Interview: David Luntz (Nunchuck Games) over Ninja Reflex (Wii/NDS)

[tag]Electronic Arts[/tag] heeft ons de kans gegeven om [tag]David Luntz[/tag], de grote chef bij [tag]Nunchuck Games[/tag], het vuur aan de schenen te leggen over zijn nieuwe game [tag]Ninja Reflex[/tag]. Nunchuck Games is een jonge publisher die in samenwerking met [tag]EA[/tag] het spel Ninja Reflex voor de [tag]Wii[/tag] en de [tag]Nintendo DS[/tag] heeft uitgebracht. Wij wilden wel eens één en ander te weten komen over Ninja Reflex en de toekomstplannen van Nunchuck Games.

BeNintendo: How did you came up with the idea to develop a Ninja-game?

I wanted to make a game that would be the ultimate challenge to players’ reflexes. Training your reflexes is key for the martial arts, and ninjas are so fast you can’t detect them, so that seemed like a good basis for the game.

BeNintendo: The past few months we’ve seen a lot of minigame collections for the Wii. What will make this game different from other minigame collections.

First, the games in Ninja Reflex are unlike anything you’ve played in a video game. You get to swing nunchucks, throw shuriken (throwing stars), grab flies with chopsticks, learn to meditate, and so on. The fact that the format of the game is broken into minigames isn’t really that important. The game uses the martial arts to train your reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and timing. There has never been a game that does that. The game is also visually beautiful (credit to the developer), and a lot of fun. In my opinion, these are the reasons why somebody might want to buy it.

BeNintendo: Why did you choose Sanzaru Games as the developer of this game?

I’ve known and worked with the founders of the studio for many years. They are hugely talented. I ran a studio for a decade and worked with literally hundreds of development people. They’re the best I know, so choosing them was not a difficult consideration.

BeNintendo: What is the difference between the Nintendo DS- and Wii-version aside from the controls?

The reflex games play fundamentally differently with the DS stylus. Other than that there isn’t much difference. We tried very hard to keep the look, feel, and features intact on the DS instead of making a cut down version.

BeNintendo: You call Ninja Reflex the ‘Wii Sports for Ninjas’, in what sense are those two games similar?

David Luntz gaf ons een opsomming van de verschillende features van beide games. Zo bevat Ninja Reflex zes klassieke sporten terwijl Wii Sports maar vijf sporten bevat. Beide games hebben een competitieve multiplayer mode voor vier personen. Bij Wii Sports wordt gewerkt met skill points om tot een Pro Status te komen, terwijl het bij Ninja Reflex erop aankomt om een zwarte gordel te behalen. Beide games hebben een hele lage instapdrempel doordat ze enkel gebruik maken van de Wii-afstandsbediening. Verder zijn beide games totaal niet gewelddadig.

BeNintendo: Where did you get the inspiration to name your company Nunchuck Games?

My friends and I had nunchucks growing up. They are banned now in California unfortunately. Anyway, nunchucks are cool, and Bruce Lee made them famous in his movies, so it just seemed right!

BeNintendo: Would you be interested in making games for the WiiWare Channel?

I’m interested and thinking about it, but the WiiWare file size constraint requires quite a different approach to game design. So if the right design struck me, yes, I would pursue it.

BeNintendo: We willen Electronic Arts en David Luntz nogmaals bedanken dat we dit interview mochten doen! Binnenkort verschijnt ook de recensie van Ninja Reflex voor de Wii.