Gurumin 3D – Interview with the Developers (Nintendo Everything)
The developers at Mastiff & Falcom made a fun action-adventure title Gurumin on the PSP years ago but now the title is finding new life on the Nintendo 3DS with Gurumin 3D. This game is going to release on the 3DS E-Shop in the future.
Mastiff and Falcom’s action-adventure game Gurumin has been highly regarded over the years. The two sides are now teaming up once more to bring Nintendo fans the experience. Later this summer, Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure will be hitting the 3DS eShop.
We reached out to Mastiff to learn more about this new version of Gurumin. Bill Swartz, president and CEO, chatted with us about why the company is returning to the game on 3DS, the challenges of implementing stereoscopic 3D support, improvements, if a Wii U/NX version could actually happen, the possibility of a physical version, and more.
Nintendo Everything had an interview with the developers and some parts of that will be listed below but you can read the full interview at the source link.
Source: Nintendo Everything
For those who haven’t heard of Gurumin previously, can you share a brief overview of the game? What can players expect from the experience?
Well, as our initial game announcement says:
“Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure immerses players in a highly-vivid and fully 3D fantasy world, packed full of colorful characters voiced by an all-star cast. Real-time combat, mini-games, multiple endings, alternate gameplay modes, hidden characters, and a head-bobbing soundtrack all work in unison to create an enjoyable, fast-paced, immersive, and downright magical adventure.”
And ya’ know, I think that’s not a pretty good overview. As for the experience, I will (blushing slightly) defer to a journalist I once spoke with who described the game as Zelda meets Super Mario but with short range projectile weapons and lots of cuteness. Of course, that was an over-the-top compliment no game that isn’t Zelda or Mario could ever fully live up to, but it’s not bad description of Gurumin.
Gurumin originally came out a decade ago, but it’s been seeing new life lately between last year’s Steam release and now 3DS. Why has it been the time to revisit the game after so many years?
I’d turn that around and say why, oh why, was this treasure allowed to sleep for so long?
It really comes down to the evolution of the game industry and digital distribution, which has opened the door and allowed for us to share the game with a much wider and maybe even entirely new audience. That said, we are delighted for the opportunity to finally bring Gurumin to a Nintendo platform. The game really feels at home on the 3DS.
At what point was it first discussed to bring Gurumin to 3DS? Did Falcom come up with the idea, or did Mastiff take the initiative? How long has this version been in development?
It was something that Mastiff really wanted to do, and Falcom was kind enough to allow us the opportunity. The 3DS version has been in development for nearly a year now and we’re so close to release that we can practically taste Fan’s delicious Shortcake (*HP fully restored*)!
Aside from stereoscopic 3D, what else is new in Gurumin 3D? Is there any sort of new content compared to the Steam or original PSP version?
Yes, there are some new additions and improvements coming to Gurumin 3D. A few things like an improved in-game tutorial, improved menus, C-stick camera controls. We have also added more costumes for Parin to wear over the previously released versions.
But I want to stress how big a deal the 3D is. Gurumin has lots of open levels, lots of jumping horizontally and vertically, platforms, and lots of aerial multi-jumps/attacks. All of this makes it a great match for 3D. Its structure also makes it a great match for a portable unit.