Absolutely! Designing a game that stands out visually is no small feat, but crafting gameplay and a compelling story adds another layer of complexity. Here’s how the team behind this intriguing new game tackled that challenge:
Fukushima shares, “The initial gameplay concept from Acquire was spot-on. They proposed, ‘A Mario story that’s uniquely yours, living and adventuring on drifting islands.’ We were sold on this idea right from the start and had them create a prototype.”
Ohashi adds, “The idea of drifting islands immediately struck me as exciting. I pictured discovering new islands, embarking on adventures, and forging friendships with the inhabitants. It felt like an evolving world where you connect more and more islands and gather allies for further adventures.”
Otani chimes in, “It’s true, the concept was a breath of fresh air. We hadn’t thought of connecting islands like that during our Nintendo brainstorming sessions. (Laughs) It’s such an innovative twist on gameplay.”
Yet, Ohashi notes a challenge, “Capturing that ‘Mario & Luigi-like’ feeling took precedence, which meant we had to hold off on testing the ideas around drifting islands for a time. It took a bit before we could present concrete ideas to Nintendo, which I suspect caused some concern.”
Otani admits, “I was indeed getting a bit antsy. Fukushima and I wondered when Acquire would be ready to unveil their thoughts. (Laughs)”
Fukushima explains, “Ohashi-san is thorough, often pondering deeply before providing a single, satisfying answer. This gave us confidence in his process, yet we held many strategy meetings to discuss timeframes. (Laughs)”
According to Ohashi, “Shipshape Island acts as Mario and his friends’ headquarters. As their adventure unfolds across the ocean, the challenge was developing the mechanics to allow this island to navigate such a vast expanse.”
Fukushima elaborates, “Generally, we define gameplay and story direction quickly at the start of development, refining the details as we proceed. This time, however, the process extended, with action and battle features in progress while key elements remained unresolved. Crafting Shipshape Island’s travel system, along with determining the scale, themes, and number of islands, felt like chasing rainbows.”
Otani observes, “Our companies have different approaches. Historically, directors have led progress from gameplay conception to story creation. However, Acquire’s style with Ohashi-san involved separately developing island navigation mechanics and outsourcing the story. In an RPG, synchronizing story and gameplay is crucial to advancement.”
Ohashi recalls, “The story company also had difficulties achieving that distinctive ‘Mario & Luigi-like’ vibe. Creating a suitable narrative was tricky.”
But eventually, they found a breakthrough. Ohashi reminisces, “I remember brainstorming the plot and agreeing to assign themes to each sea. The first would be ‘family,’ followed by ‘friends,’ and so on.”
Fukushima acknowledges, “Indeed, that’s when the concept of ‘connection’ came together. Connecting islands in gameplay mirrored the connections among residents of those islands.”
Through teamwork and overcoming creative hurdles, they crafted a game world that’s not only visually distinctive but also rich in connection and adventure.
