In an era when SO many video games are published by big corporations with the ultimate goal of making massive profits,
it's nice to see that independent developers can still survive and thrive. One such developer is Daisuke Amaya.
better known as Pixel-who spent years designing and programming Cave Story almost single-handedly. 
He didn't do it for money (he gave away the original version of the game for free), and he didn't do it because it was his full-time job. 
He simply did it for the love of creating games. 
The effort paid off: Cave Story turned into a cult sensation, and the game has since found success in its enhanced WiiWare form, 
proving that great games can come from anywhere as long as its creators are devoted and passionate about what they do. 

We can't wait to see what Pixel comes up with next.


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Q: How did you originally get into video games?
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A: I fell in love with the Famicom [the Japanese version of the NES] when I was a kid,
and it just never went away. Once I learned how to develop games, it was
no longer as important for me to actually enter the industry. What I really wanted to do was to make games, 
and not necessarily to make a career out of game development.

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Q: So game programming was just a hobby at first?
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A: I studied computers at a computer school. In addition to programming,
I was also interested in data modeling and computer graphics. 
I also made some websites. 
At the time I didn't really have a purpose, but was studying because it was fun. 
I hadn't put much serious thought into a career yet.
When was going to computer school, I lived in the dorms. 
I learned programming by chance from a friend who lived next door. 
I read some books on programming because I wanted to make some games, but they turned out to be useless since I couldn't understand most of the terminology. I'm not very good with books to begin with. 
My friend could answer any question I had.
I'm grateful for his help, even to this day.

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Q: How did you end up deciding you wanted to make video games as a full-time endeavor?
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A: A little while ago, my company was hit by the economic depression.
That's when I first began to think about leaving my job for a career in games.
I felt if I was going to give this a try, the sooner the better. 

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Q: Where did the nickname Pixel come from?
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A: The word pixel refers to a picture cell. I chose this name because I love pixel art images. 
The philosophy behind this name is "game development, one pixel at a time."

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Q: Since your name is Pixel and all your games are 2D, what are your thoughts on polygonal games?
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A: There are many 2D games that I like, 
but now the market is dominated by 3D games. 
So I do play 3D games as well. 
I'm drawn to 3D-game development, but the number of elements involved increases exponentially with things like modeling, texturing, and animation.

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Q: What made you want to make a game like Cave Story?
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A: I didn't start off intending to make Cave Story, 
but as I developed the game it became the Cave Story that we now know.

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Q: How did Cave Story evolve during the course of development?
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A: At first, the concept of money and shops existed in Cave Story. 
Players could earn money by defeating enemies, then purchase weapons and ammo at shops....

Then one day, I realized it would be much more fun if ammo was unlimited.

I realized this after the shops and money had been incorporated into the game. 
Shops became meaningless once weapons became unlimited, and I removed the shops and money from the game altogether.

There were also some big changes in terms of characters and story. In the beginning, enemy designs were all based on soap. I'd put eyes on a soap-shaped body, 
and then expand on the design by adding propellers or wings. 
I chose soap because I love bubbles, but also because programming is much easier with block-shaped characters.

By the time I had built the game to this point, it had already been two years since development began. 
Then I decided to show the half-developed Cave Story to someone I dreaded showing it to: the friend who taught me how to program games. 
He had very high standards when it came to how good or bad games were. I didn't want to show it to him, because he would always be right on point with his criticism, and would lose confidence every time I talked to him. 
On top of that, it annoyed me that he was usually more concerned than I was about the future of my games.

My friend did give me some praise, but went on to point out areas where I had made some compromises, criticize the specs, and point out that the game was somewhat confusing overall. 
I understood what he said. 

I fought back with, "I know what you're saying, but this is the best I can do," but he came back with, "I know you can do it." That was when I decided to redo over half the system, and completely rewrite the scenario. 
I finished the game about three years later.


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Q: What games served as the biggest inspirations for Cave Story?
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A: I think that every detail in Cave Story is connected to another game in someway. 

