Lost Odyssey

The primary focus is this video:



Characters designed by Takehiko Inoue (the comic Vagabond)

Music by Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy)

Scenario by Hironobu Sakaguchi (Creator of Final Fantasy)

Story by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, author of novels that get turned into movies with movie posters like this:

So, Hironobu Sakaguchi says, "So, Kiyoshi Shigematsu is a very famous writer in Japan, and writes short stories that have special human touch elements in them. And those are the things we haven't seen in games, and those elements haven't really fit into games, but I wanted to put that kind of element into the storyline."

"The reason I've used Kiyoshi Shigematsu as part of this project is because we don't see enough emotion in videogames yet. Whether to do with family, or some other emotional elements - something that bring tears to your eyes. The main element in these games is often fighting or whatever, but I want these emotional elements. I think the main character, who has been living for a thousand years and can't die - he has a thousand years of memories"

This text I found somewhere. "The upcoming plot-heavy RPG will feature several "1000 Year Dream" sequences, 34 to be precise, each designed to flesh out the narrative penned by Japanese author Kiyoshi Shigematsu; and each told not through cut scenes, but rather with text, taking upwards of 5 to 10 minutes to read."

Cave Story

An Interview with Pixel

TIGSource: How long did you spend developing Doukutsu?

Pixel: It's been five years since I first thought to myself, "Hey, why not try making a game?" I developed Cave Story at my own pace, taking my time, and while doing so I released a few other smaller games as well.

TIGSource: How much of the game did you plan beforehand, and how much did you create as you went along? How much does the final game resemble your initial design?

Pixel: Before I started, I wrote the theme music (the Plantation theme), but other than that almost nothing was set in place, because even if I decide on something beforehand, I'm never able to realize it as I imagined.

Just about everything in the game was made up as I went along. Thanks in no small part to support from my friends, the scale of the game grew larger and the level of polish grew higher than I'd ever imagined.

TIGSource: What inspired you to create such a game? Was it simply to make a good game and entertain players, or something more?

Pixel: When I was little, the video games I played made me want to try making my own. I've been influenced by several games that are already out there, as I'm sure players have noticed.

TIGSource: The story of Doukutsu only hints at the world in which the game takes place. How much of this world have you created that we don't see in the game? Will we get to see more of it later on?

Pixel: Nothing of that world exists beyond what you see in the game, as I don't have the skills to construct anything further. I leave the details of Cave Story's world to the player's imagination.

Download Cave Story

For Mac

For PC

Cave Story requires a translation patch for English Speakers.

Mac: Just unzip and drop in your applications. I already applied the patch for you and am hosting it on my ftp.

PC: This version is already translated, just run the exe.

Repost of a Blog Entry by Kazuya Niinou, the creator of Trauma Center and Etrian Odyssey

Parting thoughts posted at 05/10/2007 10:14 AM PDT

This will be my last post. I won't get a chance like this again, so I'm going to say whatever I want. When I talked to our marketing team, I told them I wanted to emphasize that Etrian is "the renewal of the 3D dungeon RPG." What I mean by that is that I hope the genre will thrive again, not just attract the same Wizardry fans. Of course, that's a tall order for a little game, and we don't expect we'll be able to accomplish this alone. We do hope that this game might be a cue for the genre to come back, though. It doesn't end here: once we gather players and a market for this type of game, then we can really begin. Even so... I don't think that "cue" for the genre to resurrect itself has to be Etrian Odyssey, or even an Atlus game. My real hope in making this game was that at some other company, some talented developer will be inspired to create a 3D dungeon RPG that everyone will love. I hope this can be at least one step on that path. If in 10 years, I can play the wonderful new dungeon RPGs of those developers while lying in bed, I'll consider it a success. Of course, none of that means we'll neglect Etrian Odyssey if it does become popular. We'd love for it to grow as well. Please tell us what you think about the game once it's out! -Kazuya Niinou [This made me give Etrian Odyssey a second chance.]