In a recent edition of Nintendo’s popular “Iwata Asks” series, Nintendo’s president, Satoru Iwata, sat down with four members of the Kirby’s Epic Yarn team to discuss their new game. The interview itself was business as usual for the series, but one comment from Tadashi Ikegami, a member of HAL Laboratory Inc.’s sound team, managed to raise a few eyebrows this week. When asked about his initial reaction to Epic Yarn’s visual style, Ikegami remarked, “I think there's a lot of potential for expanding this style to other series, like making a game called Mario's Epic Yarn.”
Many have interpreted this idea as news for a future installment of the Mario series. However, that is not the case. True, Ikegami is a member of HAL Laboratory Inc. and, by extension, Nintendo, but he isn’t exactly someone who makes many graphical design choices, given that he is primarily involved with the sound team. Also, Ikegami’s idea was little more than just an idea. Is the idea likely to come under consideration? It is possible. If Mario’s Epic Yarn were to see development, its closest cousin would be Paper Mario, as far as aesthetics go, and the Paper Mario series is developed by Intelligent Systems, a developer who has worked with HAL Laboratory Inc. on installments of the Smash Bros. series in the past.
So, yes, there is cause to believe that a Mario’s Epic Yarn could eventually happen. Is it probable? It’s hard to say. How well Kirby’s Epic Yarn sells during this holiday season will determine the answer to that question. In the mean time, Nintendo fans shouldn’t get there hopes up just yet.
