Today, Capcom surprised us all by presenting its underwater exploration title Shinekwai: Getting Into That Go on the Nintendo Switch in the Shop. Previously a special Apple Arcade, the game puts you in the position of an explorer willing to unravel the secrets of the great ocean world.
We spoke with Peter Fabiano, CEO of Capcom's Global Research & Development Department, about the game and why the company is bringing it to the switch.
Nintendo's Life: Can you give us a background on how Shakseki: What Departments Go?
Peter Fabiano: Shinekwai conceived of the idea of transforming what could become a video game picture book. The underwater motif has allowed us to use something familiar and give the audience a sense of anonymity – what will they find? We wanted the world to be as colorful, varied and feel as little toys come to life.
They knew it would be a small group and the Director, Shuichi Kawata, is again the Artistic Director for the project. This has really allowed his perspective to come to life, not only in terms of how the game plays, but also in the wonderful, but also awesome, aesthetics.
What other projects did the Shinekwai team work on in the past?
The team members all have different histories within and outside the company. Many of them work Resident Evil Franchise and other Capcom Division 1 titles.
What games, movies or books have inspired Shinekwai's inspiration?
Mostly picture books, but also Japanese archeology. The Director and I are big fans of retro games and films from WETA and LAIKA.
Are there any features of Nintendo Switch that you wanted to use?
We love that Shift is a program that you can both play on TV or on the go.
How close are you to turning the game's touch controls into physical buttons? What challenges did you overcome by switching to a more traditional control system?
With the game already supporting the ability to play with the physical buttons on many platforms, it's not hard to bring it to Switch. We were always in physical control when building Shinekwai.
Sound is a major part of the Shinekwai experience; how has this translated into Change? Do you recommend people play the game with headphones with the best information?
We always recommend that people play with headphones to immerse themselves completely, but players should be content to play it with whatever sound system they like
What challenges have you faced when it comes to creating an incredible underwater environment?
From the very beginning, we had planned to create a "2D-like" game with real-time physics – which has been a challenge within it. Enemy placement and leveling are always important, but Director Shuichi in charge of the game and construction art really helped make the game feel good.
We think this game is designed to scale to suit the unique capabilities of various iOS devices; how well did you do this map to change unpaved / obsolete routes? Was it easy to find the performance levels you were hoping for?
As you suggest, we had already gone through some hardware configurations for various devices so we knew what we should be ready to do with a smooth transition to Nintendo Switch.
Is the game a direct port of the Apple Arcade version, or are any changes, such as gameplay / mechanics of the console version?
We've configured Shsekai Switch, so that an eye-catcher can see some minor changes in the setting, as well as some good performances, but the Switch players all find the same game with updated features.
Shinekwai got some great iOS updates; expect a similar response from Switch listeners?
We certainly hope so! We've added a completely new mode (Another Dive) that allows players who complete the game to use all they've learned to progress through the maze and fight against a new boss creature. In this mode, we've also included a progress tracking timer. So, after controlling your approach to this level, you can see how fast you can hit the boss, share the screen, and brag to your friends! There is also a new Jukebox mode that lets you listen to and touch music in that game.
We would like to thank Peter and the team at Capcom for their time.
