WarioWare: Smooth Moves


Part 1 - With One of These Remotes, You Can Do Anything
Part 2 - "This is Ridiculous" is the Best Possible Compliment
Part 3 - "Give it here, I'll show you how it's done!"
Part 4 - Everyone in the Room Will Have a Grin on Their Face!


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Satoru Iwata
President and CEO, Nintendo Co., Ltd.
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Yoshio Sakamoto
Software Planning & Development Division, Software Planning & Development Dept.
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Goro Abe
Software Planning & Development Division, Software Planning & Development Dept.


Part 1 - With One of These Remotes, You Can Do Anything


     Iwata:  Okay, today brings us to our next interview, where I'll be putting questions to the WarioWare: Smooth Moves development team. Keeping with tradition, let's begin with some introductions. Sakamoto-san, let's start with you.

     Sakamoto:  Of course. My name's Sakamoto and, according to the credits, I'm the producer! (laughs) My role in this project was to work together with Abe-san and decide what kind of WarioWare we should aim for as a launch title for Wii.

     [WarioWare: Smooth Moves will be released as a launch title in Japan, however the European and North American versions are scheduled for release soon after launch.]

     Abe:  Hello, I'm Abe and I was in charge of the overall direction of the project. I was involved in everything from the initial experiments using Wii and the Remote to pulling everything together into the finished product. Plus, I made the decisions regarding the final specifications of the finished product and kept the staff moving in the right direction.

     Iwata:  Traditionally, when Nintendo releases a new piece of hardware, it's customary for the Entertainment Analysis & Development Division, where Miyamoto-san is based, to take centre stage with a launch title. However, this time around, Software Planning & Development Division where both of you work, also played a key role by providing a launch title in the form of WarioWare: Smooth Moves. You've been working closely with us since the specifications for Wii were being discussed, how do you feel about this break in tradition?

     Sakamoto:  It's just like you said, although we've worked on launch titles for our handheld consoles before, this is our first time to prepare one for a home console. In all honesty, we had never really imagined ourselves being involved in bringing out a launch title for a home console. There were so many things about this experience that have been new to us.

     Iwata:  Developing games for Wii has been a departure from the tried and tested methods of bringing games to traditional consoles, so even developers who are used to dealing with launch titles have lost their bearings a little. The decision to bring a Wario title out at the same time as Wii was made quite early on in the development process.

     Sakamoto:  Yes, I remember. When the concept for the Wii Remote had just been determined, I thought: "This was made for WarioWare!" and we came forward with the proposal without having to be asked.

     Iwata:  During your involvement with the development of the Wii Remote, did you feel that a WarioWare game just had to be made?

     Sakamoto:  I did. I had the feeling that we could make something really special using the Wii Remote.

     Iwata:  And how did you feel, Abe-san?

     Abe:  I also attended some of the meetings regarding the Wii Remote while the design was still being played around with. Each time I saw the preliminary designs I thought: "How can we use this with WarioWare?" After that, when the design was finalised and I took another look, I felt strongly that this was something we could use in so many ways. I noticed that the other teams were looking at the Remote and Nunchuk and saying things like: "How are we going to make the best use of these?" in their discussions. But we felt the opposite and, to tell the truth, were a lot more optimistic, saying things along the lines of: "If you've got one of these Remotes, you can pretty much do anything!" (laughs)

     Iwata:  I'm sure that a lot of the development teams involved in continuing series' of games had many concerns when the conventional controller design was suddenly reinvented as the Wii Remote! (laughs) While I'm sure that with the right amount of adjustment, the Remote can add a new dimension to the gameplay for any game, my initial impression, which I came to quickly, was that there would be games that take to the Remote easily and those that present more of a challenge.

     Sakamoto:  I'm sure there were some developers who's first impressions were: "Wow, this is going to be tough!", but as for me, I fully agree with Abe-san's point about WarioWare in that I feel there are almost no limits to what we can do with the Remote.

     Abe:  I was a little worried that other development team members would bombard me with: "You should have WarioWare ready in no time!" (laughs)

     Iwata:  Even though this new WarioWare game is about to be released simultaneously with Wii, when the concept for WarioWare was first put together, I don't think you could have imagined that it would have this kind of longevity.

     Sakamoto:  No, we couldn't.

     Iwata:  It was a surprise, in the very best sense of the word. I feel that the WarioWare series represents what Nintendo always aims for; finding ways to reach new types of customers, and this type of game is paving the way for us to do so. These games have opened the door to a whole new realm where the playing field is large and you can choose how you want to play, whether you concentrate on the game for a little while or become engrossed in it for hours. This dynamic range, the idea that there is no set way to approach how you play the games, is very close to the direction that Nintendo hopes to take. We had no idea at the start that the games in this series would become milestones of sorts. The release of WarioWare: Smooth Moves brings the series total to five, so speaking as people who've worked on the games since the very first release, how does it feel looking back?

