With the success of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, NIS has gone from a veritable unknown for many western gamers to being a real emerging powerhouse in the SRPOG scene. Now with one critical success under their belt, the company has decided to localize with the aid of Mastiff one of their earlier works – La Pucelle: Tactics. As the story of a demon hunting girl with an attitude, this looks to be yet another successful outing for the little company that could. Recently we had the opportunity to speak with the Managing Director of Software at NIS, Sohei Niikawa, and took the opportunity to get to the bottom of this upcoming release.

Snackbar Games: Firstly, can you let us know who you are, and what your role you are currently playing in bringing La Pucelle to the North American gaming community?

Sohei Niikawa: I am Sohei Niikawa, Managing Director of Nippon Ichi Software. I wrote the story and the script for the original game, and was the producer of the original Japanese version.

SBG: Can you give us some background on the title, as far as story and characters?

SN: I don’t really want to give too much away here, and even if I did there are enough twists in the story to make it pretty hard to tell all in a few minutes. I think you know about the hero, Prier, a smart mouthed and undisciplined sixteen year old who just passed her exorcism exams. La Pucelle is about her and her buddies, their adventures, what they change around them and how they are changed.

The story is set in an alternate medieval Europe, and has a firm religious/mystical tone. However, the characters’ actions depart from that framework. This is especially true in the case of Prier. I wanted her and other characters to forced to abandon their former, traditional worldview and have a new outlook emerge.

The reason for choosing them to be exorcists is that it was relatively easy to design a fun game with that premise. Having magical powers and using them to fight evil — who wouldn’t get a kick out of that?

Our focus was on providing good gameplay. 3D graphics have improved so much recently that they have drastically changed the ways games look, but it’s the gameplay that really matters!

SBG: The community at large quickly fell in love with Disgaea when it arrived last year. Is La Pucelle directly related to Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, and if so how and where does it fit in the timeline?

SN: Both games were developed by the same team. They are different and separate, but there’s some character overlap. I’m not telling you who they are, but you will know if you play both!

SBG: What has been the biggest challenge in your mind thus far in getting the game localized for American audiences?

SN: Making sure that the North American and Japanese gaming experience were the same.

Working with Mastiff I think we produced a really transparent localization. That is, a game that feels like it was never localized, like it was originally developed for the North American market.

Mastiff took the time to achieve the same kind of subtlety as the Japanese original in English. They went over the script numerous times to get it right, translated the jokes so that the North American audience would have the same kind of chuckles at the same places. They also went to Hollywood and got a team of great voice actors. I don’t think there’s much else anyone could do.

And for fans who want to hear the Japanese voices, there is an option to switch between the two languages. This can be done anywhere in the game, from the Options menu.

We get asked this from time to time…Yes, most of the characters’ names are the same as the original.

SBG: Other than the obvious change in language, was the game altered in any way for the localization, and if so, what was the reason for this?

SN: We did take out a very few things we felt would cause problems in North America. However, we’re talking about a few pretty trivial graphics changes, nothing that in any way affects the game.

SBG: The concept of Dark Portals and Purification, and being able to purify defiled ground and enemies sounds intriguing. Can go into this a bit more, and explain what new play mechanics this introduces?

SN: Purification is an important tool in this game. There are a number of different kinds. Against an enemy, purification allows a demon hunter to get rid of the evil in the enemy’s heart. Repeated purifications will make even the most horrible monster turn good, and when that’s done, they can join the demon hunters’ team. Prier and her A

Ninja Gaiden. Two simple words that summon up images of nostalgia, swordplay, and those horrible, horrible birds. This holiday season Tecmo will be returning to its roots with the long awaited release of Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox. Recently we had the unique opportunity to speak with Tomonobu Itagaki from Team Ninja regarding the game.eToychest: Firstly, thank you for taking the time to speak with us regarding Ninja Gaiden. This is quickly shaping up to be one of the biggest titles this Q4. One of the most interesting aspects of this game is that its story exists outside the existing Ninja Gaiden storyline. Without giving too much away, can you comment on how this game relates to the existing games, if it ties in at all?

Tomonobu Itagaki: Aside from saying, “they’re both the best action game of the time”, I can’t say that we’ve consciously created any similarity.

SBG: Why was it decided to keep this latest game to bear the Ninja Gaiden name so removed from the original trilogy?

TI: The story of the Trilogy was completed back then. I felt that I should not add anything to an already completed story.

SBG: Team Ninja has a tendency to work on whatever platform is the most powerful at the time, and to seldom work on ports to other system. Will this tendency hold true for Ninja Gaiden?

TI: The most important thing for us is the quality. For this reason, I don’t like porting to other systems. I feel this decreases the quality.

SBG: One of the most secretive, and yet most eagerly anticipated aspects of Ninja Gaiden has been its LIVE component. Would you care to share any tidbits about what players can expect from Ninja Gaiden’s online capabilities?

TI: We’ll be holding a worldwide event called “Master Ninja Tournament”. This tournament will determine the most powerful Ninja in the world.

SBG: Ayane from the Dead or Alive series has been seen in some of the screenshots that have been showcased for Ninja Gaiden. Should we be on the lookout for other Dead or Alive connections? Conversely, could any of the new characters in Ninja Gaiden make their way into future Dead or Alive titles?

TI: Given the fact that the same producers are working on both Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series, there will be some similarity with the look and feel. It’s like the relationship between the two famous anime series by Reiji Matsumoto, “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” and “Galaxy Express 999”.

SBG: Is Ninja Gaiden still on track for a release this November? Do you see any possible roadblocks that could keep the game from missing this target date?

