting read, so check out the interview right here.
Deadly Creatures developer 'back to minigames' if game doesn't sell
by Chris Greenhough { 10 months ago }
It's tough being a developer at Rainbows Studio right now, and not just because your rivals are insinuating things about your game. Jordan Itkowitz, lead designer on the allegedly not-that-original Deadly Creatures, is desperate for his game to sell well. If it flops, as many third-party "core" games have to date, it could mean he goes "back to minigames." Says Itkowitz to MTV's Multiplayer blog: "I hope people vote with their dollars in February so we can make some more."
Well, us too, Jordan. Now, let's all take a moment to dwell on what a bleak, bleak statement this makes about the current state of the Wii software market.
Eduardo the Samurai Toaster popping up before April
by JC Fletcher { 10 months ago }
In both interviews, Coleman says that the graphics are inspired and influenced by his assignments in art school -- in which he is currently enrolled. The guy is in college and has a console game coming out.
Source - WiiWare World
Source - IGN
Capcom's Nakai on adapting Dead Rising
by JC Fletcher { 10 months ago }
In terms of gameplay, we now know that photography is gone (cue a few disgusted "NOT BUYING IT" comments), but that the mall map is the same size as it was in the original, and even tuned a bit to be "a little bit more maneuverable, so that it's easier to get across the mall and things like that." Loading times haven't been compromised by the move to Wii. In addition, some of the zombies have been sped up.
Behind the scenes, Nakai discussed the process for converting the 360 models to Wii, and altering animations (from Resident Evil 4 and Dead Rising) to match player-controlled motions.
Wii Fanboy Interview: Headstrong talks House of the Dead: Overkill
by Chris Greenhough { 10 months ago }
House of the Dead: Overkill launches pretty much everywhere next month, and looks set to be a mini-upheaval for Sega's venerable lightgun series.
While shooting zombies in the face still plays a major role, Brit developer Headstrong Games has introduced a '70s horror theme, time manipulation, new enemies, and a ton of extra content. We lined up Lead Designer Alastair Halsby in our shotgun reticles, and fired several rounds of questions his way. Join us after the break for a discussion on grindhouse, censorship, and the "ballistic ballet of zombie destruction." Heads up!
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Popcap offers a firm 'maybe' to DSiWare
by JC Fletcher { 10 months ago }
In a Gamasutra feature interview, Brandon Sheffield asked PopCap cofounder Jason Kapalka about the possibility of his company taking their super-popular casual games to download services they have yet to serve -- which means WiiWare and DSiWare. While Kapalka indicates a strong desire to continue with DS development after Peggle: Dual Shot, he's not completely sold on the DSi's download store yet: "So the DSi -- yeah, maybe, it's hard to say," Kapalka said, reiterating that "\We're definitely doing DS stuff." Still, prospects look a lot better for DSiWare than WiiWare: "It needs to be seen... like the Wii is cool, but WiiWare, I don't know yet; I'm not clear that WiiWare has actually turned out to be as big of a success as they were hoping at this point."
See also: Wired's impressions of Peggle: Dual Shot
Capcom management wanted 3D Mega Man 9
by JC Fletcher { 10 months ago }
Takeshita also describes the idea behind the item shop, which is wonderful and hilarious. "Even if MM9's 8-bit design interested them, the difficulty level would turn them off. With that in mind, we tried to create a system that encourages casual gamers who might not be so experienced with action games." That's right, the item shop is in there to offer assistance to casual players. We love the idea that someone at Capcom thought that all people needed to be able to finish Mega Man 9 was a few E-tanks and a new dress for Roll.
Guess what? We're all about Mega Man 9. Check out our review of the game right here, as well as our top 5 favorite things about the game. Heck, while you're at it, check out our column on Mega Man Legends, as well as our top 5 favorite Mega Man games. Oh, and be sure to read our Point/Counterpoint feature, where Mega Man is in the spotlight.Tenchu 4 devs worked to satisfy audiences of all skill levels
by JC Fletcher { 10 months ago }
In this interview with 1up's James Mielke, Acquire's Keisuke Kanayama and Takuma Endo described the ideas that informed Tenchu 4's design. "... We looked at this game as a way," Kanayama said, "with the Wii and its motion control, to allow someone to really feel like a ninja playing the game -- really attacking and blocking and hiding." And yet, Acquire made sure to include the ability to "go through cities in different ways using different tools, and to explore at their own pace ... " That seems like the kind of smart design that truly takes advantage of the platform.
The interview is also noteworthy for Acquire's rather diplomatic discussion of the Tenchu games developed in their absence, and the stories found within, as Endo alludes to in a statement about Rikimaru's apparent death in Tenchu and his mysterious resurrection later: "As I said earlier, we had our own ideas of where the story would go, but since it's already done, we will follow the already established Tenchu story where Rikimaru inexplicably survived."
Suda51 says changes coming to Desperate Struggle's open world
by David Hinkle { 10 months ago }
Other than that, the interview mostly focuses on the difficulty foreign talent has adapting to their new surroundings at Grasshopper Manufacture. That doesn't mean you shouldn't read the interview in its entirety, however. So hit up this link right here.
Need to catch up on the latest No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle news? Well, you're in the right place! Read up on who will publish the thing, as well as some of Suda51's goals with the new game. Also, jump into the discussion about MotionPlus and online play, both of which Suda51 is thinking about implementing.Size matters: Chinatown Wars bigger than GTA on PSP
by Chris Greenhough { 10 months ago }
If you dream of INCREASED SIZE and LONGER SATISFACTION, there's only one place to turn for your portable Grand Theft Auto thrills: and it's not the PSP. Rockstar Leeds president Gordon Hall has told Nintendo Power that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be "far bigger" than any of the GTA games on the Sony handheld, despite that platform's extra grunt.
Which is ideal, really, because Grand Theft Auto titles are all about playing in giant, sprawling cityscapes. Hall also believes the narcotics trafficking game could "stand alone on its own," and promises "more odd jobs, deeper missions, and more moments of over-the-top action" than anything seen in other handheld entries in the franchise. Contrary to any fears that the DS would see a reduced GTA, Rockstar appears to be stretching hardware boundaries ... again.
