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GoNintendo 'End of Day' thought - We chat with Nintendo/HAL about Kirby Mass Attack!

by rawmeatcowboy
16 September 2011
GN Version 4.0

ENDOFDAYTHOUGHTS 01



Another fun interview for you guys today. What an honor this one was! You enjoy the Kirby-related content while I rest up for the next day! See you in a few, short hours.

You know what doesn't happen every day? The opportunity to talk to Nintendo devs about one of their upcoming games! That's why I jumped at the chance to talk with both HAL and Nintendo about Kirby Mass Attack! Being a huge fan of Kirby, it was an absolute honor to virtually interview HAL/Nintendo about the cream puff's next big title. Just who answered our questions on Kirby Mass Attack, you ask?

Mr. Masanobu Yamamoto
HAL LABORATORY, INC.
Producer for Kirby Mass Attack
Titles he has been involved:
Kirby's Epic Yarn

Ms. Mari Shirakawa
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Director for Kirby Mass Attack
Titles she has been involved:
Kirby Super Star Ultra
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Picross 3D


In the interview below, my questions are labeled as GN, Mr. Yamamoto's answers are labeled H, and Mr. Shirakawa's answers are labeled with N.

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GN: Is the story of Kirby Mass Attack part of the traditional Kirby storyline or is it more of an off-shoot from the main games like Tilt n’ Tumble or Kirby’s Pinball Land?

H: The gameplay is a lot different, but I think you can say that the story fits into the flow of the series. People typically associate Kirby with side-scrolling action and copy abilities, but the world of the Kirby anime has also been incorporated in recent years, widening the scope of the Kirby story. Becoming a ball, becoming yarn, racing, fighting . . . Kirby is a character with the power to incorporate any style of gameplay. So in the future, it may be difficult to classify games as offshoots or put them into other fixed categories.

GN: Nintendo seems to enjoy putting Kirby into more experimental game ideas. Why is that?

N: Nintendo's developers enjoy developing games with new ideas both within and outside of the Kirby series. Kirby is probably a particularly good match for a variety of experimental ideas because of his round and simple design.



GN: Kirby Mass Attack seems to have a Pikmin influence. Was that series referenced during Kirby Mass Attack's creation?

N: The gameplay is totally different, so I hadn't even considered it until now. Since Kirby Mass Attack is more of a side-scrolling action game, we referenced games like Donkey Kong Country Returns and New Super Mario Bros. On a side note, it's embarrassing, but I've never played Pikmin . . .

H: Pikmin is a truly wonderful, magnificent game. But its platform, interface, and goals are all different from what we were pursuing for Kirby Mass Attack. We did want to incorporate group control into Kirby Mass Attack while making it work well as a game so that players could really enjoy the fun of controlling a group, just like Pikmin did.

GN: Why create Kirby Mass Attack for DS instead of 3DS?

N: As you know, this is a game in which players are able to directly touch the stage in the lower screen. Of course, that type of control would also be possible on the 3DS, but the game would not end up taking advantage of the three-dimensionality of the upper 3DS screen, which is a defining characteristic of the 3DS hardware. So if we made this game for the 3DS, I think we would be asked, "Why did you make this game for the 3DS?"I think that given the characteristics of Kirby Mass Attack, it's only natural that it was developed for the DS.

GN: Will Kirby Mass Attack feature both new/familiar Kirby enemies and locations?

N: King Dedede and Waddle Dees make appearances, but since the gameplay is different from previous Kirbys, we decided to mostly create new enemies and locations for the games. However, there are many familiar characters in the mini games, so please check them out.



GN: How long of an experience is Kirby Mass Attack?

N: I think it would take about 10 hours for a normal player to get through the game. A skilled player could probably finish faster. But I think players will be able to enjoy the game for 20 hours or more if they complete the challenge elements and play all the mini games.

GN: Do you feel that Kirby Mass Attack is a special project, as it could be one of the last, big DS first party titles?

N: We didn't create this project thinking that it would be the last big title or that it was a special project. We put our heart into every game that we create and present to the world, including this one.

HUGE thanks to Nintendo and HAL for answering our questions!