D: The design of the original Metroid games for the Famicom and Super Famicom was clearly a large influence on the evolution of the Castlevania series. As a game player, how do you personally feel about the direction that Metroid has taken with the Metroid Prime trilogy? Would you have been happier if they stuck to the 2D realm like you’ve mostly done with Castlevania?

I: I think with Metroid the new direction it has taken is great. I think it’s fabulous. With Castlevania, I want to do something like that. Not exactly what they did, but something that takes it to the next level. So, I haven’t found the right way to do it yet, but it’s something I’m looking for right now.

D: You recently announced that there’s a new Castlevania under way for the DS. Will this game follow the anime style of Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin, or will it be removed from that universe?

I: I can’t really go into it too deeply, but I’m going to get away a little bit from the anime style. We’ll be doing a press release sometime soon with more information.

D: In general, the Castlevania series has done an incredible job of keeping fans happy. The release this week of Rondo of Blood for the PSP is something many people have been clamoring for. On the other hand, a lot of fans want to see a Wii game that allows you to directly control the whip using the Wii remote. You’ve mentioned before that you don’t feel using the whip in this fashion would be a wise choice. How do you walk the line between implementing concepts you know are truly best for the game, while incorporating aspects that will keep fans satisfied?

I: The way we develop the games, myself and the team, is we create games that make us happy, that we like. So it’s not really geared toward this direction or that direction. It’s not just what we feel that fans will like, but it’s what we want out of the game.

Read the full interview here