Exclusive: Interview with Two Tribes 
Exclusive: Interview with Two Tribes
Two Tribes recently launched Toki Tori for Nintendos WiiWare service. Nordic Nintendo community N-Gamez contacted Two Tribes asking about their general reception of the WiiWare service as well as the process of developing Toki Tori for WiiWare.
The following is the original text-based interview with Two Tribes' Martijn Reuvers. For more information on Two Tribes and Toki Tori, visit www.twotribes.com. Be sure to check our exclusive review of Toki Tori here.
Interview
N-Gamez: First of all congratulations on the release of Toki Tori. How has reactions been so far, from fans and critics alike?
Martijn Reuvers: Very good! The consensus seems to be that Toki Tori is a quality game with old school gameplay values, and we agree completely ;)
N-Gamez: Originally being a GameBoy Color game, how has Toki Tori for WiiWare evolved, and which thoughts went into enhancing the experience, e.g. designing with the Wii controller in mind?
Martijn Reuvers: There is a completely new (optional) control scheme in the game, which uses path finding algorythms to guide Toki Tori through the world. Players simply click on a spot in the level and Toki Tori will go here himself! It's a more relaxed way of playing and is exclusive to the Wii version of the game.
N-Gamez: Why was WiiWare chosen as platform for the new Toki Tori game?
Martijn Reuvers: The game plays, looks and feels like an old school Nintendo game, so it just made sense to put it out on WiiWare.
N-Gamez: What are your general thoughts on Nintendos WiiWare service, how does it differ from competing services like Xbox Live Arcade or Playstation Network, and where does its strengths lie?
Martijn Reuvers: I think it has a lot of potential, but so far I have yet to see a games really taking advantage of the creative freedom offered by WiiWare. And yes, I do know that Toki Tori is also an enhanced port of an existing game. ;)
N-Gamez: Being your first console game, how was the process of developing Toki Tori for the WiiWare service compared to your previous handheld productions?
Martijn Reuvers: It was rather similar actually. The main difference for us has been the quality of the graphics and music that is possible using console hardware, so we had to adjust to that a little in the beginning.
N-Gamez: Can you share some details on directions set by Nintendo, e.g. size limits when developing for WiiWare?
Martijn Reuvers: Unfortunately not.
N-Gamez: Previously you've been working with companies like Capcom and THQ, how has it been working with Nintendo compared to other developers?
Martijn Reuvers: We have worked with a lot of publishers, but in this case Nintendo does not act as a publisher. It more acts as a carrier for your game, similar to how mobile phone operators offer game portals to clients. In fact, Two Tribes is officially the publisher of Toki Tori.
N-Gamez: Since the launch of the Nintendo Wii, talk of casual versus hardcore gamers has been long. Returning to Toki Tori, did you have any specific target audience in mind developing the game for the Wii?
Martijn Reuvers: We don't think Toki Tori is necessarily a hardcore or casual game. The target audience for Toki Tori is the audience that likes to be challenged when playing puzzle games.
N-Gamez: How do you see the Nintendo Wii in terms of audience and where do you think it's heading?
Martijn Reuvers: It's anyone's guess where it is heading, but for now it has been growing very rapidly and reaching a wide audience. This means there are a lot of different opportunities for developers to aim for different target audiences, which is always a good thing.
N-Gamez: Finally, can we expect more Toki Tori in the future, and what can you tell us about upcoming projects?
Martijn Reuvers: Who knows.. for now we're working on some other projects, but perhaps we'll surprise you in the future with another WiiWare and/or Toki Tori announcement. Keep an eye out on our website!
N-Gamez thanks Two Tribes' Martijn Reuvers for the interview.
The following is the original text-based interview with Two Tribes' Martijn Reuvers. For more information on Two Tribes and Toki Tori, visit www.twotribes.com. Be sure to check our exclusive review of Toki Tori here.
Interview
N-Gamez: First of all congratulations on the release of Toki Tori. How has reactions been so far, from fans and critics alike?
Martijn Reuvers: Very good! The consensus seems to be that Toki Tori is a quality game with old school gameplay values, and we agree completely ;)
N-Gamez: Originally being a GameBoy Color game, how has Toki Tori for WiiWare evolved, and which thoughts went into enhancing the experience, e.g. designing with the Wii controller in mind?
Martijn Reuvers: There is a completely new (optional) control scheme in the game, which uses path finding algorythms to guide Toki Tori through the world. Players simply click on a spot in the level and Toki Tori will go here himself! It's a more relaxed way of playing and is exclusive to the Wii version of the game.
N-Gamez: Why was WiiWare chosen as platform for the new Toki Tori game?
Martijn Reuvers: The game plays, looks and feels like an old school Nintendo game, so it just made sense to put it out on WiiWare.
N-Gamez: What are your general thoughts on Nintendos WiiWare service, how does it differ from competing services like Xbox Live Arcade or Playstation Network, and where does its strengths lie?
Martijn Reuvers: I think it has a lot of potential, but so far I have yet to see a games really taking advantage of the creative freedom offered by WiiWare. And yes, I do know that Toki Tori is also an enhanced port of an existing game. ;)
N-Gamez: Being your first console game, how was the process of developing Toki Tori for the WiiWare service compared to your previous handheld productions?
Martijn Reuvers: It was rather similar actually. The main difference for us has been the quality of the graphics and music that is possible using console hardware, so we had to adjust to that a little in the beginning.
N-Gamez: Can you share some details on directions set by Nintendo, e.g. size limits when developing for WiiWare?
Martijn Reuvers: Unfortunately not.
N-Gamez: Previously you've been working with companies like Capcom and THQ, how has it been working with Nintendo compared to other developers?
Martijn Reuvers: We have worked with a lot of publishers, but in this case Nintendo does not act as a publisher. It more acts as a carrier for your game, similar to how mobile phone operators offer game portals to clients. In fact, Two Tribes is officially the publisher of Toki Tori.
N-Gamez: Since the launch of the Nintendo Wii, talk of casual versus hardcore gamers has been long. Returning to Toki Tori, did you have any specific target audience in mind developing the game for the Wii?
Martijn Reuvers: We don't think Toki Tori is necessarily a hardcore or casual game. The target audience for Toki Tori is the audience that likes to be challenged when playing puzzle games.
N-Gamez: How do you see the Nintendo Wii in terms of audience and where do you think it's heading?
Martijn Reuvers: It's anyone's guess where it is heading, but for now it has been growing very rapidly and reaching a wide audience. This means there are a lot of different opportunities for developers to aim for different target audiences, which is always a good thing.
N-Gamez: Finally, can we expect more Toki Tori in the future, and what can you tell us about upcoming projects?
Martijn Reuvers: Who knows.. for now we're working on some other projects, but perhaps we'll surprise you in the future with another WiiWare and/or Toki Tori announcement. Keep an eye out on our website!
N-Gamez thanks Two Tribes' Martijn Reuvers for the interview.
