Former Sonic Team boss Yuji Naka – who is perhaps most famous for co-creating Sonic the Hedgehog alongside Hirokazu Yasuhara and Naoto Ohshima – has stated that his latest venture, Balan Wonderworld, could be his one and only chance at making a successful 3D platformer at Square Enix, his current employer.
Naka's new studio, Balan Company, is a brand which exists within Square Enix, a firm most famous for its million-selling RPGs. Despite having a hand in classic genre offerings such as Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star Online, Naka told IGN that: “I think Square Enix has an RPG image, but I don’t think I’d be good at making RPGs.”
Balan Wonderworld is only happening because he apparently convinced the president of Square Enix to give him "one chance" to make a successful game within the platformer genre – a space Naka has previously explored with releases such as Nights Into Dreams, Burning Rangers and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg – as well as several 3D Sonic titles.
"A lot of popular games these days are based on shooting, but I always want to make pure action games," Naka continued. He clearly has a lot of faith in the project, hence the fact that he has named his new studio after the game itself – something he also did at Sega with the aforementioned Sonic Team.
Balan Wonderworld marks the first time that Naka has worked with fellow Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima in two decades. Can it be a success at a time when 3D platformers have become a niche genre rather than a market leader? The popularity of entries in the Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and Mario series bodes well, but time will tell.
[source sea.ign.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 58
I'm not really feeling this one so far. It's got some interesting ideas but it just looks a bit too janky. I'll wait and see how it turns out at launch before making a definitive decision on it though.
This is the kind of game that would had been successful if he's still working for Sega.
Hmm, will keep my eye on it as I love 3D platformers.
I hope this turns out better than Rodea for the WiiU.
3d platformers a niche genre? Mario Odyssey 18 million sales, 3D All Stars straight to number 1, the recent Crash and Spyro remasters doing very well, Sony using Ratchet and Clank to showcase PS5 and Astro Bot to show off its new controller.
This game kind of looks like a greatest hits of all his past ideas but looks like its lacking polish in that trailer. If it all comes together it could be brilliant and at worst should still be pretty fun
I'm going to buy.
"Wait, it's not an RPG? What, a platformer? FROM US?!?! You get one chance, don't kupo it up."
I seriously dont know about this game... It doesnt grab me.
The main character- especially the eyes is giving me Zool vibes. Big time.
A C&D should be issued!! Something something protect their IP. Something something theft. Faux anger. Faux anger.
Sorry just trying to fit in with the lunatics that pipe up on any IP infringement threads.
But seriously Zool had a similar look no?
I’ve just looked and it’s eyes only. It’s a Zool alt attire.
Definitely interested, the games Naka works on aren't the most polish, but are always pretty interesting and fun.
@roboshort Unless I remember wrong, Rodea for Wii U wasn't Naka's fault. The original version he made with his team for Wii is pretty good (if anything I had a lot of fun with it), but before releasing on Wii U and 3DS the game got drastic changes forced by..the publisher I think... that completly destroyed the pace and gameplay of the title.
@carlos82 Cast your mind back to the '90s when pretty much every game was a 2D/3D platformer - the landscape has definitely changed today, and these titles are the exception rather than the rule. As noted in the piece, there are 3D platformers which are doing well, but the genre isn't the sure bet it once was, hence the risk here for Naka.
Have this on pre- Order something tells me it could be good not Mario good but Crash good can't wait to try it plus I love the intro vid, such a sucker for Disney sugar coated vids
I'm interested but I'm going to wait for reviews on this one.
Yuji Naka's track record hasn't exactly been the best.
i love the idea but the character's animations, movement, etc are so shallow
@Bliquid Deus Ex (HR and MD) were made by Eidos Montreal
It’s a bit iffy if a reveal-trailer needs the phrase ‘over X amount of costumes’ to try and get you interested in the game...
Mario didn’t need that at all.
@carlos82 You are forgetting that Nintendo’s Mario games always sell incredibly well and when it’s on a sell out system like the Switch, those high sales go skyrocketing. No one else could compete with Nintendo in this genre.
