In an in-depth discussion about the game’s development, Fukushima shed light on how the core gameplay came together. “Acquire had a really solid idea from the start,” he mentioned. Their initial proposal captured the imagination with a concept that framed the game as “A Mario story that’s uniquely yours. Living and adventuring on drifting islands.”
Ohashi shared his enthusiasm, “The notion of drifting islands was intriguing. I loved the idea of discovering an island, embarking on adventures, and building friendships with the islanders. It was exciting to envision connecting numerous islands and growing a team of allies for adventures.”
Otani chimed in, “I have to admit, it was a fresh concept. It wasn’t something any of us at Nintendo had thought of. Connecting different islands… that was outside the box for sure.” He chuckled at the thought.
Ohashi noted, “Capturing the essence of a ‘Mario & Luigi-like’ adventure took us a while, though. As we honed in on this new gameplay element, presenting tangible ideas to Nintendo was delayed, which understandably concerned them.”
Otani confessed, “I was feeling a bit uneasy. Fukushima-san and I kept wondering when Acquire would be ready to unveil their concept.”
Fukushima reassured, “Ohashi-san’s method is thorough; he takes his time to provide a well-thought-out answer, so we trusted his process. Nonetheless, we had several internal discussions about timing.”
Ohashi elaborated on the central gameplay, “Shipshape Island acts as the main hub for Mario and his crew. The idea was there, but fine-tuning how the island drifted across the ocean was a complex task.”
Fukushima explained the development hurdles, “Typically, we solidify the gameplay and story early. However, this time, it took longer. While refining battles and exploration, we were still nailing down key mechanics like the drifting system or scope — it felt like chasing after an ever-elusive goal.”
Otani pointed out, “We were used to developing gameplay first, then crafting a story to enhance it, led by a director’s vision. Acquire’s approach differed, as Ohashi-san focused on the gameplay, while an external team handled the story. Yet, in an RPG, the story and gameplay need to be tightly interwoven from the start.”
Ohashi acknowledged the challenge, “The story team struggled to perfectly capture that ‘Mario & Luigi’ vibe at first.”
But then, things started falling into place. “It all began coming together when we decided on themes for each sea area — family, friends, and so on,” Ohashi recalled.
Fukushima agreed, “Exactly, it’s when everything began aligning with our overarching theme of ‘connection.’ The gameplay was about linking islands, but it also mirrored the connections among the island inhabitants.”
