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Koji Igarashi interview (about Castlevania DS / PS2)

GI: One final question. Some would say that Symphony of the Night was the greatest Castlevania game in the series. Are you done making 2D Castlevania games on home consoles, or would you ever consider making a really elaborate 2D Castlevania game on a home console?



Iga: Personally I would really love to. Though, the realities of the marketplace prevent me from it. If I got the opportunity I’d like to take advantage of it.
Sad but true :(
 
heavy liquid said:
Sad. I would kill to have a high-res macked-out 2D console version of Castlevania.

Yeah, that would be awesome. I'm finally playing Symphony of the Night for the first time now, and it's amazing the difference between this and the GBA games.
 
Maybe when next gen makes it too expensive for non-EA companies to take full advantage of the hardware, more companies will go back to making some 2D games.

Probably not, but it would be neat.
 
How much does it cost to make a 2D Castlevanina? If it isn't worth making for the PS2/GC/Xbox, then why not do a limited edition for the Dreamcast? The system is still seeing some nice support from a handful of arcade developers, why not bank on that interest?
 
So... If it's not worth doing for PS2 from a profit/market standpoint, a limited edition for Dreamcast must certainly be.
 
"GI: In the last game, outside of the lack of adventure elements, I had a problem with the way the whip worked in the game. "

gah i hate it when interviewers inject so much of their own opinion into questions :(
 
VNZ said:
So... If it's not worth doing for PS2 from a profit/market standpoint, a limited edition for Dreamcast must certainly be.

Why not? Instead of struggling in a saturated market, why not test the waters on a platform that would garner the game a lot of attention. Sometimes that works--I believe Viewtiful Joe did better as a GC exclusive than it has as a multiplatform title for instance. And hell, you could easily port it later if it turns out to be a hit.
 
It really wasn’t until E3 that I chose which system I wanted to do this game on. But when I went to E3 and looked at the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, after seeing the Nintendo DS I said, “I like this. This is cool! I’ll make it for this one.”

I found this funny. It seems that up until E3 he really was undecided, and this further confirms at E3 DS struck a cord with some developers. cool. I cannot wait for Caslevania DS.
 
ge-man said:
Why not? Instead of struggling in a saturated market, why not test the waters on a platform that would garner the game a lot of attention. Sometimes that works--I believe Viewtiful Joe did better as a GC exclusive than it has as a multiplatform title for instance. And hell, you could easily port it later if it turns out to be a hit.

Who said they're struggling? LoI sold well on the PS2 despite the hate it recieved.
 
SolidSnakex said:
Who said they're struggling? LoI sold well on the PS2 despite the hate it recieved.

That's not what I meant. I'm talking about this hypothetical 2D Castlevania struggling (the interview seems to imply that.)
 
SantaCruZer said:
what's the numbers?

I know it cleared over 100k in its first few days of release (came out on the 21st in the US). So it pulled in some nice numbers. Much better than alot of people expected it to sell.
 
ge-man said:
That's not what I meant. I'm talking about this hypothetical 2D Castlevania struggling (the interview seems to imply that.)

No the interview implies that upper Konami management doesn't want anymore 2D games on 3D consoles. That's what's always been implied by Igarashi and if you look at Gradius and Contra games this generation, pretty true. There's no "hypothetical" here, it's not going to happen.
 
ge-man said:
That's not what I meant. I'm talking about this hypothetical 2D Castlevania struggling (the interview seems to imply that.)

Can you imagine them trying to pitch a new 2D CV game for the Dreamcast, though? Konami wasn't even interested in releasing a 3D CV game when the DC was booming...
 
Well, it was just a thought. I think there are people who would be interested in new 2D Castlevania that took advantage of today's consoles.
 
ge-man said:
Well, it was just a thought. I think there are people who would be interested in new 2D Castlevania that took advantage of today's consoles.

Yes, but the DC -IS- a dead platform. There are a few releases in Japan still (mostly arcade ports), but it would be a waste of Konami's time and money to release a new game like that for the DC. Japan would be the only area to receive the game, so they would be limiting their sales potential to just that one region as well.

If they were to consider the idea at all (which, sadly, does not seem to be the case), the PS2 would still be the best platform for the game. XBOX and GC would come up behind that. DC just wouldn't be possible...

Think that line of thinking also applies to PSP?

Possibly, but it seems doubtful. The DS is being pushed mainly as a 3D machine as well, afterall.
 
ge-man said:
Well, it was just a thought. I think there are people who would be interested in new 2D Castlevania that took advantage of today's consoles.

Yeah we all are, but that's not a thought that Konami is going to follow through on because business is business and what a few guys on GAF are interested in isn't going to change the mind of Konami.

jarrod said:
Think that line of thinking also applies to PSP?

I hope not! The widescreen ration of the PSP screen makes it perfect for platformers and such. We'll see I guess. I just don't see Iga leaving his Nintendo fanbase anytime soon. If we do see anything it won't be till next year or the year after. :\
 
How poorly would a 2d Castlevania do today?

