It's not often you get 'All-Star' casts in videogames, to the extent that those working on a game are world-renowned for other high-calibre projects. Enter ArtePiazza, a KOEI studio comprising four all-stars of the Dragon Quest game series.
Its first project is a brand new RPG for the Nintendo Wii, called Opoona, and the entire game is controlled by the Wii's Nunchuk – the Wii Remote isn't even required. This is not the only step outside the usual confines of the RPG format (or formula depending on your stance). ArtePiazza is also moving the focus away from the standard "single hero" or "chosen one" dynamic to one in which the family unit becomes centrally important.
To learn more about this curiously creative game, SPOnG spoke to Art Director Shintaro Majima and Planning Director Sachiko Sugimura about how Opoona plays, what its message is and where the concept came from.
