Sonic creator taps out two catchy Wii titles

  • By Hirohiko Niizumi, GameSpot
  • Posted Oct 12, 2008 11:46 pm PT

After two years of silence, former Sega producer and Sonic Team leader Yuji Naka unveils a pair of new projects: Let's Catch and Let's Tap.

TOKYO--It has been more than two years since Sonic creator and producer Yuji Naka left Sega to establish his own development studio, Prope. His activities have been completely unknown since then, but at the Tokyo Game Show this weekend, Naka finally unveiled his studio's debut titles, Let's Catch and Let's Tap.

"I left Sega in order to make some games I wanted, and after two years, I've created very fun games which I can finally show off to everyone," said Naka, as he went on to show his studio's two titles.

The first title introduced by Naka was Let's Catch for the Nintendo Wii, a Wiiware set for a December release in Japan. Costing 1,000 Nintendo points, Let's Catch was described as a game of catch where players use the Wii Remote to catch a ball and throw it back. The game makes use of the remote's built-in speaker and vibrator to simulate the real feel of a caught and thrown ball. As the player keeps catching, the ball speeds up until it goes beyond speeds possible for a human to throw. In a trailer shown to attendees, the ball reached up to 250 kilometers per hour (155.3mph) by the end, when the player was playing catch with an alien on another planet.

Let's Catch features a number of other minigames, such as hitting numbered panels on the screen with the ball. Up to four players can play together, and the trailer showed a family having fun playing.

Why make a simple game of catch? According to Naka, playing catch is one of the simple real-life games that has died out in Japan in recent years, and he's hoping to bring it back in video game form.

"Back when we were kids, we used to play catch with our fathers," explained Naka, emphasizing that Let's Catch is a family-oriented game. "But it's different for kids nowadays, because playgrounds and such places doesn't allow ball throwing any more. Playing catch was more than just about fun. It was also a form of communication. And you'd chat about things you normally wouldn't while you're playing, like 'How's stuff going?' and 'How was your test?' Nowadays, you don't have that kind of opportunity. So with this game, I hope to bring that back."

The second title introduced by Naka was also a Wii game, titled Let's Tap. "It's been 25 years since I've been making video games, but I believe this game is quite amazing," said Naka, as he took out a large orange box. As it turns out, the box was...just a box.

"Yes, it's just a box. This game uses boxes and allows you to play without the need of a controller," revealed Naka, who went on to demonstrate how the game is played.

As Naka demonstrated, Let's Tap is a collection of five minigames, and it's played by simply placing the Wii Remote upside down on top of a box. When the box is tapped, the remote's internal sensors will pick up the vibration and relay it to the video game as control input. Any kind of cardboard box, such as a Kleenex box, will apparently do.

"As you can see, just tapping on the box very lightly will even reflect in the game," explained Naka. "We've discovered that the Wiimote is very high-tech in terms of sensitivity, and it picks up even the most slightest movement." He then showed a stick figure running on the screen as he lightly tapped on the box numerous times with his fingers. He then showed that the remote could tell whether the taps were weak or strong. When he tapped the box with force, the stick figure jumped into the air instead of taking a step forward.

"Up until now, games were digital, made of zeros and ones," Naka continued. "But with this, the controls are very analog, and you can make weak and strong movements. It's a very enjoyable game, and everything is done by tapping." He then demonstrated that even the menu can be controlled by tapping.

After Naka's introduction, three guests appeared onstage to try out one of the minigames with him. They each played with a box that had a remote facing downward. Naka picked a game called Tap Runner, which played as a side-scrolling marathon game where stick figures ran and jumped in order to reach the goal line. There were various obstacles in the game, such as objects that would freeze characters for a short time if touched, ropes that needed to be carefully walked across with small taps, and big balloons that needed to be inflated with rapid taps so they would float players to their destinations.

After the demo, Naka continued his presentation and showed off the remaining four minigames featured in Let's Tap: Silent Blocks, Rhythm Tap, Bubble Voyager, and Visualizer. All four games make use of the strength-sensitive tapping mechanic, which reflects the force of a player's taps during gameplay.