Ninja Kid's influence can be seen in the way small 16x16 characters move around against vast stages and large bosses. 
I love pixel-art bubbles, so they make an appearance in Cave Story too; that might come from Bubble Bobble. 
I'm pretty sure Metroid and [Japanese action-RPG] Romancia have affected the way you advance in the game by going back and forth on the same map multiple times.
Metal Slug was one of the games I was really into when making Cave Story, so the vertical shooting, the machine-gun trail, as well as the animation in the scenes where Gaudi of the Labyrinth and Mesa Bute of the Sanctuary get defeated, are all influenced by it. 
Items are in treasure chests probably because of Dragon Quest and other RPGs in general.

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Q: What would you say the advantage is to making a game virtually solo as opposed to doing it as part of a larger group or corporation?
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A: The greatest advantage is that I can make adjustments without anyone's approval. 
At times I would make three adjustments and ultimately scrap the idea.
I would have felt bad to make someone else deal with that.

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Q: How has the proliferation of the Internet and digital distribution helped you as a game-maker?
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A: It's a big help that an individual like myself can send a game out into the world just by paying my Internet bill.
On the flip side, I think it's unfortunate that things that players look forward to in games, like a good ending, can be spoiled on the Internet.

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Q: How has the input of the online fan community influenced you?
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A: A game's difficulty level is something I always struggle with. 
I know everything there is to know about the game, so even if I think something is simple, other players might find it very difficult.
I ultimately settled with a difficulty level that I personally felt was a bit easy, and of course, some players wrote to say they wanted something more challenging.

even though I wanted to wrap up development, I created a tough hidden stage (Sanctuary) and set the difficulty level to near-impossible heights. 
I received feedback from a player who enjoyed the stage and wanted a time-attack mode, so I added that as well.

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Q: What would your advice be to fledgling independent game-makers who want to see people playing their games?
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A: Making games is pretty similar to cooking. Even with cheap ingredients, you can entertain people if you're creative. 
Just don't forget to taste it yourself before serving it to others.

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Q: What kinds of projects do you see yourself working on in the future? 
Would you want to do a Cave Story 2, or would you rather work on something original?

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A:I'm looking into developing something for the iPhone.
Players have higher hopes for a sequel, 
so it's a lot less pressure to create something new, away from Cave Story. 
It would be great to be able to answer fans' expectations with a sequel, but that's easier said than done.

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Q: How have things in the gaming industry changed since you became involved with it?
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A: I can only speak for the gaming industry from the perspective of an individual gamer, but I think that the scale of games has expanded.
Amazing games are being developed and I am moved just watching them.

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Q: What do you think you'd be doing if you weren't making games?
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A: Probably drawing, composing songs, or creating motion pictures.

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Q: What aspect of creating a video game do you enjoy the most?
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A: The first time that I get to see the characters on-screen, in motion.

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Q: When you are stumped by a particularly difficult problem while creating a game, what's your process for working through it?
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A: When developing a game alone, there are many things to work on, including the music, graphics, program, story, etc. 
So it's usually possible to progress in at least one of those areas. 
There is a lot of busywork that needs to get done as well. Otherwise, when I'm tired I rest. Once I'm feeling better, something will move forward.

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Q: What game creators do you admire or respect, and why?
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A: There are many games, songs, and works of art that I like, but I don't know much about their creators.
Recently I finished Shadow of the Colossus for PS2 and thought it was an amazing game. 
Even in an age in which a character's polygon count has increased
exponentially, I have yet to see a game with movements as impressive as Shadow of the Colossus.

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Q: Whose works in other forms of media, such as film or literature, do you admire and enjoy?
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A: I love Pixar movies. I went to watch Toy Story 3 in the movie theater recently.

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Q: What is your favorite hobby or pastime?
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A: Lately, I've taken up fishing. I've only gone four times so far. 
I go to the docks and catch small fish. 
Game development is no longer just a hobby for me, so fishing has become my new hobby.

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Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
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A: I would like to fly with my own wings, like a big bird. 
I've had dreams where I'm flying, and it felt amazing.




