Conducted prior to the release of the surreal caveman-themed sandbox Tail of the Sun, this interview from Game Hihyou with creator Kazutoshi Iida covers the motivations behind his previous game, the “undersea exploration game” Aquanaut’s Holiday, and Iida’s desires to rail against the perceived codification and homogenization by players, developers, and even his own employer Artdink on what games could and should be.
Month: December 2021
Kazuma Kaneko x Tomomi Kobayashi – 1996 Interview
This candid, wide-ranging interview between lauded designers Tomomi Kobayashi and Kazuma Kaneko first appeared in Game Hihyou magazine in 1996.
Kazuko Shibuya – 2013 Developer Interview
Kazuko Shibuya has worked as a designer at Square since 1986. Although relatively unknown in the west, she played an instrumental role in defining the aesthetic of both Final Fantasy and Romancing SaGa.
Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age
Told through former employee anecdotes, this important interview from CV Odyssey examines Kasco’s history and the pre-Invaders landscape of the 60s/70s.
Jamestown – 2011 Developer Interview
Jamestown is a vertizontal shmup for the PC released in 2011 by Final Form Games. The game shines in 3 or 4 player mode and the lenient-but-satisfying revive system makes it an excellent choice for newcomers and veterans, as experienced players can “carry” the team while newer players have a chance to develop their skills. This interview with creator Mike Ambrogi was originally featured in STG Gameside #5.
Jaleco STG – Roundtable Developer Interview
This interview covers the formation of Jaleco’s late-80s/early 90s arcade department, their connection with developers NMK, and the making of Plus Alpha and EDF
Irem Arcade Games – 1989 Developer Interview
these two developers interviews were a part. The first is a roundtable interview with several Irem planners, mostly focusing on their planning process and including some interesting design notes about Ninja Spirit and Image Fight. The second half is a discussion with President Yoshiyuki Takashima. It too contains a few design tidbits about R-Type and Spartan X, but mainly focuses on Irem’s unique approach to arcade development.
I.Q.: Intelligent Qube – 1997 Developer Interview
In this “cerebral” interview originally featured in The Playstation magazine, I.Q. designer Masahiko Sato talks puzzle design, gameplay, and the origins of the I.Q development.
The Illustrators of SNK – 2001 Developer Interview
In this 2001 interview from Arcadia, conducted at the very peak of SNK’s original tenure, designers Hiroaki and Tonko discuss their history at SNK, their influences as illustrators, the nature of their day-to-day work and their contributions to now-classic games like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, The King of Fighters and The Last Blade series, as well as the forward-thinking 3D MMA fighting game Buriki ONE.
Ikaruga – 2001/2002 Developer Interviews
These two Ikaruga interviews (slightly edited to read as one) follow the evolution of Ikaruga’s design and gameplay. Iuchi also talks about its connection to Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga’s reception as a different, more puzzle-oriented STG.