Trivia Browser
Franchise: Sonic The Hedgehog
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During the reboot of Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics, several characters and aspects adapted into the comic from the 1993 Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon (commonly referred to as "Sonic SatAM") were noticeably altered for a variety of factors:
• Ixis Naugus (referred to simply as Naugus in the show) was changed to "Walter Naugus". His species (which was never actually stated in the show, though the pre-reboot comics depicted him as a rhino-bat-lobster hybrid) was changed to that of a troll, with a tail being added to his design to help make him look as such, alongside his attire being updated to more resemble a warlock. Additionally, despite what was initially believed, the term "Ixis" was originally applied to Naugus' cartoon production materials, and was not invented by former writer Ken Penders. This meant it was still usable in the comics, and was later given to the deity worshipped by the troll species.
• Muttski was changed to "Ben "Mutt" Muttski", and was changed from a non-anthropomorphic dog to an anthropomorphic one. Notably, his new name was given in honor of Ben Hurst, the main writer of "Sonic SatAM" who sadly passed away in 2010.
• Snively Robotnik (referred to simply as Snively in the show) was changed to "Doctor Julian Snively", with his first name being a nod to "Sonic SatAM", as Dr. Robotnik's original name in the show was Julian. According to Ian Flynn, he is no longer related to Dr. Eggman in the reboot due to Sega's mandates not allowing other media to invent family members for the main "SegaSonic" cast. Ironically, while his half-sister Hope Kintobor was removed from the reboot, Snively inherited her position as G.U.N.'s R&D Specialist.
• Maximillian Acorn (referred to simply as "The King" in the show) was changed to "King Nigel Acorn". His name was most likely changed due to being coined by former writer Ken Penders. Notably, his new name, speech pattern and mannerisms are shared with Nigel Thornberry from the animated series "The Wild Thornberrys": Nigel was voiced by British actor Tim Curry, who also voiced the King in "Sonic SatAM".
• Nicole the Holo-Lynx's new backstory in the reboot has her being created by Dr. Ellidy in an attempt to digitize the consciousness of his dying daughter Nikki. This may have been loosely inspired by Ben Hurst's plans for the cancelled third season of "Sonic SatAM", where it would have been revealed that Nicole was originally a normal girl until she was tricked by Dr. Robotnik into having her entire personality transferred into a computer satellite.
• Although the Wolf Pack originated from "Sonic SatAM", the only member of the group who was not created by Ken Penders was their leader Lupe the Wolf, who also originated from the show. As such, when the comic was rebooted, she was the only member of the group to be carried over.
• Aside from King Acorn, the only parent of a "Sonic SatAM" character to make it into the reboot was Sabina, the mother of Dulcy the Dragon and herself a character from the show. However, while Ian Flynn did confirm that she was still Dulcy's mother in the reboot, she never actually appeared in the comic prior to its cancellation. Additionally, given that Dulcy refers to her with present tense, it's likely that Sabina is still alive in the reboot, whereas she had died in the original continuity.
• Ixis Naugus (referred to simply as Naugus in the show) was changed to "Walter Naugus". His species (which was never actually stated in the show, though the pre-reboot comics depicted him as a rhino-bat-lobster hybrid) was changed to that of a troll, with a tail being added to his design to help make him look as such, alongside his attire being updated to more resemble a warlock. Additionally, despite what was initially believed, the term "Ixis" was originally applied to Naugus' cartoon production materials, and was not invented by former writer Ken Penders. This meant it was still usable in the comics, and was later given to the deity worshipped by the troll species.
• Muttski was changed to "Ben "Mutt" Muttski", and was changed from a non-anthropomorphic dog to an anthropomorphic one. Notably, his new name was given in honor of Ben Hurst, the main writer of "Sonic SatAM" who sadly passed away in 2010.
• Snively Robotnik (referred to simply as Snively in the show) was changed to "Doctor Julian Snively", with his first name being a nod to "Sonic SatAM", as Dr. Robotnik's original name in the show was Julian. According to Ian Flynn, he is no longer related to Dr. Eggman in the reboot due to Sega's mandates not allowing other media to invent family members for the main "SegaSonic" cast. Ironically, while his half-sister Hope Kintobor was removed from the reboot, Snively inherited her position as G.U.N.'s R&D Specialist.
