TYPE-MOON Ace 4 Nasu Kinoko Interview

A brief interview with Nasu Kinoko that appeared in TYPE-MOON Ace 4, which was released on December 24th, 2009.

We want to provide Mahoutsukai no Yoru to everyone as quickly as possible.

Please tell us about your current progress.

Nasu: If I had to compare the game development to a battlefield, I'd say that we have all of our armaments prepared -- we merely need to head out to our destination, I suppose. We only have the extra segments of the scenario (like the Tiger Dojo, and those extra "flabby" bits) left. Meanwhile, a great deal of the graphics are coming together, and we're constantly gambling to see if we can add even more quality to them. The script took a little time to get together, but now everything is being rewound at a high speed. If I had to estimate the total complete percentage of work, I think we're past 80%, but for game development at TYPE-MOON, that last 20% is often the final turning point, so there are still parts remaining that we can't see clearly. With that said, production is crossing the ridge, so we simply need to decide where we're going to land.

Are all the staff members extremely busy right now?

Nasu: Yes. The graphic team is especially at work around the clock. They're working their hardest with hardly any time off to cross all the bumps of CG synthesis, color, and original images. The other staff members are supporting them with all their might, and although it may be stressful, I think we're in the kind of position now where we've seen the light at the end of the tunnel. In any case, we want to provide Mahoutsukai no Yoru to everyone as quickly as possible. That's the motivation supporting us right now.

Tell us about your concept this time.

Nasu: As a project, it bore implications of a "challenge" at the time of its conception. Now, however, we're aiming for the "highest peak that TYPE-MOON can currently reach." If Fate was a "full course that will fill your stomach," then Mahoutsukai no Yoru will be a "main dish that can satisfy with one bite."

What are the highlights of this work?

Nasu: Good or bad, the text is classic Nasu Kinoko, juvenile fiction that even has myself in agony screaming "I wish I could have lived this kind of youth, dammit!" I hope everyone enjoys it.

How is it different from previous TYPE-MOON works?

Nasu: We're heading in more of a "visual story" direction rather than that of a "visual novel game." The story isn't in first-person, so you may end up feeling this more than you can believe. It also does not contain multiple story branches.

We thought of putting in story branches, but then just gave up altogether. Mahoutsukai no Yoru is not a story in which you capture the heart of a heroine, but one that continues with a single theme. If we were to alter this straight path and include multiple scenarios, then I think we'd be better off just creating a completely different tale. So this time, we've challenged ourselves to see how much we can utilize the "beauty of the visual novel format."

...also, if I were to comment strictly as Nasu Kinoko, I'd say that Mahoutsukai no Yoru was something written excitedly when Nasu was still feeling like a student, when the "otaku" part of him was in its most romantic phase. It was a text written in a time when he was experiencing "expectations and unrest toward the future," something that everyone can sympathize with.

The same thing goes for the music. It's a sudden change from the music TYPE-MOON has created up until now, possessing a youthful feeling that will send you back in time after a mere listen.

The graphics are extremely high-quality, what did you try to focus on?

Nasu: Like our customers have seen from the elements we have exposed so far, we are focusing on atmosphere. It is the world view of the man synthesizing the graphics, Koyama Hirokazu, and is filled with his particularities. We're at the point now where we we're afraid publishing a novel game with CG this good is going to leave us clueless as to what to do in the future. But it's nice to go extravagant like this once in a while!

The fine, elaborately constructed screen will feel analog despite its digital nature. Mahoutsukai no Yoru is a tale that takes place in the 80s, so for that we needed a ubiquity that was removed from current trends. And for that reason and many others, we feel it only multiplies the charm of the game.

How will the story taking place in the 80s affect its presentation?

Nasu: That's basically the setting. We want to portray the incomplete nature of the 80s in not a nostalgic nature, but a romantic one. It is a tale of an age where every different field was riding on the fervor of "being just about to develop," but when you look back now, you can see a lot of inconveniences.

We are prioritizing the quality of the graphics, however. The costuming is especially striking. We aren't going for the style of that time period, but for a style that you can still enjoy looking at now.

We actually would have preferred an age in which there weren't automatic ticket gates, but if we did that, then Aoko would have to be pretty old in Tsukihime, wouldn't she? (LOL) ...huh? Why do I see a beam coming from over thereegubooaaahhh?!

Last, we would like to ask for a comment or two for the users.

Nasu: This time around, I have to apologize to everyone who was expecting to hear some new information. I promised that I would give the next bit of information once the release date was confirmed, so I have to hold back from releasing new information now. However, it is a tradition of our company to be stingy in order to keep the enjoyment of the actual game at its max. You may think you've heard this many times by now, but our entire staff is working desperately to push this project forward. Please just wait a little bit longer.