Ex-CAVE Director Teases New SHMUP to be Developed by MAGES

Speaking with a Japanese game media publication, Dengenki, director at MAGES Makoto Asada, shared what future project he is working on.

For those who haven’t followed Asada-san’s previous works, he was a director and producer at SHMUP developer CAVE. His last game with the company was the 2013 release of Dodonpachi Saidaioujou on Xbox 360.

When asked what games he’s working on, Asada-san responded, “…I am working on a shoot-em-up as a producer. I hope to bring it as soon as possible.”

This game will be developed by MAGES, and Asada-san reflected on his previous work in development by sharing, “It’s been 10 years since I left Cave, so it’s been a while since I’ve released a completely new shooter. And I think those long years have made me get the nostalgic feeling of “Oh my, I’m off by one frame.” Also, my eyesight has worsened, and my body is starting to feel its age. I can’t think about the whole structure of the game, but my objective is to produce something that is fun to play as a shooter.”

Without explaining the game’s title, he did go into some detail about how the game will be played, saying, “We are using a slightly different approach that is not often used in consumer games. We are not trying to include a story or an adventure part in the middle and are trying something new. We will include a kind of growth element so that the game can be played over and over again rather than just once.”

Again reflecting on his time developing at CAVE. Asada-san says, “It has been a long time since we have made a shooter, so of course, sales are important, but we also keep in mind that we want to make a game that we think is fun. However, there is a 10-year blank there, so I am a little concerned about how it will turn out. Honestly, I pull out some of my older titles and go: “Wait, I made this?” and get surprised. (laughs)”

We’ll keep you updated on future announcements from the developer.

Interview translated by Angelus Victor.