• Maximillian Acorn (referred to simply as "The King" in the show) was changed to "King Nigel Acorn". His name was most likely changed due to being coined by former writer Ken Penders. Notably, his new name, speech pattern and mannerisms are shared with Nigel Thornberry from the animated series "The Wild Thornberrys": Nigel was voiced by British actor Tim Curry, who also voiced the King in "Sonic SatAM".
• Nicole the Holo-Lynx's new backstory in the reboot has her being created by Dr. Ellidy in an attempt to digitize the consciousness of his dying daughter Nikki. This may have been loosely inspired by Ben Hurst's plans for the cancelled third season of "Sonic SatAM", where it would have been revealed that Nicole was originally a normal girl until she was tricked by Dr. Robotnik into having her entire personality transferred into a computer satellite.
• Although the Wolf Pack originated from "Sonic SatAM", the only member of the group who was not created by Ken Penders was their leader Lupe the Wolf, who also originated from the show. As such, when the comic was rebooted, she was the only member of the group to be carried over.
• Aside from King Acorn, the only parent of a "Sonic SatAM" character to make it into the reboot was Sabina, the mother of Dulcy the Dragon and herself a character from the show. However, while Ian Flynn did confirm that she was still Dulcy's mother in the reboot, she never actually appeared in the comic prior to its cancellation. Additionally, given that Dulcy refers to her with present tense, it's likely that Sabina is still alive in the reboot, whereas she had died in the original continuity.
Naugus redesign details:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-83?id=35311#23
"Ixis" term origin:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150421214454/http://www.bumbleking.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7928&start=15
"Ixis" usage:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-85?id=56029#1
Ben Hurst tribute:
https://www.youtube.com/live/ulxTPlOxpAw?feature=share&t=2950
Snively's new name and title:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-68?id=21727#1
Julian reference:
https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/456580767083024386
King Acorn's new name:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-The-Hedgehog/Issue-284?id=78505#1
Nicole's new origin:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-73?id=21740#1
Ben Hurst's plans:
http://www.saturdaymorningsonic.com/features/bens_notes/
Ian Flynn confirming Sabina:
https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/730473847414095873
Sabina mention:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-The-Hedgehog/Issue-281?id=51790#1
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-83?id=35311#23
"Ixis" term origin:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150421214454/http://www.bumbleking.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7928&start=15
"Ixis" usage:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-85?id=56029#1
Ben Hurst tribute:
https://www.youtube.com/live/ulxTPlOxpAw?feature=share&t=2950
Snively's new name and title:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-68?id=21727#1
Julian reference:
https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/456580767083024386
King Acorn's new name:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-The-Hedgehog/Issue-284?id=78505#1
Nicole's new origin:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-Universe/Issue-73?id=21740#1
Ben Hurst's plans:
http://www.saturdaymorningsonic.com/features/bens_notes/
Ian Flynn confirming Sabina:
https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/730473847414095873
Sabina mention:
https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Sonic-The-Hedgehog/Issue-281?id=51790#1
subdirectory_arrow_right Super Monkey Ball Adventure (Game)
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In an attempt to make the game more accessible and add more depth to the series, Sega opted to focus more on the game's plot compared to previous titles, which primarily focused on the gameplay, to try and take the series' characters "into the next sort of iconic level".
Nintendo Power Issue #204 - June 2006 (Pages 38-41):
https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-204-june-2006/page/38/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-204-june-2006/page/38/mode/2up
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Cassette Beasts' plot is inspired by isekai, a subgenre of fantasy that revolves around a person being transported to and surviving in another world. However, the game changes normal conventions of the genre by having everyone the player meets in the game also be transported to the island of New Wirral in a similar manner. According to writer Jay Baylis, this was done to allow the team to put focus on the people who are present in the game.
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Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights features many similarities to the Professor Layton franchise by Level-5, namely in regards to the aesthetics and story. Noriaki Okamura, the game's designer, admitted that he was inspired by the series when making the game.
