Why Egg Monster Hero, Square Enix’s First DS Game, Was Canned

A long time ago, in this galaxy, Square Enix announced Egg Monster Hero for North America. The name may not ring a bell, but this game is from the long running Hanjuku Hero series known for its absurd characters.

Takashi Tokita also worked on this series, which started on the Famicom. Egg Monster Hero, the first Nintendo DS game from Square Enix, followed a young slacker king who lounged around while the world was at peace. In order to train the lord, the prime minister and his teacher brought him to an island to whip him into shape. That meant using the touch screen to drag an army of monsters that popped out of an egg to attack monsters. Egg Monster Hero went through some localization and it looks like the Square Enix staff retained the game’s quirky humor.

Ultimately, Egg Monster Hero didn’t make it to North America. "Hanjuku Hero was also canceled by focus groups," Tokita said after I asked him about Nanashi no Game. "In fact, I have had a lot of titles that focus groups have indicated that may not do well. A lot of times there are missed opportunities to start new IP because of focus groups."

Tokita says he is the type of video game creator that wants to push the envelope by creating games with eccentric, perhaps even far-out, characters. Check back tomorrow to hear more of Tokita’s views on designing video games.