If I were to make a game with my work.
-Since both of you are artists, can you explain the monsters in "Monster Hunter" from an artistic point of view?
FACE: That's difficult (laughs). Well, people who draw sometimes create fictional characters, and I am sure they have been doing that since childhood. I wonder if it is connected to that.
SHINKNOWNSUKE: When I was a kid, I used to imagine and draw my own swords. Like, this is so high level and so strong.
FACE: Yes, yes. I think that is also a big influence of the game.
SHINKNOWNSUKE: It is a grand and romantic idea to have all these things made in CG as an adult, and have people around the world recognize them as strong weapons and monsters. I think it is an interesting world.
FACE: I wonder what it would feel like to have a monster that I have created and thought up myself move in a game. I long to be a part of it.
-The game is also the starting point of your imagination.
FACE: There is a definite trigger that made me yearn to see my own drawings move in a game. A long time ago, there was a TV program that featured a character drawn by Noritake Kinashi of Tunnels fame in a game. When I saw that, I was very envious.
- "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter," a fighting game released in 1997 on arcade machines in video arcades.
FACE: That's it! The character "Kenmaro" throws stationery as a special move. I really remember the character moving and fighting with no sense of a game.
-You both draw deformed characters, don't you? Monsters in "Monster Hunter" have their own characteristics, so it must be easy to deform them, don't you think? What do you pay attention to when drawing deformed characters?
SHINKNOWNSUKE: I would think about the balance between the body and the face. For example, the "Airou" on this T-shirt is a little too realistic, so I need to simplify it more. I think about what to cut rather than what to emphasize.
FACE: There are various tastes in deformation, such as American comic style or Japanese character style. In my case, I decide on the style first, and then deform it according to that style. For example, when it comes to dragons, I have an image of a dragon character in mind first, so sometimes I have that in mind.
SHINKNOWNSUKE: Certainly, there are times when a hint inspired by something else can help us find a place to drop.
FACE: When you deform it, it becomes cute.
SHINKNOWNSUKE: Yes, it is. It doesn't have the same nuance as the original.
-By the way, if you were to make a game with your own characters, what kind of game would you want to make?
FACE: We've talked about it a few times. He said he'd like to try it someday.
SHINKNOWNSUKE: It's a dream. Unlike animation, the player can move it.
FACE: If it were me, I would make an RPG like "Mother 2" where you go on an adventure. Shin's character would be the last boss.
SHINKNOWNSUKE: Glad to hear it. I'd like to transform to about a fifth form.
FACE: I'm like, "When can I beat this?" ( lol ). If it were Mr. Shin, would it be an FPS?
SHINKNOWNSUKE: An FPS with graphics like "The Legend of Zelda" would be interesting. But I would also like a game that is easy for children to play, like "The Fall Guys" where you just push each other to survive. The characters would also fit with a loose design.
FACE: Party games are also good.
