Meta:Interview with Koichi Nakamura, Director, Shiren the Wanderer 3
This Q&A was included in play magazine, Issue #[Research required], released November 2007.[1]
Questions and Answers
Interview by Dai Kohama / Transcribed by Dai Kohama / Translated by Nick Des Barres
play: Most of our readers are probably unfamiliar with the Shiren series, but I hope you'll let me approach this interview from the perspective of the longtime fan. First I'd like to ask, why did you decide on Wii for Shiren 3?
Koichi Nakamura: Well, the first game was on the Super Famicom, and the second on the Nintendo 64. The series has always been on Nintendo systems, and right now, the Wii was also the easiest platform to develop for. That was important. It's not the type of game that would seem to benefit from motion control. We did experiment with many control schemes, but...what should I say. I think at its core, Shiren is a very pure, logical game that was designed with the Super Famicom controller in mind. That hasn't changed. The most stress-free and pleasant way to play this game will definitely be with the Classic Controller, though you can use the Wii Remote if you want to.
play: It's been seven years since Shiren 2 on the Nintendo 64. What made you want to revive the franchise?
Koichi Nakamura: There hasn't been a Shiren, but as you know, we have made several other Mystery Dungeon games at Chunsoft–the Torneko and Pokémon series. We're very particular about all of them, but especially Shiren... with this series, the new gameplay ideas are very important. Even if they don't exactly match with the setting of the game, we always place priority on new and fun innovations to the genre with Shiren. In this case, working on so many other Mystery Dungeons, it took a good long while for the idea to arrive (laughs).
play: Tell us about that new idea. I assume you're referring to the new "Tool Growth System"?
Koichi Nakamura: Yes. It's the new feature we've worked the hardest on. In earlier games you could combine items in pots, and although that's still in 3, the new system centers around leaving items at certain spots in dungeons for a number of turns. Depending on where it's placed, equipment might simply get stronger, or receive new attributes entirely. Of course, you don't just set them down and wait, you have to defend them from enemies as well. Our original idea was based around planting seeds in a garden, but it seemed too simple, so it became "planting" weapons and tools in dungeons and waiting for them to sprout (laughs).
play: One of the most impressive things about the Mystery Dungeon series, and Shiren in particular, is its incredibly challenging–yet fair–difficulty level. Is balancing them a very arduous task?
Koichi Nakamura: At Chunsoft we have a...what should I say, a balance sensei (laughs). We have a guy named Mr. Nagahata who's balanced every Mystery Dungeon game we've made. He's like a human computer, his head is full of numbers (laughs). Also, our staff are all huge Mystery Dungeon fans themselves. When development nears its end, we all play the game and become aware of several different play styles. Some people rush to the next staircase to get to the next floor, some people search every floor from end to end. What's easy for one person is incredibly hard for another. Mr. Nagahata listens to all their opinions and basically balances the game himself.
play: Is Koichi Sugiyama [ed. note–composer of the Dragon Quest series, 76 years old] returning to do the music?
Koichi Nakamura: Not every track this time, but he's composing the most important ones. All the others are being overseen by him, with the composition being handled by a colleague of his who's been working with Mr. Sugiyama for years.
play: The original Shiren the Wanderer 1, originally for Super Famicom, was recently announced for Western release Shiren game ever released in English. Will you follow it up with 2 on DS to bridge the gap?
Koichi Nakamura: Well, we...I wonder how much I can say (laughs)?
SEGA Liaison: That depends on how well Shiren 3 sells on Wii (laughs).
play: You used Akiman, the famous exCapcom designer of Chun-Li, Cammy, Morrigan and countless other beloved characters for the illustration work on the DS version of Shiren 1. Are you a fan?
Koichi Nakamura: That was actually a request from the original character designer. He's a huge fan of Akiman's work and really respects him. I'd always wanted to work with him, myself.
play: I was really impressed with the DS game; it's not just a straight port. The rescue
mechanic was a brilliant use of the system's Wi-Fi.
Koichi Nakamura: We knew we wanted to do something with Wi-Fi from the beginning. The rescue mechanic itself was actually something we experimented with for the Game Boy Shiren spinoffs, many years ago. You could hook up your Game Boys with the link cable and rescue your friends who had died in a dungeon, but very few people actually had the cable and used it. The other option we had was for rescue via password, and this was just when the internet was really taking off in Japan–I was amazed by everyone swapping passwords on the net to get people to come rescue them. I realized this was something essential that could really work with Wi-Fi.
play: Have you thought about using the Wi-Fi connection abilities between the Wii and DS for something similar?
Koichi Nakamura: That sort of inter-system connectivity is something that often comes up at production meetings, but it's always a question of schedule–we're rarely developing two games close enough together to plan something like that.
play: Mystery Dungeon has gone from the original Dragon Quest spinoff, to Shiren, to Chocobos, and most recently to Pokémon. Is it a game style you think can apply to any franchise? Do you want to keep expanding it?
Koichi Nakamura: No, I think we're done for now. Definitely done (laughs).
play: Next, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask a little about you, Mr. Nakamura. Many Americans may not have heard your name, but you created three genres of video games–the JRPG together with Yuji Horii on Dragon Quest, the Sound Novel with Otogirisou, and the Mystery Dungeon style of dungeon exploration games. Do you consider these genres your life's work?
Koichi Nakamura: They've sort of become my life's work (laughs). I've been making these games for a long time.
play: Do you ever want to strike out into another genre entirely, or create a fourth?
Koichi Nakamura: I certainly do want to, but for whatever reason it never seems to happen... (laughs)
play: Finally, if you have a message for American gamers curious about the Mystery Dungeon series...
Koichi Nakamura: I think the Pokémon Dungeon series of games really opened a lot of eyes to our Mystery Dungeon genre. The latter half of those games gets fairly hard, and if you enjoyed that, Shiren on DS and Shiren 3 on Wii have much, much more difficult challenges to offer you. Shiren is the original, core Mystery Dungeon series, so I hope you'll try it out.