Oboro Muramasa Youtouden (Vanillaware)

Bumpage time... Grin

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Boxart/Artwork:

Interview:

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Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do at Marvelous?

Yoshifumi Hashimoto: I used to work on 2D arcade games at a different company. I went drinking with Wata-san, the director of Marvelous, and we decided to work together. So now I'm at Marvelous. After joining, I worked on such titles as Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and the new Avalon Code.

What role did you have in the creation of the Harvest Moon games?

YH: Wata-san was the executive producer and I was the Producer.

Odin Sphere?

YH: I did not work on that directly.

Alright. Tell us about Muramasa.

YH: It's a Japanese-style action fantasy RPG. Within the Edo period there was another specific period called the Genroku period, and the story takes place in that time. You'll be able to choose between a male and female character.

What are the differences between the male and female characters?

YH: Basically, the female starts from a place called Kyo - it's where Kyoto is today - and she is going to Edo - where Tokyo is now. So she is going up north, and the male character is actually going down from Edo to Kyo. You'll see a little crossover, like in the middle you'll go through a city and you'll see the other character in the back drinking tea or eating.

So they're basically going in reverse?

YH: When you go through the stages, there are some stages where you'll think that there are supposed to be enemies, but there are none, and you don't know why, but when you play the other side, you'll find out that the other player already defeated that enemy and moved on.

Did you want gamers to play one character first and then the other?

YH: It's totally up to the player.

Will the player be satisfied after finishing the game with just one character?

YH: They'll be satisfied, but if they play it again with the other character, they'll see more depth to the story.

I noticed during your playthrough yesterday that the character's swords can break in the middle of battle. What happens if both weapons break down?

YH: You'll be able to hold three katanas at the same time, but if all three break, you'll have to tough it out. But, your swords will recover after a certain amount of time.

Can you tell us about the RPG elements in the game?

YH: First of all, the demo that we showed yesterday and the one that's on the floor - they are more action-oriented. We just put some of the action stages together. The action part is like the encounter in typical RPGs. So in the real game, you'll fight and then you'll be in a section where you can walk and talk to other people. While there you'll be able to set up your items or change your weapons and then go into another section to fight.

Are there going to be sub-missions and stuff like that?

YH: There will be sub-quests. If you talk to certain people, they'll give you a mission, and it's up to you to fulfill that plot if you want.

Tell us a little bit about the story.

YH: Within this world there are swords called the Demon Blades which possesses special powers. The female and male characters want to obtain them for their own purposes. The Japanese mythological creatures that you find in the game are also trying to gain more power.

Were there any games that you got inspiration from?

YH: There isn't a certain one game that I can come up with. Of course, Vanillaware worked on Odin Sphere, and it took place in a more Medieval time. There are a lot of games that take place in that time, so I though that it would be a nice change - a breath of fresh air - to make a Japanese fantasy and have people learn more about different cultures and different mythologies.

A lot of the 2D games these days cater more to the hardcore audience. Is that going to be true for this game? Is it catered to the hardcore - the ones who played games like the original Ninja Gaiden back in the day?

YH: It is a core game. Not as much as Ninja Gaiden, the old series, but more like Legend of Kage and Genpei Toma Den - something in that sense. It's an action game that everybody can play. It does have some difficulty to it, but its simple controls allow you to do great things.

Well, this question is going to be asked eventually, so I might as well get it over with - did you incorporate any motion control elements into the game?

YH: We did have it in the beginning. We might add a little bit, like allow you to use your remote to put your sword back in its sheath - something along those lines just to make things a little more fun.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you wanted to throw in before we go?

YH: I mentioned at the show yesterday that Muramasa is a Japanese style game - style as in the art-style. Vanillaware and Marvelous wanted to make a fantasy game that incorporated Japanese culture. It's not really geared towards Japanese people. I actually think that people abroad who are not familiar with our culture will enjoy this game more because it will be really fresh for them. Also, a lot of people grew up with the games like that i mentioned earlier [Legend of Kage and Genpei Toma Den], so I think they'll have a kick out of playing this game. Please look forward to it.

Source: http://www.411mania.com/games/features/90598/411-Interview---Muramasa:-The-Demon-Blade-Producer-Yoshifumi-Hashimoto.htm

1Up Interview:

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One of our criticisms of the Tokyo Game Show demo was that the combat felt too simple because it only used one button for melee attacks. Do you have any plans to change or evolve the combat in the final version of the game, or are you trying to keep the overall control scheme simplified?