Silent Blocks is a Jenga-like game that can be played with any number of players. The players take turns pulling out pieces from a tower without making it fall. There is also a puzzle-game mode in Silent Blocks, where the pieces disappear when three or more of the same color end up stacked together. The player gets additional points by erasing pieces through a chain reaction. The puzzle mode lets up to four players play against one another.

Rhythm Tap looked like a relatively standard music game, albeit with a slight twist. Targets scroll from right to left, and the player needs to tap at just the right moment to get a score. But unlike in a typical music game, there are three types of markers that indicate whether the player needs to tap weak, medium, or strong. Roughly 20 music tracks are included, and up to four players can play together.

Bubble Voyager is a side-scrolling shooting game with a somewhat retro feel. By tapping, players can float their character in the air, and the objective is to avoid obstacles and collect items while advancing through the stage. Tapping strongly will allow the character to shoot missiles, erasing obstacles in the path. The game seemed to play similarly to the Balloon Trip mode in Nintendo's 1985 classic NES title Balloon Fight.

In four-player mode, Bubble Voyager plays quite differently and features a bird's-eye-view perspective. From the short clips shown at the presentation, the mode seemed to play similarly to Atari's classic Asteroids.

Last but not least, the Visualizer is a collection of interactive computer-generated visuals, kind of like high-quality screensavers. Naka commented that this mode requires no gaming experience, and anyone from a 1-year-old to a 100-year-old can play it.

"If you give a video game controller to an elderly person, typically they wouldn't be sure what to do," said Naka. "But if you ask them to just tap on a box, it's very simple. It's so simple that even a penguin could play it."

Let's Tap will be released in Japan this December and will come with two large boxes, making its package much larger than a normal game. "You'll feel like you've got a great deal when you buy it," joked Naka about the package's size.

"Up until now, games have been digital, and I think this is a really big change that input strength can be read. At our office, we're thinking that 'Pre-Let's Tap' and 'Post-Let's Tap' may become [game industry] terms," declared Naka, winding up his presentation. "I'm hoping that in the future, there will be game hardware that can detect physical strength. Humans can adjust their movement very sensitively. We've been able to make that reflect on our game well, and I think it's really enjoyable. We at Prope will continue to make these kinds of fun games together with Sega."

59 Comments

  • ShadowPhoenix27

    Posted Oct 15, 2008 10:19 pm PT

    interesting.....

  • IXIWhistIXI

    Posted Oct 15, 2008 9:34 am PT

    So he left sega to make his own games...makes sense, sega sucks and they couldn't save sonic if they tried because it seems like it's impossible for them to not implant stupid sht...example: latest sonic game's werehog feature.

    But in this time all he's done is nothing...and then when the wii came out he decided to make a wiiware game and a casual gamer game focused on alternative playstyle.
    Sounds to me like he hasn't done crap and then saw how much money can be made in the market today with casual games and hopped on that train.

    You'd think he'd have some awesome game he'd been planning for years and years while working at sega. If a bunch of mini games are what he'd been planning, he should just give up.

    And for those of you talking about who was better mario or sonic...all you need to know is sega had a decent chance with sonic and even after a few disaster games they still had a chance, but then they decided to give sonic and his buddies voices and personalities...which is fine...but instead of something decent, they made sonic a douchebag, tails a little wuss, and knuckles a big black guy who like sonic, thinks he's the **** The only character with a personality that isn't annoying and fits the character nicely is eggman.
    Nintendo took mario and made his a neutral personality and made him slightly amusing. And that's worked out great.

  • tuznecote

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 11:00 am PT

    Im interested in this because he is co-creator of my favourite character ever to this day (who is admittedly having a very bad time). But as interesting as the concept is... isnt this abit like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat?

  • Cheddarchet

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 10:15 am PT

    I have to admit, the concept for let's tap is pretty interesting. I might get it once it's released in the U.S...

  • LordelX

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 8:25 am PT

    I don't have a problem with casual games. The more people playing games the better. While this does sound interesting, are peripheral based mini-game collection the only thing that the casual gamer wants? I don't think so. WiiFit, Let's Tap and Rock Band/Guitar Hero...just how much space and tolerence for plastic/cardboard junk do they think people have?

