C3 Exclusive Interview | Starfy & More with TOSE

TOSE, Ltd: Since its founding in 1979, Tose has specialized in the commissioned development chiefly of family game software. There is an old saying 'behind-the-scenes' in Japan. In accordance with this management motto, Tose will continue in specialising in the commissioned development.

Before Nintendo's Family Computer made its debut, Tose had succeeded in establishing a basis for the commissioned development. Then, after Tose has continued to absorb and develop advanced technology and, like and together with many game makers in Japan, the company size has become much larger. Tose will be a reliable supporter for the future digital entertainment industry by making the most of technology and know-how cultivated through developing game software.

C3: For those here that may not have heard of Tose before, could you perhaps mention a couple of developers / projects you have previously worked on?

TOSE: We have developed numerous [ pieces of ] game software for almost all of major game software makers located chiefly in Japan but, we regret to say, we are not in a position to disclose those title or project names because of confidentiality agreements.

C3: Who was it that created the starfish character for the Legend of Starfy games, Nintendo or Tose? How did the idea arise and who holds the official rights to the game now?

TOSE: The copyright of The Legend of Starfy is owned by both Nintendo and Tose. The two companied created ideas and characters through discussions.

C3: The Starfy series of platform games have already been met with massive success on the GBA and the little starfish is currently enjoying healthy sales with his fourth game on the DS. After building up such strong sales, many expected the third GBA game to be translated for the West, but ultimately it never materialised. Due to the huge DS userbase now, can fans who imported the GBA titles expect a greater chance of seeing the DS game being released outside Japan?

TOSE: We cannot answer this question because Nintendo is responsible for determining and announcing the marketing policy of the game.

C3: Would it be solely be Nintendo's decision to bring Starfy to the West, or could Tose perhaps take the game to a Third Party publisher for release over here if Nintendo is not interested in a translation? Considering how popular Kirby is, especially in the US, Starfy should have no problem appealing to the market.

TOSE: The same as above.

C3: Does the new DS Starfy, Densetsu no Starfy 4, use the system's special features in any particular way and are there any multiplayer options?

TOSE: Some new actions and items that were unable to enjoy on the conventional AGB are now possible in the Densetsu no Starfy 4 compatible with DS.

C3: How has the game been made different from its GBA counterparts in order to make sure gamers feel like they are playing through a brand new title?

TOSE: We have developed the Densetsu no Starfy 2, 3 as well as 4 trying to supply gamers with new findings and wonders.

C3: Were there any problems during the game's development or any aspects you had to leave out due to limitations with the DS hardware or time constraints?

TOSE: We meet some problems in developing any games but we experienced no problems peculiar to the Densetsu no Starfy 4.

C3: How long was Densetsu no Starfy 4 in development for and how large was the team working on it?

TOSE: You are kindly requested to understand that we have not yet and will not disclose any such information as about the development period and the size of the staff.

C3: What are your thoughts on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and do you have plans to use it in future games (on either the DS or Wii)? And how could it work for a game like Starfy?

TOSE: We are going to tackle the Wi-Fi because it is expected to grow but our further development schedule cannot be disclosed.

C3: Many have likened the Starfy games to the classic 2D Mario titles, with certain reviewers saying the games are of equal quality. Is any inspiration drawn from past Mario titles and are there any other games that help influence your work?

TOSE: The 2D was selected because it was easy to play.

C3: What do you see in Starfy's future? Has any thought gone into a full home console version, perhaps for the Nintendo Wii? And would we ever see any Starfy spin-off games, breaking out of the platform genre?

TOSE: We cannot answer this question because, as we have already explained, it is Nintendo that is responsible for determining the marketing policy.

C3: Considering your work with companies such as Square Enix in porting older games to new platforms, are you actively planning on working with the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console, helping already committed developers such as Sega and Hudson to bring their past properties to the download service?

TOSE: Again we cannot answer this question because, we are afraid, answering it may affect our business.

C3: With Nintendo showing off Super Mario Galaxy at this year's E3, are there any other unique ways you believe the controller could be used for the platform genre? And what are your thoughts on the Wii in general?

TOSE: We would like to develop games making the most of the Wii features.

C3: Your company is based in Japan and China, more recently expanding to the US. Do you have plans to setup a base in Europe and extend your reach to helping more Western developers in this tough new generation?

TOSE: At present we have no plan to establish a base in Europe. We will contact developers in Europe through sales channels we have at present.

C3: Do you have any influence over what older games are ported to new systems, such as the Final Fantasy titles that are coming to the GBA and Valkyrie Profile on the PSP? If so, Square Enix should really be made aware of how much gamers want ports of the two SNES Mana games and Chrono Trigger...

TOSE: Tose that is engaged in the commissioned development of game software can make propositions to game makers with regard to porting and localization of their games but is not entitled to make any decision.

C3: Considering how well the relationship between Nintendo and Tose worked for Starfy, would you consider working with the company again to create another new franchise in the future?

TOSE: We cannot answer the question at present.

C3: Have there been any games recently that you have particularly enjoyed playing?

TOSE: All employees of Tose are at all times enjoying various games and, through it, collecting information.

C3: Finally, how do you see Nintendo coping in this new generation against the strong competition from Sony and Microsoft?

TOSE: Nintendo has been proposing, to our understanding, gamers new way of enjoying games through DS and Wii and the former is accepted in the market, resulting in the favourable result in the game industry in general.

Many thanks go out to the team for taking the time to answer our questions. Myself and the rest of Cubed3 wish them all the best for the future.