Only a couple of decades ago or
more, the name Konami was one of the most recognizable and beloved names in the
videogame scene. Thanks to its magnificent library of best-selling game
franchises, Japan’s Konami Computer Entertainment was considered a giant of the
industry. In recent years however, their franchise developers have departed,
their games became few and far between, and even their parent company seemed to
shift their focus away from videogames. Some fans have begun saying that other studios
treat Konami franchises better (like the “Castlevania” anime-style series on
Netflix). Just as gamers have about written Konami off, they suddenly come up with
a surprise new game announcement.
As IGN.com tells it, Konami looks to be back in the videogame
development groove, if their recent announcement at the Nintendo Indie World
Showcase on April 14 was any indication. The live-stream event, wherein
Nintendo gave previews of a selection of indie videogame titles that will be
released on the Switch (and will be covered in more detail on the main event
this coming April 21), includes a new game being developed by Konami: “Getsu Fuma
Den: Undying Moon.” It is a remake and distant sequel to a videogame released in
1987 on Japan’s Famicom, but not on the NES.
According to Konami producer Shin
Murato, “Getsu Fuma Den: Undying Moon” takes place a thousand years after the
original Famicom game, where the setting and elements of a dark fantasy version
of Japan is tuned up to eleven with this next-gen sequel with classic
Famicom/NES-era gameplay. “Undying Moon” will be released not just on the
Nintendo Switch but on PC, and is also the first Konami game to be available
via Early Access (PC only), so that interested players can provide feedback on
the final product, coming sometime in 2022.
While the original “Getsu Fuma
Den” was Japan-only, Western gamers learned of the title and concept thanks to “Castlevania:
Harmony of Despair” on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This spinoff of one of
Konami’s flagship series featured DLC of the main character Fuuma and a
playable level made up of the stage visuals from the Famicom title. The fact
that the “Undying Moon” reboot/sequel will see international release seems to
play up on this already-established familiarity with the overseas players.
While a deeper look on “Getsu Fuma
Den: Undying Moon” might be expected on the April 21 main Nintendo Indie World,
Konami has already announced that they will be showcasing at the digital-only
E3 2021 game expo. Perhaps there is still some gaming development life left in
them after all.
Image courtesy of Polygon
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