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In an April 15th, 2024 interview with the director of the game's DLC "The Rising Tide" Takeo Kujiraoka published on Push Square's website, he revealed the development team believed that they achieved one of their initial goals to successfully attract players of all ages to play Final Fantasy XVI and become fans of the series. He claimed that Final Fantasy games in recent years had "tended to skew towards a higher age range", and they believed they were able to break that trend to a certain extent as evidenced by "survey results" showing that more people in their teens and twenties played the game. Kujiraoka clarified that this did not mean all future Final Fantasy titles would follow in the direction of this game, but that with a younger fanbase on-board it would allow future development teams to explore new possibilities when working on subsequent installments.
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In an interview with TechRaptor, lead developer Ryan Koons stated that the decision to make HuniePop a gameplay-centric title instead of a story-centric one like other dating sims didn't happen until months into development. The original intention was to make a traditional dating sim, only for Koons – who already had little interest in storytelling in video games – to overhaul the concept due to his growing ennui.
In the same interview, Koons stated that he deliberately sought to avoid many of the cliches associated with dating sims, particularly "the usual innocent waifu style character types." Consequently, the game's cast are based on people from his own life, and the writing is much more irreverent than other dating sims. In particular, Koons described deuteragonist Kyu Sugardust as a raunchy fictionalization of her voice actress, Jaclyn Aimee.
In the same interview, Koons stated that he deliberately sought to avoid many of the cliches associated with dating sims, particularly "the usual innocent waifu style character types." Consequently, the game's cast are based on people from his own life, and the writing is much more irreverent than other dating sims. In particular, Koons described deuteragonist Kyu Sugardust as a raunchy fictionalization of her voice actress, Jaclyn Aimee.
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Spanish for Everyone!'s plotline has been noted for containing stereotypical characters and seeming to have innuendo alluding to drug smuggling across the Mexican border. According to a developer, this was intentional as a way to have fun making a budget title, and inspired by the double meanings in the Shrek movies.
Hardcore Gaming 101 article, links to a Starmen.net thread with a developer:
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/spanish-for-everyone/
Developer mentioning Shrek inspiration:
https://ocremix.org/community/topic/9164-spanish-for-everyone-ds/page/2/
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/spanish-for-everyone/
Developer mentioning Shrek inspiration:
https://ocremix.org/community/topic/9164-spanish-for-everyone-ds/page/2/
subdirectory_arrow_right Yakuza Online (Game)
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In a 2020 interview with the YouTube channel Archipel, series producer Toshihiro Nagoshi claimed that the decision to change Yakuza: Like a Dragon from an action game to a turn-based RPG came from a 2019 April Fools' Day video for Yakuza Online showing turn-based combat which was received positively by fans. However, fans and news outlets seemed to take this statement seriously, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's head Masayoshi Yokoyama later had to clarify that it was a joke. The decision to shift to turn-based combat was made before production on the game even began due to it being too drastic of a change to make late into development.
Yakuza Online April Fools' Day 2019 video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noioqCv92hM
IGN video believing the April Fools' video was real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSsNFsPf8ts
Nagoshi April Fool's claims:
https://www.destructoid.com/yakuza-like-a-dragon-became-an-rpg-after-the-april-fools-day-reaction-says-nagoshi/
Clarification from Nagoshi:
https://www.fanbyte.com/legacy/no-like-a-dragon-was-not-an-rpg-because-of-an-april-fools-joke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noioqCv92hM
IGN video believing the April Fools' video was real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSsNFsPf8ts
Nagoshi April Fool's claims:
https://www.destructoid.com/yakuza-like-a-dragon-became-an-rpg-after-the-april-fools-day-reaction-says-nagoshi/
Clarification from Nagoshi:
https://www.fanbyte.com/legacy/no-like-a-dragon-was-not-an-rpg-because-of-an-april-fools-joke
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Girls' Frontline started out as an inspiration work based on Kantai Collection, but with a premise revolving around anthropomorphized firearms instead of anthropomorphized warships. This was in part due to Mica Team anticipating that similar games using "moe anthropomorphism" would become popular in China.
