Keiji Inafune is responsible for some of the most joypad-crushingly difficult games of the 8-bit era, with the Mega Man series being considered the ultimate test of skill by many Nintendo players.
However, Inafune has admitted to Kotaku UK that he is in fact a mere mortal and doesn't create games which he himself finds easy to play. Mighty No. 9 - one of his current projects - is so tough that he's not even the best player on the development team:
It's not an option to make a game that I can play! It's best to make a game that I really have to make an effort to play. My staff, though, are really good.
Inafune elaborates on the game's "dash" system, which strikes a fine balance between risk and reward and is arguably the main hook of the gameplay:
It's a system that really challenges players. And we want even expert players who are really good at the game to be challenged. When they think they can master it, there are mechanisms that make them realise they have to think twice.
There are systems built in that train players, in a way, to be quicker and more skilful by the end. This is what we do with dashing. We want players to take risks in the game, yes, but we do balance that.
However, there won't be an "easy" mode, so even relative newcomers to the platforming genre are going to have to practice:
We don't have that. Everybody, even beginners, has to deal with what's thrown at them!
Mighty No. 9 is coming to the Wii U and 3DS sometime early next year, following a recent delay.
[source kotaku.co.uk]
Comments 22
I liked the dash mechanic in Mega Man X series so I'll propably like it here too.
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Seriously..? "Mega Man And Mighty No. 9 Creator Keiji Inafune"..??
I dont know about you guys, but i have a really hard time thinking about how you can conceptualize mechanics you cant even properly use yourself.
Isnt that sorta, kinda a bad design choice ?
And that some people on his team can play it really well doesnt mean anything, there are also good Shaq Fu players out there...
@Einherjar I don't think he means he can't play it, just that it's a challenge, even so though you should be able to visulize something that you can't do yourself. Same thing you do when you watch a pro player.
@jgeofferson But youre making a game, youre not just playing it.
How can you judge that a certain mechanic is well thought out if it gives you a hard time using it yourself ?
Since Mega Man games are so beloved by many, it clearly works out, (I prefer Contra myself) but this reminds me of a Tales From the Trenches true story from what sounds like a StarFox or Rogue Squadron ish game.
Basically, the testers said a game was too hard- unplayably hard. Enemy ships fired dozens of shots at a time, and 1-2 could kill you, yet it took many, many shots to kill the enemy. The enemy ships were much faster than you were, and more maneuverable. You weren't an X-Wing taking down a Star Destroyer- you were an unarmed frigate fighting 200 deathstars at once.
Every single bug the programmers closed as "our testers suck" , "by design, testers are incapable", etc.
The testers asked the programmers if any of them had actually PLAYED the game. They said no, that's not their job- they don't make games they play.
The testers and the managers begged the programmers to actually TRY the game. They laughed and said they knew what they were doing.
Game comes out- not a single play lasts more than 5 minutes. Nearly every copy of the game is returned as defective. Company goes out of business, firing everyone.
I mean, who'd actually turn on and play ten minutes of the game they're making?! You think Peter Jackson has ever watched anyone act?! Or a painter keeps his eyes open!
lol, noob.
@russellohh Seems like they tried to apply 2D shmup stuff to a 3D game...except that they forgot about the stuff that makes 2D shmups good.
@WaveBoy Or he's secretly Amanda Bynes....
@Einherjar There is a difference between difficulty and playability. Just because Keiji lacks the skill his team has to overcome the difficulty of the design doesn't mean the game has design flaws---it simply means Keiji isn't as much of a gamer as his team to adequately test the difficulty. It sounds to me like Comcept isn't interested in developing the difficulty around Keiji's skill level either, so he is utilizing his team to push the challenge. There is nothing wrong with that.
The title of this article is misleading. It implies that Comcept creates bad games. Keiji creates games he can play; however, the real question is, can he beat them. So it really should be changed to "Keiji Admits He Creates Games He Cannot Beat."
@Einherjar because like many games knowing what to do and actually doing it are different things entirely. Other people who are testing the game are better at it than he, so the mechanic can work. Being a good gamer and a good game designer can be mutually exclusive things.
@Einherjar
Can all basketball coaches slam dunk?
Interesting.
@Onett You hit the nail on the head. The title is definitely misleading, and there's nothing wrong with where he's coming from.
Thats why there is a team. Writers have editors. Pencillers have inkers. Optimistically, theres a lot of back and forth communication.
I didn't know so many people on this website were happy with non-gamers designing their games.
I understand where he's coming from: he doesn't want to appear too self-serving. But still, wouldn't you like to try out and see if you enjoy the games you created? I think that lends more credibility to your project.
You mean "Mighty No. 9 is scheduled to come out in early 2016, though let's get real; it'll probably be delayed again."
He may not be the best player out there, but at least he makes an effort to play them anyway. Actually, there's a bright side, since they can use his skill level to gauge if certain parts might even be too hard.
You know, this reminds me of a comment Iwata made about why their games would sometimes be too hard. He said it was because they would make things harder because they found it too easy, and it was too easy because they've played games so much. Maybe Inafune just needs to find time to play more.
@FriedSquid "Non-gamers"? You some kind of elitist?
@TeeJay No not at all, was just trying to make a sarcastic joke
It's worth pointing out something. Nintendo admitted that no one in the Zelda team was able to beat the Endless Cucco dodging minigame. And they honestly tried. I still haven't done it myself, and I tend to play Rollgoal for fun on Twilight Princess.
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