     Sakamoto:  The first title in the series, WarioWare (2003, Game Boy Advance), was made from a concept that was screaming out to become a game. But, to put it bluntly, I didn't think it would become anything more than a one-hit wonder! (laughs) In the end, we put together a great piece of software that had an exceptional element of uniqueness to it, but I just had the feeling that we wouldn't be able to repeat this success twice.

     Iwata:  I see.

     Sakamoto:  But having said that, a lot of people were playing the game and it gained a very good reputation. The sales figures were also growing and growing and just when I started to think that this game really should be made into a series, Iwata-san came to me with a request to develop a WarioWare title for the GameCube.

     Iwata:  When I saw the first WarioWare game I noticed that it wasn't just fun to play by yourself, but great to watch other people play too. It was then that I thought, since the GameCube is so well-suited to multiplayer gaming, why don't we release it while the first one is still doing well on the Game Boy Advance?

     Sakamoto:  And so we made WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! for the GameCube in 2003. As the second game in the series, it also boasted its own very clear concept: to put together a multiplayer console WarioWare game in a very short development timeframe! (laughs)

     Iwata:  Abe-san, you were the director of WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!. Wasn't this your first experience being at the head of the team?

     Abe:  It was. I wanted to make the game from scratch if at all possible, but the idea was to have this one released while the first in the series was still going strong. Essentially, our new direction was to put together a package that featured the microgames from the Game Boy Advance version but to adapt them so that they could be played competitively in various ways by several players at once.

     Iwata:  Once WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! had been finished, the ideas of making another game for the Game Boy Advance and of making a version that could be released together with the upcoming Nintendo DS came up at the same time. Sakamoto-san, you and I had to do some serious thinking, didn't we?

     Sakamoto:  Even while the original Game Boy Advance game was still steadily selling units, there were those who said we should make another handheld version. But one thing that is especially important when developing a WarioWare game is originality. All the games are basically collections of microgames, we didn't just want to release a new collection, we wanted to add a new twist to the series. The first game's emphasis was on instant action, and the second on multiplayer gameplay. For the upcoming release we were at the stage where we needed to find an original way to use all the new microgames we'd amassed.

     Abe:  Although the project had been progressing smoothly, we hadn't yet come up with that crucial key element. Around that time, the final specifications for the Nintendo DS had been decided and we were presented with exactly the angle we had been looking for: to produce a game that made the most of the stylus concept. It was obvious that this kind of game would be ideal for the Nintendo DS and so we decided to go ahead with the project. The problem that we were facing was that to develop the game ready for release at the same time as the DS, we faced an extremely tight schedule. And aside from that, the development of the second Game Boy Advance game was well underway.

     Sakamoto:  It was then that one of the development staff mentioned that he'd been working on an experimental piece of software. He showed me a prototype which could be used with a motion sensor to control the on-screen action. It was Kazuyoshi Ozawa actually.

     Iwata:  Kazuyoshi Ozawa, the director and chief programmer of Rhythm Heaven.

     [Rhythm Heaven is a game that was released in Japan earlier this year, but has yet to be released in Europe and North America.]

     Sakamoto:  Yes, it was him. He'd put together a version of WarioWare that made use of motion sensor technology and I have to say, it was extremely enjoyable! The idea that you could control the action by rotating the unit was great, but the fact that this allowed the games to be played in an entirely new way was even more exciting. We agreed that Iwata-san had to see this and so we took it to show you right away.

     Iwata:  Yes, that's not something I'm going to forget. There was one section in the prototype which had a record player...

     Sakamoto:  That's the one! (laughs) That part also made it into the final product you know!

     Iwata:  Well, to cut a long story short, I put the Game Boy Advance on top of a swivel chair, and rotated the chair. When I did this, the record player in the game matched the movement and started turning! (laughs)

     All:  (laughter)

     Iwata:  Not only that, but the speed of the music changed according to how fast the chair was being spun! (laughs) I spent ages spinning that chair round! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  You really did! (laughs) I'll never forget that time either because as Iwata-san was spinning that chair round and round, he'd occasionally say: "This is ridiculous!" with a big grin on his face! (laughs)

     Iwata:  Okay, okay! (laughs) I may have been saying that, but I was still having a great time! From then on, we decided that the Game Boy Advance version should centre around the concept of revolving.

     Sakamoto:  Even Ozawa-san's project papers had this reflected in the title. And so it was decided, and WarioWare: Twisted! was released for Game Boy Advance in 2004.

     [WarioWare: Twisted! has yet to be released in Europe.]

     Iwata:  At the same time a Nintendo DS version was made that used the stylus to control the game, and had the concept of "Touch". And so together they became "Twist" and "Touch"! Sakamoto-san and I both knew then that we'd succeeded!

     Sakamoto:  Everything just came together and the Nintendo DS version WarioWare: Touched! was released in 2004.