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Throughout development of Shipwrecked 64, Squeaks D'Corgeh would make references to a non-existent character in the game named "Duncan Dolphin". This even included a fake death animation for a character named "Drake Dulfin" (likely intended to be the Spoiler:Starling counterpart of Duncan) being shot in the face by Spoiler:Brandon Lester in his Bucky Beaver costume in what appeared to be a Wild West-esque setting. This continued after the game's release, where one of the patch notes for the Hotfix 2 update stated "Removed Duncan Dolphin", likely as a reference to the "Removed Herobrine" gag seen in updates to Minecraft.
However, on April 1st, 2024, an April Fools update was released that added Duncan to the game as a New Game+ bonus. If the game's True Ending has been reached, he will appear in The Theater at Midnight and ask Bucky for help activating his "New. Radical. Mechanism!!" due to losing the trinkets needed to make it work. This will take the player to a new area called "Garten of Duncan", a recreation of the Testing Sector from Garten of Banban made using assets from The Plaza. Clearing the map will take the player to a previously unused location called "Layer 4 Elevator", where an audio tape reveals that the player can input console commands to access other unused locations as part of the update. Entering the door will take the player to another new area, known simply as "Sample Area", but only a few seconds after entering the player will be kicked out to the encounter with the Spoiler:Studiogrounds Husk at the end of the game.
Notably, in the "Layer 4 Elevator" area, Chief Wulf can be seen on top of the tallest building in the area. If the player uses console commands to reach him, he can be spoken to, revealing that Spoiler:he has relived the same days over and over again, watched Stumbler O'Hare die over and over as part of that, and believes that he will be forgotten after his death.
However, on April 1st, 2024, an April Fools update was released that added Duncan to the game as a New Game+ bonus. If the game's True Ending has been reached, he will appear in The Theater at Midnight and ask Bucky for help activating his "New. Radical. Mechanism!!" due to losing the trinkets needed to make it work. This will take the player to a new area called "Garten of Duncan", a recreation of the Testing Sector from Garten of Banban made using assets from The Plaza. Clearing the map will take the player to a previously unused location called "Layer 4 Elevator", where an audio tape reveals that the player can input console commands to access other unused locations as part of the update. Entering the door will take the player to another new area, known simply as "Sample Area", but only a few seconds after entering the player will be kicked out to the encounter with the Spoiler:Studiogrounds Husk at the end of the game.
Notably, in the "Layer 4 Elevator" area, Chief Wulf can be seen on top of the tallest building in the area. If the player uses console commands to reach him, he can be spoken to, revealing that Spoiler:he has relived the same days over and over again, watched Stumbler O'Hare die over and over as part of that, and believes that he will be forgotten after his death.
"The Death of Drake Dulfin" video:
https://twitter.com/SqueaksDCorgeh/status/1705856589872161278
Hotfix 2:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2160220/announcements/detail/3904122509852611552
Duncan Dolphin encounter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkMJv8S_93A
Tweet about Garten of Duncan (referred to as "Lol"):
https://twitter.com/SqueaksDCorgeh/status/1755879671583904236
Playthrough of the three new areas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izm7TpsfZeU
Chief Wulf conversation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDYcxV8tT-Q
https://twitter.com/SqueaksDCorgeh/status/1705856589872161278
Hotfix 2:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/2160220/announcements/detail/3904122509852611552
Duncan Dolphin encounter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkMJv8S_93A
Tweet about Garten of Duncan (referred to as "Lol"):
https://twitter.com/SqueaksDCorgeh/status/1755879671583904236
Playthrough of the three new areas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izm7TpsfZeU
Chief Wulf conversation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDYcxV8tT-Q
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Two of the game's core themes are eyes and different types and expressions of love. This is reflected in the game's title, AI: the word itself is pronounced "eye", and is derived from "ai" (愛), the Japanese word for love. The title also has additional meanings, namely how it's pronounced similar to the English word "I", and how the title is short for "artificial intelligence". Additionally, the word "somnium" in the game's subtitle is taken from the Latin word for "dream", in reference to how the game's plot involves entering dreams in order to solve cases.
