World Reborn Interview

Conducted by Mr. Nash

Let’s get things started with the introductions.  Who are you?  What’s your role in the development of World Reborn?  What’s your background in the game industry?

My name is Charles Galyon, I am the Lead Designer and President of NeoPong Software. In World Reborn I designed the base concept and was responsible for fleshing out the details. After that I handled mostly level design, enemy AI's and finding a publisher. Like most of my team, World Reborn was my first experience in the video game industry. I have to say that it was a very good experience. A good team can make all the difference when developing a game.

What made you decide to fuse an RPG with a side-scrolling shooter when coming up with the idea for World Reborn?

Initially I wanted to design an RPG, but I realized early on that it would be unwise to attempt such a grand venture right off. Then I considered how RPG's flow: explore, fight monsters, solve puzzles and advance the plot. I toyed with how one could change the battle system. The conventional system isn't requisite for the enjoyment of the game. After a bit of brainstorming I thought that a shooter battle system would be a good place to start. Then I tried to figure out how the player could get the feeling of exploration and story that comes in an RPG. From there it was just a matter of reworking the concept over and over until it was something that felt right. So really, World Reborn started off as an RPG.  

How will the RPG facets of the game work?  What sort of things have you had to keep in mind to keep this aspect of the game from coming off as a gimmick?

I would say the storyline is one of the major elements that make an RPG an RPG. World Reborn's story is very traditional (children saving the world from the terrible inhuman menace), but the interaction between the characters is what it's really about. Before each level you are presented with dialogue between the characters. The story in World Reborn is told entirely in conversation.

Other major RPG facets in World Reborn are the leveling system and multi-linear path. World Reborn presents you with the opportunity to select your pilot and ship at the beginning of each level. While doing so you can view the abilities of each to determine what you think will give you the best chance. At the end of the level your points are tallied up and your pilot and ship level-up if they meet the requirements. On the map screen you will be presented with your available destinations and can choose how you want to advance. It's very reminiscent of Square's Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, except your story and characters change depending on which route you take.

Of course we won't know until we receive consumer feedback if we really succeeded in keeping the whole thing from coming off as a gimmick. However, in brevity I would say that the main way we kept it from coming off as a gimmick was that we never considered it a gimmick. When developers are building in a gimmick it is readily apparent to the player. It doesn't have the development time put into it to make it really work; to make it integrate. In World Reborn it was just how we were putting the game together - the RPG elements were simply a part of that. 

Can you tell us a bit more about the different characters in the game?

I don't really want to spoil anything, but there are six heroes you'll meet. Some of the principle characters are Thiel, Perrin (Thiel's best friend), and Richter their mentor who I don't want to say too much about. The characters have very distinct personalities and are very entertaining!

What sorts of power-ups will players be able to collect?

As the player you'll be able to collect primary weapon power-ups and secondary weapon power-ups. The primary weapon power-up increases the power of your primary weapon, up to your current maximum. Your maximum power-up level is determined by your pilot's abilities. The secondary weapon power-ups change out secondary weapons. You'll be able to use a six-shot that fires all around you, pods which provide additional forward or reverse firepower, missiles which have tremendous power but fire more slowly, homing missiles which are weaker than the missile but track a target and rapid fire which increases the fire rate of your primary weapon. Additionally there are life and experience power-ups. Life power-ups restore lost life and experience power-ups simply provide bonus experience points.

What games served as influences in the creation of World Reborn?

We drew inspiration from a lot of games; too numerous to mention all of them here. However there are a few that really stand out as very strong influences. Blazing Star and Aero Blasters were very strong influences on our goals for the game and our level design. Gradius and R-Type were also strong influences on enemy design. During the initial design, however, I think one of my strongest influences was the Langrisser series. I’ve always been impressed by its depth of story and the amount of replay that it has. It was a very strong source of inspiration for me.

Can we expect to find some Easter Eggs hidden within the game?

There are a few secrets in World Reborn, but I think the majority of the replay will come from the eight different endings.

How has developing for the GBA been?  How does it compare to developing to other platforms?

Developing for the GBA was an interesting challenge. We had to be mindful of our hardware limitations and tried to squeeze the most out of the GBA. Finding good information on 2d techniques was very hard. It seems that the old techniques have fallen into obscurity. Fortunately our programmers are very resourceful and talented. Nintendo provided a good knowledge base for the hardware and what wasn’t answered there was readily found in the industry community. We are all very thankful for the support and aid we got from other GBA developers.  

Can shoot ‘em ups ever return to the level of popularity that they enjoyed during the 8-bit and16-bit eras?