     Abe:  We decided to work on the Game Boy Advance version first. We ended up splitting the team in two so that we wouldn't have to stop working on the "Touched!" version while we were working on "Twisted!".

     Iwata:  And so in such a short space of time, we managed to get two WarioWare products finished, both of which have gone on to receive a very warm welcome from the many fans that enjoy playing them. And soon there'll be a new addition to the series, the Wii version, WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Both of you have already told me about your reactions to seeing the Wii Remote for the first time, but I wondered if you'd share with us a few more of your feelings regarding this.

     Sakamoto:  The fact that the Wii Remote can be used by swinging it around or rotating it really is an important point as far as we're concerned. With WarioWare titles up to now, we have always faced the challenge of how to present the new playing style for the game. But with the Wii version, the Remote solved that issue right from the start. What I mean is that the Wii Remote, with all of the possibilities it has, fitted perfectly with what we were trying to do.

     Abe:  Also, because the WarioWare titles basically consist of a collection of microgames with the nature of each game being simplistic, we're able to include all manner of one-shot routines and experience numerous individual sequences without the need to make a storyline to hold it all together. With the Wii Remote, the most attractive point is that it makes us think: "Now what can we do with this?" and I think that in turn fits in perfectly with the style of the WarioWare games. To sum it up, because absolutely anything can be included in these games, the process of applying new technology to the software means that whatever we do becomes a game in itself.

     Iwata:  I think it's unusual to think that while our original plan was to experiment with a new controller interface, we've managed to come up with a whole new product.

     Abe:  It really is.

     Sakamoto:  This particular series of games takes being random for granted and, although hugely enjoyable to play, would be near impossible to make into a single, stand-alone game. That's why everything works separately. We only need to come up with five seconds apiece! (laughs)

     Iwata:  And if each of those sections is fun to play, then that's all the time you need! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  And that's all there is to it! Well, I suppose there's a little more to it than that, but we didn't need anything more to improve the product... Perhaps I've said too much!

     Iwata:  (laughs)


Part 2 - "This is Ridiculous" is the Best Possible Compliment


     Iwata:  Just because the Wii Remote lent itself perfectly to the gameplay style of the WarioWare games, it didn't mean that everything went smoothly from start to finish. In fact, I think you faced a fair amount of difficulty precisely because the player would be using the Remote.

     Sakamoto:  It's true that the Wii Remote allows for any number of ways to play a game, and is especially well matched with the WarioWare series, but because of this players are faced with the new problem of not knowing exactly what they are expected to do. Conveying this information to them posed a problem for us. With WarioWare speed is everything, people have five seconds at most to grasp the way they have to play. How to best communicate this became the first problem we were confronted with.

     Iwata:  With WarioWare games up to now, the players have played using a conventional controller, so indicating to them what to do with messages like "Press the A Button now!" used to be relatively simple. This time around though, as you couldn't be sure how players would be holding the Wii Remote, it meant you had to put more thought into how best to convey those instructions.

     Sakamoto:  That's exactly right. We pondered the best way to explain to the players exactly what they're supposed to do and have them understand in a split-second. While we were racking our brains over this problem, the number of microgames we were making was piling up. Because the Wii Remote is a genuinely unique device, the number of good ideas for microgames just kept popping out. But the majority of these ideas appeared to be somewhat tame, and nothing really seemed to stand out.

     Iwata:  You think they needed more wackiness or silliness?

     Sakamoto:  Exactly! Our female staff are always full of energy and they were coming up with all sorts of really fun-sounding ideas, but a lot of them we felt we couldn't use. The reason for this was that we had no way of knowing how users would be holding the Wii Remote. We had a tendency to play it safe, selecting ideas where the player could hold the Remote normally and not be required to perform really tricky movements. Then it happened, a solution presented itself. I thought, why don't we tell the players to: "Hold it like this!" before each of the individual microgames starts. We implemented instructions saying: "Hold the Remote like this" and "Next, hold it like this." While we were adding these instructions to the game, someone made the observation that what we were doing felt like learning the forms of a traditional Japanese dance, which sounded a little funny.

     [Classical Japanese dance is better known today as the Kabuki and Nihonbuyou traditions. Aside from learing the forms and the dance styles, the craft heavily emphasizes on learning manners and paying respect to the craft and the tradition.]

     Iwata:  I see, and that's where the dancing concept came from.

     [Thus, the title for this WarioWare became "WarioWare: Smooth Moves".]

     Sakamoto:  That's right. Well, that and the fact you did mention half-jokingly before that the next game in the series would have a dance-related title!

