This is Tsukamoto checking in after a long silence!
Continuing on from last week, this week we will also be talking about the new characters. Together with Mr. Okada and Mr. Tamamura, we'd like to talk about Cody this time, and share some of the development secrets from when he was first chosen to be in the game.
First, tell us about how Cody made it into the game.
Okada:
The same as Guy, we heard that Cody is very popular overseas, and to tell you the truth, he was one of the leading candidates for new characters. The Cody we wanted to put in the game was the one from Final Fight, but Alpha 3 Cody is the one that's most popular overseas. When we asked why, the answer was "We (overseas) like anti-heroes, so that's why we like Cody". So then it became "Please give us A3 Cody!" and that's how we decided on putting him in.
I see...but, it would have been nice to see Final Fight Cody again after such a long time.
Okada:
Well, FF Cody has never been in a fighting game, so players would have a much different impression of him. They would probably think "This isn't Cody!" For that reason, I think it was good to use Alpha as the base. Guy is also based on his Alpha version.
Tsukamoto:
That's true. That bored look, the handcuffs, and the prison garb certainly leave an unforgettable impact, and I liked it. But when I hear the name "Cody", what immediately comes to mind is the Final Fight look - the T-shirt and jeans.
Cody has some fairly unique moves - as developers, did you have any hesitations about adding A3 Cody into the game?
Okada:
We did. The guy in charge - Mr. Tamamura - had it the roughest I think.
Tamamura:
First off, are we really going to let him use the knife? If we do that's problematic, but if we don't then its not really Cody. That was one complication.
Okada:
Ever since FF Cody has been a knife-wielding character, and in A3 he could also pick up and use the knife. For Cody, the knife is a lot like Vega's claw and mask - they're indispensable parts of the character. But even as we understood that, picking up and using things didn't exist in the SFIV system, so we had to ask the engineers over and over "Is it really possible?" We came up with a few alternate ideas, such as having Cody pull out the knife from his pocket as he starts the move. So he'd have an unlimited supply of knives in his pockets and then could just do moves normally.
So you were trying to work around picking up the knife and just have him use it.
Okada:
That's right. However, a big part of the strategy fighting against Cody in A3 was positioning in relation to the knife, as well as what to do against him once he got it, and that would have been lost. As one of Cody's special moves, the knife can't be that strong, but the idea of keeping it away from him is part of the game. So ultimately, we decided to bring the character over as-is, which includes picking up the knife.
That will make the A3 fans pretty happy! Are knife special moves strong this time around?
Okada:
Yes, basically if he gets the knife he becomes stronger. But in exchange for that it can be difficult to pick up the knife, as the opponent will be working to keep him away from it. So I feel that this makes the knife pretty interesting, and we took care in this regard.
Tamamura:
As the knife takes chip damage, he can put on pressure once he's picked it up. However, giving him advantages only would be too good, so once he has it there will be some special moves that he won't be able to do anymore.
Tsukamoto:
Also, once he takes a hit he drops it (laughs).
Tamamura:
That's right, so there is a different feeling of nervousness the player will feel from before picking up the knife, and after.
The knife certainly does seem powerful. Were there any other difficulties?
Tamamura:
Cody has a very type of recovery specific to him, a counter-attack move from when he's down.
Tsukamoto:
The Bad Spray. That's a system that no other characters have.
Tamamura:
He's definitely a character against whom you'll need very specific strategies. (laughs)
Speaking of the knife and handcuffs, can you tell us about Cody's abilities this time around?
Okada:
In A3, as the prisoner setting was new for him, it made Cody sort of like an original character. Original characters can be a bit difficult to use, so I felt that he was a character more suited for advanced players - you needed to be fairly good in order to enjoy using him. So it was a little difficult recreating the joy of using Cody in SSFIV. Since SFIV doesn't have original characters.
So then, do you feel that the way players will fight with Cody has inevitably changed in SSFIV?
Tamamura:
It's probably changed quite a bit from A3. His special moves in A3 didn't really link (combo?) together very well, but this time they do.
Do you feel that he's become a bit more beginner/intermediate player friendly?
Okada:
He can do some of what the other characters can do, sure. But he's not as all-purpose as, say, Ryu, and not easy to use. We weren't looking to make him easy to use because he was difficult the last time around. We wanted to emphasize the interesting feel in the middle of the stoic play.
Tamamura:
Cody is kind of like a jack of all trades. He's got strong throws and he can rush down, but he doesn't particularly excel in one category. I don't think he's really a character where he has one main thing that he can fall back on. He's got a good rounded set of moves, but nothing to the point where you would say "I just have to use this".
Okada:
So by that, he's still an advanced character. We have opened him up just a little, so people who have never used him before will still be able to play him and enjoy, but compared to other characters it'll be a lot easier to hit a wall I think.
Are there any other characters with similar fighting styles to Cody?
Okada:
Hmm....that really depends on the situation. Up close he can really apply the pressure like Bison, but from a distance, with his projectile he can be used a bit like Ryu and his hadouken.
