Gurumin 3D: some more details (origins, lack of rhythm bar on 3DS)

A few days ago, Mastiff posted a blog post on the official website of Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure, in order to talk about the origins of the game, but also the lack of rhythm bar in the Nintendo 3DS version.

First, we learn that when Nihon Falcom was first experimenting with what would become Gurumin, they wanted to make a dungeon digging and management simulator (which is why Parin, the main character, is using a drill). They also thought about making it a music game.

But in the end…

• they dropped the dungeon digging and management simulator idea (though some of the maps did find their way to the final version of the game);
• they kept the music game idea, but didn’t really want to make a Music-Action game.

In the end, they found a compromise: they tied the rhythm detection code to the attack button. To get critical hits, you need to press the attack button with the right rhythm. Talking of critical hits, they’re not simply used to defeat enemies quickly: thanks to them, you can also upgrade your drill, and force enemy Phantoms to drop Junk (that you need to upgrade your headgear).

But unlike a regular rhythm game, the rhythm detection is pretty loose… so loose someone could even play without the music and still be able to get enough critical hits to progress through the game on Beginner / Normal.

Next: the rhythm bar. The PC version did include one (which was kept in the localised version), but it was removed when Gurumin was ported to the PSP for two reasons: they were not sure the bar would look great on the handheld’s screen, and they didn’t want players to focus too much on the beat (instead of the actual action).

For the Nintendo 3DS version, they did some experimentation, such as putting the rhythm bar on the bottom screen. Ultimately, they decided against it, in order to have a less clustered interface, and to avoid annoying players by forcing them to constantly look up and down.

Finally, here’s one lone screenshot:

Gurumin 3D (eShop) comes out this Summer in Europe and North America.

Source: Gurumin 3D