I thought that SotN did pretty well.... hell, it was a 20$ re-release.
 
dark10x said:
The DS is being pushed mainly as a 3D machine as well, afterall.
It is? Then why are the majority of games sprite based?


duckroll said:
I hope not! The widescreen ration of the PSP screen makes it perfect for platformers and such. We'll see I guess. I just don't see Iga leaving his Nintendo fanbase anytime soon. If we do see anything it won't be till next year or the year after. :\
Yeah, the GBA fanbase more or less saved Castlevania after Chronicles. I'd still love a Rondo of Blood remake for PSP though. :(
 
Maybe I should be clear about what I mean. I'm thinking more along the lines of something similar to a LaserDisc special ed. Throw in a few goodies and sell it at a premium at limited quantities. And if they are worried about overstock, take orders ahead of time and see what kind of numbers can be guarenteed.

I'm just thinking out loud here, I don't know enough about the industry to see if this model is even feasible.
 
It is? Then why are the majority of games sprite based?

Well, 50% of the games available in the US make heavy use of 3D as well. It is a platform designed for 2D and 3D content, but the 3D features seem to receive more exposure from Nintendo.
 
dark10x said:
Well, 50% of the games available in the US make heavy use of 3D as well. It is a platform designed for 2D and 3D content, but the 3D features seem to receive more exposure from Nintendo.
Really? Then why are most of Nintendo's own games sprite based? :P

In Japan at least, DS seems to be pushed as mainly a platform for "cheap" game development. A lot like mobiles/GBA actually, and the 2D hardware is more emphasized I'd say. I agree though, in the west it seems like there's a focus on mainly "low end" 3D conversions for some reason. :/
 
sonycowboy said:
I have no idea how much SOTN sold.

As of NPD Dec 2004:
PS2 CASTLEVANIA: LAMENT KONAMI OF AMERICA 3-Oct 344,081
SotN was around 500k iirc, The N64 games were 350k and 250k also iirc. Have up to date GBA numbers (I thought CotM was around 500k and the other 2 around 200-250k but now I'm not sure)?
 
Ah, but I was talking about the US. Nintendo seems to have a different aim for the DS in Japan.

It's actually kinda strange, as the DS almost has two faces as a result. I'd imagine that part of this is due to the fact that the DS and PSP launched within a couple weeks of each other (or so) in Japan whereas the US DS will have had several months without the PSP competition.
 
jarrod said:
SotN was around 500k iirc, The N64 games were 350k and 250k also iirc. Have up to date GBA numbers (I thought CotM was around 500k and the other 2 around 200-250k but now I'm not sure)?


Found it:
PSX Konami Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 477,000
 
jarrod said:
SotN was around 500k iirc, The N64 games were 350k and 250k also iirc. Have up to date GBA numbers (I thought CotM was around 500k and the other 2 around 200-250k but now I'm not sure)?

As of NPD Dec 2004:

GBA CASTLEVANIA CLASSIC KONAMI OF AMERICA 4-Oct 49,379
GBA CASTLEVANIA: ARIA KONAMI OF AMERICA 3-May 155,400
GBA CASTLEVANIA: CIRCLE KONAMI OF AMERICA 1-Jun 477,960
GBA CASTLEVANIA: HARMONY KONAMI OF AMERICA 2-Sep 125,922
 
Big dropoff in sales for CV's after CoTM which was a launch title. Makes me wonder if the DS version will perform in line with those instead of CoTM. If so I don't think it'd be too hard for Iga to consider a PSP version (possibly the Rondo remake he's wanted to do).
 
sonycowboy said:
I have no idea how much SOTN sold.

As of NPD Dec 2004:
PS2 CASTLEVANIA: LAMENT KONAMI OF AMERICA 3-Oct 344,081

Thanks. Well it's a PS2 game so I guess that Konami expected a little higher than that. Then again, Loi didn't deliver to SotN quality.
 
sonycowboy said:
As of NPD Dec 2004:

GBA CASTLEVANIA CLASSIC KONAMI OF AMERICA 4-Oct 49,379
GBA CASTLEVANIA: ARIA KONAMI OF AMERICA 3-May 155,400
GBA CASTLEVANIA: CIRCLE KONAMI OF AMERICA 1-Jun 477,960
GBA CASTLEVANIA: HARMONY KONAMI OF AMERICA 2-Sep 125,922
Ack, those sales are lower than I thought! Here's the N64 numbers Shrine of data has...

Castlevania (364,625)
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (51,976)

...are they right? LoD seems way too low. :/


SolidSnakex said:
Big dropoff in sales for CV's after CoTM which was a launch title. Makes me wonder if the DS version will perform in line with those instead of CoTM.
Well, it should be noted that Konami USA is pretty bad with GBA distribution, and the GBA CVs sold out almost immediately with pretty much no reprintings. They probably would've sold double the amount if Konami had released it. CotM for example had stalled around 300k until the Majesco distributed reprint 2 years ago (which brought sales to their current level, an almost 200k increase).

