WayForward Interview

Matt Bozon: We had a very cool opportunity to reinvent a brand that was flopping in Japan (a Dreamcast game called Star Ixiom). We signed on, but the deeper into the details we got the less Namco wanted to follow the original game. So in the end, we were allowed to make a completely new one.

C3: Unfortunately some gamers have come across glitches in their US copies (such as missing Gun Data that prevents an alternate ending being achieved). Do you know if these bugs will be ironed out for the European release?

Matt: I never heard of a missing Gun Data…But the “special� ending you’re referring to has to do with a couple of key decisions you make along the way, not really Gun Data related. I have heard that a bug still exists where you get a “never ending battle�. Some guys on GameFaq’s boiled it down to using the Vampire gun against tombstone enemies Chapter 5. I guess vampire weapons don’t work on the undead?

C3: Were there any fears that the shooting element of SSS would not be able to meet the quality set in classics such as Gradius or R-Type? And could you please tell our readers some more about the boss battles featured in the game?

Matt: Not really, since we were going for something very different. There are key differences between Sigma and those classic shooters. Sigma’s battles are more akin to Zelda 2’s random battles, not the long choreographed battles like in Gradius. Sigma has around 200+ random stages, 30 minibosses and a dozen main bosses. Like some RPG’s, finding a miniboss battle is like encountering a dragon in the wilderness…a huge level boost if you can survive the battle. But back to your Gradius questions, Iridion 2 is probably the closest thing to those classic shooters. Sigma is really a new concept altogether so there are no direct comparisons.

C3: High random enemy encounter rates have always been a sore point with the RPG gaming masses, therefore how does SSS attempt to prevent gamers from growing frustrated in this manner?

Matt: A couple of ways…our encounters are all action shooter, which is exciting even if it’s a battle you’ve played before. And, as the game progresses you can equip your ship with weapons that lessen these kinds of battles if that’s your preference. It is possible to create a weapon that lets you harvest extra EXP, while cutting down on random encounters. The endless weapon options really cut down the monotony usually associated with random battles.