In 2019, Seville studio The Game Kitchen became internationally known for a video game titled Blasphemous, which its creators described as “rotten Andalusian stuff passed through a Tim Burton filter.” This launch became an epic, and the company name was consolidated and even attracted the attention of some multinational companies. One such company, the French company DotEmu, gave them one of those tasks that any team with these characteristics dreams of: giving new life to an 80s classic. This is how it was launched just a few months ago Ninja Gaiden: Ragewhich quickly became a hit with fans of the genre.
David Gomandro was responsible for this project for a studio that is now ten years old with offices in Seville and Tenerife. “We undoubtedly owe everything to Najah blasphemya video game based on Andalusian culture, which was a great success in its day and doubled our fame. We continue with The second infidel It represented a new leap in size and quality, to the point of becoming one of the most important independent Spanish studios.
However, the call to restore the spirit Ninja Gaiden I completely surprised them. The original game was originally released in 1988 by Tecmo, and remained one of the most popular action games until the mid-1990s. “It first came out in arcades, and then there were versions for Nintendo, Game Boy, etc., thanks in part to the ninja boom that existed at the time, which translated into films, comics, and of course video games,” Jomandro explains. “Then it was relatively forgotten until the early 2000s, in the midst of the 3D craze, it was revived and came back on the X-Box and Playstation 3.”
The spirit of the saga
Years later, Tecmo – now Koei Tecmo – is back in the fray with new releases, even arriving with Ragebound, which is now available for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
“There is an editor or publisher who specializes in taking IPs (intellectual property licenses) from yesteryear –Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also Battlestar GalacticaFor example – and look for studies that you can make a game based on. DotEmu contacted us and told us they are big fans of blasphemywhich they had Ninja Gaiden Shot and we might be interested in working on a game based on this IP. Of course, it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss. But we had to do something that would charm the French, who made the call, and the Japanese from Koei Tecmo, who would have the final say.
“We were responsible for capturing the most classic spirit of the saga,” he continues, “but we couldn’t release a game quite like the one that appeared at that time, because neither the consumption habits nor the technologies of yesteryear were preserved, beyond nostalgia.” “It was a complex arcade game, but we didn’t want to make a video game as it was in the past, but as we remember it. At the time it was an impressive game, although now games are longer, have more options, secret missions, and achievements… We wanted to know why it still has fans today, and update it with a modern format and current quality standards.”
Playing in the Champions League
Creation team Ninja Gaiden: Recovery It started with fifteen people, and in the process grew to double that number, relying on outside collaborators. “Once we reached break-even speed, the workforce expanded at critical moments of development,” he points out. Thus, together with Jamandro, the producer and director, artists of a very diverse nature worked side by side, who were responsible for concept (Creating heroes, enemies, and other characters) for those responsible for graphics, animation, stage or level designers, and musicians… and three years of work behind them, in addition to continuing game support for a year.
Many of them, by the way, perfectly remember that they played in the eighties Ninja Gaiden“We even shed a few tears” even though he, the youngest member of the team – which includes some members born in 2001! – can only remember the 3D version. Both, however, felt like embarking on a project of the highest level. “Of course, this is the equivalent of playing in the Champions League,” they admitted. “It’s one of the most historic IPs out there, and arguably falls into the Double A category on a brand and identity level.” And all this while working in parallel with The second infidel and Madness stonewhich was also released last year.
More than fun
“There was a lot of pressure, and a lot of people were waiting to see if we would succeed, but in the end it was received Ninja Gaiden: Recovery It was fantastic, both from critics and from players, including the most demanding fans of the saga, who connected immediately. “We couldn’t have imagined a better response.”
The high performance of the studio is possible thanks to the fact that The Game Kitchen currently has 70 employees, and can boast that there is precisely no shortage of work. A hope and example for thousands of children who dream of joining the video game industry, although many adults still view it as simple entertainment and not as a way to make a living. “There are still many prejudices, yes, but fortunately less and less. In Spain, the sector has become more professional and covers many different profiles. There are, for example, marketing teams that move accounts at the level of films or TV series. It is a very transversal sector, where everything fits.”
However, Jomandro recalls, “There were also many company closures and mass layoffs after the pandemic. We are doing well, and have been able to materialize the opportunities that have come to us, but looking to the future, we are keeping our fingers crossed.”
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