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Star Fox 64 3D features an entirely new battle multiplayer mode unique from the battle mode found in the original Star Fox 64, where up to 4 players can play a local multiplayer match via Download Play (or alternatively, battle against CPU opponents). However, the game did not support online play. Nintendo's Yusuke Amano explained in an interview in 2011 that the game's battle mode did not support online play due to both cost and time constraints, with the developers deciding to prioritize the 3D visuals, as the point of the project was to use Star Fox to provide users with a game that showed the capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS as quickly as possible:
"Personally, I play a lot of online FPS games," began Amano. "This leads me to think that just making multiplayer parts of existing games playable online isn't enough to create a satisfying experience for users. The popular online games work in lots of things, so they play well online - and if we wanted to satisfy everyone who bought the game, the costs required for including online support would be vast.
For this project what we needed to do was use Star Fox to provide users with a game that shows the appeal of Nintendo 3DS as quickly as possible. We put a lot of effort into the graphics, and if we had included online support then we couldn't have reached this level in the time allowed."
For this project what we needed to do was use Star Fox to provide users with a game that shows the appeal of Nintendo 3DS as quickly as possible. We put a lot of effort into the graphics, and if we had included online support then we couldn't have reached this level in the time allowed."
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According to art director Ikeno "Daigo Ikeno" Metaka, Dragon's Dogma's cover artwork was inspired by the Japanese covers of Dragon Quest, and also Dragon Quest II, because of the pawn placement on that cover. Both covers were illustrated by Akira Toriyama, and this information was revealed after his death was announced in March 2024.
Daigo Ikeno tweet:
https://twitter.com/goidanokei/status/1766244020274200862
Article by a Dragon Ball fan website compiling over 100 tributes to Akira Toriyama:
https://web.archive.org/web/20240401173328/https://www.kamisama.com.br/mais-de-100-homenagens-ao-falecimento-de-akira-toriyama/
https://twitter.com/goidanokei/status/1766244020274200862
Article by a Dragon Ball fan website compiling over 100 tributes to Akira Toriyama:
https://web.archive.org/web/20240401173328/https://www.kamisama.com.br/mais-de-100-homenagens-ao-falecimento-de-akira-toriyama/
subdirectory_arrow_right Pokémon Silver Version (Game)
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Early builds of Pokémon Gold and Silver indicate that Celebi was originally designed after Kokopelli, a trickster figure, mythical flautist, and fertility deity worshiped by certain indigenous tribes in the American southwest (most prominently the Hopi and Anasazi). This is most apparent in a leaked build from May 6, 1998, in which Celebi's sprite is nearly identical to modern depictions of Kokopelli, with the only major deviation being the addition of eyes. A later design is present in the data for the Spaceworld 1999 demo, bearing a closer resemblance to Celebi's finalized sprite but retaining the Kokopelli motif.
Dr. Lava tweet:
https://twitter.com/DrLavaYT/status/1293193966649630720
The Cutting Room Floor article for the May 6, 1998 build:
https://tcrf.net/Development:Pok%C3%A9mon_Gold_and_Silver/Sprites/980506#Sprites_300-448
The Cutting Room Floor article for the Spaceworld 1999 demo:
https://tcrf.net/Proto:Pok%C3%A9mon_Gold_and_Silver/Spaceworld_1999_Demo/Pok%C3%A9mon#Demo_152-251
Indigenous Peoples' Literature article about Kokopelli:
https://www.indigenouspeople.net/kokopelli.htm
History Daily article about Kokopelli:
https://historydaily.org/kokopelli-a-fun-loving-guy/3
https://twitter.com/DrLavaYT/status/1293193966649630720
The Cutting Room Floor article for the May 6, 1998 build:
https://tcrf.net/Development:Pok%C3%A9mon_Gold_and_Silver/Sprites/980506#Sprites_300-448
The Cutting Room Floor article for the Spaceworld 1999 demo:
https://tcrf.net/Proto:Pok%C3%A9mon_Gold_and_Silver/Spaceworld_1999_Demo/Pok%C3%A9mon#Demo_152-251
Indigenous Peoples' Literature article about Kokopelli:
https://www.indigenouspeople.net/kokopelli.htm
History Daily article about Kokopelli:
https://historydaily.org/kokopelli-a-fun-loving-guy/3
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In an interview with Yuke's senior vice president and producer Hiromi Furuta published in VGC (Video Games Chronicle) on November 24th, 2020, she expressed that despite the split from their long-time licensing partner WWE, there was no rivalry between the two companies and that she still loved and respected them. She stated that Yuke's aims to create high-quality pro-wrestling games that resonate with the community, and that their new partnership with AEW was simply "creating a new product" with them. In making All Elite Wrestling: Fight Forever, she also revealed that a key source of inspiration came from WWF No Mercy's game system, which is beloved by fans of pro-wrestling games.
