Cotton is a strange little series of side-scrolling shooters out of Japan, following a curmudgeonly little witch obsessed with candy. She ends up saving the day in exchange for said candy, but in the end never actually gets it. In-between is a lot of broom flying and laser shooting. The series has been dubbed a “Cute ’em Up” in its branding, and it’s hard to say that isn’t a pretty accurate label.
After reviewing Cotton Reboot for Prima last year, I was approached for an interview with two of the people responsible for this series, which is developed by Studio Saizensen and published by SUCCESS Corp. Game Director Toshinobu Kondo and SUCCESS producer Shinya Nagatomo sent responses to my questions, so here I am publishing them!
Cotton Fantasy Interview
This interview was offered as part of the lead-in to Cotton Fantasy, the first brand new Cotton game made in several years (Cotton Reboot doesn’t count, but it is also a recent game). But the weird thing is, before Cotton Reboot, not a single game in this series has been localized and released officially in North America. That is, with the exception of the very first game, 1991’s Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams for the Turbografix-16.
Following Cotton Reboot, other games in the series were localized and released on modern platforms, bringing them to North America (officially) for the first time. This ended up being super notable, as Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang showed up on the Nintendo Switch via a Sega Saturn emulator so solid it impressed the emulation community. With Cotton Fantasy, the red carpet is really being rolled out, especially in Europe under the Strictly Limited Games brand.
Related: Cotton Reboot Review | Context is Key
So with all this in mind and barely familiar with the series myself, I asked a bundle of questions looking for, simply, context on this strange series suddenly reappearing. I got a little of that, as well as some answers that caught me a little off guard. Here’s what happened next:
Lucas White, Prima Games: After nearly 20 years since the last Cotton game, what are some of the major considerations or differences in making a new Cotton in 2021/22 after such a long break?
Shinya Nagatomo, Producer, SUCCESS Corporation: I was careful not to be nostalgic. I tried to arrange it in a way that would fit the current times.
Toshinobu Kondo, Game Director, Studio Saizensen: What is Cotton? I think it’s important to create something that fits the modern age without losing sight of the essential part of what Cotton is.
Is there any specific aspect of Cotton Fantasy the team is especially proud of, or hopes will stand out to players?
Nagatomo: I tried to be as detailed as possible. I hope that people will notice things later, even if they didn’t notice while playing.
Kondo: I believe that the game will be enjoyed by both light shooters and experienced shooters. [Note: Mr. Kondo did not respond to any further questions.]
What were/are some of the creative goals for Cotton as a character of Cotton Fantasy?
Nagatomo: Success has developed 1,500 pieces of software over 45 years. I think it was important to revive that IP.
What led to including extra playable characters, as well as the crossovers such as Umehara Kawase?
Nagatomo: Cotton was included as a guest playable character in Umiharakawase Fresh! I’m returning the favor. After this, I hope to create various games with Umiharakawase. I’ve done ACT, Battle, and STG, so I guess RPGs are next (laughs).
What would the Cotton Fantasy team want to do next, in a hypothetical perfect scenario in which time or resources weren’t an issue?
Nagatomo: Next, I’m working on a completely new IP. In the meantime, if the situation permits, maybe Rock ‘n’ Roll 2. I´m looking forward to your support. [Note: Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll is Cotton Fantasy’s original title in Japan]
Nearly 20 years have passed since the last Cotton game, but even longer since any official localizations were released. What changed?
Nagatomo: Well Cotton Reboot! Was released last year, but I know what you mean. Being a producer at SUCCESS, I felt like SUCCESS didn’t care too much about past IPs, so I made it my mission to dig out a lot of those IPs and try to bring them back.
Doing research for the interview, I discovered that several Cotton fan translations were released in the past few years. Were those a factor in bringing Cotton officially back to North America?
Nagatomo: It doesn’t matter much, since the actions of the North American fans, unfortunately, have not really reached SUCCESS. Please deliver it to SUCCESS, maybe the distribution service can make a movie or something? [Note: I believe this man just challenged Netflix to make a Cotton movie. What a king.]
Videogames’ audience is bigger than ever, but the market is also more complicated and less stable. How or where does Cotton find its footing today?
Nagatomo: We plan to expand as widely as possible into arcade games, consoles, and PCs. I think it’s going to be hard to make just one game like in the old days, but I hope that everyone will be able to see through the many platforms.
What has been like to work with Strictly Limited Games on things like physical Cotton merchandise? I was surprised to see a Cotton Nendoroid figure as part of the Cotton Fantasy collector’s edition – that seems like a big deal!
Nagatomo: The Nendoroids were my obsession. I wanted to have them since Rina Ozawa from the SUCCESS IP Touch Detective has been made into a Nendoroid in the past. I also supervised SLG special collectible items and they look fantastic, so I’m looking forward to receiving them.
A milestone such as a multi-decade anniversary is an easy marketing tool – gamers seem to really latch on to things like new logos and their unique energy. What does the path forward look like for both Cotton as a brand, and Success as a company?
Nagatomo: I believe that Cotton has made an IP that will last for years to come. This time, I won’t make you wait 20 years. If only the younger workers of Success would raise their hands and not only me…
[Hi! It’s me again. So I thought I wasn’t familiar with other SUCCESS projects, but it turns out this company released one of my favorite Mystery Dungeon derivatives. So I had to use my powers for good and ask about it, and was granted one bonus question. The answer was… fascinating.]
Will we ever see Izuna the Unemployed Ninja again? Those were some of my favorite Nintendo DS games and my first encounter with the SUCCESS brand!
Nagatomo: Bringing Izuna back is one of the things I’m currently thinking about. First, I think she’ll make a guest appearance in something and we’ll see how people react. The rights aren’t only of Success, so I’m trying to sort that out.
And that’s it, folks. Cotton is a neat, little series that definitely has arcade DNA running in its digital veins. But just seeing it come back to the market here after a massive string of Japan-only releases made me pay attention. I mean, how many other Sega Saturn games are on the eShop right now? If this interview has you curious, Cotton Reboot is readily available as well as the older games on the Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC. And it you want to start with the latest game, Cotton Fantasy is due this Spring for the Switch and PlayStation 4. Thank you to Mr. Nagatomo, Mr. Kondo and the PR representatives who made this interview happen!
