EGM:
World Heroes 3 in 2002, why?
KA:
I heard a voice. "If
you build it, they will come." [laughs]
Times change and people change. We
just felt it was time for the Heroes to come back.
EGM:
Why didn't part 3 come out in 1996?
Perfect was a great game with a
solid
fan following, so why did you decide to hang it up?
KA:
At that time, we felt we did everything we could with the franchise. We wanted to leave on a high note.
EGM:
What advantages do you think World Heroes 3 had coming in?
KA:
The fact that it's the first sequel in years.
The fact that it costs only 25 cents.
EGM:
That is interesting, why did you order the game to be 25 cents
nationwide?
KA:
The original World Heroes was released during an era of what I like to
believe, innocence. The good old
days when arcades were just 25 cents to play.
I wanted World Heroes 3 to be an example.
For the people by the people. I
hope gaming folks in the business take note that a game can be 25 cents and
successful.
[Ed.
Amen!]
EGM:
Let's face it, it's a new generation of gamers out there.
Did you ever fear too many people might ignore World Heroes 3 because
they never heard of World Heroes before?
KA:
No. A good example is
Street Fighter II. Many hadn't
heard of part one, but was part II shunned?
[laughs] If the game is
good, chances are it'll be successful.
EGM:
Personally, we at EGM always thought the games were pretty damn good.
KA:
Thank you, I still have issue #60 at home.
[laughs]
EGM:
The contest you held for the fans; excellent idea.
KA:
Thanks. World Heroes is
based largely on famous characters and myths, so we got the people involved
and interested by allowing them to vote for a new fighter.
EGM:
We know Nosferatu got the most votes, but who else scored big?
KA:
OJ Simpson, Darth Vader, Yoda, Marty McFly, Michael Myers and Godzilla.
EGM:
How did you come up with Legendz?
He was one of the few new characters who wasn't based on a popular
myth. He has developed quite a
fan following!
KA:
I saw "The Sandlot" one night.
Someone said, "Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
Everything just clicked after that.
EGM:
And what about the other uninspired myth; Neo-Rasa?
KA:
[laughs] On neo-geo.com, I
saw this username, "Neo Rasa."
It was just the perfect name I was looking for, for Dio's pet monster.
I also found this guy with a Hanzou avatar, "Steve."
And "Neo Bomber Man" was a big fan too.
I was thrilled people still remembered.
EGM:
Did the user "Neo Rasa" get anything from ADK?
KA:
We gave him $2,000 and a World Heroes 3 arcade.
He was elated and said, "Hey, two G's don't come for free!"
... He's an interesting fellow to say the least.
[laughs]
EGM:
Another newcomer who has developed a huge cult following... Mr.
Vampire. Tell us a bit more about
him.
KA:
He was inspired by the 1985 movie, "Mr. Vampire."
This was the film that really jump-started, no pun intended, the
Hopping Vampire scene in Hong Kong. It
was to Asia what "Halloween" was to America, in the sense that it's
held in high regards and has spawned numerous knockoffs. I highly recommend it.
EGM:
Why did you decide to bring back the Death Matches?
KA:
It just wouldn't seem right if we made part 3 without the Death
Matches, especially it being the 10 year anniversary.
A friend once told me: "Death Matches... chicks dig the Death
Matches." [laughs]
EGM:
Our magazine ran an ad about King of Fighters in 1994.
It proclaimed that the Heroes were in the game.
Why didn't they make the final lineup?
KA:
I think Chad Okada said it best, basically he said the Heroes had too
much of a creative difference. Initially,
they were scheduled to appear, but the idea was dropped.
EGM:
How did that make you feel?
KA:
No hard feelings. Although,
Fuuma vs. Terry is a match I'd love to see.
EGM:
Speaking of ads, in 1993, ClayFighter had an ad mocking Street Fighter,
KA:
It didn't upset me as much as it flattered me!
We have no problem with Interplay, to me what they did was merely a
sign of the times. It was the
"golden fighting game era" and everyone wanted to make a name for
themselves.
EGM:
By the way, who is your favorite character?
KA:
Fuuma. "ORA!" [laughs]
EGM:
It's hard to believe "World Heroes vs. Street Fighter" is in
the making! What can you tell us
about it?
KA:
It will feature 25 Street Fighters and 25 Heroes.
We want this to be a game people will talk about and play even ten
years from now. We're really
excited about this project.
EGM:
We are too. Death Matches
will be in the game right?
KA:
Right. It'll be optional. We hope it will take tag team to a whole new extreme.
EGM:
So we take it there's no heat between ADK & Capcom?
You guys seemingly have "borrowed" each other's ideas from
time to time.
KA:
[laughs] Ultimately, we
respect one another and realize what a grand opportunity this is.
We look forward to completely knocking the socks off gamers.
You haven't seen anything yet.
EGM:
Can you tell us about the World Heroes anime series?
KA:
There'll be a separate film dedicated to each fighter.
So, on one tape, you may be watching Kim Dragon battling bandits in a
Korean restaurant while on another, witness Jack in the late 1800s on his
killing grounds of foggy London. The
films will chronicle the lives of the characters before they entered the
tournament.
EGM:
Clever! And there will be
one big, collective animation movie?
KA:
Yes.
EGM:
Is it true that the Heroes are SNK-owned?
KA:
Absolutely. They are owned
by SNK.
EGM:
Which brings us to our last question... what about SNK vs. Capcom 3?
KA:
[laughs] I knew that was
coming. Well, I can't say
anything, but how about this...
EGM:
We congratulate you on World Heroes 3; the surprise smash hit of 2002.
It looks like a busy and bright future for the Heroes.
Thank you for your time.
KA:
Pleasure was mine.
EGM:
Any final comments you want to chip in?
KA:
Yes. The world is a series
of cycles. It's all about timing,
determination, and a strong effort. Never
say never.