WWF No Mercy Cited As Key Inspiration For Upcoming AEW PS4, PS5 Title By Producer:
https://www.psu.com/news/wwf-no-mercy-cited-as-key-inspiration-for-upcoming-aew-ps4-ps5-title-by-producer/
Former WWE 2K dev Yuke’s insists there’s no rivalry now it’s defected to AEW:
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-wwe-2k-dev-yukes-insists-theres-no-rivalry-now-its-defected-to-aew/
https://www.psu.com/news/wwf-no-mercy-cited-as-key-inspiration-for-upcoming-aew-ps4-ps5-title-by-producer/
Former WWE 2K dev Yuke’s insists there’s no rivalry now it’s defected to AEW:
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-wwe-2k-dev-yukes-insists-theres-no-rivalry-now-its-defected-to-aew/
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In a 2020 interview, designer Koichi Ishii revealed that despite the NES hardware only being able to display three colors per sprite, he felt that he could not make a believable design for the game's jobs unless he "dug deep into the job's background story and what kind of character it will be." He was surprised when some of these design limitations stuck around for future games he did not work on like Final Fantasy Tactics, and elaborated on what he imagined the White Mage and Dark Knight jobs looked like as he originally designed them:"The image I had is that the red part of a white mage's robe is embroidered from red threads imbued with magic when spun together, increasing the wearer's magical power. The reasoning for the red threads being on the sleeves is that magic leaves the body through the hands and wrists, so that area is most effective. I was very particular about the lore that equipment like wands and amulets are used as a catalyst to turn natural power into magic, stimulating the user's magic strength. That's why I was adamant about never giving magic users iron equipment; if they use normal metals, their magic power will disperse so at least go with mythril ore...stuff like that.
[...] when [the dark knight is] KO'd in battle only their armor is left, as if the body inside has disappeared. The reason for that, in my imagining, is that they have a dark pact where their body is engraved with dark magic runes, and when they're KO'd the dark magic runes take their soul and body so only the empty armor remains. I had that kind of unique image for each job as I was creating it."
[...] when [the dark knight is] KO'd in battle only their armor is left, as if the body inside has disappeared. The reason for that, in my imagining, is that they have a dark pact where their body is engraved with dark magic runes, and when they're KO'd the dark magic runes take their soul and body so only the empty armor remains. I had that kind of unique image for each job as I was creating it."
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In an interview with the game's director Takumi Isobe published in Famitsu on February 22, 2024, he mentioned that the Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy series significantly impacted his sense of values and influenced the development of Reynatis.
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Banjo-Tooie has become somewhat infamous for its large-scaled and convoluted structure in comparison to its predecessor, Banjo-Kazooie, with far more larger interconnected worlds with longer, complex puzzles that typically require backtracking, in comparison to Banjo-Kazooie's more straightforward and compact, self-contained levels and objectives.According to Steve Malpass, one of Banjo-Tooie's game designers, the game was designed more in the vein of an adventure game as opposed to a platformer, being heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in particular. The development team was aware of how overcomplicated the game's structure had become by its launch (the QA department was vocal about the backtracking and navigation issues), but it was ultimately too late for them to streamline it. The Warp Pads found throughout the worlds were actually included after the levels were designed, as an attempt to mitigate the aforementioned navigation issues.