     Iwata:  Well, yes! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  Once we'd hit upon the idea for a title involving dance-like moves, the game became officially known as WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Even though it's not really dancing in the true sense of the word! (laughs)

     Iwata:  Well, maybe not, but it is certainly is like a Japanese dance manner book! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  And because we now had a clear idea of making this game similar to a book of Japanese dance manners, we knew it would become easier for the players to grasp the concept and our creative freedom increased a great deal. Plus, using the dancing theme as our basis, we began to let the silliness run wild! (laughs) It was hugely amusing to see the players doing things like squatting in front of the people supervising the product testing simply because they were following the game's instructions to the letter!

     Iwata:  I remember when the first version was shown to me, I was there squatting in front of everyone! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  I remember! (laughs)

     Abe:  We were looking forward to seeing that so much! (laughs)

     Iwata:  Yes, it seems you got me to go to that presentation just because you wanted to see me squatting! (laughs) All the staff seemed to really enjoy seeing that!

     Sakamoto:  That was priceless! (laughs) You were really going for it! Nice to know we have a boss who's on our wavelength! (laughs)

     All:  (laughter)

     Sakamoto:  But if you look at the way the game works, it really isn't actually all that necessary to hold the Remote above your head and squat! All you really need to do is hold the Remote horizontally and move it up and down, which registers in the game as the correct movement. I was worried that you'd choose that approach during the presentation instead.

     Iwata:  Well, I knew what the game expected of me, but I was even more aware of what the production team expected of me! (laughs) I just held the Remote on top of my head and started squatting.

     Sakamoto:  Seeing you doing that was a real morale boost for the team!

     All:  (laughter)

     Iwata:  Well, that's the huge appeal of the games in the WarioWare series.

     Sakamoto:  That's right. The fact that this game is designed to be played on a home console meant we were picturing the game being played with people watching a lot of the time. Obviously we aimed to make the game enjoyable for the player, but we also felt the need to make it fun for those watching. In the GameCube version too there were times when the on-screen prompts would suggest you say a certain thing while you play the game, and while there was no actual need to comply, you tended to do it anyway to give the viewers a good laugh too. I think it's really important to have lots of players doing all kinds of ridiculous things when playing together on the home console versions of WarioWare in order to get the most out of the experience.

     Iwata:  With that in mind, hitting upon the concept of "traditional Japanese dance moves", or "forms" as you call them, must have been a pivotal point for the development of the game. Abe-san, how did you feel about them?

     Abe:  Yes, the inclusion of the various forms had a huge impact. Before we arrived at the idea, we had discussed the possibility of having users hold the Wii Remote in the same way throughout the entire stage, but felt it would significantly detract from the overall excitement of the game. And so, once we made the decision to go with these moves, the whole game took a new direction. Even the Wii Remote itself was given the name "Form Baton" during the game.

     Iwata:  Ah yes, you even came to me to ask for my permission to call the Wii Remote the "Form Baton"!

     All:  (laughter)

     Iwata:  To be honest, this caused a bit of a problem as the fact that the controller was going to be called the Wii Remote was not yet widely known. As a company, we were working hard so that this term would become recognised around the world. Then you came and said to me: "Please let us call it the Form Baton in this game!" (laughs)

     All:  (laughter)

     Iwata:  You weren't joking either, you were deadly serious. But after being shown the game again, I realised that this name was fully justified, and I found myself saying: "Go on then!" (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  Nice to know we have a boss who's on our wavelength! (laughs)

     Abe:  I'm really glad we were able to change it because even the WarioWare games contain a certain amount of plot! (laughs) In this one the story goes something like this: Wario stumbles across the Form Baton one day, and somehow manages to use it to make everyone happy in the town, where the good forms and manners spread everywhere. In this game, the forms are the key concept that has helped to bring this game together.

     Iwata:  For want of a better word, the names of the forms in the game could be described as silly. Who came up with those names?

     Sakamoto:  It was me.

     Abe:  And me.

     Sakamoto & Abe:  Together.

     Iwata:  (wry smile) So, how many forms are there in the game? Wasn't it seventeen?

     Sakamoto & Abe:  Nineteen!

     Iwata:  (wry smile)

     Sakamoto:  You'd like us to give you an idea of what we've included, wouldn't you?

     Iwata:  Well, yes, I suppose so... If you'd like.

     Sakamoto:  Of course we would!

     Abe:  Okay, well, here we have "The Remote Control"! (Picture 1)

     Iwata:  ...

     Abe:  And this one's called "The Sketch Artist"! (Picture 2)

     Iwata:  ......

     Abe:  Next we have "The Mohawk"! (Picture 3)

     Iwata:  And the boxing one?

     Abe:  That's this one, "The Boxer"! (Picture 4)

     Sakamoto:  Show us "The Waiter", come on!

     Abe:  Okay, here's "The Waiter"! (Picture 5)

     Iwata:  Wasn't there one where you had to open bottles of champagne?

     Abe:  Ah, you mean "The Thumb Wrestler"! (Picture 6)

     Iwata:  I think that microgame really got the better of me!

     Sakamoto:  That's great news! We worked extremely hard to attain our goal of making you say something like: "This is ridiculous!" or "The game beat me!"