@FragRed well Crash Bandicoot 4 looks amazingly good so...
Looks pretty ambitious, definitely at the very least a beautiful looking game.
@BlackenedHalo True, I did forget about Crash. I think that’s perhaps the one franchise that can rival Mario in this genre sales wise. I’ll be interested to see how strong the IP stands today outside of the nostalgia generated by the trilogy remake.
@Amrulez I'm not feeling the art style here. Technically the game also doesn't look nice in my eyes, the shadows/lighting is way too basic and harsh. Animations are also pretty basic.
All in all it looks like a game from 15-20 years ago and I'm not feeling it.
Who knows, it might be amazing but I'll wait for impressions.
Wow... I don’t know whether to be happy or sad for Naka. It’s great he finessed one chance at a 3D platformer...but just one shot to make anything a hit is a super-human task.
Please, Naka-San: condensed but well-made is better than bloated and hit and miss. You can’t go wrong with short and sweet if it comes to it
@Damo there's definitely less of them but I suspect that's as much to do with publisher's then the demand, hence why games like Crash have returned and of course Ratchet. Also I suspect there could be a bit of a buzz if Microsoft announced a new Banjo game tomorrow. I agree it will certainly be difficult for new names to enter the market but you could argue that about any genre these days
@BakaKnight You're correct, Naka had no involvement with the other versions. The publishers wanted a 3DS version to release alongside the Wii game, but they took so long that they decided to port the 3DS game to the Wii U. Which explains why the Wii version looks better.
I initially read this as 'Brian Wonderworld' and am now disappointed by the actual title.
Feels like a movie tie-in game to me.
I'm not terribly impressed by the trailers, but I love the visuals and I'm always up for a good 3D platforms. So, keeping an eye on it.
Let's hope this is more like Nights and Billy Hatcher, not some of his other games...
I'll be buying as I do enjoy 3D platformers, but what's throwing me is the running animation, it looks like the characters should be travelling more in that animation cycle than they actually are, either the movement speed needs increasing or the run cycle animation needs toning down.
The environments however look wonderful, but then that's in the title isn't it.
I don't know, this game just looks like a GameCube game. Actually, I think Mario Sunshine looks better than this game's characters, but the environments look lovely, so they have that I guess...
The game looks and feels very special however the gameplay looks a little stiff right now.
This is really reminding me of Nights a lot, which is a game I really love. Not in the gameplay but with the look and presentation. The only question is, will the gameplay be any good?
@noutBr
Ok, that's fine. As someone said above it reminds me of Nights as well. I like the look of the game and will wait and see what reviews sound like.
Think im getting this. But hope there will be more levels than previously stated
Definitely has a Kingdom Hearts vibe going on I feel, but obviously without the instantly recognisable characters.
It's going to need some outstanding gameplay to tempt me, but definitely going to keep an eye and I hope it turns out good.
@BakaKnight Okay. Would be nice if the Wii game got a second chance then.
I never actually popped in the Wii game cause the WiiU one got me frustrated. It still felt pretty good in parts but was a bit clunky in others
With Crash 4 having all the attention and Mario All stars at the top of the sales charts, it seems like the right time to launch a 3D platfoemer! I'm intrigued.
I’m getting it day one to support the studio- plenty of good will left over from sonic, burning Rangers, nights, and PSO. I had them all, and they were my favorites.
Idk it looks kinda cool, but so dated. There's an intangible slightness to everything this guy works on, even if the aesthetics and concepts are good
Agree with most comments that something looks or feels a little off with this one (e.g. animation, shallowness, etc.). But I will say I am catching some glimpses of tremendous creativity, a potentially interesting world, a big new IP. Hope it lands well or well enough so as to not discourage new IP's from exploring 3D platforming.
@Stocksy I don't even know about Zool, so....
This said the character proportions, especially those shoes and the way they move their limbs when moving/running weirdly reminded me a LOT of Sonic Adventure games.