Steve Malpass comments on Banjo-Tooie's game design within the video comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36wclKt4vdk&lc=Ugw8_LWH3PTwR6r3FSJ4AaABAg
All of Steve Malpass' comments posted in this Reddit thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BanjoKazooie/comments/1avpvub/steve_malpasss_comments_about_banjotooie/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36wclKt4vdk&lc=Ugw8_LWH3PTwR6r3FSJ4AaABAg
All of Steve Malpass' comments posted in this Reddit thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BanjoKazooie/comments/1avpvub/steve_malpasss_comments_about_banjotooie/
subdirectory_arrow_right Running with Scissors (Company)
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Running with Scissors wanted to make "the most outrageous game they could", and began work on Postal after being inspired by Robotron: 2084. In 1997, they filed a trademark for the word "Postal" in the area of electronic gaming, but were soon counter-filed by the United States Postal Service, who claimed to be moving into video games: Marvin Travis Runyon, the United States Postmaster General at the time, even sent Running with Scissors a latter condemning the game's theme. The legal battle was ultimately dismissed with prejudice in June 2004.
The theme was also highly controversial not just within the larger media, but also within the video game industry. This was a surprise to CEO Vince Desi, who felt Postal was more comical and over-the-top, and stated that the game was not meant to be taken seriously. After it was released, Postal was targeted by Senator Joe Lieberman, who called the game "one of the worst things in America". Additionally, retail chains such as CompUSA and Walmart refused to sell the game.
The theme was also highly controversial not just within the larger media, but also within the video game industry. This was a surprise to CEO Vince Desi, who felt Postal was more comical and over-the-top, and stated that the game was not meant to be taken seriously. After it was released, Postal was targeted by Senator Joe Lieberman, who called the game "one of the worst things in America". Additionally, retail chains such as CompUSA and Walmart refused to sell the game.
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According to Final Fantasy XVI's creative director/scenario writer Kazutoyo Maehiro and the game's producer Naoki Yoshida in a 2023 IGN article, in the Japanese version of the game, Chocobos are referred to as "uma" (馬), which is the Japanese word for "horse". Initially, neither Maehiro or director Hiroshi Takai considered using Chocobos in the game at all, because according to Maehiro, "when thinking about the story, the worldview, and a feeling of reality, a horse just looked better as a silhouette when straddled." Yoshida elaborated that horses fit better when building a world based on European medieval gothic fantasy:
Despite this explanation, Yoshida still instructed the development team to include Chocobos in the game in an effort to stay faithful to the series' long-standing elements. The Japanese version also still refers to them as Chocobos and horses interchangeably. Maehiro stated that he tried to tie the Chocobos into the history of Valisthea through partnerships with its people, in an effort to create something culturally familiar. He justified this by stating that in Japanese, they "sometimes refer to a car as 'legs', or not having a car as 'having no legs'; and in the same way, the people of Valisthea refer to Chocobos as 'horses'." He subsequently implied that actual horses may exist in other regions in the game's world, but that in Valisthea, Chocobos function as their regional equivalent to actual horses. Localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox also stated that he decided not to refer to Chocobos as horses in the game's English translation:
The terminology in the decision to refer to Chocobos as horses resulted in confused or joking reactions from Japanese players online, since this is not the first time Chocobos were referred to as horses in the series. In the original 2010 release of Final Fantasy XIV Online, the kanji characters for horse and bird (鳥 , "tori") were used together as "horsebird" (馬鳥) in the Japanese script in place of the standard katakana for Chocobo (チョコボ). At release, several other katakana terms were replaced with kanji symbols, with some terms existing in-game as written in Chinese rather than Japanese. Square Enix offered several conflicting explanations for the changes, including the need to "build atmosphere", and to consolidate terminology with the then-upcoming Chinese-language release, but these did not help as the change caused an uproar among Japanese players, resulting in Chocobo being reincorporated into the Japanese version's script in a future update. The controversy would later be referenced in the 2013 reboot of Final Fantasy XIV Online through a piece of dialogue spoken by Golden Uma Doshin, a Quest NPC found in Central Shroud as part of the limited time quest "Turn Around, Beautiful":
"In reality, horses are animals that can build strong partnerships with humans. We share a long history with them. Weapons involving horses also appear more realistic. Especially with the improvement in graphics being so remarkable, there is a chance that it becomes difficult to lie or deceive viewers, in a good way, and as a result, may impair the sense of immersion. Chocobos are based on birds, which first of all means they don’t stand on four legs, and that makes them more difficult to mount. When compared with a horse it might not feel as stable to ride a Chocobo, and their wings aren’t big and strong enough to take you to the sky, either."
