So we've finally announced the new characters. I could barely contain myself wanting to tell you all! This is Tsukamoto.
This time, out of the characters just recently introduced, Director Okada and I would like to focus on Guy and tell you the inside scoop on how he was brought into the game.
Well then, could you tell us the story about adding Guy to the game?
Okada:
With the addition of Dee Jay and T.Hawk, we finally got the full cast from SSFII Turbo. So for the next additions, we compiled a list of characters that players wanted to see in the game. Guy was one of the names on the first list.
He was on the list at the very beginning wasn't he?
Okada:
Although the Alpha series has a lot of unique characters, we felt that Guy with his stoic fighting style rooted in Bushido was the perfect fit for a Street Fighter, so he was suited for this game.
Tsukamoto:
Guy is also pretty popular. Producer Ono took the list we made with him to America, and after getting the requests of people over there, Guy was still one of the names on the list.
Okada:
Yes, he's pretty popular overseas as well. A ninja sporting sneakers is a style that the fans overseas can really get into.
Were there any objections?
Tsukamoto:
Nope. The development team also wanted to get Guy in the game.
Okada:
When developing the arcade game, when we made El Fuerte we did some research on Guy. Since El Fuerte is also a running character, there were some similarities to Guy so we gave him a try. Of course, Fuerte and Guy play completely differently, and we didn't want to make them the same, but while playing Guy we felt that he was really interesting, so at the time we thought if we had the chance we'd like to put him in the game.
Tsukamoto:
For the older titles every character has their own unique traits, which makes them memorable. Win or lose, they leave an impression on you and you can immerse yourself in the game. When we were using Guy we especially felt that he was interesting.
Okada:
So this time we felt his time had finally come! (laughs) We'd thought that we wanted to get him in the game before, so when Ono said "Put Guy in!" we felt like we'd just been waiting for the right time, and it had come.
From a developers viewpoint, what kind of character is Guy?
Okada:
Fundamentally, he's a character that doesn't use "ki" - he has no use for fireballs or projectiles. He throws himself right at the enemy, and since he's slim he can really turn up the speed. This is his main fighting style. Though this was always the case for the Alpha system, he's a character who focuses on stringing together normals to make combos. Though his punches and kicks make for a whirlwind fighting style, more than just being tricky he moves in a direct manner like ordinary humans would be able to do.
He hasn't changed a whole lot from Final Fight.
Okada:
Right, in Final Fight if you kept hitting the punch button you'd get a nice combination attack, which was cool. That's the kind of game Final Fight was, but we've managed to preserve that image of Guy in the titles he's appeared in so far.
And how about in SSFIV?
Okada:
We felt we definitely had to keep up that image this time around. Not just a character based on strikes, but combination strikes and how cool those are.
What things did you keep in mind as you made Guy into a SFIV character?
Okada:
The systems unique to SFIV are the Focus Attack and Ultra Combo, but as Guy has always been a steady character it was no problem adjusting him there. But not just the fighting, since he is a ninja we were also concerned about his overall production. The designers took a lot of care with his FA stance and taunts and what not to make sure they were ninja-like.
How about new moves? And, has he lost any moves?
Okada:
He's got a new move. But we felt that his moveset was already fairly complete, so its more of an accent. Not something you can use as a primary move and depend on it, but just another option. He hasn't really lost any moves. The way you use supers is a bit different of course, but of course that's just taking on a different form.
So it seems as if we can fight with him the same as we did before.
Okada:
Yes, anything that you might think is essential, is there. He's got his Houzantou which is good for evading projectiles and forcing the opponent to block, Bushin Senbukyaku which is good for anti-air, and Bushin Izuna drop and Haygake for getting into the opponent's openings...
Tsukamoto:
And Bushin Gokusaken as well. So with all his moves, you can fight with him just as you did before. And he's also got the new move we mentioned before.
Okada:
That's right. This time we've added the Rolling Izuna Drop. It'll be really useful in the air, so please use it.
What things were you concerned about regarding the production?
Okada:
Guy's character is one of coolness, so he never really loses his expression or plays around. So as we couldn't really do a lot with him facially, we concerned ourselves with how to bring out his ninja qualities and individuality in his moves. The character models in SFIV are very detailed, and you can move them right down to the fingers. So our designers put in a lot of work in stuff like making hand seals or the angle of his fingers when he extends his palm, so I hope everyone takes notice of it. His ultra is also pretty flashy, so perhaps that's a highlight?
Tsukamoto:
Also, and this isn't us being silly, but during Guy's entrance he comes in by kicking some drum barrels.
Okada:
This is something that's always been present since Final Fight, so we've included it this time as well.
Tsukamoto:
But, who is just leaving those drum barrels there? Does he put them there himself?
