With lovely strategy RPG Unicorn Overlord being a Vanillaware title, it obviously has a cute little minigame where you scarf down illegally delicious-looking food. It turns out the main artist behind these entreating entrees is also responsible for the way the game upholds another Vanillaware quirk: curiously jiggly women.
In remarks translated by Automaton, artist Shigatake admits that he was “unable” to control his “habits,” resulting in both the food and the female characters of Unicorn Overlord taking on an exaggerated bounce. In a tweet, he says (via translation), “I have a habit of making food jiggling.”
公式カウントダウンでも「食べ物グラフィック担当しました」って告知したんですけど、食べ物がぷるぷるするのも僕の癖なんですよね😇 https://t.co/ePkB9gWMNVMarch 19, 2024
Shigatake notes that Unicorn Overlord’s food is more of a Western take on the offerings of one of the studio’s previous games, Muramasa: The Demon Blade. However, the better-known buffet from Dragon’s Crown was actually the work of another artist, Yamashita, who apparently serves as Shigatake’s rival in the art of video game food that you could almost reach out and eat.
In fairness, Unicorn Overlord is nowhere near as sexed up as the likes of Dragon’s Crown, or 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim for that matter, but that’s kind of like comparing blue fire to orange fire. I’m accustomed to Vanillaware’s distinct aesthetic, so I was prepared for this going in, but I will admit I was still struck by how obvious this is even from the first girl you meet, Scarlett, who Shigatake even singles out as an example of his habits gone mad.
Chances are slim, but you may know Shigatake from his involvement in a more niche JRPG that I, for one, can’t get out of my head: Astlibra Revision. Solo developer Keizo worked with Shigatake to polish the game’s art, especially characters and bosses, and sure enough, his style comes through there too.
“In the Revision project, Shigatake’s role was to refine the character portraits, weapons, armors, and 2D character designs,” Keizo told GamesRadar+ in an interview. “Originally, all characters were also based on free materials from various artists. The refinement process was aimed at achieving a uniform level of design and quality. Some characters and bosses were also designed by Shigatake.”
Final Fantasy Tactics director encourages fans begging for a remake to give Unicorn Overlord their support: “The market for tactical RPGs is small.”
