🎤 Interview with Kurusute

2023年 3月 03日
Indie Tsushin 2023 March issueThis article was featured in our 2023 March issue. Check out more articles and interviews in the full issue.

Kurusute was kind enough to speak with us about working on the funky fighting game, Tsukisas Arena!


English (Translated)

Translated by Renkon

Screenshot of Tsukisas Arena. Professor Shiika has a gloomy look on her face, and the background is red and black. They ask you if you are willing to listen to their story. Your only choices are 'Listen' and 'Try to listen'

(2020) ツキササリーナ (Tsukisas Arena) Demo

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Kurusute, and I’m an engineer for the game studio 超OK. I call myself an engineer, but I handle everything from the game design, sound, art, and so on.

How did you get started making games?

Even if it is only on a screen, I thought it would be interesting to cause things to happen the way I imagined them. Also, I’ve only recently noticed this, but it’s funny how everyone is so surprised by the way I think.

カタムケ怪盗 by 超OK and クルステ

(2022) カタムケ怪盗 (Katamuke Kaitou, Tilting Phantom Thief)

What does your general game-making process look like?

First, I put in my AirPods, listen to music, dance, and close my eyes, and imagine what the game looks in action. It is at this point that I’ve planned out almost the entire game. After that, all that’s left is to actually make it. But unfortunately, since it’s not always possible to implement all of my ideas, the final game can look quite different from my original plans.

Can you tell us about some of your favorite games or genres?

My favorite game is Super Mario Sunshine. I think those who know what it’s about will agree with me, but even though this is a Mario game, it is nothing but whacky developments from beginning to end. I love it.

Screenshot of the battle mode in Tsukisas Arena. The screen is split into orange and blue halves. Three white hearts are on the blue side, and two on the orange. In the background, Professor Shiika is watching with interest.

Please tell us about Tsukisas Arena!

This is a fighting game where two squids with pointy heads pierce each other to decide the winner, and the story of the processor studying them in a laboratory. Neither of these components are side content. They both make up the core of the game.

What was your greatest influence when making Tsukisas Arena?

The two main inspirations were Battlloon and SUPER UFO FIGHTER. Both are very interesting fighting games. As for what inspired the story… There are several references, but I can’t talk about any of them, so please imagine what they are for yourself. (laughs)

Screenshot of a battle in Tsukisas Arena. The blue squid has attacked the orange squid from below in the water. There is a giant cross on the screen from the point of impact. In the background, Professor Shiika watches with interest.

What was the most challenging part of making Tsukisas Arena?

I wanted to make a game that has few rules but spawns many different tactics, so I went through a lot of trial and error. And since just having two squid on-screen would be boring, I worried about how to make things look more lively.

Do you have any tips for playing Tsukisas Arena?

I have one very simple trick. When the enemy is in the air, stay in the water; and when the enemy is in the water, jump into the air. As long as you keep this up, you won’t lose to an enemy who doesn’t do this.

This game is a lot of fun to play against other people. Do you play a lot of PVP games?

To tell the truth, I’m not good at learning tactics and polishing my techniques, so there are no PVP games I can say I am good at. I’ve been playing Splatoon from the start, but my ranking is only C. So in response to that, I decided to make fighting games like Tsukisas Arena that anyone can jump in and play without preparation. I’m really glad that everyone says that it is fun.

Title screen of PHRASEFIGHT

(2018) PHRASEFIGHT

Can you tell us about any other games you worked on in the past?

I worked on a big game called PHRASEFIGHT. This is a competitive music game, and it is the spiritual predecessor to Tsukusas Arena, but gosh… it’s already been five years since it released. I’m having trouble putting out new works at a regular pace.

Can you tell us about anything you are currently working on?

I am the lead engineer for FAIRY TAIL: Mages’ League (working title). Also, since Tsukisas Arena is not finished yet, I am still working on that. In addition, I am working on a bunch of projects that I think will surprise everyone, so please look forward to them.

Screenshot from PHRASEFIGHT. The character on the left is wearing a blue bunny suit and doing a flying kick at the character on the right, who is blocking and grimacing.

Do you have any messages for your players?

No matter what, I don’t think I’m going to quit making games. Sometime far into the future, I plan to continue making games until people shout at me, “You’re still doing this?!”

Where can we find more of your work?

You can find PHRASEFIGHT on the Nintendo Switch, so if you are interested, I would appreciate it if you could pick it up.

Screenshot from PHRASEFIGHT. The character on the left is carrying a large painter's palette and swiping at the other character with an enormous paintbrush. The character on the right is getting hit and is grimacing.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!


