Octopath Traveler team looking to increase the pace of its releases
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments
Octopath Traveler was led by producers Masashi Takahashi and Tomoya Asano. As some dedicated fans may know, both of these developers were responsible for the Bravely games on 3DS.
Bravely Default came out in 2012. Its sequel, Bravely Second: End Layer, followed in 2015. Octopath Traveler then arrived in 2018. The pattern here is that the team behind these projects has been putting out games once every three years. The good news is that in the future, the wait between titles may decrease.
More: highlight, interview, Square Enix, top
Mario Kart 64 devs on how mini-turbos were originally a hidden feature, cut “no item” racing mode and courses
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
When Mario Kart 64 debuted many years ago, it was accompanied by a strategy guide in Japan. Several developers participated in an interview, which has finally been translated by shumpalations. For us, some of the most interesting comments came about when discussing original plans for the game.
We first get to hear from director Hideki Konno about how mini-turbos were originally intended to be a hidden feature. Furthermore, the color of the smoke initially remained the same.
More: Hideki Konno, interview, Mario Kart 64, Tadashi Sugiyama, top
The Elder Scrolls Online dev says the game has been considered for Switch, but it “will not fit”
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments
Bethesda has brought over past titles to Switch, and is also looking at the system when it comes to its future lineup. However, one game we’re unlikely to see on the system is The Elder Scrolls Online. In an interview with GameSpot, Bethesda explained why.
The bottom line is that, according to director Matt Firor, the game is simply too big. It stands at about 75GB, and Firor says “it just will not fit on Switch.”
More: Bethesda, interview, Matt Firor, The Elder Scrolls Online, top
SEGA Ages devs again comment on the possibility of Dreamcast games on Switch
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Following the SEGA Ages presentation at the Tokyo Game Show where Virtua Racing and the results of the most wanted fan poll were announced, Famitsu spoke with the team for a developer interview. The discussion was published on the magazine’s website yesterday.
One of the highlights of the interview was, unsurprisingly, more talk about the possibility of SEGA Ages expanding to Dreamcast on Switch. Here’s what the two said about the subject:
CyberConnect2 on returning to the Little Tail Bronx series and the decade wait in between titles
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
CyberConnect2 first started the Little Tail Bronx series with Tail Concerto on the PlayStation back in 1998. Then in 2010, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter came to DS. Fuga on the Battlefield will see the franchise return once again next summer.
Notice a pattern here? There’s about a decade long wait in between titles. In an interview with Anime News Network, CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama explained why it takes so long for new games to be released, stating:
Game Freak on why rivals in Pokemon aren’t jerks anymore
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
Having a rival is one of the more well-known aspects in Pokemon. This has been present in the original generation of games, leading all the way up through Pokemon Sun/Moon. But over time, their personality has changed. Early on especially, rivals acted more like jerks. That isn’t as much the case anymore – especially with the likes of Hau in Sun/Moon.
In an interview with GameSpot, longtime Pokemon developer Junichi Masuda spoke about the shift. He noted how back in the day, you couldn’t express quite as much with visuals meaning they really needed to have character with their dialogue and personality. On the other hand, with the HD visuals of today, making the rival a jerk would leave much more of an impression on players.
More: interview, Junichi Masuda, Pokemon, top
Capcom’s initial plan for Mega Man 11 was a different project, producer still wants to make it
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Switch | 0 comments
The Mega Man 11 game Capcom shipped a few weeks ago wasn’t always the original plan for the game. In an interview with producer Kazuhiro Tsuchiya and Rockman Unity’s Ucchi, it’s revealed that something else entirely was planned.
What did Capcom originally have in mind? While we may not have the answer to that now, we may know one day. Tsuchiya says he hopes that the idea he had in mind will “be released in another form eventually”.
More: Capcom, interview, Kazuhiro Tsuchiya, top
Phantasy Star Online 2 devs on bringing the series back to Nintendo systems, cloud version, Link collaboration, more
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Earlier in the year, Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream published an interview with Phantasy Star series producer Satoshi Sakai and director Keisuke Nakamura. The two participated in an interesting chat all about Phantasy Star Online 2 Cloud for Switch. They spoke about bringing the series back to Nintendo platforms after the decade, the decision to make the cloud version for Switch, working with Nintendo on the Link collaboration, and more.
We’ve readied a full translation of Nintendo Dream’s interview with Sakai and Nakamura. Continue on below to read it in full.
Warriors Orochi 4 dev says Nintendo character was considered, Xeno and Ys Warriors have “potential”
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
Koei Tecmo has extensive experience working with Nintendo characters when it comes to its Warriors games. Both Zelda and Fire Emblem received their own games. Producer Masaki Furusawa says Nintendo representation was considered for Warriors Orochi 4, but ultimately decided against doing so.
Furusawa explained:
Reggie on leading Nintendo’s staff during the dark days of Wii U and the company’s constant reinvention
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments
While Nintendo was at the top of its game during the Wii era, the same can’t be said of Wii U. Wii managed to sell 100 million units while Wii U unfortunately couldn’t even make it to 15 million. There were certainly dark times, but Nintendo navigated through those difficult years and has found success once again with Switch.
During an appearance at GeekSummit earlier this month, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime was asked about how he and the company as a whole went about leading its staff during the Wii U era and keep them believing in their larger vision. Reggie’s response included a note about Nintendo’s constant reinvention, that the Big N is about doing things differently from others, and how “there will always be stumbles along the way.”
