Interview with Rieko Kodama

During a round of running around on Google tonight, I found something new to me: a retrospective look at the original Phantasy Star, including a 2003 interview with Rieko Kodama.

http://sega.jp/archive/album/07_ps/

Here's a link to the Google automatic translation:
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en ... bum/07_ps/

The first page doesn't translate because it's all images, but the other pages do. The translation isn't the best, but there are a few interesting tidbits in it. For instance, it explains the switching of Motavia and Palma in PSII by saying Motavia takes a long time to orbit the sun and crosses orbits naturally with Palma. That's a complete contradiction to the explanation we've had before from the PS Compendium book, which says the planets switched orbits in a massive disaster.

I couldn't get the translation to work. Do you remember your search terms you used to find this? Anyway, that's very interesting to hear that she has a different interpretation of the planet orbits. If only they'd get her back to making rpgs.

I found it using a search for site:sega.jp "phantasy star". It's around five results down under that. Just remember that the main page doesn't translate, but all the other pages will. There's about twelve pages in all.

Ok, I'll go check it out!

Neat! I like the very last page, where she's responding to fan questions.

That's a very interesting section and interview! I got a laugh about the zombie barf that isn't spewed.... and swallowed. I hadn't noticed before that illustration of Algo that Palma/Parma is in the same orbital plane as Rykros. Weird. I also got a chuckle out of the google translator. It took me a few pages before I realized "John" "Don" was actually dungeon. It's a wonder the communication barrier between English and Japanese was ever broken!

Ohhh, so that's what "John Don" was supposed to be! I could never figure that one out, thanks!

I found all the technical stuff like the zombie fascinating. I learned a lot of things I never knew about the game from this. Plenty of humor in it, too.

It's also nice to know that Rieko Kodama was still thinking about the Classic PS series, period. They need to get the band back together over at Sega!