I had the chance to sit down with some of the team behind this intriguing game, and the depth of thought they put into its visuals and setting immediately stood out. However, I was curious about how they tackled the creation of its core gameplay and narrative.
Fukushima shared that Acquire came up with an initial gameplay idea that was quite promising. They envisioned a concept that felt unique: “A Mario story that’s uniquely yours. Living and adventuring on drifting islands.” It sounded like an incredible foundation to start from.
Ohashi chimed in, saying that the idea of drifting islands sounded like a lot of fun. The premise of discovering new islands, going on adventures, and befriending the inhabitants was exciting. The potential to connect different islands and increase the number of allies for new adventures was particularly appealing.
Otani admitted that the concept was indeed innovative. It wasn’t something they had thought of during their brainstorming sessions at Nintendo. The idea of connecting various islands was truly refreshing and not a typical approach.
However, Ohashi did point out that replicating the “Mario & Luigi-like” vibe took some time, which meant the testing for this new gameplay element was delayed. They had to fine-tune how the drifting island concept would translate into engaging gameplay, leading to a delay in presenting solid ideas to Nintendo.
Otani confessed to feeling a bit anxious during this period. Both he and Fukushima were eager to see Acquire’s ideas. But, they had faith in Ohashi’s process, knowing he would present a well-thought-out solution once he was ready.
Fukushima acknowledged that devising the gameplay and narrative direction typically happens quickly at the start of development. However, this time it took longer than expected. While working on battles and exploration actions, many aspects like the drifting system and the overall game scale, including the number of islands and their themes, remained in flux.
A notable difference in development approaches between the two companies became apparent. Historically, their games focused on crafting gameplay first and then building a plot to complement it. Conversely, Acquire had Ohashi think deeply about the drifting islands’ gameplay while an external company worked on the story separately. This split approach highlighted the challenge of synchronizing story and gameplay in an RPG format.
Ohashi explained that even the story writing team found it challenging to capture the “Mario & Luigi-like” essence. Crafting an appropriate narrative was another roadblock.
Eventually, a breakthrough was on the horizon. Ohashi recalled a pivotal moment when they were brainstorming plot ideas and decided on themes for each sea, such as “family” and “friends.” Fukushima noted that this thematic focus on “connection” started to align the game’s elements. Not only were the islands interconnected, but so were the people residing on them, tying the gameplay and narrative together cohesively.
