Sensory Overload: A music game series

Over the past month or so, we've been running a music game series here on Design Room called "Sensory Overload." It's been a group of oral histories looking at the development of five games that have used music in interesting ways, from Rez Infinite to Sound Fantasy to Electroplankton to Otocky to Sayonara Wild Hearts.

We wrapped up the series this morning and wanted to collect everything here for posterity, along with a new piece of art showcasing all five games from the great Wendy Murphy. Thanks for checking it out. And if you'd like to see more stories like these, please consider signing up for our newsletter. We'll only send you the good stuff.

After almost a decade, Rez Infinite remains gaming’s greatest tease

“If we’re using the word ‘prologue,’ obviously something has to come after...”

Design RoomMatt Leone

Toshio Iwai’s journey from Sound Fantasy to Electroplankton

We profile the artist behind two of Nintendo’s attempts at making experimental music games -- one a canceled Super Famicom game based on musical insects, and the other a Nintendo DS cult-favorite based on electronic plankton.

Design RoomBen Bertoli

A rhythm-based shoot-’em-up in... 1987?

Before making Sound Fantasy and Electroplankton with Nintendo, Toshio Iwai designed a Famicom Disk System game starring a flying “sound warrior” called Otocky.

Design RoomBen Bertoli

How Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts’ best stage

We talk with four members of the team about how “Begin Again” came about, why it took them a year to finish it, and the challenges of building something new.

Design RoomMatt Leone