Despite this explanation, Yoshida still instructed the development team to include Chocobos in the game in an effort to stay faithful to the series' long-standing elements. The Japanese version also still refers to them as Chocobos and horses interchangeably. Maehiro stated that he tried to tie the Chocobos into the history of Valisthea through partnerships with its people, in an effort to create something culturally familiar. He justified this by stating that in Japanese, they "sometimes refer to a car as 'legs', or not having a car as 'having no legs'; and in the same way, the people of Valisthea refer to Chocobos as 'horses'." He subsequently implied that actual horses may exist in other regions in the game's world, but that in Valisthea, Chocobos function as their regional equivalent to actual horses. Localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox also stated that he decided not to refer to Chocobos as horses in the game's English translation:
"I remember seeing it in the script and remarking, 'You're saying 'horse' here. You're sure that's OK?' But Maehiro said, 'Yes, this is what we wanted to do.' In English, we never really wanted to use the word horse, because Chocobos and horses are entirely different. It just sounded weird to us in that sense. But we do use words like 'steed'; and I think 'courser' [a medieval word for a warhorse,] as well."
The terminology in the decision to refer to Chocobos as horses resulted in confused or joking reactions from Japanese players online, since this is not the first time Chocobos were referred to as horses in the series. In the original 2010 release of Final Fantasy XIV Online, the kanji characters for horse and bird (鳥 , "tori") were used together as "horsebird" (馬鳥) in the Japanese script in place of the standard katakana for Chocobo (チョコボ). At release, several other katakana terms were replaced with kanji symbols, with some terms existing in-game as written in Chinese rather than Japanese. Square Enix offered several conflicting explanations for the changes, including the need to "build atmosphere", and to consolidate terminology with the then-upcoming Chinese-language release, but these did not help as the change caused an uproar among Japanese players, resulting in Chocobo being reincorporated into the Japanese version's script in a future update. The controversy would later be referenced in the 2013 reboot of Final Fantasy XIV Online through a piece of dialogue spoken by Golden Uma Doshin, a Quest NPC found in Central Shroud as part of the limited time quest "Turn Around, Beautiful":
"Chocobo... chocobo... chocobo... Nothing but horsebirds in this stable. A sight to disturb Eastern eyes, to be sure."
IGN: Chocobos are Called 'Horses' in the Japanese Version of Final Fantasy XVI:
https://www.ign.com/articles/chocobos-are-called-horses-in-final-fantasy-xvi-japanese-version
Censored Gaming: In The Japanese Version Of Final Fantasy XVI, Chocobos Are Called "Horses":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AT-QpAwkqQ
Destructoid: Final Fantasy XIV text issue turns Chocobos to Horsebirds:
https://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-xiv-text-issue-turns-chocobos-to-horsebirds/
Final Fantasy XIV Online wiki articles:
https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Golden_Uma_Doshin
https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Turn_Around,_Beautiful
https://www.ign.com/articles/chocobos-are-called-horses-in-final-fantasy-xvi-japanese-version
Censored Gaming: In The Japanese Version Of Final Fantasy XVI, Chocobos Are Called "Horses":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AT-QpAwkqQ
Destructoid: Final Fantasy XIV text issue turns Chocobos to Horsebirds:
https://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-xiv-text-issue-turns-chocobos-to-horsebirds/
Final Fantasy XIV Online wiki articles:
https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Golden_Uma_Doshin
https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Turn_Around,_Beautiful