Yoshifumi Hashimoto: The controls are still evolving. You perform attacks with one button, but depending on the distance and which way you move the analog stick you will be able to change the type of attack. Also, the more you play, the more action and [moves] you'll discover. So even though it's the same button, I think players who have been playing a lot -- compared to players who haven't -- will use totally different [moves] and attack methods.

Given that the TGS demo was mostly combat-based, what kinds of role-playing game aspects can we expect to see?

YH: You're right, the TGS demo was a more encounter-based version and we haven't been able to show the RPG aspects yet. In the final product you'll be able to talk to the villagers, take on quests, and [participate in] other dramatic aspects of the game.

In a previous interview, you mentioned that you were considering using the motion sensor in the Wii Remote. Have you come to any conclusions about if or how you might use motion controls in the game?

YH: We're still considering using the motion sensor in the Wii Remote. We'll probably think about it up until the last minute in order to determine what will make the game more interesting. In the end, we're aiming to make the game as fun as possible.

The TGS demo featured a scene that was clearly based off the iconic "Great Wave off Kanagawa" woodblock print. Are you aiming to include more iconic imagery from Japanese art in the game, or was that just a splashy, eye-catching segment for the TGS demo?

YH: Rather than thinking of it as being based off of iconic Japanese art, our intention was to make the game have a clear "Japanese" feel to it. Regarding the scene itself, of course that will be in the game -- it's not just a special segment made for TGS. Our main goal is to make an enjoyable [fantasy game] that not only Japanese players will enjoy but players from other cultures as well.

Japanese myth is known for its abundance of fantastical creatures. Are all of the enemies and characters specifically based on Japanese mythology, or are you coming up with some of your own as well?

YH: That will be something to figure out by actually playing the game. Of course, people who understand Japanese mythology may enjoy the characters a bit more, but I hope all players will enjoy finding out more about the creatures [they encounter on the journey] that make them think, "I wonder what that is?" We are really taking our time and effort to make every enemy, every blade of grass, with a deep attention to detail.

Can you share a secret that no one knows about the game yet?

YH: This is still a secret but...In the game there's a tea house and you'll be able to eat traditional Japanese snacks like "Steamed bun" and "rice dumpling." We are currently working on special dot animations that will make these items disappear little by little as you eat them. We wanted to add these types of surprises, even for when you are just resting for a little while.

Source: http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3172066&p=44

RPGamer interview:

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Muramasa looks unbelievably amazing. There, we've got that out of the way. Got a problem with that? Didn't think so. Long live 2D!

Yoshifumi Hashimoto, Producer of Muramasa at Marvelous Entertainment Inc. : Thank you very much. I'm excited about this title as well and hope to show the best 2D game with today's technology.

It has been noted that Muramasa appears to be a lot more action-focused than Odin Sphere. RPG gamers everywhere want to know what RPG elements will be present. Please share.

Hashimoto: The action elements have been emphasized [compared to Odin Sphere] but I believe it's more accurate to think of it as an evolved title. Preparing for battle you can pre-select which weapons you want to use and if you encounter an enemy you can go straight in without thinking or you can try to strategize the best way to fight the battle. There's a lot more RPG elements other than the battle part I just mentioned as well.

Vanillaware's last two games on the PS2 were highly praised by critics, but also harshly criticized for their frame rate problems. Has anything been done to fix this issue with Muramasa?

Hashimoto: You can probably see the difference in the TGS 2008 gameplay movie but we are doing our best to address this issue and putting in a lot of research into the Wii hardware as well.

Any reports yet on how inventory is going to be managed? Anything similar to Odin Sphere?

Hashimoto: I cannot really talk about this yet but please look forward to it. The inventory will have a vibe that is inherent of ancient Japan, similar to the whole game atmosphere.

I've seen reports going both directions. Will this game use motion controls or not? If not, why do you think the decision was made to place this on the Wii?

Hashimoto: The game does not use motion controls at this time but there is a possibility that we will. When we looked at the Wii hardware we didn't think Wii=motion controls since it offers so many other wonderful capability with strong imaging ability we thought we can make a game that you can take your time and play.