With Pikmin 4 releasing nearer to the end of this week, Nintendo has seen to it to make sure Pikmin 4 was the latest game to get the “Ask the Developer” interview treatment. Across the interview’s multiple instalments, we got to hear from the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto, Yuji Kando and more.
During the interview, Yuji Kando, Yutaka Hiramuki, Taku Matoba, and Mitsushiro Kida, all weighed in on their involvement with the development of Pikmin 4:
Pikmin Devs on their Involvement with the Development of Pikmin 4:
Yuji Kando: I joined the development of Pikmin 4, continuing on from Pikmin, Pikmin 2, and Pikmin 3. I was the chief director and programming director for this title. To be more specific, I was in charge of the general game design and level design, the base programming of the game system, and deciding on the game’s direction. So, I was like the head chef of a restaurant, overseeing lots of different processes.
Yutaka Hiramuki: Hello, I’m Yutaka Hiramuki, one of the planning directors for this game. I was responsible for overseeing the overall level design, creature specifications, and the story, including cutscenes and script. Actually, I’ve been involved in the series for a long time. In the first game, I programmed the controller’s rumble feature. In the second game, I was involved in the level design of underground caves. My involvement in Pikmin 3 was roughly the same as in Pikmin 4.
Taku Matoba: Hi, I’m Taku Matoba, one of the planning directors. I was mainly involved in the UI, the design and placement of in-game objects, and treasures. I also shared the workload with Kando-san and Hiramuki-san on the level design. In the second game, I was involved in creating the underground caves, and in the third game, creating the versus mode.
Mitsuhiro Kida: Hello. I’m Mitsuhiro Kida, the sound director. I managed the background music and sound effects in consultation with our staff and determined how best to bring out the sounds. I’ve been involved in the series since Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
For the full interview, why not click here to check out Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4 – Chapter 1Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4 – Chapter 2.
Ask the Developer | Pikmin 4 (Participating Developers)
- Shigeru Miyamoto | Representative Director Fellow
- Yuji Kando | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Production Group No.10
- Yutaka Hiramuki | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Production Group No.10
- Taku Matoba | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Production Group No.10
- Mitsuhiro Kida | Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Sound Management Group
