As you might already know, not so long ago it became publicly known that Eastasiasoft and Compile Heart’s lewd dungeon-crawling RPG “Moero Crystal H” would get a Western release for the Nintendo Switch on September 17th this year (2020).
Well, guess what? Just recently I got a chance to sit down and do an interview with Joshua Michael French (the Project Lead of eastasiasoft).
So we ended up talking about everything from fanservice, localization challenges, Moero Crystal H’s upcoming Western release to eastasiasoft’s own thoughts about “Moero Crystal H” at large (the development process, sources of inspiration, and whatnot).
Anyways, I think you get the idea. So without further ado, please enjoy our “Moero Crystal H” interview with eastasiasoft =)
Robin TGG
Right off the bat, thank you so much for taking your time doing this interview with us =) And with that said, please go right ahead and introduce yourself to our readers.
Joshua eastasiasoft
Thank you for having us. My name is Joshua Michael French of publisher eastasiasoft, and I am the project lead on the English localization of Moero Crystal H.
Robin TGG
I have to admit that I’m rather curious to know the story behind how ”Moero Crystal” and even came to be. I mean, how did you even come up with the idea for the game in the first place?
Joshua eastasiasoft
We are just the localizing publisher, not the original developers. Moero Crystal was created by Idea Factory and Compile Heart, who are known for making anime-style games in a wide variety of genres, often with a healthy dose of fanservice. Moero Crystal is a standalone sequel to Moero Chronicle, another first-person dungeon crawler in the Genkai Tokki franchise.
Robin TGG
At what point in time did you realize that you wanted to make ”Moero Crystal H” happen, and why?
Joshua eastasiasoft
I’ve long been a fan of games from Idea Factory and Compile Heart, and since I also have an affinity for first-person dungeon crawlers, Moero Chronicle and Crystal were naturally among my favorite Japanese imports.
When we had an opportunity to talk with Idea Factory about games that had not yet been localized in English, Moero Crystal H was of immediate interest to us.
Robin TGG
Not everyone might be aware of it, but the original ”MoeroCrystal” was actually a 2015 PlayStation Vita release. So with that fresh in mind, what’s the biggest difference between the original release of ”Moero Crystal” and ”Moero Crystal H”?
Joshua eastasiasoft
The original Moero Crystal for PS Vita was never localized in English (unlike Chronicle), so Moero Crystal H for Nintendo Switch being the first official translation is obviously the biggest difference.
There are also quite a few updates to gameplay between the PS Vita original and this new Nintendo Switch “Hyper” version, including remastered graphics, HD rumble support and all previous DLC.
Robin TGG
What would you say that it is that makes ”Moero Crystal H” stand-out from the dungeon-crawling RPG crowd? (what is it that makes the game special and unique?)
Joshua eastasiasoft
First-person dungeon crawlers (or DRPGs as they’re often called in Japan) are known for being quite difficult and unforgiving, even for veterans of other role-playing games.
However, Moero Crystal H is a much more modernized experience with quality-of-life features that are uncommon to the genre. It’s still a lengthy, nuanced RPG experience, but it’s also more approachable than most, with adjustable difficulty and the ability to fast-forward through combat against lower-level enemies, for instance. Besides this, fanservice elements also make it stand out from more traditional DRPGs.
Robin TGG
Since the day that ”Moero Crystal H” got announced for the Western market, what has the response been like from the Gaming media and the gaming community?
Joshua eastasiasoft
The community and media have been very generous and supportive. As you know, we partner with Playasia as our online retail distributor, and an English version of Moero Crystal has long been requested of them.
The fact that we’ve been able to collaborate with Playasia to make it happen after several years of fan requests has been a truly surreal passion project, and the fans thankfully recognize that effort.
Robin TGG
Can you give fans of the old game and RPG/lewd fans, in general, some reason why they should be excited for the upcoming release of ”Moero Crystal H”?
Joshua eastasiasoft
Moero Crystal H definitely pushes the limits of fanservice on console, and on top of that, it’s also an outstanding RPG. This update of the game is intended to be the definitive way to experience it, in English for the first time.
Robin TGG
What are you the proudest of with ”Moero Crystal H” so far? And why? And what are your own personal expectations for the Western Nintendo Switch release?
Joshua eastasiasoft
We’ve already completed the English translation, which was quite extensive at about 600,000 Japanese characters, so that was an achievement. We’re also very proud of the physical Limited Edition that we’ve crafted for the game. We feel like it does the game justice by showcasing its gorgeous artwork to the fullest.
Nintendo Switch is a popular platform among collectors, so we feel that it’s important for physical releases to be as complete as possible, with touches like inlay art and a manual included to make them worthy of collecting.
Robin “V-Act” Ek
Editor in chief
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
More by Robin Ek:
Tags: Compile Heart, Dungeon crawler, Eastasiasoft Limited, Lewd, Moero Crystal H, Nintendo Switch, Playasia, RPG