How did you bring the unique visuals and setting together with compelling gameplay and story elements to form the game’s core?
Fukushima: The backbone of our gameplay came from a brilliant concept by Acquire. They started prototyping with the idea from their proposal: “A personalized Mario adventure on drifting islands.”
Ohashi: The idea of drifting islands sounded exciting right off the bat. Imagine discovering an island, exploring it, and earning the trust and friendship of its inhabitants. The thought of linking these islands and expanding your group of allies sounded like a lot of fun to me.
Otani: I’ve got to give credit where it’s due. The idea was refreshing and unlike anything we had concocted during our brainstorming sessions at Nintendo. The notion of connecting various islands wasn’t something we thought of at first. (Laughs)
Ohashi: However, capturing that signature “Mario & Luigi-like” vibe turned out to be quite a challenge. This meant that integrating the drifting island concept into gameplay took a bit of a back seat at times. Because of this, there was a delay in presenting concrete plans to Nintendo, which might have caused some tension.
Otani: To be blunt, I felt a bit uneasy. Fukushima-san and I often found ourselves wondering when Acquire would bring their ideas to the table. (Laughs)
Fukushima: But we knew Ohashi-san is someone who ponders deeply before arriving at a decision, so we trusted his process. That said, we held numerous strategy meetings internally to gauge how long we could afford to wait. (Laughs)
Ohashi: In our game, Shipshape Island acts as the hub for Mario and his pals. You traverse the sea on this island, exploring and adventuring on other islands. However, it took us some time to fine-tune mechanics like how the island navigates the vast ocean.
Fukushima: Usually, we nail down the gameplay and story framework shortly after development kicks off, with details being fleshed out subsequently. But this time, it took longer than anticipated. While we were fleshing out battles and exploration actions, other crucial aspects—like Shipshape Island’s drifting mechanism and the game’s scale, such as the island count and their themes—remained unresolved. It felt like we were chasing shadows, and it was quite demanding.
Otani: A significant disparity between our development styles also surfaced. In past series entries, gameplay was established first, followed by a complementary story, with the director steering the ship. However, Acquire adopted a different approach. Ohashi-san envisioned the drifting islands gameplay while a separate company crafted the story simultaneously. Yet, for an RPG, synergy between story and gameplay is crucial for any genuine progress.
Ohashi: The story team faced hurdles, too, in capturing the “Mario & Luigi-like” atmosphere. They struggled to come up with a suitable narrative.
But you eventually hit a breakthrough, right?
Ohashi: Absolutely. I recall the moment of clarity—it was when we brainstormed the plot and picked themes for each sea: “family” for the first, “friends” for the second, and so on.
Fukushima: Exactly, that’s when everything began to click, all centered around the theme of “connection.” Not only did the gameplay involve linking islands, but it also encompassed the bonds among the islanders themselves.