     Iwata:  "This is ridiculous!" is the best possible compliment you could get! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  Well, yes. If you said it in a really serious way, we would have been in trouble though.

     Abe:  And finally we have Iwata-san's favorite, the squat! (Picture 7)

     Iwata:  This really is ridiculous! (laughs)


Part 3 - "Give it here, I'll show you how it's done!"


     Iwata:  So, how many microgames did you pack into this game?

     Abe:  We managed to include over 200 types in the end.

     Iwata:  You were faced with a mammoth task having to come up with such a large number of individual games. Was there no risk of repetition, or the games becoming formulaic?

     Abe:  Actually, there was. As the games were being put together, there were times when we'd notice that some of them had near identical gameplay. We tried our best to alter the way they were played, but found that making them too different just made the player confused as to what to do next. Finding a perfect balance in the gameplay was difficult. When we reached the stage where we needed to select around two hundred microgames from the total number which exceeded a thousand, we looked for a good balance, with enough variation to keep the necessary level of excitement.

     Iwata:  You used the word "thousand" very lightly just now, as if it were nothing! (laughs)

     Abe:  I did, didn't I? (laughs)

     Iwata:  So, a thousand different ideas means you had to produce storyboards for every single one?

     Abe:  Yes, we did.

     Iwata:  How many people did it take to do that?

     Abe:  Let me see... Well, there were twenty members of staff, maybe more. If we're talking about storyboards, I think there were quite a few other people who contributed to those.

     Sakamoto:  That's one of the unique things about the WarioWare team: if anyone comes up with an idea, they are allowed to produce storyboards for it.

     Iwata:  With a normal game's development, usually the person in charge of planning comes up with the ideas and has them implemented into the game. With WarioWare however, any member of the development team with a good idea is free to give their input.

     Sakamoto:  Right. That's the great thing about the WarioWare games, there's no great need for coherence or logic, so if we just have that seed of a fun idea, that is enough. If it's suitably amusing, we use it. Some people take the time to make up detailed storyboards, others tend to just scribble them down on big post-it notes and stick them up on the wall.

     Iwata:  That's the WarioWare team's unique way of communicating then. I've seen the place you mentioned with all the ideas stuck on the wall.

     Sakamoto:  That's right. It's not unheard of for non-WarioWare team members to walk through and stick their ideas up on the wall too!

     Abe:  They do! (laughs) And then the programmers will come along, peel off ones that look easy to make and begin working on making them into a game.

     Iwata:  The ones that look easy to make? (laughs)

     Abe:  No really, that's how it works! (laughs)

     Iwata:  That freeform style is really impressive! (laughs) So, could you give me an example of some of the content of those storyboards?

     Abe:  Well, let's take the microgame that involves shoving a finger into your nose, the plan merely consisted of a picture of a nose with a finger next to it and a single word: "Pick!"

     Abe:  That was really how things were for the first WarioWare game. Recently though, as the scale of things has grown, and because it's become difficult for a single person to make a microgame all by themselves, the system has become more sophisticated! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  Generally speaking though, that's what it's like.

     Abe:  The amusing part about doing things this way is that you sometimes get three people, working in totally different places, coming up with the same ideas!

     Iwata:  That really happens, does it? Interesting.

     Abe:  When you have over a thousand microgames being planned, it is amusing to see that happen. When Touched! and Twisted! were being developed, an idea for the same microgame cropped up in both games completely by coincidence.

     Sakamoto:  Both titles featured a microgame that involved rolling up toilet paper. I mean, why are they so keen to make the players roll up toilet paper? (laughs)

     Abe:  It wasn't a case of wanting the players to do it, we actually came up with the idea when the first WarioWare game was in development, but we just couldn't seem to do it justice! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  We couldn't! But that's because it was technologically impossible.

     Iwata:  Technologically impossible? (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  Yes. And because the required technology has since been invented, we're now able to roll up the toilet paper as we always wanted!

     Abe:  Finally we managed to do it!

     Iwata:  So new technology has enabled you to roll up toilet paper! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  The WarioWare series has really come a long way! (laughs)

     Abe:  It's a thing of beauty!

     Iwata:  Come on now, this is supposed to be a serious conversation...

     Sakamoto & Abe:  Yes, sorry...

     Iwata:  Actually, the WarioWare games in their entirety aren't in the least to be considered lightweight. If you think about the amount of the player's time they demand you could argue they are, but from a development point of view, definitely not. The teams that develop these titles are actually quite large.

     Sakamoto:  That's very true.

     Iwata:  Unlike large-scale projects such as Zelda, the management of the WarioWare series is different and can be split up into small pieces with each microgame created separately. Sakamoto-san, you tied the overall project together and ensured that the individual strengths of each developer were brought out. It looked to me as if you really encouraged the development staff to run free with their creativity. Would that be a fair assessment?