TI: What do you think? (laugh) First thing first, my main goal is to create and release a game that will fulfill the players’ highest expectation. Having said that, the game is scheduled to be released this Christmas season…

SBG: Can you comment on any of the other features Team Ninja is incorporating into Ninja Gaiden? Will it have HDTV support, customizable soundtrack, or downloadable content?

TI: Of course it’s going to be HDTV compatible. Customizing the sound track in this game is not appropriate to this title. I can’t comment on the possible download contents right now.

SBG: It was recently revealed that the original NES trilogy was an unlockable feature in Ninja Gaiden? Can you comment on how Team Ninja came to the decision to include these classic titles? Can you give some hint as to what gamers will have to accomplish to unlock these games?

TI: Overwhelming requests from the old fans of the game from 15 years ago helped us make the decision to include it. Do you realize that it’s no longer a hidden unlockable item since the public knows about it?(laugh)

I’m not giving you any hint but if my memory serves me well, if you do something in the game you can obtain the old game.(just kidding)

SBG: Much of the game’s design looks very original from what we have seen thus far. Can you comment on some of the inspiration behind this game?

TI: When you have worked on fighting games for so many years, you suddenly get the urge to make a single player action game. That’s how this project started.

SBG: Lastly, I want to thank you for talking to us regarding this exciting title. I know all of us and our readers are eagerly anticipating Ninja Gaiden’s release. Is there anything you would like to add before we leave you?

TI: We’re in the midst of the final development battle because we’re squeezing in all of our ideas into this game. You should be happy to know that our motto is to never compromise at the expense of lowering quality.

Some people like their horror sprinkled with zombies, while others like their horrific video game experiences taken with more abstract monstrosities. Still others prefer a much more subtle, more sinister, more frightening experience. That is where Tecmo’s critically acclaimed Fatal Frame excelled. Recently we had a chance to speak with Tecmo’s Keisuke Kikuchi about that game’s upcoming sequel, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly.

Snackbar Games: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us regarding Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. Before we begin, can you let us know what your role is with this project?

Keisuke Kikuchi: My name is Keisuke Kikuchi and I’m the producer of both Fatal Frame and Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. My responsibility is to set the game direction and lead the team.

SBG: Thus far you all have been pretty tight lipped on the story behind this game, which is understandable. However, are you now in a position to talk a bit about this game, and where you intend to take gamers with this sequel?

KK: Fatal Frame II is a story of twin sisters who found their way into a village that suddenly disappeared during a festival. The twins will face many deadly terrors.

Will Mio protect his sister Mayu and escape from the village? Here is the prologue so that you can understand the storyline:

Mio and Mayu have come to visit a place where they spent a few summers during their childhood. It is a secret play area nestled in a small canyon that looks like a charming little garden. The secret spot has not changed at all. This small mountain area will go under water after the summer when a nearby dam is filled.

While passing the time away, Mio remembers the incident where her sister Mayu was injured…They were briskly coming down a mountain trail after staying there too late into the evening. Mayu was calling Mio while breathing heavily. “If you don’t hurry, I’ll have to leave you here!”, said Mio. Mio would turn to see Mayu time to time as if she was making fun of her sister. Suddenly, there was a short scream and the sound of something sliding down. “Sis, are you okay?”, she uttered as she approached the small embankment next to the trail. Her heart began to beat louder and faster as Mio looked down the embankment. Her big eyes began filling with tears.

While contemplating on this memory, Mio has lost track of Mayu who is nowhere to be found. She looks for Mayu frantically and finally sees her chasing after a glowing crimson butterfly. It’s leading Mayu deeper into the woods.

Mio chases after Mayu. As they travel deeper into the woods, Mio catches up and begins to notice a woman in a kimono slowly overlapping the rear view of Mayu. In a hallucination-like state, Mio reaches over and touches Mayu’s shoulder when, instantly, images shoot through her brain:

An image of a girl who hung herself next to a deep hole, twin sisters holding hands and looking her way, a woman laughing uncontrollably in a sea of dead bodies… finally, her own hands grabbing Mayu’s neck…

Mio abruptly takes her hands off of Mayu’s neck, immediately finding herself standing alone on a mountain trail covered in fog. A sad singing voice is carried by the wind. Rows of lights are visible from between the trees. Is there a solemn event going on? Mio is drawn to the gathering and begins to walk towards it. As Mio passes through the trees and into this open area that appeared to have many people, she only sees Mayu standing alone surrounded by butterflies.

“Sis?….” Mayu slowly turns around to Mio’s voice. All the crimson butterflies fly away.

“The lost village…. that disappeared from the map…”

SBG: Fatal Frame stood out as a unique, and arguably much more effective spin on the established survival horror genre. Was it a conscious decision to make the first game stand out from the competition, and was there an effort to make this upcoming sequel even more differentiated from other games in this genre?

KK: We didn’t intentionally try to differentiate our game from others in the genre, because this game’s concept and style were already unique. Fatal Frame strived to be the scariest game out there, and with that as the foundation, every stage, background, character, combat system, screen effect, and sound was developed. In other words, at the time the game concept was decided, most of the strategy was already in place. The remaining effort was spent on polishing and fine-tuning our method of expression. I believe that the superficial attempt to pro-actively differentiate a game from others is the cause of producing many bad games.

Also, while DreamWorks is in the process of making a movie based on Fatal Frame, I wanted to make sure that the movie and this game were different. This game heavily relies on story development and I was always clear about one thing — that what I’m working on is not a movie. “Interactivity” that is unique to a game is what makes it interesting and adds value. I view DreamWorks’ take on the movie to be my good rival.

SBG: Fatal Frame II seems to paint a picture of symmetry using such images as the two girls and butterfly wings. How does this sort of imagery play into the game?

KK: As a focal point into what causes fear, we used A