日本語 Screenshot of Tsukisas Arena. Professor Shiika has a gloomy look on her face, and the background is red and black. They ask you if you are willing to listen to their story. Your only choices are 'Listen' and 'Try to listen'

(2020) ツキササリーナ 体験版

自己紹介してください。

ゲーム制作スタジオ「超OK」のエンジニアのクルステと申します。エンジニアを名乗ってはおりますが、ゲームデザイン、サウンド、アート等、何でも致します。

ゲーム作りを始めたきっかけはなんですか。

スクリーンの中だけとはいえ、私の思い通りに出来事を起こせるのが面白いと思った為です。それと、最近気付いた事ですが、皆様が、私の思い通りに驚いたりして下さるのもまた面白いですね。

カタムケ怪盗 by 超OK and クルステ

(2022) カタムケ怪盗

ゲームを作るときに、どのようなプロセスで作成されていますか。

まず、AirPodsで音楽を聴きながら、踊りながら、目を閉じて、ゲームが動作しているところをイメージします。私の場合、この段階で、ほぼ完成形をイメージしてしまいます。そうしたら、後はそれを実際に実装するのみです。しかし、如何せん、実装の能力があまり高くありませんので、その影響で思っていたのと異なる物が完成する事はあります。

もしよろしければ、ご本人にとって一番好きなゲームや好きなジャンルをご紹介お願いします。

『スーパーマリオサンシャイン』です。内容を御存知の方には共感して頂けると思うのですが、同作は、マリオの、それも本編なのにも関わらず、最初から最後まで狂気じみた展開ばかりなのです。そこが好きです。

Screenshot of the battle mode in Tsukisas Arena. The screen is split into orange and blue halves. Three white hearts are on the blue side, and two on the orange. In the background, Professor Shiika is watching with interest.

この度の「ツキササリーナ」という作品についてご紹介お願いします。

頭の尖った2匹のイカが突き刺し合って勝敗を決める対戦アクションと、そのイカを研究する博士の物語を楽しむゲームです。どちらかがオマケと言う事はありません。両方のパートがメインです。

「ツキササリーナ」を作成するにあたり、最も影響を受けたものは何ですか?(例えば、ほかのゲームや映画など何でも構いません)

対戦パートの参考は、『バトルーン』『シューフォーズ』の2本です。どちらも大変面白い対戦ゲームです。物語パートの参考は……こちらもいくつか存在しますが、どれも人に言えるようなものではないので、皆さんで想像してみて下さい(笑)。

Screenshot of a battle in Tsukisas Arena. The blue squid has attacked the orange squid from below in the water. There is a giant cross on the screen from the point of impact. In the background, Professor Shiika watches with interest.

「ツキササリーナ」を作成するにあたり最も挑戦したことなどはありますか。

少ないルールから沢山の戦法が生まれるようにしたいと思い、かなり試行錯誤しました。それと、イカが2匹いるだけでは味気ないですから、どのように見た目を盛り上げて行くかという事も悩みましたね。

「ツキササリーナ」で、勝つためのコツなどがあれば、教えてください!

とても簡単なコツが1つあります。敵が空中にいる時は自分は水中に、敵が水中にいる時は自分は空中に居る事です。これさえ徹底していれば、そうでない敵にはまず負けません。

このゲームは対戦がとても楽しいゲームですが、好きな対戦ゲームはありますか? また、その思い出とか教えてください。

実は、戦法を学んだり、テクニックを磨いたりといった事が苦手なので、強いゲームはないのです。『スプラトゥーン』は1からプレーしていますが、ウデマエはCです。それで、その反動で、あまり身構えたりせずに遊べる対戦ゲームを作ろう、と思い、ツキササリーナ等を作るようになりました。皆様「面白い」と言って下さいますので、良かったです。

Title screen of PHRASEFIGHT

(2018) PHRASEFIGHT

もしよろしければ、これ以外に作成したゲームについてご紹介お願いします。

大きなものだと『フレーズファイト』というのがあります。これは対戦型の音楽ゲームで、精神的にもツキササリーナに大変似通った作品なのですが、なんと……もう5年前のゲームなのです。アウトプットの間隔があきすぎで困りますね。

今はどのようなプロジェクトを進めていますか。今作っているゲームなどをもしよろしければご紹介お願いします。

『FAIRY TAIL: Mages’ League』(仮)のプロジェクトにてエンジニアを担当しております。それから、ツキササリーナもまだ完成してはいませんから、完成できるように進めて行きます。他にも、皆様をあっと驚かせる物を色々と準備していますから、是非、楽しみにして下さい。

プレイヤーの皆さんへ何かメッセージがあれば一言お願いします。

とにかく、ゲーム制作をやめずに続けようと思っています。はるかな未来のどこかで、「まだやってるの!?」と言われるくらい続ける予定です。

なにか紹介したいご自身のゲーム置き場などのリンクがあれば、ご紹介ください。

こちらがニンテンドースイッチ版『フレーズファイト』のリンクになりますので、御興味をお持ちの方はお手に取って頂けましたら幸甚に存じております。

Screenshot from PHRASEFIGHT. The character on the left is carrying a large painter's palette and swiping at the other character with an enormous paintbrush. The character on the right is getting hit and is grimacing.

この度はインタビューにご協力いただき誠にありがとうございます。

KurusuteYou can follow 超OK (VeryOK) and Kurusute on Twitter, and visit their homepage for more games.