PlatinumGames Explains Updates for The Wonderful 101 for Switch, PC and PS4

To mark the launch of their Kickstarter campaign, Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya at PlatinumGames have told IGN Japan what to expect from their remaster of The Wonderful 101, and why they chose to take the crowdfunding route. Kamiya told IGN Japan that the dual-screen gameplay of the Wii U version will be rearranged for a single screen on Switch and other platforms, different than the single-screen mode that existed in the Wii U versions, and that the user interface will be redesigned for modern systems. Kamiya also lamented that the easy mode in the original game was too hard, so a new easy mode is planned for the remaster to make the game more approachable. “I have another chance to share this game with the world, so I would like to make the most of that by releasing a more polished version,” said Kamiya, director of the original game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-wonderful-101-remastered-screenshots-dev-photos&captions=true"] The 2013 game required the player to draw symbols on the Wii U Gamepad screen, and of course some of the target platforms for the remaster do not have touchscreens. However, the original game also allowed players to use the analogue sticks instead of the touchscreen, and Kamiya told us that this was in fact his recommended way to play, stating that he had specifically ensured that the analogue inputs were just as smooth as the touchscreen commands. PlatinumGames' Chief Creative Officer Inaba added, “We started working on the game before the Wii U platform existed, and so the core mechanics of the game predate the technology of the Wii U. So removing touch input will not heavily affect the remastered versions.” While the game will be optimized for modern game systems, the content of the main game itself will be unchanged for the remastered edition, with no new content being planned by PlatinumGames for the story mode. Instead, new content will take the shape of as-yet-undecided extra modes if the Kickstarter campaign’s relevant stretch goals are met. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/09/12/the-wonderful-101-hard-mode-commentary"] “The original game included a large volume of content, with tons to unlock, so adding anything to that would make it overwhelming and ruin the balance of the game,” said Kamiya. “I don’t think the fans of the original game are looking for more story content. More would not be better in this case.” “Instead, we are thinking of stretch goals that will add some other kinds of side content such as extra modes or new ways to play what was already in the main game,” added Inaba. The pair said that ideas for this content are still being worked out. Currently the announced stretch goals are only related to Steam and PS4 ports. Inaba admitted that The Wonderful 101 is a difficult game to explain and to sell, but said he feels that the depth of its gameplay would appeal to gamers. In this regard, he said he takes encouragement from the success of Platinum’s 2019 title Astral Chain, which featured similarly unusual gameplay mechanics, but was able to find a wide audience on Switch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/09/16/the-wonderful-101-launch-trailer"] While The Wonderful 101 was originally published by Nintendo as a second-party title, the remaster will be published by PlatinumGames, as the Osaka company’s first self-published game. “Nintendo's kindness has allowed us to expand to other platforms,” PlatinumGames wrote in a statement sent to IGN Japan. The aim of the campaign is less about gathering funds and more about checking whether anyone even wants a remaster of the game, which is why the target sum of $50,000 is so low. Since 2013’s The Wonderful 101 was not deemed a success on Wii U, a platform that sold poorly in itself, Platinum hopes that the crowdfunding campaign will help to determine whether there is fan support and market demand for a remaster. In January, PlatinumGames announced a capital alliance with Chinese giant Tencent Holdings, receiving an undisclosed sum of investment, and stated an intention to begin self-publishing certain titles. But Inaba, says that the crowdfunding campaign for The Wonderful 101 is not affected by this deal, and that the capital alliance is intended to secure the future of Platinum as a company. One of the campaign rewards includes getting blocked by Kamiya on Twitter, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the developer’s reputation for giving short shrift to fans who break his self-imposed rules of engagement. With Kickstarter campaigns being reliant on community support, we asked Kamiya whether he would go more gently on fans this time. “Of course he will! He’ll be kind!” exclaimed Inaba. Kamiya, for his part, just laughed. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Daniel Robson is Chief Editor at IGN Japan, and Esra Krabbe is on the editorial team. Find them on Twitter at @nomoredaniels and @rined1987 – neither of them have been blocked (yet) by Hideki Kamiya.

source https://www.ign.com/articles/platinumgames-explains-updates-for-the-wonderful-101-for-switch-pc-and-ps4