Art of Balance

In physics-based puzzler Art of Balance, available now on Nintendo eShop on Wii U, you'll need a steady hand to place all sorts of differently shaped blocks to create a perfectly balanced pile! Whether you take on the challenges alone, co-operate with friends or take part in competitive play, there's stacks of fun on offer.

We sat down with Martin Sauter from developer Shin'en Multimedia to discuss the game and learn all about its modes.

Nintendo of Europe: So first of all, please could you introduce yourself and describe your role on Art of Balance?

Martin Sauter: My name is Martin Sauter, and I’m the art director at Shin’en Multimedia. We are based in Munich, Germany, and we’re a long-time developer for Nintendo systems, starting with Game Boy Color and now with Wii U. Right now, we’ve just released Art of Balance for Wii U.

NoE: Please could you tell us a little about Art of Balance?

MS: Art of Balance is a new Wii U version in our Art of Balance series. There’s an Art of Balance game for Wii, and there’s Art of Balance TOUCH! for Nintendo 3DS and 2DS. But even though their names sound similar on all systems, every version is unique and not just a simple port. We always look at the system and try to make a fitting title that’s as strong as possible.

NoE: So what’s new for the Wii U version of Art of Balance?

MS: We think the Wii U version is really a great piece of software for everybody, because we added so many more things that even guys and girls – and even grandmas and grandpas! (laughs) – who bought the other versions still have lots of things to discover. We have the online game mode, so you can play online with friends from all over the world. We have different co-operative modes, which is something that Art of Balance TOUCH! doesn’t have, and more levels. But there’s so much more in it, so I’d just recommend people check it out!

NoE: As you say, this is the third game in the Art of Balance series. What convinced you to create a Wii U version?

MS: First of all, we really wanted to go into that online thing, because we didn’t have it in Art of Balance TOUCH! or the original Art of Balance on Wii. We needed a certain level of resolution for the graphics so that we could do our online modes. The graphics are HD, so it looks totally different to the previous games. We tried to use our technology to make it more polished and more relaxing, so you have a good feeling while you’re playing the game, a happy mood. So it’s the graphics and the modes, the online, which we just couldn’t do without Wii U.

NoE: The multiplayer clearly plays a big role, then. Please could you tell us about that?

MS: For the multiplayer, we have different parts. Of course we have the single-player, we call it Arcade mode, where you can play through 200 levels, but four players with Wii Remotes can jump in during the game and help you out, then leave the room and rejoin later. And of course you can play with the Wii U GamePad, so that’s five players in co-op. Or you can play alone – it’s all possible! It’s funny, because when two players play, they play differently to when they play individually, so that’s a fun experience.

Then we have competitive modes, split-screen. So if you have four people in your living room, two could play on one side, the other two play on the other side, and they play against each other on the same puzzle to see who can complete it faster. You can make it a best of five series!

We have another mode where you play one after each other, and the loser gets no points. So that’s a more calm experience, you don’t have that pressure of playing head-to-head. But it’s so funny to watch people play; if they can’t complete the puzzles, they look over to the other player’s side in split-screen: “How do they do it?!” (laughs) Then they find out the answer. This is very new stuff for the Wii U version which makes it very interesting. I’ve seen lots of people having fun!

Then we have the Endurance mode, which is another mode where we have online stats, and so we’ve added lots of things that make it a much bigger Art of Balance game.

NoE: So when you’ve been watching people playing, have you witnessed them taking different approaches?

MS: It depends on the mode, but the nice thing about it is that the starting point of Art of Balance for us was that we wanted something calm and relaxing for when you come home from work, or after school. You want something calm and relaxing, but still challenging; something easy to pick up, but hard to master if you want to keep getting better and better.

We put so many modes in there, so we have something for everybody. And I found out that sometimes it depends on the person. They might play together and have fun, give each other tips; sometimes, in co-operative play, they really want the challenge to beat the other guys! It’s a mixture of everything.

NoE: Please could you tell us a little about the online modes?

MS: It’s the same thing as the other multiplayer modes, it’s just that four more players can jump in. You could have up to eight players playing at the same time! You can play the same puzzles online and get your friends involved. It just adds something more; it’s not the core experience, but it’s something extra if you don’t have anybody at home to play with.

NoE: How does Art of Balance make specific use of the Wii U console’s features?

MS: The GamePad is our main feature; you don’t need it, and you can play with the Wii Remote, because some people like to sit on the couch and have a pointing device. But the game is, of course, fully playable with the GamePad. One of the best features, I think, is off-TV play, so if your partner, or your mum and dad, says, “I wanna watch TV,” you can take the game and just play the same way you would on the TV. So the GamePad is essential I think, because sometimes you just want to play like this. But you don’t need to!

Miiverse is something that we support over the internet, but we don’t have any in-game function where you press something and Miiverse pops up. A Miiverse community, we support that of course – we like that, we read that. Of course we read it, so feel free to post stuff on our community!

NoE: Have you used Miiverse to gather feedback from fans?

MS: Yes – as we don’t do so much marketing, or attend so many conventions and shows, we are really happy that we have social media, comments on gaming news sites and Miiverse so that we can get basic feedback. Of course, one comment won’t make it, but a combination of many comments means to us, “Oh, there might be a point in that,” and then we see how we can get this input, direct from the gamers, into our games to make the next game or sequel better. Often a sequel develops from that. If the players say this and that, we say, “Makes sense! In the next sequel, that should be a feature.” That happens!

NoE: Is there anything else you’d like to mention about Art of Balance to sum it up?

MS: We’re 100% sure that it’s the best version of Art of Balance! Of course, if you want to play it on the go, go for Art of Balance TOUCH! on Nintendo 3DS, but there’s so much stuff in this version that you have to discover. I recommend you go to Nintendo eShop, check it out and play it with your family. I think everybody can get involved with Art of Balance!

We know there are people who aren’t sure if Art of Balance is the right type of game for them, so we are preparing a demo. It’ll be out soon, so please give it a try and also, if possible, invite some friends to check out the multiplayer experience!

NoE: Thank you for your time!