Jett Rocket was released on the WiiWare service a few weeks ago and has easily become of the most popular titles of the year, and for good reason, too. With that in mind, we managed to catch up with Manfred Linzner from Shin’en to talk to us about his latest creation.

Nintendo World Report (NWR): Jett Rocket is one of the most visually impressive WiiWare titles to date. Were there any problems trying to compress the game to fit into the size limitations?

Manfred Linzner (ML): Although it was much work there were not too much problems. Fortunately we started with our various compression schemes and techniques already on the DS. We used then improved versions of that tech on the Wii.

NWR: How long was Jett Rocket in development? Did you encounter any problems while developing it?

ML: It's been around 1.5 years, but in this time we also worked on other games like ART OF BALANCE. The biggest challenges were to create a good camera and physics system.

NWR: What was your inspiration for Jett Rocket, specifically its visuals?

ML: We did a some very nice and colorful jump'n'run games for the DS. So we already had an idea of where we wanted to go. So there was no direct inspiration for the graphics itself but for the lighting it was definitely Mario Galaxy.

NWR: Jett Rocket has often been compared by critics to Super Mario Galaxy. How do you feel about this comparison and do you think it is a reasonable one to make?

ML: I think its very natural that people do that comparison because nowadays there are only very few 3D jump'n'runs in development and the most known is simply SMG. The gameplay and feel of Jett Rocket is very different to that in SMG. People should just give it try and i'm pretty sure they will have a good time with it.

NWR: How many frames per second does Jett Rocket run at? Was it a challenge to maintain this number?

ML: Jett Rocket does always run in super smooth 60fps. It is very challenging to achieve that while still having good visuals and complex physics on the screen. However, we are ourselves gamers since the early 80s and we still feel nothing beats the smoothness of a 60fps game.

NWR: Why did you decide to include various means of transportation in Jett Rocket, such as snowboards and jet boats?

ML: Jett Rocket is a very agile character and so it just felt right to have him use different speedy vehicles. Its also simply big fun to test the different vehicles and solve the levels with them.

NWR: Jett Rocket has been criticized for being a short game. Did you ever consider turning it into a retail game to add more content to it?

ML: We always have seen JR as a game with great quality. We don't think too much in terms of retail or download. I think the best games on WiiWare are games like Lost Winds or Nyx Quest. Although both can be played through in less time then Jett Rocket they are great games and worth their money.

NWR: What are the chances of a sequel to Jett Rocket on WiiWare? What would determine whether or not a project like this would be given a green light?

ML: We would love to see Mr. Rocket in more games. Of course the final word is at the WiiWare community. If there are enough sales with Jett Rocket on Wii Ware everything is possible.

NWR: Shin’en has released two other WiiWare games in the past, those being Fun! Fun! Minigolf and Art of Balance. Have you been pleased with the reactions that these games have received?

ML: We are very happy with the reactions. We got excellent reviews for Art of Balance, it's maybe even one of the best rated Wii Ware games at all. Fun! Fun! Minigolf  is a longtime seller and also Jett Rocket jumped in the first days after its release right into the charts.

NWR: Do you have any more upcoming WiiWare games? If so, when can we expect to be able to play them?

ML: We always work on new games tho currently we can't announce anything new. We hope to have an announcement for upcoming fall. At least i can say it won't take years until you will see the next Shin'en game.

NWR: Why did you decide to release Jett Rocket on the WiiWare service as opposed to the various services that other consoles offer?

ML: We are longtime Nintendo developers. Also we really like the Wii. So it was a perfect match for us to develop on the Wii. We decided for a download title because you can just start developing without first looking for a publisher.

NWR: What are your thoughts about DSiWare? Have you ever considered developing for that particular service?

ML: We think DSiWare is a great service but as we currently concentrate on the Wii we don't plan to do DSi games.

NWR: Can we expect Shin’en to start developing retail Wii games in the future?

ML: If there is an interesting chance to do so we would go for it.

NWR: The Nintendo 3DS is scheduled to launch within the next year. Have you thought about developing games for that handheld, whether they be retail or digital?

ML: The 3DS looks like a very good platform. We developed for the GBC, the GBA, the DS and for the Wii. As said, 3DS development would be a natural move for us.

NWR: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?

ML: Give Mr. Rocket a try and experience what can be done on WiiWare for yourself! And thanks for reading this interview.

Thank you to Manfred Linzner and Shin'en for making this interview possible!