     Sakamoto:  Yes, I think so. I really think things work better without having to force a kind of uniformity on everything.

     Iwata:  Things work better that way? (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  I told everyone that they were basically free to come up with what they want, as long as it was fun. This meant that, for instance, if programmers casually sketched a graphic idea and it really seemed to have something, we could simply use it as it was. As we put the game together, the only condition we insisted on was that it must have that shared fun factor. Happily, the WarioWare series is perfectly suited to this approach. I think that through the development of this game, everyone has been able to show more and more of their true character and individuality, and that it has been a great experience for all of us.

     Iwata:  But surely you must have struggled with problems that arose as a result of allowing the staff that kind of freedom?

     Sakamoto:  Well, let me see...

     Abe:  Yes, perhaps, but...

     Iwata:  Weren't there any particular problems you had to overcome? Or perhaps someone came up with a microgame that suddenly showed you a new overall direction you should pursue? Was there anything like that?

     Sakamoto:  Let me think...

     Abe:  Well...

     Iwata:  You mean to say you didn't experience any hardship at all?

     Sakamoto:  Of course we had hardships, but I just can't seem to put my finger on them...

     Abe:  It's difficult when I'm put on the spot like this.

     Iwata:  Don't worry, I'm not trying to force you to tell to the readers about all the struggle and hardship you went through making this title! (laughs)

     Abe:  Well, thinking about it now, something that did present a challenge was the decision that a single Wii Remote would be used as the controller throughout the game. I thought that as Wii comes packaged with both the Remote and Nunchuk, when two people were playing, I assumed that the Nunchuk would be used by the second player.

     Iwata:  I see.

     Abe:  And the decision was made that we'd only be using one.

     Iwata:  And what were the reasons for that?

     Abe:  Well...

     Sakamoto:  Everyone can have fun with just one controller!

     Abe:  That was it!

     Iwata:  That doesn't sound like a reason to me, but anyway...

     Abe:  We have made use of the Nunchuk during certain sections in the game though, but for the most part the Wii Remote, or Form Baton, takes centre stage and is used nearly all of the time.

     Iwata:  At the risk of answering my own question, perhaps you were able to make that decision because you were confident that the people watching the game, who aren't holding a Wii Remote, would still be able to have a great time just by being observers?

     Abe:  Right, right.

     Sakamoto:  I couldn't have put it better myself!

     Iwata:  ...

     Abe:  But seriously, making sure the person watching was having fun was something we always had at the forefront of our minds during development.

     Sakamoto:  I think it's a lot like in the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System, when the people watching enjoyed the games too. If the person holding the controller didn't know how to get past a certain stage in the game, the other person would say something like: "Not like that! Let me show you!" and even if they didn't know what to do either, everyone was able to enjoy the experience equally. In my opinion, sharing the fun was a very valuable part of the experience.

     Iwata:  Yes, that topic often came up in conversations I had with Sakamoto-san. Making the people watching say: "Give it here, I'll show you how it's done!"

     Sakamoto:  Precisely. I feel that games these days seem to have overlooked this aspect of playing.

     Iwata:  So in other words, making the games enjoyable for those watching presented you with various hardships.

     Abe:  Ah, yes, if you say so...

     Sakamoto:  I have no reason not to agree with your observation.

     Iwata:  (laughs) Let's just say you've made every effort to ensure that those watching can have just as much fun as the people playing. For instance, before each new form, slightly unusual, non-native Japanese has been used for giving the instructions.

     Abe:  Yes, a Canadian kindly provided us with the voice.

     Iwata:  Really? How come you got a Canadian to do it?

     Abe:  Well, we wanted the instructions for the forms to sound slightly over-the-top, we had been playing around with the idea of having them sound something like the Japanese language courses that are broadcast on TV abroad. And then, when Sakamoto-san and I were discussing who could provide us with that kind of voice...

     Sakamoto:  At that exact moment, a member of staff from Canada just happened to pass by the window.

     Iwata:  Really?

     Sakamoto:  As I glimpsed him walking past, I thought: "I wonder if he'd lend us his voice?" and it all started from there.

     Iwata:  Are you serious?

     Sakamoto:  I wasn't sure he'd be willing to help when I asked, but to my surprise he said yes. On top of that, his voice turned out to be just what we were looking for.

     Abe:  It was really good, better than we could've hoped for!

     Iwata:  So what was he doing prior to this?

     Abe:  He was working in the planning department and was producing some of the artwork.

     Iwata:  Who'd have thought that coming over to do some artwork would lead to providing the voice for the form instructions...

     Sakamoto:  It must've been quite a surprise.

     Abe:  Well, he certainly made a valuable contribution to the team in providing the game's narration.

     Iwata:  Yes, I suppose he did. Especially for someone who just happened to pass by the window at the right time.


Part 4 - Everyone in the Room Will Have a Grin on Their Face!


