The Guided Fate Paradox looks and plays like another one of Nippon Ichi Software’s titles. If you have a PSP you might remember Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman which had a tokusatsu theme. The Guided Fate Paradox has a new story where you play as Renya, a boy who wins a lottery and gains the power to change fate. Since the gameplay is quite similar we asked Sohei Niikawa, President of Nippon Ichi Software, why they decided to make a new brand new world for The Guided Fate Paradox and how Cinderella got into the PlayStation 3 game.
The Guided Fate Paradox, with respect to gameplay, feels a lot like Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman. Why did you decide to create a new story instead of making a sequel to Z.H.P.? Did the design of the game evolve from Z.H.P.?
Sohei Niikawa, President of Nippon Ichi Software: First of all, I think Z.H.P. is a great game, gameplay-wise. I think it was a success. The way that the system turned out, I think that’s very good. However, that’s just about the gameplay. In regards to the story and the setting itself, it’s kind of based on the 1980s superheroes, which is, even in Japan, a niche. I feel like in that area, especially compare to something like Disgaea, it was missing that kind of charm that Disgaea have. I want to take the good from it, but take something new, in terms of the story direction and setting.
So, using the great gameplay that we have in Z.H.P., we wanted to take something using a famous illustrator, Noizi Ito, and make a world and setting that more people can enjoy for that aspect as well.
How did you come up with the idea of changing someone’s fate as the theme of the story?
The theme itself is actually present in Z.H.P., if you look at this idea that fate is being able to be changed. As an idea, having the players take this character’s fate, and being able to guide it and move it to the right direction, creates a real bond between this created character and players themselves. I really want to explore this and I thought that video games are a medium, is very well suited to this kind of storytelling.
We saw Cinderella as one of the character whose fate can be changed. Why did you want to add that classic tale to the game and what other characters are in the game?
In regards to Cinderella, let’s say we create an entirely original scenario, how does the player know that the player is changing fate? Since it’s new, who knows what would have happened to that character to begin with? Whereas we have Cinderella to begin with, we all know how Cinderella’s story turns out. In this case, players are able to see maybe what a different motivation for Cinderella would be for her to want her fate to change and also players will be able to compare her new fate and old fate. I thought that’s the easiest example to show that way of before and after of fate changing.
There are several characters. Besides from Cinderella, they are all original. Two of them, to give you an example, one is a zombie and the other is a mermaid.
OK, a zombie is an interesting choice!
That’s because I love zombies.
What are your favorite customization parts in The Guided Fate Paradox?
Of course, making your player look cool is always fun. I’m more the kind of fan for more silly items, the things that would make you laugh. Two of my favorites are putting drills on the player’s hands and his head, and there’s one that the players’ head can be a tuna head.
In addition, each of these parts have their own special skills. For example, if you put on the tuna head you have a special skill where you flop around. It’s probably in today’s trailer, so please look forward to that.
We saw Asagi in this game too. She always comes up in every game saying she’s going to get her own game, even in The Guided Fate Paradox. Will she ever get a game of her own?
That’s a good question. Do you guys really want her to have her own game?
It’s been eight years since we first introduced Asagi. It’s kind of come to a point that it’s a joke. Every time she comes up and says, “I want my own game!” I’m really wondering and trying to gauge whether fans enjoy Asagi comes out and she never gets her game? Or they really do want her to have her own game. I don’t know anymore! [Laughs.]
We’ll ask our readers if they want Asagi have her own game and we’ll let you know the result.
We are actually doing something similar with a fan page that asks how many of you want Asagi to have her own game? It’s about 5,000 people right now. If it reaches 10,000 people who want her to have her own game, she might get her own game. We also want to see if fans overseas want Asagi to get her own game!
Well, do you want Asagi to have her own game? Vote here and we’ll send the results to NIS America!
Published: Mar 1, 2013 06:16 pm