Topic: Iga not doing Castlevania for awhile? Say it ain't so

[Nagumo]

Also IGA has said for some time that he's tired of Castlevania and has wanted to do other games for quite some time now, like that Gradius-type shooter for the Xbox 360.

You sure about that? During the time OoE was in development he said quite the opposite actually.

[A-Yty]

Also IGA has said for some time that he's tired of Castlevania and has wanted to do other games for quite some time now, like that Gradius-type shooter for the Xbox 360.

I don't remember IGA saying anything like that. Not that I find it hard to believe, though.

[shelverton.]

First of all, I love death pits. It keeps me on my toes! I want them back.

Second, I honestly think that IGA himself wanted to back away from the series and instead do other things. Maybe he really didn't want to make another Castlevania? I know he likes shooters for example. Maybe he'll even return with a new IP that isn't... you know... Nanobreaker. As a video game designer I think that at some point you want to create something new, something that is truly YOURS. And as someone within Konami put it once: "Castlevania is like a torch that is being passed on from time to time". That time has come. Again.

Is Cox the "saviour" of Castlevania? Maybe, maybe not. He's probably not the last producer for the franchise though, that's for sure. One day people will be crying out for him, much like some of us are crying out for IGA right now. And then someone new steps up to the plate. UNLESS the series dies altogether, but it seems that Konami actually - dare I say it? - CARES about the series and wants it to do well. I think they're unhappy with the fact that Castlevania isn't up there with the likes of God of War and Devil May Cry, but at least they're trying really hard to make it happen. I doubt it's ever gonna be a multi-million seller though.

[GuyStarwind]

I like death pits too. However, I hate instant death spikes. Anywho no pits really bugged me in the Iga games. More holes!!!

[A-Yty]

With all the accumulated praise and hate IGA has gotten over the years, he's a Castlevania veteran and has acted accordingly. Not all the games were great, but he addressed criticism in a way that acknowledged he was paying attention to what fans of this series were saying. He was the face of the series for some time, like it or not. Cox doesn't even want that, so I'd say he is unlikely to be cried after, at least not in the way IGA is.

I wouldn't want him completely out of the picture. I'd like it if he focused on the strong points of his work and maybe acted as an advisor, mentor-kind of figure to someone who would continue the Akumajou (*sigh* I hate having to resort to this franchise branching crap, but under the circumstances it's the prudent way of talking about the original timeline..) series. Preferrably someone Japanese. That way he could focus more on what ever he feels like doing now, but still pass his experience on and contribute to the future of Castlevania.

I know he really cares about Castlevania - especially since he respected the work of those before him (*cough* which is an attitude certain people could take a lesson from *cough*) and he has experience. Those are good enough reasons for me to like the idea of him still working on the series. That, and he procuced some great Castlevanias. If he personally does not like the idea, I can't really blame him.

[Munchy]

For a long time it seems like IGA's been kinda burned out with Castlevania, and has been requesting to do other things. I can't say I'd blame him, especially working for, what, nine series games in a row with only Nanobreaker for a breather? I'll miss his stuff but if he wants a break it's his prerogative.

[knightmere]

Looks like Castevania fans are going to be getting Coxavania for awhile.   At least IGA respected the traditions that were set before he took over.  He built on the established canon instead of rebooting the series.   He kept the series awesome musical style alive and expanded upon it. It is true that after awhile his offerings started becoming stale, with OoE he started to address some of his critics who complained his games had become to formulalic.  Honestly his games were successful so I can see why he didn't mess with them too much until OoE.   Its a shame we will not see (at least for awhile) what he could have brought us next.

Oh and there is nothing wrong with death pits unless they cheaply placed like in the Dracula X final boss fight 

[Ratty]

Yeah and didn't the franchise almost die off before Iga and SOTN? The old games were cool, but they were too difficult. Why do you have to die when falling in a pit? Iga fixed this. I sure hope they don't make Mirror of Fate just like Lords of Shadow.

You're kidding right? The majority of old school side scrolling games have instant death pits. And the challenge of the Classicvanias is part of what makes them so fun.
Most Classicvanias were extremely well designed in that they were hard but fair. If you died it was your fault, not sloppy or unfair level design or enemy placement/behavior like so many other difficult games. The exhilaration of finally beating "that level"/"that boss" after countless tries is hard to top in the world of gaming.

Also IGA has said for some time that he's tired of Castlevania and has wanted to do other games for quite some time now, like that Gradius-type shooter for the Xbox 360.

Yeah seems like I recall him saying that in an early magazine interview for the Dracula X Chronicles, and that the interview ended with him saying something (presumably at least half-jokingly) to the effect of "I just play the lottery and count my days to retirement."

Personally I think IGA's vania game design fell victim to not only series fatigue on his part but Konami's insane development schedule. To the point that "cut, paste and reuse" became the only viable option to meet the release dates.

[crisis]

In one of his youtube videos the guy asks him if he ever "yearns to create a new game or franchise separate from Castlevania?" IGA responded "well it certainly crossed my mind, but for now I'm focused on [current CV game] (laughs)"

[Lumas]

The way I see it this, IGA did some good and some bad and he did it for a long time. I think what it comes down to is... he did his best but it was time for konami and iga to move on. Not saying he was fired but konami needed a new take on the series and by that i mean more money from the series and IGA may have just got burned out on it and wanted to do other projects. Did he ruin castlevania? No he managed to deliver just about every year or so a new game albeit some weren't as good as other and some I think just really congested the time line but he did deliver new games to the fans.