General gaming

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• Eight Questions with Katamari Damacy Creator Keita Takahashi
• Japanese Cell Phone Treasures: 5 Mobile Games We Won't Be Seeing
• Your Mother: Shigesato Itoi
• Interview: Papo & Yo Creator Talks Budgets, Emotions, and Why He Changed the Original Ending

Eight Questions with Katamari Damacy Creator Keita Takahashi Posted: 19 Sep 2012 04:38 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17 | RETHINKING JAPAN Eight Questions with Katamari Damacy Creator Keita Takahashi Cover Story: Namco's ex-developer on using humor to transform the mundane, and the value of "primitive fun." B y all accounts, Katamari Damacy never should have made it to the United States. But, for whatever reason, Namco took a risk in those Grand Theft Auto-heavy days of the PlayStation 2, and launched designer Keita Takahashi's quirky project in America at a price that would leave only the cheapest of skates with buyer's remorse. Needless to say, the company's risk paid off, and while Katamari isn't the most prolific series in existence, it's remained a beloved and immediately recognizable property, spawning countless tributes crafted by devoted fans, from adorable art to disturbing cosplay. But when art meets commerce, disaster can happen; after the game's breakout success, Namco wanted Takahashi to turn Katamari into a franchise, which he did with reluctance. We Love Katamari made for a fantastic sequel, but the game's story about fans of the original demanding more, more, more Katamari from The Prince and his cousins struck many -- in retrospect, at least -- as an allegory for Takahashi's own career. And these premonitions eventually played out; after 2009's Noby Noby Boy, the Katamari creator seemed to wash his hands of games for a return to his artistic roots.

Japanese Cell Phone Treasures: 5 Mobile Games We Won't Be Seeing Posted: 19 Sep 2012 03:35 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17 | RETHINKING JAPAN Japanese Cell Phone Treasures: 5 Mobile Games We Won't Be Seeing Cover Story: A brief look at a handful of cell phone games only Japan will ever see. M obile games are becoming an increasingly big business in North America. We're seeing companies that were heavily focused on Facebook games in the past shifting resources to mobile game development, and more and more big-name developers and franchises are entering the mobile space. Unsurprisingly, Japan was ahead of the curve in this regard; significant franchises have been getting cell phone-only games for years, from Final Fantasy to Mega Man. Unfortunately for those of us outside of Japan, many of these titles are unlikely to ever end up being brought elsewhere for one reason or another -- legally, at least. That means the only opportunity many of us will ever have to play these games is to take a trip to Japan and pick up a phone (an old phone, specifically, in some cases). What follows is a brief look at five such mobile games that probably won't ever be released outside of Japan.

Your Mother: Shigesato Itoi Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:58 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17 | RETHINKING JAPAN Your Mother: Shigesato Itoi Cover Story: A look into why the Mother/Earthbound series is so special. M aybe it's impossible to call a video game series "sacred" without being damned for a blasphemer, but as far as the Mother/Earthbound games are concerned, it's difficult to settle for "popular" or even "beloved." Whereas most video games ask us to walk through a struggle between good and evil, witness a political war between world powers, or simply rack up a sweet score, the Mother games emphasize the bonds between friends, between parents and children, between pets and their owners, and between mates. It sounds sappy, but don't assume that following a Mother game is like taking a walk down a greeting card aisle. The series balances sentimentality, action, and zaniness like a boss. When you play a Mother game, you wind up saying goodbye to old friends, visiting the depths of your own soul, and clubbing a mad taxi to death all in the span of a few hours.

Interview: Papo & Yo Creator Talks Budgets, Emotions, and Why He Changed the Original Ending Posted: 19 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet Interview: Papo & Yo Creator Talks Budgets, Emotions, and Why He Changed the Original Ending We talk to Creative Director Vander Caballero to learn more about creating personal stories in games. By: Jose Otero September 19, 2012 (Note to concerned readers: This interview spoils significant emotional moments of Papo & Yo.) This past August Creative Director Vander Caballero turned his painful childhood experiences with an alcoholic father into a video game called Papo & Yo. While the idea of video games as a form of therapy isn't a commonly associated with the medium, Indie titles like Papo & Yo show that games have slowly grown outside of their comfort zone. I couldn't help but admire Papo & Yo's core message of moving on, so I sought an interview with Caballero in order to learn a little more about it.

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