Children of Mana director on his upcoming RPG.
Kouichi Ishi, Senior Executive of Square Enix and producer of Children of Mana, joined with the U.S. gaming press to chat about Square Enix’s upcoming DS Mana adventure. He braved a gamut of questions ranging from abstract inspiration to the game’s user interface. Ishi emphasized the strengths in the title such as the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi multiplayer capacity and playing effects that are new to the franchise.
Ishi was immediatel plied with questions concerning the multiplayer control and function via Nintendo Wi-Fi System. He reaffirmed that players will be able to connect wirelessly DS-to-DS but the game will not be using the online Nintendo Wi-Fi function. Ishi states that Children of Mana is meant to be played among friends and family instead of with “strangers” online. Children of Mana multiplayer departs from the “join-in” nature of predecessor Secret of Mana in a sprawling over world and instead the battle is formatted around battles consisting of “second-to-second” decisions in randomly-generated dungeons. He did clarify that the random generation of dungeons is only applicable in battle mode, which sets it apart from the story segment of the game.
A recurring theme within the questions was the function of feel within the game. Ishi stated that he picks a signature theme for each title he works on and recently he’s been focusing on the presence of items within the gaming reality. In particular, “pinball” seems to be the palpable premise for Children of Mana. Combat will be unique from past titles due to the focus on tactile functions within the game and hopefully bring additional life to the 2D dungeon crawler. When players hit enemies they may experience a “pinball” effect causing enemies to ricochet across the screen. Ishi also states that both single and multiplayer modes will be enhanced by this feel for the environment and the perception of items within both sections of the game.
When asked about inspiration for his storylines, Ishi gave the patented response that there are “too many to choose from.” He did emphasize that the literal conventions found within Moomin, Lord of the Rings and Alice in Wonderland were not as important to him as the possibilities and fashion in which they embody a work of fiction and thereby bring their respective realities to life. He draws from the impressions that works of fiction left upon him as a child and brings new creativity to his fantasy world while avoiding “blindly following convention.” Ishi’s storytelling encourages fans of previous Mana titles to view the characters as being reborn from previous titles carrying the burden of their karmic past.
Although the future may seem nebulous, fans of the can look forward to future titles in the Mana series. Although Square Enix has not decided their lineup for the virtual console on the Wii, Ishi says that an independent Mana title is “currently being considered”. He furthers his tantalizing remarks by affirming that there is “a great amount of possibility for development on the Wii.” Finally Ishi answered the ever-present question of the remake potential for The Secret of Mana by claiming: “If the fans want it then we will consider it.”
Source: gametab.com