Xbox Nation: Ask Itagaki!

A special message from Tomonobu Itagaki:

I’m extremely stressed out right now, trying to make the deadline for the Dead or Alive Ultimate master submission. So much so that right now, if you were to ask me a stupid question, I might kill you.

What the hell…!? A hippo in the safari stage started to sparkle like a son of a bitch when Zack kicked it. I’ve never seen a hippo that sparkles, at least not in this world! Gosh, can’t anyone do anything right!?

Q: Do you admire Yu Suzuki, creator of the Shenmue series? You two seem to have a lot in common.

A: Of course. I have eaten a charbroiled sea eel dinner with him. Kidding aside, let me tell you a serious story. Most of the arcade games I played when I was going to college were games from Sega: OutRun, Afterburner, and so on. I learned that all those favorite games were made by Yu Suzuki only after I started making games years later.

Q: What do you think of Hideo Kojima and his games?

A: I’ve only cleared one of his games, Anubis: Zone of the Enders [Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner], and it was a great game.

Q: When you are gambling, which do you prefer, blackjack or craps?

A: If you want to win big, play blackjack. But if you want to chill out over adult beverages, play craps.

Q: Why don't the Dead or Alive girls ever smile?

A: Only to you.

Q: Bush or Kerry?

A: Bush.

Q: Are you looking forward to any future games from Namco?

A: Namco’s Death by Degrees, starring Tekken’s Nina Williams.