PSM: Why choose this particular Castlevania title [Akumajou Dracula X68000] for revival on PSOne?

KI: The original game was only sold in Japan and was for PC, so a lot of requests were made by Playstation owners to convert the game. I wanted to do something about the situation where one of the greatest Castlevania games could not be played by gamers. Although the original game was made quite a while ago, I have played it over and over during the project. It has been quite a lot of fun.

PSM: Because this title hasn't released in the US until now, can you give us a little background info on the game?

KI: Sure, no prob. The story itself is not really that dramatic but Simon, who is the descendant of the Belmont Family, resurrects after 100 years of sleep and goes to Castlevania to destroy Count Dracula. This game is much more controllable compared to the original game. For example, you can change the start-up of the jump action, whip down while you jump and more.

PSM: Can you tell us which classic titles you might be re-visiting next?

KI: Future plans are in my head, but whether or not I can carry them out is up to gamers' support. Please encourage us to make this dream come true!

PSM: Have you considered putting every classic Castlevania onto a single DVD for the PS2, kind of a commemorative box set?

KI: I wish I could purchase that one myself! I can't promise anything at the moment, but I'll take this into consideration.

PSM: We've heard that you're working on a new PS2 Castlevania - if this is true, when can we expect to see it?

KI: We haven't yet made any announcements, so I can't comment on the system or release date. We are making the very basic foundation s of the game, as we are just now brainstorming the game plans. Please do look forward to the next game because it's going to be astonishing!

PSM: Which Konami team is currently working on the game?

KI: I have gathered an excellent staff for this upcoming game. Not only do we have staff from Symphony of the Night, but also from Dracula X. I would say this is the most talented team we've ever assembled for a Castlevania game!

PSM: Will the game be 3D like the N64 versions, or traditional 2D?

KI: I cannot clearly answer to this question at the moment, but maintaining gameplay like Castlevania wouldn't lead us to think about 3D. We are proceeding from this point of view. I would like to implement a lot of new features, however!

PSM: The 3D N64 games just didn't work as well as the 2D ones. Why do you think that was?

KI: This is a pretty difficult question to answer...I would say that 3D cannot provide the same kind of detailed gameplay as 2D. Especially with Castlevania, where timing between the player and an enemy is important. To maintain the Castlevania gameplay with 3D would be impossible, I would say. However, I will not overlook the direction of 3D; it has its own gameplay directions and is fun in its own right. I believe that bearing these points would enhance Castlevania in new directions.

PSM: Will the new game play more like Symphony of the Night, or the older, more traditional Castlevania games?

KI: I would say this new game is descended from Symphony of the Night.

PSM: One last question about the new game - can we expect any characters to return from the past titles?

KI: There are some restrictions due to its historical background. However, I'm considering having some characters return if there aren't any time restrictions as I mentioned. For example, I'm thinking of possibly have some descendants or ancestors of main characters from the past show up in the new game.

PSM: Symphony of the Night took the series in a new direction, with a vastly different game structure. What was the reason behind the change?

KI: I wanted to do something about the longevity of action games. Users spend so much money on a product, but general action games only allow you to play for about five hours. I was desperate to make the game something that would be playable for a long time, so I decided not to make a "one direction" type of game, but something with much more exploration.
Also, in most action games, if you're not a good enough gamer, you can't see the ending, so not everybody enjoys the game fully. To allow everybody to see the ending, I made the choice to implement power-up levels so that any player could beat the game and gain a "cash-back" feeling. If you ask players to pay for such expensive stuff, why not make something that gamers can keep and play forever?
The story was very deep and interesting. The stories from all the previous Castlevania gamers seemed like they linked to one another, but they never did! I thought I had to do this, as the Castlevania series has a very strong universe. In order to do so, I have unified all of Castlevania's world view in Symphony of the Night.

PSM: Serious gamers still know and love Castlevania, but the series used to appeal to a wider range of fans. Do you see a day when Castlevania is once again one of the top-selling franchises in the industry? What do you think is needed to make that happen?

KI: As a game creator, I just make anything as long as I think it's fun to play. However, today's gamers might not simply be interested in a fun experience. If some enhancements, like a movie-oriented feel is needed, I may have to admit that this is what the market wants. But as long as I am a game creator, I would like to challenge the field of game design - not from the movie perspective, but by focusing on gameplay, story and features. In some games, people might only notice the movie itself and may not be able to see the actual game content. But I believe that gamers will soon realize that the true quality of the game comers from its actual content and not flashy cinemas. Then, I believe that Castlevania will come back to the market as one of the top-selling franchises.

PSM: Hardcore gamers know that some types of games still work better in 2D. In the future, do you think that 2D might regain some of its lost popularity with the mass market?

KI: Since the game industry is movie-directed, I suppose it's natural that players' interest in 2D games is becoming dimmer. I myself believe that the popularity of 2D hasn't faded away as of yet - I firmly believe that real 2D games with fun elements haven't been delivered to gamers in a long time, that's all. Therefore, 2D fading away will never happen!

PSM: Do you have a personal favorite game in the Castlevania series?

KI: Personally speaking, I love Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Another game I like is Dracula X, which was only released in Japan on PC Engine CDROM.

PSM: Have you ever had any nightmares where you find yourself trapped inside of Castlevania?

KI: I haven't had a nightmare, but when I'm too exhausted or overloaded with work, I feel I would rather want to be in Castlevania 'cuz it's much better!

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