     Iwata:  When the original WarioWare title was launched, it wasn't a product we necessarily had hugely high commercial hopes for. However, since then it has grown into an indispensable series that has already made an appearance on the Nintendo DS and will soon be released simultaneously with the upcoming Wii. Speaking as the game's developers, it must make you feel quite proud.

     Sakamoto:  It certainly does. At the beginning, I expected it to be nothing more than a one-hit wonder, but when the Nintendo DS came along people were saying things like: "This hardware was made for the WarioWare series!" (laughs) That's why with the Wii launch, I'd already decided that I'd like to make a WarioWare title for it: I didn't need to be asked! Back when the first one was released, I never imagined it would develop into that kind of series.

     Abe:  With the first WarioWare game, it wasn't so much the specific character of the game that marked it out, but rather that Nintendo was quite a different company back then. Both inside and outside the company, there was a distinct image that we only produced "Nintendo-style" games. WarioWare was born out of a desire to depart from the norm, with that particular kind of fun that you only get when you make something different.

     Iwata:  When WarioWare was first being developed, I clearly remember you kept saying: "Let's do something Nintendo wouldn't do!"

     Sakamoto:  Yes we did, didn't we?

     Abe:  During the development, I did have my doubts about whether Nintendo would actually release it! (laughs)

     Iwata:  Well, it's not the most high-brow game in the world, is it? (laughs)

     All:  (laughter)

     Sakamoto:  There was a really positive atmosphere among the staff ever since the development of the first title. It was obvious to me that these people wanted to make the game a reality, and were used to buckling down and devoting themselves to projects. The problem we were faced with was how to make the game into a saleable package. We wanted to keep our ideas as we'd originally intended, but we also had to come up with a strategy to make it marketable. This got us scratching our heads, and caused a fair amount of worry.

     Iwata:  A funny thing is that it was none other than Shigeru Miyamoto-san himself who put the most thought into how best to market the first WarioWare game. We were trying to do something that wasn't typically Nintendo, or to put it in a more extreme way, something that Miyamoto-san wouldn't make, so we found it hugely amusing that he was the one thinking hardest about how to make the product marketable!

     Sakamoto:  That's right, it was Miyamoto-san who gave his approval to that slogan which went: "More! Shorter! Faster!"

     Iwata:  Yes, he was adamant that it be written on the package!

     Sakamoto:  I also remember him saying: "You can get away with saying more extreme things! Why not say: 'More! Shorter! Faster! Stupider!'" (laughs)

     Iwata:  At the time, Miyamoto-san put a lot of energy into showing how WarioWare's unusual yet amusing playing style made it distinct from all the other games out there, in the way it could be simply picked up and enjoyed without having to get deeply absorbed in it. And as a result, the games went on to become invaluable launch titles and even more than that, they marked the first of a new type of accessible software that appealed to a broad spectrum of people. The really interesting thing was that it was none other than Miyamoto-san who was demanding a game that he wouldn't make himself! Come to think of it, that's similar to the way the Mii Channel came about.

     Sakamoto:  It is, isn't it?

     Iwata:  The software that I was shown by you and your team was originally intended for the Nintendo DS. It was exactly what Miyamoto-san had been saying we should make for quite some time. When I showed it to him and suggested that this was the kind of thing he'd been looking for, the idea became the Mii Channel in no time.

     [Please see Part 4 of the Channels interviews in the "Iwata Asks..." series for further discussion of how this DS prototype software provided the basis for the Mii Channel.]

     Sakamoto:  I was really worried because I'd just come back from a business trip and was informed by a member of staff Iwata-san and Miyamoto-san were both here and that something had happened. I immediately feared the worst thinking that perhaps I'd done something wrong and was, well, rather worried...

     Iwata:  (laughs)

     Abe:  I've actually brought that software along today. Of course, it was never actually completed, but here it is anyway.

     Iwata:  This already contained all the basic elements of what would go on to become the Mii Channel. You could make faces with ease using the control system, and it had a very intuitive interface too. Miyamoto-san mentioned that he'd like to be able to create an "alter ego" that wasn't data-heavy and could be used to represent the player in lots of other games. And this was exactly what you'd made.

     Sakamoto:  Well, to tell the truth, we didn't really know that this was what Miyamoto-san had been after all along. What we had come up with was not first and foremost about making faces. In fact, it was simply intended to create avatar-like characters that could then be stored and used in various other games. So in the beginning, the software only allowed us to change the arrangement of the eyes, noses and mouths to create a face. I made the observation that the parts I'd need to make a digital version of myself were noticeably missing! (laughs) The eyes needed to be bigger and to be positioned at a different angle, but the software didn't allow for that. I asked: "Is there no way to change the size or angle of the face components?"

     Iwata:  That was the "Eureka" moment! If that concept hadn't been struck upon, the Mii Channel and Mii characters would never have been made and more than likely, Wii would have turned into a very different kind of console.

