This is a translation of Nintendo Dream August 2017, an interview with Kumazaki that covers the story of Amazing Mirror and Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, insight on Planet Robobot, and Kumazaki's game-making days as a student.
I originally decided to translate this for the info about Dark Mind and King D-Mind, but I ended up looking at the whole thing, since it also has info about PR and Kumazaki despite being a TKCD interview. I got these scans of the interview from a friend who said they got them from MeteorZ, as he uses them in one of his lore videos. But besides certain segments shown in his videos, I don't believe this has been fully translated, so I've taken the liberty of doing it, since the information of this interview is a massive gap in knowledge for most Kirby fans I've talked to.
Unlike my previous translations, I'm not including the Japanese text, only the translation, because firstly there's a lot of text and it looks really cluttered, and secondly because well it's from an image and I'd have to like transcribe with Google Lens or something and then fix it up.
Everyone! Kirby Hunters Z Character & Worldbuilding Background
Shinya Kumazaki-san
Chief Creator in Development Department #1 of HAL Laboratory Development Headquarters. Involved in development of Kirby since GC “Kirby’s Airride”, currently oversees the entire series as the General Director.
Interview with General Director Kumazaki
(This is the random blurb on the left under the box with 3DS in it) As with the last issue, this issue is also a feature on Kirby! From General Director Kumazaki, we’ll share the secret development stories of “Everyone! Kirby Hunters Z” (Hereafter “Hunters Z”) not told in the game. As well, news on the new title “Kirby’s Great Inhale Offensive” releasing this summer!
Everyone! Kirby Hunters Z is the Japanese name of Team Kirby Clash Deluxe.
Kirby’s Great Inhale Offensive is the Japanese name of Kirby’s Blowout Blast.
What is “Everyone! Kirby Hunters Z”?
Choose 1 job you prefer from “Sword Hero”, “Heavy Hammer”, “Heal Doctor”, and “Magic Beam”, and four Kirbys will cooperate to defeat giant enemies in this co-op action game. You’ll level up as experience points accumulate. Buy and equip weapons and armor and challenge various quests!
(Ice Dragon battle and Colossal Waddle Dee quest board caption) ←↑Play with up to 4 players using local communications by bringing multiple 3DSs with the software. There are more than 40 types of quests to play and it’s outstandingly non-repetitive!
遊び応え = worth playing/satisfying/deep/fulfilling gameplay/non-repetitive or something
★ The Reason Bandana Waddle Dee was Chosen as the Guide of Pupupu Kingdom
― Why is the bandana-wearing Waddle Dee kindly and politely instructing Kirby on this and that?
Kumazaki: When we set out to create an RPG-style world called the Pupupu Kingdom, we needed a background character to be a resident of the kingdom. I thought that a Waddle Dee would obviously be suited to be a citizen, but to stand out as an individual, it was necessary that they were someone who would make you want to start a conversation. Also, the first quest is a fight with Grand Waddle Dee… it’s tricky in a series like “Kirby”.
― What does that mean?
Kumazaki: Waddle Dees are considered enemies. However, the bandana-wearing Waddle Dee participated as one of the friends within “Kirby of the Stars Wii”, and was an assistant that gave you things such as healing items in “Kirby of the Stars: Triple Deluxe” and “Kirby of the Stars: Robobo Planet”. Also, a bandana itself is very easy to handle, and matches the aesthetic of whatever world. It matches the middle-ages RPG style worldbuilding, and also it's naturally a perfect match for Kirby’s world. Bandana Waddle Dee is super convenient because he solves a whole variety of problems at once (Laughs).
(Grand Waddle Dee battle caption) ↑The first fight is this Grand Waddle Dee. Fight in order to stop its rampage.
― I see (Laughs). Speaking of Waddle Dee’s, I’ve been curious for a while, can they speak human languages?
Kumazaki: Because Waddle Dees don’t have a mouth, they speak as per the sound effect that sounds like monyo monyo. I don’t know if they can speak human languages, perhaps Kirby senses whatever the Waddle Dees are saying.
(Talking to the town guide caption) ↑So Kirby senses Bandana Waddle Dee’s messages!
― Kirby doesn’t speak much either.
Kumazaki: I think Kirby should be silent. But if you do that, it means that there isn’t any character who’ll talk. For “Kirby of the Stars Wii”, I left most of the dialogue to Magolor.
― So that’s how it was.
Kumazaki: I think having the minimal amount of messages that can make characterization recognizable is sufficient for building emotion and story. I think it's on a title by title basis as needed, and would not be the case if a Kirby game is created that would be enhanced by characters speaking more lines.
Very iffy on what this second sentence actually says. タイトルごとに必要に応じてとは思いますが､もしセリフを喋った方が盛り上がる「カービィ」のゲームが誕生するのであれば、その限りではないかなと。
★ A Story That’s Made Deep and Summarized Simply
― How is the World of “Hunters Z” Made?
