[Interview] Genius Sonority says all of the Denpa Men are actually naked and they have fur like a Zebra, among other interesting things
NE: First impressions from our reviewer of Denpa Men 2 are very positive. What part of the game do you think you’re most proud of overall?
Yamana: I think I am most proud of the brand new world to explore, and the new excitement in seeing how a Denpa Men’s appearance changes when decked out in different types of equipment.
Which part of the game was the hardest to develop? Was there anything you thought you might have to exclude, but ended up working out in the end?
We worked endlessly on perfecting the system for transferring Denpa Men from the first game. Also, in addition to multiplying the number of equipment in the game, we spent many tireless hours increasing the number of possible combinations.
This game reminds me a lot of something like a simplified, handheld version of Dragon Quest. Would you call that game an inspiration? How about your guys’ work on the Pokémon console games? Do you feel like making those games influenced The Denpa Men?
As I have worked as the main programmer and the director of the Dragon Quest series from Dragon Quest 3 for Family Computer until Dragon Quest 7 for the PlayStation, I have no doubt that THE “DENPA” MEN was influenced not only by Pokémon, but that many aspects of the Dragon Quest series found their way into the game as well. I have been working on that series for over 15 years; it is such an important part of my history as a developer that I am sure it will continue to exert an influence on my work.
Why do the Denpa Men look how they look? Are they actually wearing spandex, or is that just how their skin is? Or maybe you prefer not to think about those sorts of details!
It does look like the Denpa Men are all wearing spandex… but, the truth is, they’re actually naked! Or at least, they have only a very thin fur coat. So thin that you cannot actually see it’s fur. I think you can imagine it if you imagine the fur coat of a Zebra, but thinner.
I’ve read that you didn’t include the over-world in the first DENPA MEN game because you didn’t want to over-complicate the game before people were acquainted with the series. Is there anything in this new game that you wanted to include but couldn’t? Could we see those things in a sequel?
We have included online battles, but we had many other ideas for types of online play, and I wish we had been able to include more of those in the games.
I’ve read that the Japanese word “denpa” almost directly translates to “electromagnetic wave” in English. Is this where the name of the game came from?
That is exactly right. Because they live in electromagnetic waves that is a part of their nature. That being said, in the context of the game, those waves refer only to Wi-Fi.
Do you see yourselves moving beyond 3DS (perhaps to Wii U eShop games?) in the future? How about a Denpa Men 3?
If THE “DENPA” MEN 2 is well received, I would like to make a 3. I have not thought particularly about making a Denpa Men game for the Wii U, but I do have a lot of interest in the design potential that the Wii U offers itself.
The Denpa Men 2: Beyond the Waves is now available on the 3DS eShop for the price of $11.99. Is it worth that “hefty” eShop pricetag? Read our review to find out.