  • rasterror

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 7:16 am PT

    How about Sega's Am2 mastermind Yu Suzuki? He was one of my favorite game producers and wish he would come back and make another ground breaking game.

  • pedantics

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 8:32 pm PT

    no, I meant subjective. if one were to objectively assess "superiority", one could argue that the original sonic game on the megadrive/genesis has the upper hand over, for example, the original mario brothers arcade game. but that'd be a dumb comparison (with no basis in "common sense").

    the entire mario catalogue is celebrated for it's influence, consistency and design brilliance. sonic games will always be remembered as the patchy, flawed, me-too efforts that they are.

    there's no "fight" in my "words", only logic.

    thanks for your feedback!

  • ax23000

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 8:02 pm PT

    Sounds fascinating to me. Just wish people were a bit more open minded.

  • ax23000

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 8:01 pm PT

    "Nobody with any common-sense could subjectively argue that any Sonic game is "better" than ANY Mario game. Also, if you want to talk sales or character recognition, compare SNES sales (and therefore Super Mario World sales) to the Genesis and all Sonic titles combined."

    Them's fighting words my friend. First of all a subjective argument is one based on personal perspective, so of course someone could subjectively argue that a Sonic game is better than a Mario game. I'm guessing the word you actually wanted was 'objectively', but the fact of the matter is different people have different tastes for different games. Figuring out some objective standard for which game is better would basically be impossible. What makes a game good? You might say this or that...but at the end of the day I'm guessing what you'd come up with would NOT be something that anyone else would agree with. Everyone has their own tastes. Trying to make them think the same as you is downright crazy.

  • pedantics

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 4:49 pm PT

    @ BatrozX

    Let me guess, you didn't actually live through any of these times and events, right? You're completely wrong on every level.

    Nobody with any common-sense could subjectively argue that any Sonic game is "better" than ANY Mario game. Also, if you want to talk sales or character recognition, compare SNES sales (and therefore Super Mario World sales) to the Genesis and all Sonic titles combined.

  • nintendoboy16

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 3:31 pm PT

    "I left Sega in order to make some games I wanted, and after two years, I've created very fun games which I can finally show off to everyone", Are you saying that Sega demanded you to create Sonic?

  • morpix666

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 3:25 pm PT

    yep ... I left the Wii alone because it only caters for 3-15 or 60-99 age groups...

    Looks like I was right!

  • chickenmonkey

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 2:01 pm PT

    The Shark. They have jumped it.

  • BatrozX

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 1:12 pm PT

    @mariokart64fan

    Sorry but I really have to disagree with you since what you are saying is completely wrong. Mario wasn't always better than Sonic. In fact Sonic WAS better than Mario by it's birth in 1991 till early 1994. On those years Sonic was more recognized in the world than Mickey Mouse himself, and Mario wasn't even close to Mickey by that time. Mario's popularity increased when the Nintendo 64 came to life, and Mario became more famous than Mickey Mouse when the Wii and DS Lite were bought to this world.

  • PBRulez

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 12:32 pm PT

    I went out and bought a 360 because of the lack of Wii titles. I loved the Wii, I really did, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the Conduit-- but in the interim, c'mon Nintendo, step up your game. The Wii's a great concept that's still got potential to tap (ha, pun) and you're wasting it on games for my Grandmother

  • gnbfd

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 12:17 pm PT

    If let's tap is budget priced I'll buy it. It sounds interesting.

  • Demon_Beaver posted Oct 13, 2008 12:05 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Demon_Beaver

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 12:05 pm PT (hide)

    Wow, it seems like the Wii is on the path of becoming the one console for non-gamers only...

  • LINKloco

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 11:44 am PT

    Yay?

  • ivan_the_one

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 11:30 am PT

    .....

  • yboucher

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 11:21 am PT

    I saw and tried them myself at the show... it's definitely better than it sounds ! How about this: you guys withhold your comments until you have even a remote idea of what it is. Personally i'm eager to see how the full thing will turn out.

  • teknicz

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 11:18 am PT

    Oh god, he's lost his mind.

  • Humikimi

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 10:53 am PT

    I don't mean to be judgemental here, considering I DID buy the Wii with a very open mind, but this just sounds lame. Let's Catch is fine as a WiiWare game, but with what Let's Tap sounds like, it should have been a WiiWare title also. But a full-fledged title? I really don't know.