... which is probably not a surprise, I guess, considering one of the main guy behind this is ex-SEGA apparently.
@Gamehendge The stiffness is definitely notable.
This said, the -specific- way characters moves in their walking/running animation reminded me a LOT of Sonic Adventure games(who I feel like I remember having a VERY similar stiffness in character movement when they moved at lower speeds)?
I wish Naka all the best, really, but this game looks awful.
The promotional art is very good, but the in-game graphics reek of unpolished shovelware.
I'm surprised people are excited about this, because I think the jank is too apparent.
But then again, I've always had the same impression with A Hat In Time (it looks awful if you ask me), but everyone raves about how cool the gameplay is. Which is obviously what matters, at the end of the day, but usually graphics are a good way of inferring the level of care that went into the game as a whole.
Was wondering why Yuji Naka's company PROPE isn't mentioned, so I checked the company listing, at it seems Naka is back to being the sole employee of that outfit. ^_^;;
I think I’ll pick this up, and not just to support the concept of new 3D platformers still being created.
The Balan character kinda creeps me out, but that’s sorta what intrigues me about it. Very original art style (along with Nights of course).
Also just looks like a cool world to explore with lots of stuff. I mean, don’t set your expectations too high, but this is surely head and shoulders above the majority of shovelware we’re seeing on the Eshop. Let’s give it a chance, I’m sure it’ll provide at least some degree of surreal platforming pleasure.
@Friendly Heh, gotta do something to stand out from the mario platformer. I'm betting that due to the high number of costumes, it's a high chance that either one or a bunch of costumes are going to be broken. I don't think that total polish will be a focus here and it's all the more reason to break this game. (laughs in speedrunning)
But it would be a total shock if they can get the effort to put in the balance.
Either way, I'm picking this up, the Square enix Budget and the the imagination of Sonic Team which reminds you of Nights, bunched in a 3d Platformer. How can this not grab your attention?
Sonic Team is aptly named as it was the team that produce many Sonic titles after the first hit...
For Balan Company (I actually prefer the word Studios instead of company), Naka need to ensure that Balan is a hit such that the company can build a great reputation from here onwards.. i hope he’ll succeed though
@Damo it's not a sure bet because you have every little indie company spitting out games that have nothing put into them.
@clvr Well, maybe for the Switch version, but the higher res/FPS version look pretty nice
This looks like 3D Sonic quality 😬
Yeah it kinda reminds me of a game from a couple generations ago, like Billy Hatcher or Sonic Heroes or Nights into Dreams so I'll be getting it for sure. It feels like it's been a long time since Sega made games like this, I just hope Square doesn't have it be too story heavy.
I love Billy Hatcher and NiGHTS wasn't half bad either, so you know what I'm gonna give this game a chance too, I'm gonna buy it.👍
Wait, that game is from Yuji Naka? They didn't mention that in the direct, did they? Seems weird, he is a pretty well-known name in gaming. Not Miaymoto level famous, but still.
I'm kinda interested now, though the trailer didn't grab me, to be honest. I don't get the fascination Japanese developers have with this carnival & masks vibe. Though that's probably because its exotic European stuff to them, the way Japan is exotic for us.
The characters throw me off. I'll still keep an eye on it.
It’s strange that Naka didn’t end up at Nintendo...
At least Naka knows to use automatic cameras for 3D platformers, unlike Miyamoto.
Y’all are really picky. I mean sure, if you’re only going to play the top 10 Switch games this one won’t make the cut, but it’s definitely nice to have a nice looking, fully realized, new (not from last gen) game that is bursting with creativity. Maybe it’s just been while since I’ve seen many new 3rd party games on Switch that actually have original art direction with interesting character design... I don’t care if this is a little janky, I mean come on, if you only play games with Odyssey level polish you’re missing out on a lot of fun and weird experiences. (I might wait for a sale, but definitely want to play this.)
And it looks like it's going to be his last chance.
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