Kumazaki: Although the backstory I created was deep, I decided I wanted the game to be simple to play, so not every element was included. I decided to imply the story in “Hunters Z” through illustrations and other means, but while the gameplay itself was solidified, I adjusted the story portion quite a bit with director Todo (Yumi-san). I shrunk the volume to the minimum acceptable for an action game, so even after clearing it, you could continue talking about how this game is based on fragmented information, even when not playing the game.
(Prologue caption) ↑Things such as an appearance that resembles reading a book, and visual accompaniment in the style of illustrations were devised to enhance the imagination!
★ That Mirror Created the Another Bosses
Parallel Bosses are called Another Bosses in Japanese
― Where exactly did Another (Parallel) Susie come from?
Kumazaki: The backstory emerged from the Another Dimension Road that was in “Kirby of the Stars Wii”. What connected to Another Dimension was the power of the magic-possessing "Distorted Black Dimension Mirror" which Taranza used, and consequently the balance of the worlds collapses, resulting in Another (Parallel) Susie and the others being summoned. As a result of Taranza’s desire to revive Queen Sectonia using that Distorted Mirror, Another (Parallel) versions of past bosses are born one after the other, and in the end, as he loses control, even Taranza’s own alter-ego/offshoot (分身), Dark Taranza, is born.
Another Dimension Road is removed from the English description for riding Landia and the cutscene title for Magolor shooting you down, but it's still mentioned once in Magolor's conversations, translated as interdimensional tunnel. Planet Robobot translates it as extra-dimensional road. It is the road that leads to a variety of other dimensions and connects Popstar to Halcandra... essentially literally everything we've seen of Another Dimension is the Another Dimension Road.
(Parallel Susie caption) →So, another world’s Susie was summoned. She’s not wearing her gold hair ornament, the little differences are curious!
★ How the Last Boss Mutated Into Dark Mind’s Appearance
― The mastermind behind the story is Taranza, but the true last boss betrays fans’ expectations well…!
Kumazaki: Given that Taranza manipulated Great King Dedede as the Hero of the Lower World in “Kirby of the Stars: Triple Deluxe”, King D-Mind was created from the “Distorted Mirror” as what Dark Taranza considers the most savage individual. The backstory of “Kirby of the Stars: The Great Labyrinth of Mirrors” is that “Evil minds were gathered and born within the Dimension Mirror”. This time, Taranza’s evil mind gathers in King D-Mind, who is not the actual Great King Dedede, and consequently, Dark Mind emerges from within his body. Dark Taranza produced what he considered to be the strongest warrior, but despite his efforts, in the end he’ll be discarded, a development typical for Taranza.
(King D-Mind emerging from the Distorted Mirror caption) ↑It’s not actually him since it’s a being created from the mirror, but it’s been quite a while since Great King Dedede appeared as the last boss?
Guess they're ignoring Fighters Deluxe, lol.
(King D-Mind swinging his axe and his Dark Mind core caption) →His attacks and movements are (the same as) Great King Dedede’s… or so you think, but during the second phase, he transforms into the figure on the right
(Masked Dedede's Revenge caption) ↑Great King Dedede battles Kirby while manipulated by Taranza. His attacks using an ax rather than the usual hammer are impactful
(Dark Mind caption) ←Dark Mind’s final form looks like a big eyeball.
(Dark Mind chase caption) →At the end of the battle, he turns small and tries to escape… and is chased and destroyed!
Interview Tidbits 1
Hidden Episodes of Storytelling
An interview with Kumazaki-san was published in the previous Kirby of the Stars 25th Anniversary feature. This time, we will deliver a secret episode on the story production of “Kirby of the Stars: Robobo Planet” and memories of game development as a student.
Kumazaki: When creating a story that appeals with a new world design and emotions, I thought about what would have the greatest emotional impact. So, I came up with the backstory of a father who became a money-grubber and forgets his beloved daughter (that or a daughter loses her memories of her father). Since I had a daughter myself, I thought that nothing could be more shocking... The love between a parent and child is very exciting. So, Planet Robobot’s story is a story I made as what I thought would have the greatest emotional impact at the time.
(Susie giving you an Invader Armor caption) ←The story’s impression changes with the perspective that the company president’s secretary was his blood-related daughter.
(Kumazaki caption) "The games are made with the quality of being an all-ages game not just made for children, but also played by beginners."
Very iffy about this sentence too. 「子供向けでなく、初心者でも遊べる、全年齢のゲームとしてのクオリティを意識して作っています」
★ Why the First Boss was Kracko
― Why is the first Ordeal Quest Boss not Whispy Woods?
Kumazaki: Whispy Woods appeared as a boss in the previous sub-game version entry, so I decided I wanted a change, and the main reason is that Kracko did not appear in the previous entry. Unlike the bosses up until then that are fought on land, Kracko flies in the air, so he was suitable to be a demonstrative boss battle for team tactics. Whispy Woods is the “Kirby” series’ early skill check boss, but Grand Waddle Dee fulfills that role in this title.
(Whispy Woods battle caption) ↑Now that he’s not the first boss, he seems a bit tougher than before!?