Tamamura:
When he gets the knife, his reach extends, so like Vega he can chip away at your damage from a distance.
Okada:
The style can fluctuate pretty wildly, and this is part of what makes Cody unique. He's got various different parts, and you put those together and fight in your own way...
In that regard, it seems like Cody is suited for those who like to use multiple characters.
Okada:
Yes, for those who like to use different characters as the situation calls for it, I feel that Cody will be interesting for them. However, for those who don't think that way, maybe Cody is a bit difficult.
Tsukamoto:
Cody is a character who's fighting style will change based on the player's understanding on his moves.
Okada:
The players who use him will come up with their own ways to use and enjoy him.
Tsukamoto:
I want to see how skillful players use him. I'll be looking forward to the Replay Channel!
Did he gain or lose any moves in SSFIV?
Tamamura:
He didn't lose any moves. But he's got a lot more motions now. In the past, some of his far and close motions were the same, and there wasn't any difference when he did attacks with the knife. But we rode the designers a little a got them to make more distinctions.
Tsukamoto:
Including Cody, we've managed to get the Alpha characters in the game without making compromises! When I saw them in the game, I felt that they blended right in with the SFIV cast, so I thought that the players would definitely be happy with them!
Tamamura:
We also studied Cody in SFA3 Double Upper for the PSP, and in that game he got a new move. So in that spirit, we felt like we should also give him a new move in this game (laughs). Its a completely new move called the Zonk Knuckle. You do it by holding the button down, similar to the turn punch.
Okada:
This time around the image of Cody is one punches, so his normals are quite strong. Strong for anti-air, fierce for baiting out, and jabs for canceling. But for the Zonk Knuckle that Tamamura mentioned, would have to hold down one of those buttons to do it, so you lose that function. Do you sacrifice anti-air, or feints? Its a risk/reward move, so I feel its pretty interesting.
Tamamura:
Also, there were some moves we wanted to put in that we couldn't. In A3, depending on the ISM, Cody wouldn't block but dodge. He'd sort of bend his upper body away. We wanted to put that, as well as counters, in the game...
Okada:
We actually did get them in the game, but when testing it out we felt that it was too strong, so it was taken out. We thought we'd taken it out, but when we were first doing adjustments we found the CPU could still do it. Using Ryu, we'd do blocked jump in, c.fierce into hadouken, but then CPU Cody would dodge the hadouken. Then after dodging he could just punch Ryu. We thought, that's a totally different game! (laughs) It was way too strong.
Tsukamoto:
As it didn't really fit with SFIV's system, we got rid of it, but there were those who said "it's pretty cool, so leave it in!". So we were half happy, half regretful about it.
Were there any problems during implementation?
Tamamura:
We mentioned this before, but the handcuffs and chains, and the knife were the most difficult. It required some special work that was exclusive to Cody.
Okada:
There are other characters who required some special work, but Cody's was the most obvious. When a problem arose we'd have to bring in all of the appropriate staff. The engineers made a new system, and the planning department would fix the play style, the designers would work on the art, that kind of thing. He wasn't a particularly straightforward character to develop, so in a lot of ways he required the most effort.
Tamamura:
Speaking of, in a Cody mirror match, if both went to pick up the knife at the same time, even though there was only 1 knife both Cody's would go into their knife-holding pose. The Cody who didn't have the knife would still act as if he did.
Tsukamoto:
Air knife! (laughs)
Tamamura:
In some ways, seeing stubborn Cody was pretty interesting. (laughs) For the Cody that doesn't get the knife, we added some expressions so properly show that he didn't get the knife.
Tsukamoto:
When he doesn't get it, he gets a surprised face as if to say "Aw crap!"
Tell us about the current progress in development.
Okada:
We've pretty much got the play style down, so now we're just tweaking him. We've tackled most of the big problems concerning the artwork as well, so it took a little while but we're finally starting to see the finish line.
How about a message to those looking forward to using Cody?
Tamamura:
Cody isn't just about the knife - he's also got a wrench and a pipe - stuff that takes you back to Final Fight. So please take note of those. Also, he has the most attack motions in SSFIV, so I hope everyone takes advantage of them.
Okada:
As it will be up to everyone to create the play style - well, I'm sure eventually one will stand out - but its all up to you, so I believe this is part of Cody's charm. For other characters, you only need to learn one way to fight. Then from there, its a matter of polishing your skills. But for Cody, you can start out with one way, but when that doesn't work you can switch to another. This way you learn several different fighting styles, and can combine them together and become stronger. I feel this way of leveling up is pretty interesting, so I hope everyone enjoys it.
Tsukamoto:
I want to level up!
Okada:
And you can. It will take a lot of practice though.
Tsukamoto:
Allright, I've decided on Cody as my main.
...Man, I gotta practice.
So, I hope you all enjoyed this week. There's still plenty I'd love to talk about, but this time we've got to wrap it up here. Next week we'll be getting to Adon, and I know you all have been anxious about him! He's pretty nice...those moves, and that voice!
Well then, see you next week!
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