October 15, 2008

Producer Kentaro Hisai talks about Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals
By Michael Lafferty

“The designs of the Spectrobes are based on concepts from traditional Japanese and Asian creatures”

Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals has just hit store shelves and the follow-up to 2007’s title centering on battles that use creatures culled from fossils. The new storyline expands on the original but there have been marked changes to the game. But don’t worry, if you have not played the original, Beyond the Portals will allow you to jump in and discover this imaginative world.

GameZone certainly wanted to know a bit more about this title and Kentaro Hisai, Producer, Disney Interactive Studios Japan, was kind enough to take some time to answer GZ’s questions.

Question: The first release in this franchise managed to meld together the turn-based and real-time genres in a very smart and well-designed way. Are you tweaking on that format in any way for Beyond The Portals?

Hisai: Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals was created with real-time action in mind. There was a major change to the battle system. In the previous title, Rallen fought with two Spectrobes as a single unit. In this title, there are two different battle systems.

The first one is field battles. Players control Rallen and use his weapons to battle smaller Krawl. He has his blaster (long-distance), sword (close-distance), and gloves (to stun enemies) as weapons.

The second type of battle is encounter battles. This time around, players directly control the Spectrobes. They control one while the AI controls the other – you can switch between the two Spectrobes with the simple push of a button. There are more than 100 battle Spectrobes and they all have distinct personalities and attack styles, but the controls for all of them are the same. The controls were a little complicated and hard to do in the first title, and we took that to heart when creating this game. That, along with making the control scheme for both battles consistent, has really made this game stress-free and a blast to play.

The main concept for the new battle system is to have the Spectrobes fighting together. We also clarified and added more significance to the three properties; Corona, Aurora, and Flash. There are over 100 battle Spectrobes, it’s not too difficult to raise them this time around, and you can take them online to battle other players. Also, there is more explanation in the menus of how the three properties relate to each other and how to evolve Spectrobes so players will have a better understanding.

Q: One of the knocks about the original title was the way the D-pad controls worked. They were termed a bit stiff by some. Have they been improved or adjusted? Has the control scheme in general seen any changes for this release?

Hisai: We have improved the controls so that they are easier and more fluid. The control scheme itself went through changes for Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals. We conducted numerous playtests and adjusted them until we got them just right.

Q: Since this is the second release for the title on the DS, what lessons did you learn from the first game that will be addressed by second release?

Hisai: We learned a lot of things and made a ton of improvements. The major ones were:

• Changed the battle system

• Made the field on one screen only and the top screen now serves as a map and status screen

• Increased the speed of the Spectrobes and made it easier to know how and when you can evolve them

• Made the property and abilities of each Spectrobe more clear and improved the controls for them

• Allowed players to see the personality of the Spectrobes through the Incubator

• Gave players access to the Incubator while outside the ship for easier training of Spectrobes

• Added a test battle feature to the Incubator so players can check out Spectrobes moves/abilities

• Completely redesigned the user interface to make it easier to view and use

• Added an easy-to-understand tutorial to guide players

• Added tons of new wireless and Wi-Fi content

• Added special mini-games and scenes where Jeena is playable

• Doubled the number of Spectrobes

Of course there are other areas we improved as well.

Q: The use of portals to other dimensions gives the dev team the opportunity to really use their imaginations in terms of new environmental looks and in Spectrobes designs. Do the graphics of this new title tie in with what players are used to, or did you go in a new direction with the graphics, building on the game's predecessor?

Hisai: Without getting into too many details as to spoil the plot, the worlds that await the players on the other end of the portals are completely different than the worlds they are used to.

On the other end awaits new planets, new worlds, new types of excavation, new Spectrobes, and even new enemies.

Q: Have you made any revisions to the multiplayer element?

Hisai: We have four Wi-Fi modes in the game. We are bringing back the stats upload and item download modes from the previous title, and adding Wi-Fi battles (which players had asked for) as well as a Wi-Fi Market to sell and buy Spectrobes with other players.

With stats upload, you can upload your stats and accomplishments to the Spectrobes community Web site at Spectrobes.com. With download, you can obtain new and unique items and Spectrobes. Wi-Fi battles and market allow you to connect with players from all over the world.

We didn’t neglect local multiplayer either. You can battle one-on-one, two-on-two, and even conduct a four-player battle (battle royale). Wireless trade can also be used to transfer your collection of Spectrobes from the first title to Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals. Separate from multiplayer, I would also like to note that we have all new code input cards and that the cards from the first game also work with this game.

Q: Will the title have entry levels for new players to the franchise, or are you picking up the game thread strictly where the original left off, meaning a serious learning curve for anyone that may not have played the first title?

Hisai: The story for Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals takes place a few months after the events of the first title, but we created the game so that players who have not played the first one can jump right in. Of course, players who played the first title will have an even deeper experience but players can also watch the webisodes from the first title to learn a little bit more about the Spectrobes universe.

Q: What do you think is compelling about this IP?

Hisai: I think the uniqueness of the franchise makes it compelling. To classify Spectrobes into a genre is extremely difficult. I don’t know any other game that offers a thrilling sci-fi adventure in outer space, fossil excavation, creature awakening and training, real-time action and more. Spectrobes is a truly unique blend of these elements and is in a league of its own.

Another compelling thing about the series is the Japanese mange/anime style that Rallen, Jeena, and all the Spectrobes are drawn in. The designs of the Spectrobes are based on concepts from traditional Japanese and Asian creatures. This unique style makes the Spectrobes that much more appealing.

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