Okada:
He probably lines them up by himself before a fight. I imagine him saying "Wait a moment" while he lines them up, then backs up and kicks his way through. (laughs)
Tsukamoto:
Eiyaaaa! (laughs)
Were there any difficulties in porting Guy over to SFIV?
Okada:
Guy's a pretty straightforward character, so as for the system there weren't really any problems. But as we mentioned in the previous dev blog, the camera zooms in on the characters, so it felt like the screen was pretty small. In reality, its not all that small. So when Guy does his Hayagake, it feels like the distance is really short and that he's not really running. So we worried about how to make the image consistent with that of running. Regularly, he will get to his opponent in just 3 steps. (laughs)
Guy is a character where he takes a lot of work on his presentation and appearance.
Tsukamoto:
When making a 3D character, we didn't have any information so it was pretty difficult. I believe they've done a pretty good job on the chain mail Guy wears as an undershirt, so check it out.
Okada:
Also, when we were working with the dot matrix sprites we couldn't write the "Bushin" kanji on his chest, but we've got it on there now!
Tsukamoto:
So its like - here's the Bushin Style!
Where there any other incidents?
Okada:
It was hard coming up with lines he says in-game. Basically, in Street Fighter, the characters say what they do - you throw a Hadouken, they say "Hadouken!" But Guy doesn't say "Bushin Senbukyaku!" or "Hayagake!" He only makes sounds like "fu!" or "seiya!" or "eiya!" Before recording, we decided to just have everything be "eiya" or "seiya" or "haiya", but even though I was the one writing them I had no idea which moves they were for. (laughs)
That would be confusing. (laughs)
Okada:
He does say stuff like "This is the Bushin Style!". But he doesn't say his move names too often.
Tsukamoto:
Well, ninjas aren't really known for calling out their move names. Oh, but in the ninja movies from way back when they used to say stuff like "Ninpo Something something No Jutsu!"...
Please tell us about the current status of Guy's development.
Okada:
We're currently right in the middle of tweaking him. Guy is a character where you have to make a lot of really intricate decisions on the fly, such as doing a feint or thinking about your own and your opponent's position. Its important for Guy to make his opponent go on the offensive, so tweaking him for that is a bit hard.
Just attacking all-out isn't going to fly, is it?
Okada:
He's most definitely a character where you'll need to have good techniques, so I believe he's suited for those who want to test their own skills. You can think "This is only something that I can do!"
Does that mean that Guy best suited for those who are good at fighting games?
Okada:
If we make his jumps high, then he'd have a hard time jumping in. But as he has no projectiles, he might get pinned down by an opponent who does. Of course, you can always just run away, but we have to think about players who want to take the situation and turn it into an advantage for them. In a fighting game this holds true for any character, but I feel its especially true for Guy. So in that respect, Guy might be a more intermediate character.
You have to stay 2 or 3 steps ahead of your opponent.
Okada:
That's right. He's a character where you have to think things like "My opponent is probably going to want to jump at this time." So I think people who can win with Guy are really cool.
You mentioned before that he had some similarities with El Fuerte, but are there any other SFIV characters who you feel would make for an interesting fight with Guy?
Okada:
Isn't the matchup of speed vs power quite interesting? For example, Guy Vs Zangief - Guy will want to stay away and Gief will want to get in!
Tsukamoto:
Yeah, I want to see those two go at it. It's sure to be a textbook SFIV matchup!
At the moment, who do you think has the advantage between Guy and Zangief?
Okada:
Hmm...I feel like its a pretty good matchup? I think it'll be a really precise match, coming down to who has more patience.
Does that mean that you also have to be intermediate level just to appreciate watching Guy's matches?
Okada:
He doesn't have a whole lot of flashy moves. But if you understand that and love the stoic nature, it should be really interesting.
Do you have a message for the people who have used Guy before or the players thinking about picking him up?
Okada:
Everything about Guy is just so cool, so I think he will be very popular among players. Not just a particular part, but in general I think he will go over well. As for the fighting style, the Alpha series was kind of about combos, but in SFIV I think the main thing will be finding openings against your opponent. It will really depend on player skill, so at first maybe you shouldn't expect too much, but as you really get a feel for him you'll be able to use him well. He's got a lot of moves, so your performance depends on how you use them. And, his ultra - the startup, the animation, its all just really awesome looking. So win in a cool way.
Does that mean being cool is very important?
Okada:
Yeah, because he's a ninja! Of course winning is the most important thing, but if you can win like a ninja... (laughs)
Tsukamoto:
Yeah, he's a character where you can really mix it up. Being interesting is not just a natural part of it, its also essential!
Well, did everyone enjoy the entry this week? Since we got to announce the new characters, I'd like to continue next week on the same theme, but this time featuring Cody!
See you next week!
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