"A Sense Of Satisfaction That I Could Not Have Experienced Even In My Nintendo Days" - LoZ's Takaya Imamura On Omega 6: The Triangle Stars

Takaya Imamura is responsible for deg some of the most iconic characters in gaming. For over 30 years, the designer worked at Nintendo on various projects, from Star Fox to F-Zero to The Legend of Zelda. During Imamura’s time there, he helped create many characters that have since become household names, like Captain Falcon and Tingle from Majora’s Mask. He parted ways with the company in 2021, and has since embarked on a completely original project: the OMEGA 6: The Triangle Stars.

The new game is based on a manga of the same name, also created by Imamura. It’s set many years in the future, following a massive influx of alien population on Earth, leading protagonists Thunder and Kyla on a mission to search for a new inhabitable planet. The 16-bit title is an intergalactic adventure that will take players to three distinct planets: the bustling Impostar, fiery Igni, and the icy Froslara, all of which are filled with their own unique encounters, with possibilities for both bargaining and turn-based fighting.

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ScreenRant interviewed Takaya Imamura to discuss the challenges of adapting a new IP, making OMEGA 6 a title infused with retro gaming elements, and how it feels completing a project with a much smaller team compared to his days at Nintendo.

The Hurdles Of Adapting An Original IP Into A Game

OMEGA 6 Came From A Much Smaller Team Than Imamura's Past Work

ScreenRant: Can you talk a bit about how the decision to adapt OMEGA 6 from your manga series into a game first came about?

Takaya Imamura: It began with a new project to develop an adventure game. At first I was thinking about setting the story in a brand new world, but the producer suggested that the world of OMEGA 6 (the comic) might work, and we went from there.

ScreenRant: What are the biggest challenges that come with adapting a new IP into a game versus an existing one where players are already familiar with the characters?

Takaya Imamura: We knew it would be a challenge to develop a new IP, but we thought it would be worth a try, and since OMEGA 6 already existed as a manga, we thought we could develop it in crossmedia fashion, albeit on a small scale.

ScreenRant: This is your first game project outside of Nintendo - how did working on this project differ from your time there? What size team was helping you on this journey?

Takaya Imamura: It was a totally new experience. Due to the minimal team size, there was this fear that if someone left, the whole thing would grind to a halt. The team was seven people in total.

How Imamura Returned To His Roots With OMEGA 6: The Triangle Stars

The New Project Gave Way To Better Opportunities For Self Expression

ScreenRant: What was it like returning to the pixel art style after so many years? Was it an aesthetic you'd missed working with?

Takaya Imamura: Thinking about what I can do given my current circumstances, working in 2D is the best I can manage. And it may be pixel art, but the tools I’m using are different from the ones I used to draw in, so I was able to approach it with a fresh mindset.

ScreenRant: How did you balance creating a game that's very much in the retro style in of design and gameplay, while also making it feel fun and accessible to newer generations of players who perhaps aren't familiar with the titles from which it's paying homage?

Takaya Imamura: If I went into the details here, I’d be boring you with the details, but I have in my mind certain standards that need to be met for a game to be playable by anyone, and all aspects and difficulty levels which didn’t meet those standards got cut.

ScreenRant: You've stated in interviews that previously, Star Fox 64 is the title that had the most of you and your vision reflected in the final product. Now with OMEGA 6, as it's derived from your own manga and is a project you yourself have spearheaded the development of, do you feel like it sures Star Fox as the project that's the most personal reflection of your ideas?

Takaya Imamura: Yes, I do, and was constantly questioning whether I should be allowed to make a game so totally comprised of my own loves. In this sense, I feel a sense of satisfaction that I could not have experienced even in my Nintendo days.