Topic: Kid Icarus: Uprising Started Development on PC and Wii

[NWR_Neal]

While always planned for 3DS, it started development before development kits were even available.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/29675

Kid Icarus: Uprising has been in development so long that Masahiro Sakurai and Project Sora started working on it on PC and Wii before Project Sora was even officially formed, according to the latest Iwata Asks on the game.

"At first we didn't have the Nintendo 3DS development kit, so we started making it on a PC. Oh, and for a while we were using a Wii to make it!" Sakurai said and followed it up with an Iwata Asks-staple laugh.

That places the start of development at around 2008, meaning that it was worked on for about four years. Check below for some prototype video of the air and land battles, and read the full Iwata Asks for more details.

[Enner]

Ah, this explains how some of the game might feel to be better suited to a different platform. The PC/Wii footage looks really nice. Also, 4 years? Sakurai must have had little or no break after finishing Brawl.

[Racht]

Argh. This really makes me want to be able to play this game using the Wii remote. Cripes.

[NWR_insanolord]

The game seems built for Wii controls. Dual analog isn't fast enough to work for this, but pointer aiming would be.

[Racht]

It really makes me want to break out Sin & Punishment 2 for another go. I've yet to get my copy of KI:U in the mail! >_<

Hopefully tomorrow...

[Stogi]

4 years seems like a ridiculous amount of time, but I wonder if other devs had to start on the PC or Wii as well.

[MegaByte]

The game seems built for Wii controls. Dual analog isn't fast enough to work for this, but pointer aiming would be.

Certainly it could be adapted, but what would you propose for the turn mechanic?

4 years seems like a ridiculous amount of time, but I wonder if other devs had to start on the PC or Wii as well.

Given what the end result was (the sheer amount of everything imaginable), it's not a big surprise.

[NWR_insanolord]

The game seems built for Wii controls. Dual analog isn't fast enough to work for this, but pointer aiming would be.

Certainly it could be adapted, but what would you propose for the turn mechanic?

Bounding box, same as any Wii FPS. Make it small enough and it would provide the quickness and the accuracy necessary. The way this game is, I'm not sure any control scheme would work perfectly, but that would work at least as well as the final 3DS scheme does.

[Kytim89]

Is it possible that we could get a sequel to Uprising on the Wii U? Then again Sakurai should be working on the next Smash Brothers game, so if a sequel were to be made then it would most likely be handled by someone else.

[Stogi]

A sequel all depends on the sales. I can't imagine it being for anything other than the 3DS though, given the development time and the assets created.

[TJ Spyke]

The game has gotten of to a fantastic start in Japan at least, selling more than 100K copies in its first week. So that helps.

[Ceric]

While I like KI, I don't think there could be a sequel.  Now I do see an HD+ version for WiiU. 
 
They could have used a bounding box on 3DS.  It would have been bad.  I've only thought of 1 better scheme and that's for Vita.

[leahsdad]

4 years seems like a ridiculous amount of time, but I wonder if other devs had to start on the PC or Wii as well.

Given what the end result was (the sheer amount of everything imaginable), it's not a big surprise.

Definitely, the amount of content and pure design that went into this game, not to mention art and presentation aspects, is mind boggling for a Nintendo game.   I think I've yet to see a limit on the different kinds of weapons alone.

[pololmejor]

Ah, this explains how some of the game might feel to be better suited to a different platform. The PC/Wii footage looks really nice. Also, 4 years? Sakurai must have had little or no break after finishing Brawl.

And after finishing KI:U too. He finished it so he could start SSB for 3DS and WiiU 2 or 3 weeks later. He's a hard worker.

It really makes me want to break out Sin & Punishment 2 for another go. I've yet to get my copy of KI:U in the mail! >_<

Hopefully tomorrow...

I'm pretty sure I'll get my own in just a couple of hours !!

[NinSage]

I think a Wii U sequel would be great.  I bet there would be wiimote and tablet control options.

In any case, I think the future for this franchise is VERY BRIGHT!!

Also, I wouldn't get carried away on this report.  Some people are talking as if this was a Wii game that got crammed on to 3DS at the last second.  But, it had no better likelihood of being on the PC, right? So, let's take this story with some perspective.

[TJ Spyke]

Exactly, the interview makes it clear they were only using Wii and PC to develop it because they didn't have 3DS dev kits yet.

[Pandareus]

Some guy on your facebook page commented "Oh, think we'll get this for free on PC?". Haha, I assume he's refering to piracy when he says "free". Gotta love the internet.

[NinSage]

Some guy on your facebook page commented "Oh, think we'll get this for free on PC?". Haha, I assume he's refering to piracy when he says "free". Gotta love the internet.

There are so many things wrong with that thought. =P

[Enner]

I wouldn't mind having a PC, Wii, or Wii U digital version for free or a small fee after having the proper 3DS game. That's certainly a pipe dream though.

[NinSage]

@Enner

Is there something a million, billion times less likely than a pipe dream?  Cuz that's the odds of a video game company giving out a second copy of a game for a separate platform. =)

I like your optimism though!! ^_^

[Caterkiller]

Wrong thread.


Hope a sequel comes to Wii U!

[Enner]

@Enner

Is there something a million, billion times less likely than a pipe dream?  Cuz that's the odds of a video game company giving out a second copy of a game for a separate platform. =)

I like your optimism though!! ^_^

With Steam Play, Steam is giving you a Mac OS copy along with a Windows OS copy. It is still common to see separate Mac and Windows versions of PC games sold separately.

I'll grant you that not a whole lot of games support it (one count has the number at 200+, compared to the total amount of Steam games at 1500+). Still, there is precedent. It is most unlikely to happen with Nintendo given their philosophies of tailoring a game to take advantage of a platform or their business practice of selling the same game at full price multiple times.

[NWR_insanolord]

There's also the very real possibility of Sony (or others) giving out free Vita copies when you buy PS3 games in order to try to sell the hardware. The common link between that and the Steam PC/Mac deal is that it doesn't take that much more effort, at least allegedly in the PS3-Vita case, to  port things, and the potential reward is high enough to justify it. I don't think Nintendo would ever be in that position, at least not in the foreseeable future.

[TJ Spyke]

Sony is at least doing it with DLC. Go to the PlayStation Store lately and you will see tons of DLC that is listed as being for both the PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game.

[NinSage]

With Steam Play, Steam is giving you a Mac OS copy along with a Windows OS copy. It is still common to see separate Mac and Windows versions of PC games sold separately.

But are those retail priced purchases or more the sub $5 affairs?

There's also the very real possibility of Sony (or others) giving out free Vita copies when you buy PS3 games in order to try to sell the hardware.

Have you read somewhere that this is happening or do you just find it a "very real possibility" because it makes sense to you?

Sony is at least doing it with DLC. Go to the PlayStation Store lately and you will see tons of DLC that is listed as being for both the PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game.

Two problems with that comparison...

1) DLC is not a full game.

2) We were talking about the idea of a company saying "you bought this? here's something else for free as a thank you!"  DLC is basically the opposite of that.  It usually says "you bought this? here's something else for you to buy because now we know you want it!!"