     Sakamoto:  Well, it sometimes pays to ask! And all because I couldn't make a likeness of my own face! (laughs) I had to tell the staff to adapt the program to allow people with "non-normal faces", like myself, to be able to make their faces as well.

     Iwata:  "Non-normal faces"! (laughs) If you hadn't said that one little thing, we wouldn't have the same Wii we do today!

     Abe:  To put it another way, if Sakamoto-san had a more normal-looking face, we wouldn't have Wii as it is now!

     Sakamoto:  That's right... Hey, wait a minute

     Iwata:  No, seriously you're quite right! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  It may be true that my face is a little out of the ordinary, but it isn't only me. There are many other people with "unique" faces around the world too you know! (laughs) It would have been a terrible mistake on our part not to make the faces completely customisable. And now, thanks to all the demands we made, you are able to make a real variety of faces.

     Iwata:  And that's when the software started to become really interesting. And of course, if it hadn't been interesting you would never have brought it to show me...

     Abe:  Sakamoto-san's strange face changed Wii forever!

     Sakamoto:  Okay, enough is enough. Let's leave it there, shall we?

     Iwata:  And now things have come full circle as the Mii Channel can be used with WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Could you tell us a little about how the Mii characters feature in WarioWare?

     Abe:  At the start of the game when you enter your name, you also have the option of selecting your Mii character and they'll pop up quite often during the course of your play. For example, there's one stage in the game where your Mii character's head will appear on top of a large spring; so basically you're a human spring! The object of the game is to dodge the ball that's thrown at you by holding the Form Baton over your head, adopting "The Mohawk" position, and leaning to the side. When you do this, your Mii in the game will mimic the movement in order to dodge the ball.

     Iwata:  The fact that the face you see on the screen belongs to you makes you try a lot harder too!

     Abe:  You really start to see things differently! (laughs)

     Iwata:  "Look, it's me!" (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  You tend to become very focused! (laughs)

     Abe:  Getting hit also becomes more infuriating though! (laughs) So basically that's the kind of pop-up appearance your Mii character tends to make in WarioWare.

     Sakamoto:  One of the most amusing parts is when a character appears on-screen facing away from you. You do your best to control the character, but when something goes wrong and you make a mistake, the character turns around to face you and you're staring at yourself! (laughs)

     Iwata:  That's a nice feature to have! (laughs)

     Sakamoto:  You don't think it's maybe a little "ridiculous?"

     Iwata:  Come to think of it, you're right, it's totally ridiculous! (laughs)

     All:  (laughter)

     Iwata:  Okay, before we wrap things up for today, would each of you like to say a little something to the many fans who have been patiently waiting for this game?

     Abe:  Of course. Up until now, the WarioWare games have featured primarily on handheld consoles, and have focused on allowing players to enjoy them in one-player mode. This time round though, we have endeavored to make the game into something that can be used to have fun with people. Of course, it's still a lot of fun to be played alone, but wherever possible, try to invite a few friends over, throw caution to the wind and let everyone enjoy the experience together!

     Sakamoto:  It really is a game that can be enjoyed by those playing and those watching alike. I think it makes the people watching really get into it. There's all sorts of fun stuff aside from the main body of the game. So it's something fun to play with people; it's a kind of party game because it suits all kinds of occasions. It naturally goes well with Christmas or New Year with the family. Even Grandma and Grandad can give it a go, and try some squatting! (laughs)

     Iwata:  In other words, WarioWare: Smooth Moves is a game that will have everyone in the room with a grin on their face with just one Wii Remote and a TV. As you've put that together, I want everyone to try it out and see what they think. I'm sorry to say that this interview didn't contain any accounts of terrible hardships this time round though! (laughs)

     All:  (laughter)

     Iwata:  Of course, I don't imagine for a second that the development of the game was all plain sailing. I'm sure there were times when you were all exhausted, but you never became downhearted. Actually, the WarioWare team always seem to go around with big grins on their faces!

     Sakamoto:  That's the way they tend to be anyway. But who knows, they could all be crying behind my back though! (laughs) But the impression I have, looking back over the whole project, is that most things went really smoothly and we had a lot of fun. I'm sure that everyone is suitably exhausted, but I can clearly see that they all enjoyed being part of the team and for that reason I think it all went really well from start to finish.

     Iwata:  In the real world there is no way you can create something good without some degree of struggle. But I think the fact that the development team never became dispirited was the reason that you have come up with a game that can make everyone smile.

     Sakamoto:  I'm sure that's true. It really comes across in games, doesn't it? The atmosphere among the developers, I mean. If the fun that everybody had making the game manages to be communicated in the game itself, then we couldn't have hoped for a better result

     Iwata:  But somehow it wouldn't have sounded right if you had told me that WarioWare:Smooth Moves was the result of painful struggle. After all, this is a game with a section where you have to put your finger up your nose!

     All:  (laughter)