★ The Scene Itself is Sometimes Changed Due to the Music
― The music in “Hunters Z” is pretty good too. The Ordeal Quest’s BGM is particularly intense!
Kumazaki: The music is titled “Save the Kingdom! Ordeal Quest” (Composition: Hirokazu Ando-san), it’s a cool track I’d like to use in the main “Kirby” series. I thought it would be more exciting if people went “Oh!” at the first Ordeal Quest, so I wanted a boss suited to this track to appear. So, I thought, rather than Whispy Woods… Kracko! The sense of accomplishment of Ordeal Quests is big in this title, and the 完成度 quality of this track became an influence on the game's excitement. The directing may be arranged based on the outcome of the music. In the past in “Kirby of the Stars Wii”, in order to make the Grand Doomer battle more exciting, instead of the usual boss theme, it was given a different stage theme as his own theme to make it ostensibly seem like it was the Last Battle.
完成度 'degree of perfection/completion' is a made-up term in Japanese art critique that can simply mean quality, but could also mean the accuracy of the final product to the original intent, or if the final product was worth what was invested into it. Or like... literally anything else as far as I can tell.
(Kracko battle caption) ←Kracko is a classic boss just like Whispy Woods!
― Did changing the whole game based on music come about from a development structure with Kumazaki-san at its center?
Kumazaki: Maybe… I think so. I ask each composer “Please make a theme like this”, but it may or may not be the case that the result has more impact than I thought. Rather than adjusting the 完成度 quality by repeatedly retaking in order to fall in line with the specifications decided at the start, good things are good, so I find the best scenario to use them.
― Your impression (of the music) expands when you listen to the music, doesn’t it?
Kumazaki: That’s right. I work while listening throughout the day. So, if we make a lot of good themes, we readjust the boss battle direction to match.
― It’s growing more and more over the top, isn’t it (Laughs).
Kumazaki: You can’t make it so that a theme is always rising in temperature towards the climax. For example, although a theme might have been made for the first stage, it sounds like it’s from the climax no matter how I think about it (Laughs). If a stage theme from the second half sounds like a battle theme, that theme can be a boss battle theme, or if there aren’t enough extremely Kirby-like themes, Kirby-like themes from the second half can be brought to the front… that’s how I develop. The last boss themes always get finished as I imagined them, but the last boss themes in this title even explains the backstory through the change in music.
Interview Tidbits 2
Memories of Game-Making Starting as a Student
― Is there anything that was particularly memorable in your experience making games?
Kumazaki: I started out around when I was a student. When I was in elementary school, I tried making games like Sugoroku, or messing around voluntarily making wild drawings of the map for something like W9-1 or W10-1 of “Super Mario”. I didn’t have access to a computer, so I was a painter-type. However, once “RPG Maker” (※1) and “Dezaemon” (※2) were released for home game consoles, I started making games that could actually be played.
Sugoroku is a Japanese board game similar to Backgammon.
― It’s now the age where you can make games with games.
Kumazaki: So when I was around 18, I got my friends to form a team and enter an “RPG Maker” game contest (※3). But as we were making it, we realized we wouldn’t make it in time for the application deadline as things were. Even if there’s a team, if you’re making it for fun and the power balance is even, there’s no such sense of duty like “If this can’t be done in time, it should stop”, so development speed doesn’t increase.
Japanese doesn't require I or we so I've just assumed anything ambiguous as we in this story of the contest.
― By the way, what kind of RPG did you make?
Kumazaki: Depicting the Hero’s solitude and the world after the subjugation of the Demon King… We were trying to make an RPG with a long story. But we thought “We can’t make the deadline at this rate!”, so we used the assets that we had then, and remade them into an action RPG. Furthermore, we put together a schedule and wrote “Complete graphics by here” on the calendar. Recently, I suddenly realized, I was reorganizing a project back then!
― Amazing (Laughs).
Kumazaki: Looking back on how we strived from our predicament until its completion, we were also learning a lot about game-making, and I think we did a great job. It was good experience to cram as much as we could into the title, completing it, and having it properly evaluated in the contest.
― As a result, you were chosen for the grand prize in the contest.
Kumazaki: That’s right. My dream of making games that I’ve always had since I was a child has come true. That’s why I’m really happy every day now, and I feel thankful while creating.
(HAL Lab blog and photoshoot caption) ↑Kumazaki-san wrote about the interview published in last month’s edition on the HAL Lab blog. Behind the scenes of the shoot, the editor-in-chief was also taking photos.
(MONSTER SCHOOL caption) ←This is the RPG which won the grand prize, “MONSTER SCHOOL”. The protagonist is a teacher.
Annotations
※1: As the name suggests, it's a software that allows you to create RPGs. Released on various platforms, from PCs to home consoles.
※2: A software that allows you to make shooting games. Kumazaki-san was playing the Super Famicom version of "Dezaimon".
※3: A game contest with prize money as the grand prize that selects an original game made with "RPG Maker". Kumazaki-san used the "RPG Maker" series and applied for the "ASCII Entertainment Software Contest" and "Tag de Maker Contest".
