We live in an age of gaming where the games themselves are fantastic, most of the time, expansive, have near limitless possibilities, and so on. But something everyone loves to do every once in a while is be nostalgic about the video games they grew up on and the ones that inspired them to join the gaming industry. If you’re a fan of Masahiro Sakurai’s “Creating Games” series, you’ll know he did a video or two about this topic not too long ago. Fast forward to now, and Square Enix interviewed the Octopath Traveler II to talk about the games that helped “make them.”
In the chat with Square Enix, four key team members discussed things like their first gaming memories, and each one had a different story to tell.
For example, the game’s director, Keisuke Miyauchi, said:
“It would have been… Pinball on the NES, I think!”
As for composer Yasunori Nishiki, his memories were a little more skewed:
“I have an older brother, so I can remember watching him play from over his shoulder – I have vague memories of watching him play FINAL FANTASY IV. There was a little traditional sweet shop near my house, which had a STREET FIGHTER II arcade cabinet. I remember this distinctive voice coming from it: “Hadouken!”
Character Designer Naoki Ikushima was very familiar with a classic gaming title:
“For me, it would have been Super Mario Brothers. I was drawn into the world of the game. I loved picture books and being able to play an interactive game inside a world that looked like a picture book itself was a new experience for me.”
Finally, scenario writer Kakunoshin Futsuzawa finished with:
“The first game I remember playing would probably be STREET FIGHTER II.”
So as you can see, their experiences were rather different, and that’s totally fine. They also talked about the first Square Enix games they played, what video game soundtracks they adore more than anything and more. It’s a fascinating interview, and they clearly have a deep passion for video games.
Another thing they made sure to note was their love of the title they recently made. They asked players to check out Octopath Traveler II if they hadn’t already because they put everything into it and feel it’s one of the best things they’ve ever made. Many members were simply happy that they got to make a sequel like this.
So check out the interview, and then check out the game!
