‘POWERFUL’
Power Stoneis one of my favorite franchises of all time. It cemented my love of brawlers forevermore, and the second entry in particular is one of my most-played games to date. It also had some pretty legendary talents behind it, like Hideaki Itsuno (ofDevil May Cryfame), as well as Takeshi Tezuka, who helped make the series happen in the first place. The Guardiancaught up with both of them, drawing out some interesting development facts and the sentiment that they’d like to see the series live on one day.
Istuno says that he’s mostly responsible for the unique 19th century setting, as he wanted to push the “romance” aspect of the period, with influences fromIndiana Jonesto Jackie Chan. You can see the former very clearly in the sequelwith the whole “giant boulder” motifof the Tomb Area stage.
Itsuno also recalls how he used skills he picked up from developingRival Schools(among other fighters) to really fine-tune the mechanics, but he also shared the same school of thought ofSmash Bros.creator Masahiro Sakurai, in that he wanted it to appeal to everyone (mission accomplished). He did this with a large focus on non game-breaking items and a lack of input-specific attacks, adding two layers of accessibility for newcomers.
Tezuka also just comes right out and says that he’d love to see the series on modern platforms, using the ever-popular adage “it would be a great fit on Switch.” What are the odds of that happening? Well Itsuno himself waxes nostalgia for series he’s worked on every few years or so, and already wantsto try to get a newRival Schoolsoff the ground: this is on top of him resurrecting theDevil May Cryseries once again withDMC5. Also, the last time we saw a properPower Stoneentry was in PSP form in 2006, so it’s not like this is a hot property on Capcom’s radar.
Still, I believe. Even a remaster of the PSP collection (1+2) on Switch would be a treat: seeing a new generation grab hold of this series would be something. For all myPower Stonefriends out there: who was your main? I have to go with my man Ryoma (who basically had the Silver Samurai as hisPower Stone-boosted alter ego).
Power Stone: the Dreamcast brawler that foresaw Fortnite and Overwatch[The Guardian]