    I've been a Nintendo fan since day one, own every system they have made (yes, including Virtual Boy) and have had loads of fun out of each one, but the Wii just seems to be dissapointing me more and more. Initially it was great...had a lot of fun casual games that people like me could enjoy too (Wii Sports, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Mercury Meltdown Revolution) and still had the fun hardcore games that I've grown to love (Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, TLoZ: Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3) but now I'm just not seeing much. The creativity seems to be one-sided now, where they use their creative minds for a new concept, but don't flesh it out. Wii Music sounds fantastic, but it doesn't seem to have any more depth than Wii Sports. There is no purpose. Same goes with Wii Fit and now Let's Tap and Let's Catch. Why is it they are able to make such good games (they being all developers) for the DS, while still being innovative but not for the Wii.

    I'm sorry to say that if SMG, TLoZ:TP and SSBB weren't so darned fun to play, and that I sold my GCN so my Wii is my current acting GCN, I would have sold my Wii by now. And that may not seems like much, may seem like a sore fanboy of another console talking, but from a person like me who denied all other consoles and systems a chance just to buy Nintendo systems (until recently, when I got a PS2 for FF and 360 for more intense games), that really is a big deal.

    Here's hoping these developers will start using their creativity a bit more...especially Nintendo and other highly respected devs (like Naka for example).

  • Freezezzy

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 10:50 am PT

    They didn't have to mention the Wii in the title, the names of the games told me that as soon as I read them.

  • Trajectorize

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 10:40 am PT

    Gotta agree with combatsoldier there. The new titles are kinda underwhelming. I was hoping after two years he'd come back with something a bit more interesting, rather than a couple of simple, if interesting, casual games. Granted, he was probably taking a break as well and not working for the whole two years, but it is a bit disappointing.

    I do hope he does head back to Sega eventually, now that they seem to have gotten their act together with some fantastic-looking stuff like Valkyria Chronicles and Yakuza 3. Then maybe we can finally see a great Sonic game again. (Sonic Chronicles was good though.)

  • Desperados11 posted Oct 13, 2008 10:33 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Desperados11

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 10:33 am PT (hide)

    damn if this is what wii ppl are looking forward too im glad i didn't get a wii

  • -Squirrel-

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 10:26 am PT

    Well, dang. This was unexpected, but... awesome. I'm very interested in seeing how Let's Tap turns out, and I wanna see and hear more about Let's Catch first.

    These types of creative unique experiences really excite me tho. They may not end of being blockbusters, but I'm elated to see developers thinking outside the 'box'(pun count 1). People complain about not enough hardcore titles are being made, but there are plenty out there. But how many titles out there are anything like Lets Tap? Must we 'box' ourselves in(pun count 2) to the same types and genres over and over again?

    When these two games debut on the market they may just end up being the 'catch' of the day(pun count 3).

  • combatsoldier

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 10:25 am PT

    Whoa Whoa. You guys no I dont flame but this really pissed me off. The man left Sega witch I love, to create some lame downloadable games that took him two years. ARE YOU KIDDING! Then the downloadable games look really stupid. Who wants to play that crap. He needs to get a clue and go back to amazing sega and make some decent games. Man this guy really got on my nerves.

  • mariokart64fan posted Oct 13, 2008 10:01 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    mariokart64fan

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 10:01 am PT (hide)

    blue kazzoie since when has sonic been perfect? it has never been perfect as mario was always be better

  • Tekknight

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 9:53 am PT

    WOW. I actually fell asleep reading this! Not that I don't respect Mr. Naka's recored, but this seems very basic. It's cool, but not something I'd buy. It's something that a gamer parent should buy for his family to play.

  • Proman84

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 9:43 am PT

    Could be fun I really hope he comes back to Sega. They really need him to start making kickass Sonic games again.

  • Timstuff

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 9:34 am PT

    Good lord... I can understand why a man of Naka's talents would leae a company with as many problems as Sega, but FOR THIS? It's a freaking TAPPING GAME! It makes Donkey Konga look high-tech by comparison! Just because a game idea hasn't been done doesn't make it good. I know, I'm going to make a Wii game where the point is to pump gasoline!

