Joystiq interview: Castlevania's Koji Igarashi

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 23rd 2007 at 7:31PM }

One good thing about the small size of E For All was the ability to get some good sit-down time with a lot of the developers and producers. Konami was especially kind to us, and gave us open access to just about everything except Solid Snake. He was busy having his hair dyed and getting some Hollywood-esque plastic surgery done during his downtime in Los Angeles.

So we moved on to another entertainment idol who wields a whip. No, we don't mean Indiana Jones this time. Instead, it's all about Koji Igarashi, producer of the Castlevania series ever since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. He was on-hand at E For All, complete with a stylish hat and a black leather whip, ready to dish out justice to bloodsuckers and pimp out The Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP. Check out our brief interview after the jump, and be sure to sharpen your knives and compete in our very own Pumpkin Carving Contest where you can win your very own copy.

Gallery: E for All 2007

So, we see you've brought a whip with you. Is this the whip from Castlevania? Do you have to bust it out and use it every now and then?

If I use this in real life, I'll probably be arrested.

Okay, so tell us about your involvement with The Dracula X Chronicles and the Castlevania series.

I oversee everything for the game and the series, and I also wrote the scenario and the concept document for the game. I've also worked on every Castlevania game since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

So, The Dracula X Chronicles is only for the PlayStation Portable, correct?

Yes, this one is only for the PSP, although we've also made a version of this that can run on a PC engine.

Is this title the only PSP Castlevania title?

I can't tell you the details right now, but I am working on a version for the Nintendo DS.

Was there anything particularly challenging about developing a title for the PSP?

Well, we made some improvements over the console version. One specific thing was adding save points. In the Japanese market, all consumers play handheld games on the train. That means everyone has to stop and get off at certain stations, so we added save points so that you can save at any time if you need to.

The challenge on this title was the PSP graphics, because the graphic capability of the PSP is not as good as the consoles. Since we decided to make it 3D, there were a lot of challenges in making that work on the handheld.

The Castlevania series has been around for a long time. Is it challenging to keep it fresh and exciting?

Every time I make sure to have elements from previous games, and to add new elements so each franchise seems fresh and exciting.

So what's next after The Dracula X Chronicles?

I have been producing Castlevania on handheld products for a long time, but now we're thinking about producing a title for the next-gen consoles. Right now we're trying to decide which console to do that on.

Do you have an Xbox 360 or a PS3 at home?

I own an Xbox 360, but not a PS3. I really like the lineup of games on the Xbox 360. I plan on purchasing the PS3 once Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out. I'm also hoping the price will drop a bit!

Well, we'll look forward to whatever comes out next. Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy The Dracula X Chronicles!

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

gonk @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:42PM

hah, liked his last answer

and that's a nice whip. but dr. jones > the belmonts

Dio @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:44PM

I wish the fans could ask him questions, like if he plans to continue the current art style for the portable Castlevanias ;_; I really want the old style back.

I want one of those whips, unfortunately the Konami store is sold out.

gonk @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:49PM

you can get whips from lover's package

Dio @ Oct 23rd 2007 10:44PM

DAMNIT GONK

They're obviously not Castlevania whips >:[ GTFO or research on what an official Castlevania whip actually looks like.

gonk @ Oct 23rd 2007 10:47PM

are they like quistis's whips in ff8?

Dio @ Oct 24th 2007 1:41AM

http://www.konami.com/Konami/ctl3810/cp20117/si1651423/cl1/castlevania_whip

gonk @ Oct 24th 2007 1:53AM

so....it's a $30 whip? i don't see anything special about it

Dio @ Oct 24th 2007 2:55AM

I want one and I'm sure that other people do because they were very limited in quantity.

Psaakyrn @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:51PM

Egads, a Japanese game producer with an XBox 360 and no PS3? It does raise the chances that the 360 would get the next Castlevania instead of the PS3...

F. Rocker @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:52PM

Nice interview.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 24th 2007 12:11PM

Nice Avatar

Reuben @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:59PM

I can't stand the new anime style. It makes it hard for me to take the games seriously.

eM @ Oct 23rd 2007 10:24PM

That's okay.

I have trouble taking IGA's previously favored metrosexual bishie Castlevanias seriously.

Abscissa @ Oct 24th 2007 2:07PM

I'm with Reuben. Not only are those incredibly tasty sandwiches, but the sheer awesomeness of Alucard kicks the shit out of that pansy Soma any day.

Reuben @ Oct 24th 2007 7:19PM

you know...I've never actually eaten one of those sandwhiches. Must be a subconsious thing.

darkeyez @ Oct 23rd 2007 8:28PM

I hope it comes out on the PS3. Mostly because the PS3 could use the boost right now, but also because I don't want to have to get a 360 just yet. Ehh...I guess if it came out on 360, it would only be matter of time before it came out on PC. So, it don't matter in the end.

gonk @ Oct 23rd 2007 8:32PM

360 it is!

Knoxximus @ Oct 23rd 2007 8:41PM

U should of asked him the art department did indeed draw the PSP Dracula character on the cover in his likeness. To me, it's dead on Iga everytime I see that pic.

Ngamer @ Oct 23rd 2007 8:45PM

I remember completing Castlevania 2 : Simon's Quest and loved killing dracula at the end. The towns folk never made sense due to an error in the translation department. Maybe Konami can fix that up for the release on the VC.

Shattercross @ Oct 23rd 2007 8:47PM

Being as the last two console Castlevania games were multi-platform, I wouldn't be surprised if this next one turned out multi-platform too.

RoboJoel @ Oct 24th 2007 1:41AM

Only the more recent Curse of Darkness was multiplatfrom (Xbox and PS2), Lament of Innocence was a PS2 exclusive.

Rob Accomando @ Oct 23rd 2007 9:02PM

Forgot to ask:

Q: "Will there be another 3D Castlevania with the budget and production quality of Metal Gear Solid 4?"

gonk @ Oct 23rd 2007 9:26PM

hahahahahahaha

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 23rd 2007 10:16PM

Too bad I already used my "What is a (Insert thing)?",I'm looking foward to this game.

Please don't port it!

Count Noobula @ Oct 23rd 2007 10:50PM

I like the art style that they used on the cover of this game. I hope they go back to using the art from the Dracula X series, or an even more Gothic style. Apparently, there is another interview somewhere on the net where Igarashi said that Castlevania is more popular here in NA than in Japan. So my guess would be that the 360 for sure gets the next Castlevania. And I wouldn't doubt if the PS3 gets it too. I hope the Wii gets their own EXCLUSIVE version.