The Seven Samurai inspires new action/fighting game, “Seven Samurai 20XX”

by Louis Bedigian

Sammy takes the thrill of the film to PS2.  Brian Glazebrook and Joon Hwang tell us how they did it.

Somewhere off the coast of Costa Rica, an evil witchdoctor is attempting to create the perfect samurai.

“Now that I’ve got the batter mixed,” he said with a smirk.  “I need some special ingredients.”

The witchdoctor noticed his son was surfing GameZone Online.  Then it hit him.  “My son’s gaming collection!”

He raided the collection, taking Soul Calibur, Mortal Kombat, and any other game that featured a great samurai warrior.

He threw the games into the bowl and mixed it up, then deciding to add a Solid Snake action figure.

“A great samurai needs to be sneaky,” he mumbled to himself.

After baking in a human-shaped pan for three hours, the witchdoctor put his treat on the table to cool.

A few moments later it woke up.

“Marvelous!  Look what I have created!  I am incredible!”

The samurai got out of the pan and spoke.  “I am Metal Gear the Second, Son of Calibur.”

The witchdoctor was baffled.  “What!?”

“Take me to Calibur!  Together we will defeat Shao Kahn and keep Revolver Ocelot from devouring the world’s soul.”

“Oh,” the witchdoctor sighs, covering his face in shame.  “What have I created?”

***

Is it possible to create the perfect samurai?  Not until the day comes when humans are being manufactured like Clonetroopers.

Is it possible to create the perfect samurai video game?  It hasn’t been done yet, but Sammy is hoping to please legions of samurai fans with Samurai Warrior 20XX.  Incase you hadn’t heard, the game was inspired by the legendary movie, The Seven Samurai.

Wanna know more?  We sure did!  So we did what any respectable game publication would do: grab a bunch of plastic samurai swords and battle till someone gets bored.  The other reviewers were pretty into it, so I snuck out the back and headed over to Sammy HQ, where I met up with Brian Glazebrook (producer of Samurai Warrior 20XX) and Joon Hwang (associate product manager).

Seven Samurai 20XX was inspired by the movie "Seven Samurai."  How did this project get started?  Whose idea was it?

Sammy: Mr. Hajime Satomi, chairman of Sammy Corporation, is not only a great fan of "The Seven Samurai," but he is also a close friend of Hisao Kurosawa, son of the legendary director.  In addition, Mr. Satomi has always been a great fan of Akira Kurosawa's classic tale.  He was very passionate about creating a game inspired by the movie, and it was his creative vision that initiated the projected. 

How closely did you guys work with Kurosawa Production?

Sammy: Hisao Kurosawa, son of the late Akira Kurosawa, has been heavily involved in production of this game.  As the game development process progressed, we regularly submitted builds of the game to the Kurosawa estate for feedback.

You'll battle all kinds of enemies in this game.

What do you think was so compelling about Kurosawa's work?  What was it that made you want to develop a game based on one of his films?

Sammy: It is a timeless classic that has inspired famous directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.  When the movie was released in 1954, it was hailed by critics around the world as one of the first true action movies.  It makes perfect sense that this work could be translated into a great action game - with a twist of course.

Now that we know how the game got started, tell us about the end result.  What can players expect from the gameplay?

Sammy: The game has been crafted so that even the most novices players can jump right in and enjoy the game but at the same time, it is challenging enough for experienced players to try and master the gameplay and explore the vast levels in the game.

This sword attack looks very effective.

Does Seven Samurai 20XX use any kind of combo attack system?

Sammy: Yes, there are 12 different combos for the Itoh Ryu (Single Sword) mode and four different combos for the Nitoh Ryu (Double Sword) mode. 

How extensive are the battles?  Are they timed?

Sammy: The battles are not timed, but are based either on how many enemies you defeated or how quickly you reach the goal.

Are there any puzzles to complete, or is Seven Samurai 20XX primarily about kicking major samurai butt?

Sammy: Since the game is geared for intense action and caters to even the most novices of players, puzzle solving does not play a major part.  There are portions of the game where speaking with the townsfolk and city dwellers will provide clues and hints so exploration of the vast levels is highly encouraged. 

Sharp graphics.

What are the difficulty settings in Seven Samurai 20XX?  Do more challenges open up after finishing the game?

Sammy: There are "normal" and "hard" settings for the first time through the game.  And yes, there are more challenges after finishing the game.  If you play through the game once, you will be able to unlock both survival and Coliseum modes.  Survival mode lets you play through each stage of the game without any health recovery items.  Coliseum mode allows you to play against all 30 of the boss characters in a coliseum.

Tell us about Ryuichi Sakamoto's contribution to the game.

Sammy: Ryuichi Sakamoto, who won an academy award for his work on films such as "The Last Emperor,  created the opening and ending themes of the game. 

Five hits are better than four.

How long did it take Ryuichi to complete the opening and ending themes?

Sammy: We (Sammy) went back and forth with Mr. Sakamoto for both the opening and ending theme for several months. 

If you could perfect just one gameplay aspect, which would it be?

Sammy: In this game we were able to work with some great talent including Hisao Kurosawa, Moebius and Sakamoto.  However it would have been nice to really make this a Hollywood production by leveraging some well known talent to do things like voice work. 

Thank you for your time.