Recently, gaming website Kotaku got the chance to interview Shinya Kumazaki, general director of the Kirby series, about Kirby Star Allies and how its post-launch content came to be. We'll summarize some of the most interesting points here, but please be sure to give the full interview a read over at Kotaku!
The new Heroes in Another Dimension campaign was an idea that wasn't in the original plan. Kumazaki says that sticking to a plan is important, but new ideas that come about day-by-day shouldn't be ignored in favor of it.
The original plan was to include a new planet in Far-Flung Starlight Heroes.
Initial fears came up that adding certain characters as playable characters wouldn't make much sense in the narrative, but were soon gotten over, as that way of thinking would make the idea impossible.
The team wanted to include several other characters like Drawcia, Elline, Shadow Kirby, and Galacta Knight, but opted to choose only one character from each major Kirby game released.
The popularity of the Dream Friends influenced the decision to create Heroes in Another Dimension.
In response to the game's length, Kumazaki noted that the general goal was to make a game with a balanced pacing, and to allow more players to see the ending. This philosophy was inspired by the goal of creating the original Kirby's Dream Land.
Kumazaki notes that the season of free updates was like experiencing the game's launch with fans four times.
He also notes that the great scope of the game has made HAL a stronger and better company.
Once again, you can read the full interview here!