Interview: Space Channel 5 VR

Ulala is dancing again in Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash, the first Space Channel 5 game in many years. We asked Grounding, Inc. CEO Mineko Okamura a few questions about the project and why now was the right time to bring Ulala back. Okamura is the perfect person to ask about the franchise, given that she worked on the first two games and is deeply involved in its newest entry. Check out our conversation below!

This interview has been edited for clarity.

TSSZ: Is Space Channel 5 VR a remake of a previous game in the series, or is it an all-new game?

Okamura: Space Channel 5 VR is not a port of the old game. It is a completely new game! To remind players what Space Channel 5 looked like, the game starts in a nostalgic stage that everyone knows. After that, new stories, stages, and characters will appear.

TSSZ: It’s been nearly twenty years since the original Space Channel 5 release. Why revive this series now?

Okamura: We are commemorating the 20th anniversary of the game’s original release back in 1999. We have gratitude for the fans, and with the new technology of VR coming out, we thought it was finally time to immerse players into Space Channel 5’s retro-futuristic world! Isn’t it exciting to be able to slip into the world of the 25th century once you put on VR goggles?

TSSZ: What are some of the challenges of working within the Space Channel 5 universe and creating something new in that world?

Okamura: As time goes by, the “nostalgia goggles” of the fans impact their memories. We thought this was a big hurdle. So we’ve been making, modeling, and creating the new world of Space Channel 5 and its characters very carefully and graciously (with love!) to make sure the player could see an innovatively-reinterpreted Space Channel 5 in VR.

TSSZ: The idea of a motion-based VR game is perfect for the dance game play of Space Channel 5. Where did this idea come from?

Okamura: This project started from saying, “It will be fun if we can immerse players into the world of Space Channel 5 with VR!” 

We made a test build and showed it at an event in Japan, and we got lots of feedback and comments from the actual players. All of those comments are helping to make the current style of Space Channel 5 VR. We believe the amazing feeling of dancing and moving your body to the music, plus the happy, cheerful and somehow strange world of Space Channel 5 were perfectly matched with VR. Since so much player movement is required to play the game, we believe that staying healthy with Space Channel 5 VR will be a hidden benefit as well. We’re trying to develop Space Channel 5 VR so it can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone, regardless of age or gender!