Interviews// Akai Katana: Hiroyuki Kimura & Hideki Nomura

Criticism and feedback from arcade users helped Kimura and his team improve the gameplay of the console port, but a staple of CAVE’s box releases has been a tougher, Black Label mode. With Akai Katana released to arcades with a lower difficulty setting, it seems that such an addition would be welcomed by hardcore schmup fans.

“We don’t have any plans for a Black Label mode for the game right now I’m afraid,” Kimura says. “The forefront of the release itself is the existing arcade game, modified with a totally new system and new ways of playing it. I think that there’s a lot of content there and that there is a lot to play and get good at. If there’s demand for additional downloadable content though - and I mean, if we see lots and lots of demand - we’ll make it!”

The director elaborated on the ‘new ways to play’ side of things, and spoke more about the challenges in providing new modes whilst staying true to the classic CAVE formula. “The thing about our shooters is that the controls are almost always the same. There’s the standard three-button CAVE preference for controls - Shot, Laser and the Bomb button in the middle. So for us it was a matter of trying to give people a completely new play experience within those existing controls.”

Dealing with controllers and button mapping isn’t an issue for Kimura. Not only does the studio include key configurations within its console ports so that players can feel more comfortable, but it also debugs its arcade machines using Xbox 360 controllers before they’re sent out for general release. “That’s not to say we don’t use sticks,” he quickly said with a smile.

But translating the stick-and-buttons control method isn’t the only thing on CAVE’s mind at the moment. I asked Kimura about his thoughts on the PlayStation Vita, and he explained that his team were considering multiple interfaces. "The PlayStation Vita - I think it's a hardware with a future. It has a touch panel, which is one the main focus features for me. It's a very interesting device,” he beamed.

"One thing I'm really focused on is that it has dual analogue sticks on top of it being a mobile device. That's a big point for us. With CAVE shooters, we want the user to be really involved in the game, so if you provide different ways of playing, you can change the way they hold the device - and they can get involved in the game on a totally different level."

Interestingly, it could well be that CAVE could introduce twin-stick shooter controls that many Western developers have adopted. “With regards to the game we’re developing for Vita, one of our goals is to reduce the number of buttons as much as possible. That’s one of the reasons we’re really focused on this twin stick aspect of the machine.”

As I ran out of time and wrapped up the interview, I asked the director and the designer what they felt their proudest creations were. Naturally, as you would expect from humble Japanese developers, their response was the game that they’re currently working on. “I worked on Mushihime-sama Futari and Espgaluda II as chief designer, and those games were really fulfilling - but they were sequels,” Nomura said. “Akai Katana was a brand new game, and I was in charge of creating the world setting. I was very proud to be able to contribute to that project.”

Kimura agrees, and picks the same game as his proudest achievement. “On behalf of the development team, I want to say that I think we’ve made something really amazing here. The modes that are in it I feel are some of the best modes that CAVE has made. We’re all so proud of it, and I hope you enjoy it!”

No regrets at all, then? Just one, says Nomura. “The only thing that’s a bummer for the designers here is that we put a lot of work in creating the little ship that you’re piloting, and then it will just get covered in bullets!” With a cheeky smile and a laugh he adds, “That can be very frustrating. But, I just blame it on the bullets!”

Akai Katana Shin will be published in Europe in early 2012 by Rising Star Games.
Many thanks to Rising Star Games, CAVE, Jon Rodgers, and of course Kimura-san and Nomura-san.