The DS game will ikely sell whatever Konami decides to ship.


SolidSnakex said:
If so I don't think it'd be too hard for Iga to consider a PSP version (possibly the Rondo remake he's wanted to do).
PSP might be a good platform for the online/networked CV he's wanted to do now that I think about it. It'd be able to handle a LoD/CoD 3D engine too pretty well.
 
A "pure" 2D game might be out of the question, but a 2.5D game in the vein of MMX8 and VJ would be quite sweet, and maybe more uh financially reasonable. :P If they can get the animation to flow smoothly and hand-drawn-like, sprites wouldn't be needed.

Also: LOI HATERS PWNED! (re: sales numbers)
 
jett said:
A "pure" 2D game might be out of the question, but a 2.5D game in the vein of MMX8 and VJ would be quite sweet, and maybe more uh financially reasonable. :P If they can get the animation to flow smoothly and hand-drawn-like, sprites wouldn't be needed.
I'd agree with that... though maybe something like Strider 2 (incorperating 2D character sprites with 3D backgrounds, effects and bosses) might be best. :)
 
Please, let's not tarnish 2D Castlevania's record with a 2.5D title. Pure 2D forever please.

It would be cool if CoD had all the GBA Castlevanias as unlockables.
 
Well, Iga says he wouldnt mind an Aria of Sorrow sale increase due to the new DS sequel, so you can rule that one out at least :/
 
RE4 vs. SH4 said:
Please, let's not tarnish 2D Castlevania's record with a 2.5D title. Pure 2D forever please.

It would be cool if CoD had all the GBA Castlevanias as unlockables.

YEah.

btw, wouldn't a new 2D console castlevania cost a lot less to do than a 3D one? Maybe it would all even out in the end.

And make is Simon's Quest style. Btw Simon Belmont needs to return.
 
RE4 vs. SH4 said:
Please, let's not tarnish 2D Castlevania's record with a 2.5D title. Pure 2D forever please.
Why not? It worked pretty well for Contra and Gradius.


RE4 vs. SH4 said:
It would be cool if CoD had all the GBA Castlevanias as unlockables.
Ick no, I'd prefer the NES trilogy to the GBA trilogy.
 
CrisKre said:
Well, Iga says he wouldnt mind an Aria of Sorrow sale increase due to the new DS sequel, so you can rule that one out at least :/
They'd need to reprint the game for that to happen. It's sold out.
 
jarrod said:
Why not? It worked pretty well for Contra and Gradius.



Ick no, I'd prefer the NES trilogy to the GBA trilogy.

It wouldn't be as beautiful as 2D parallax scrolling, that's my only reason. It was done in Symphony of the Night; the chapel I believe, and it didn't look too hot. The PSP would undoubtably be able to do it better, but I'd rather see what the system can do with a pure 2D title.

You're entitled to your opinion, but I think the GBA trilogy sports 2 of the best titles in the series. (CotM and AoS)
 
The library was awesome. The music in the Orlox's quarters was too. I guess I wouldn't mind 3D elements, just keep most of the game in 2D. Like SotN. But I think Iga already said Castlevania DS will be like SotN in that regard. I'll have to check the Iga video interview on Gamespot again to make sure.
 
I really think a mix of elements (sprites and polygons) would work well for a 2D console/PSP Castlevania. Even better, let Treasure make it! :)
 
Watched it again, this is what Iga says regarding Castlevania DS:

"sorta pseudo-3D look to things that was done in Symphony of the Night but wasn't possible on the GBA, now that's possible as well"

Well, translator Iga said that to be more exact. He says it can be done, but doesn't say they are doing it exactly. Still, I'll take it as confirmation.
 
Ah, crap. I just actually read the interview linked in the first post, so my last post was pretty pointless. Sorry.

I found this weird, though...

It really wasn’t until E3 that I chose which system I wanted to do this game on. But when I went to E3 and looked at the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, after seeing the Nintendo DS I said, “I like this. This is cool! I’ll make it for this one.”

After E3, didn't he say to reporters that he couldn't think of any good uses for a touch screen and it didn't really interest him?
 
RE4 vs. SH4 said:
After E3, didn't he say to reporters that he couldn't think of any good uses for a touch screen and it didn't really interest him?
i dunno what he said publically, but he's always said to me and people i know that he's much more interested in the DS. this announcement was the anti-shock to me.

personally, i was hoping more for a PSP 2D castlevania. hope that's next...
 
ferricide said:
i dunno what he said publically, but he's always said to me and people i know that he's much more interested in the DS. this announcement was the anti-shock to me.

personally, i was hoping more for a PSP 2D castlevania. hope that's next...

or maybe the DS will always be the home of 2D castlevanies while PSP get the 3D ones :P sigh huh
 
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