We're huge fans of Little King's Story here at NintendoLife, partly because of its phenomenally addictive gameplay but also its bizarre vision of the world and the citizens and enemies that inhabit it. When the game's designer Yoshiro Kimura spoke to N-Sider recently about his inspiration for the game, there was no mention of the obvious reference point - Nintendo's Pikmin - but what Mr Kimura did say actually made far more sense.
"I love to drink, but I also love talking, so I invited [our character designer] to my house one Sunday night to drink," Kimura says, "and we just started talking about what kind of style the game might take. We wanted something stylistically in the vein of Animal Crossing, but not with animals... so we decided on vegetables!"
Looking at some of the character designs, there must have been some particularly heavy drinking going on when King Duvroc, the King who wants to rock'n'roll all night and party every day, was created. Perhaps it was modelled on Mr Kimura himself?
The full interview can be found below and features more interesting titbits, as well as being an eye-opener to Mr Kimura's fondness for crashing toy fire engines into Oniis.
[source n-sider.com]
Comments 14
That explains a lot, actually.
Gotta be careful with drinking and game designing... that's how Takeshi no Chousenjou was born, wasn't it?
And ChoAniki from what I hear.
Yeah, too much sake coupled with game designers taking everything Takeshi said seriously ended poorly for the product.
If drinking is what gave birth to this game then I would gladly buy Yoshiro Kimura and his crew another round of drinks!
my kinda peeps
@Corbie
Well at least Cho Aniki was a fun little SHMUP unlike Takeshi. Then again, anything is more fun than Takeshi anyway, so bad analogy. Either way, I always chuckle when it takes a source of unorthodox to make something as bizarre. Perhaps I might give this game a go, ah heck I was waiting for this game anyway with or without drinking inspiration.
Funny, I have played countless hours of Animal Crossing while drinking. Maybe I'm the next great game designer
That remembers me that Ico's creator had the idea of Ico(or it was Shadow of the Colossus?) when he was in the bathroom... XD
So this game ws inspired by heavy drinking and Animal Crossing? I WANT this game!
I'd like to comment but I plan on finishing it tonight, and am in mourning. Not gonna get that kinda feeling again till the next Zelda/Mario. Big statement I know, but I love it that much. I hope the talks of a franchise come to fruition, as these guys have some serious talent, plus I'd just love to see a sequel.
OK I can comment now... An hour before I read this, I'd been playing, and one of the games characters mentioned "my good friends Jack and JW".
To then read that the game was conceived whilst under the influence. Brilliant!
I'm completely with you - I haven't been back to it since I realised I was in the final stretch, and even though I would hate to leave it unfinished I'm just not sure I want it out of my life just yet. I'd love to go around and collect every item and finish every quest (did the ingredients, need the final UMA and Wonder Spot - haven't even started the songbook!) but I really don't want it to be over...
If you did finish it, I hope the end lived up to the rest of the game
Dude, get back to the game, your people need you!
I attempted to finish it, 3 hours later I had to turn it off defeated, I'm going in again tonight, but with a completely different team behind me and the benefit of foresight.
Once you've defeated all the kings the game opens up even more, and yet more cool stuff happens. I mooched about for a bit, saying goodbye to everything, and completed the gallery, wonder-spots, UMA, food, stupid record book grr. Tunes I'm trying but that's a mission, and there's a couple of gems n animals i need to find. It's worth doing for the new areas and items you find (the more weapons the better for that evil final fight).
I love what happens at the end, its awesome! All I need to do now is get to the credits, but that final boss is a bitch!
I have a few more ship parts to find as well I think, maybe just one or two. I haven't got a single tune though - haven't a clue where to start with that one! Only need a few more paintings as well, but to be honest I haven't touched the game in a week and I'm feeling highly inclined to keep it that way. At least if I leave it unfinished I never have to say goodbye...
I'm also dreading the final fight as I thought some of the game's bosses were, quite frankly, pure evil. Absolute, total evil. Massively varied and occasionally very funny, of course, but some of the most infuriating bosses I've ever encountered. Shishkebaboo took me two days of leg-punching and controller-mangling.
I don't really want to leave it unfinished but I also don't want it to be over as I know I probably won't go back to it for a few years... what to do, what to do?
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