We were lucky enough to be able to sit down and talk to the staff that recently completed the Japanese version of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, a DS RTS-spinoff of last year's popular PS2 RPG. Producer Eisuke Yokoyama and Writer / Director Motomu Toriyama were happy to answer GamesRadar's questions.
GamesRadar: What's the inspiration to bring Final Fantasy XII to the DS, in this new lighthearted style?
Eisuke Yokoyama: We wanted to preserve the heavy history of Ivalice from the PS2 FFXII.
Motomu Toriyama: We want to bring back the old lighthearted adventure of Final Fantasy as well.
GR: FFXII came out for the PS2 originally, but this is on the DS. Is this game aimed more at FFXII fans or new players? And how do you balance making a game for both audiences?
EY: For the people who've experience the PS2 version, it keeps the story going and so they'll be able to enjoy seeing their favorite characters again. But it's also accessible to non-experience players to, since the DS is popular with everyone of all ages from children to adults. We felt it was really important to make the game accessible. It is in that way. It focuses less on the realism, like the PS2 version focused on the realism and the wars.
GR: This game was developed externally by the developer Think and Feel. How was this developer chosen to create the game, and how was the process of working with them to ensure the quality of the game?
EY: The reason that Think and Feel was chosen is that they had experience making RTS games on the GBA. So, both in the genre that the game was chosen for and the fact that they had experience with Nintendo hardware, it was decided that they'd be the best-equipped to develop it. As for maintaining the quality, it was a hand-in-hand approach and so, scenario and graphics were kind of a team effort. When certain issues would come up, the more proficient side would handle it. [Note: the game alluded to here is a Japan-only GBA title called Monster Summoner which was released in 2004.]
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