  • rockwii13

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 9:29 am PT

    Um................ Why would he waste his time on these stupid games? Who will actually buy them?

  • Beastcake

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 9:17 am PT

    So... where are the games for us hardcore gamers???

  • Max_Fischer

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 9:14 am PT

    BlueKazoo--the Sonic games haven't been good since Adventure 2 anyways, so what does it matter?

  • MysticDynamite

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 9:08 am PT

    Let's Catch sounds bizarre and ridiculous, but Let's Tap looks interesting if done correctly.

  • volcomstoner180

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 8:40 am PT

    umm this sounds a little too simple and something i will not be getting...but i could be wrong...this guy should have stuck with making sonic games im thinking

  • kkkkknaruto

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 8:36 am PT

    he left sega for lets catch lets tap? am i da only one seeing this as a joke? LMAOOO dis is too funyy

  • Toro_Nev

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 8:29 am PT

    Let's Catch seems fun, I might save up my 1000 wii points for it.

    I still would have liked a Sonic game like MegaMan 9 on Wii Ware.

  • saxplayer3

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 8:24 am PT

    Those both sound VERY different, but interesting. It's showing us yet again how AWESOME the Wii is. Although I have to admit Let's Catch sounds a little boring. Both games are very innovative. I'm probably not going to pre-order them, but I'll be waiting for the review to come out!

  • Darth_Tyrranus

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 7:57 am PT

    I think the Let's Catch game sounds like a great way to attract new audiences. From the looks of it, not many of the other posters here have ever been to Japan. In Japan, there really isn't much land at all that hasn't already been developed, so playing catch actually IS more difficult.

  • Gooper_Blooper

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 7:53 am PT

    Super Smash Brothers Brawl has nothing on Let's Catch. Two years of blood, sweat, and tears were poured into this revolutionary catching game.

    And as if that wasn't enough, he's also mastered the ability to TAP ON A BOX. Look out Square, Konami, and Nintendo: the Yuji is coming for you... AND HE WANTS TO PLAY CATCH.

  • BlueKazoo20

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 7:29 am PT

    ...so, lemme get this straight.

    The creator of Sonic The Hedgehog...the person who created the perfect, classic Sonic gameplay, the only type of gameplay Sonic is ever good at...forsake his creation and left him in a sub-par 3D existence...to create a digital game of catch?

    You guys think what you want, but, as a Sonic fan, this pisses me off to no end.

  • Lord_Dark_Flare

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 6:46 am PT

    This does sound pretty creative to me(i would not buy it unless it was $20-30, but it is a GOOD game for the casuals), and frankly, this is one of the reasons that the industry is so boring and repetitive these days, you are all too critical of new ideas and new ways to do things unless the new way is based on old preconceptions.

    @tiamat555-Nintendo has nothing to do with this, if you have been paying attention, the only games that ninty has blundered with on Wii are the two pokemon games and Sluggers. Even looking at wii music(something that i cannot imagine anyone would want) the game looks well made and thought out, and comes with the well known Nintendo sheen(even with the lack of graphic power).

    Though disaster does not look to hot, but Ninty is only publishing that, it was developed outside(though truth be told, most of their games are second party, even brawl)

  • alfonsogmr

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 6:33 am PT

    @ Geneyuss5555
    Did the second to last paragraph elude you? Let's Tap will be a retail release, not wiiware title

  • jjdomo

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 6:32 am PT

    wow . . . in japan you can't throw a ball in a playground? that sucks.

  • tiamat555

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 6:25 am PT

    Is this really the best Nintendo can do? I think they are taking this simplicity thing to far. Don't get me wrong I like simple games too. But i can play those on websites to satisfy my casual gaming fix. I don't have to buy a WII.

  • mylsd

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 6:10 am PT

    it's definitely new and different, gotta give props for going out on a limb, here's hoping it's fun for all!

  • Robio_basic

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 6:05 am PT

    There's a website set up for Let's Tap and I have to admit I'm surprised how good it looks.

  • Forretress

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 5:27 am PT

    Ummm... playgrounds don't allow ball throwing anymore? What's he talking about?

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