Koji Igarashi (五十嵐 孝司 Igarashi Kōji?), also well known by his nickname "IGA", was a former Konami employee and producer of the Castlevania video game series. He is best known as the assistant director of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and the producer of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. He left the series for a while and then returned to produce Castlevania Chronicles, and has been in charge of the directing the series ever since. Contrary, perhaps, to the direction in which he has taken the series, Igarashi has commented on several occasions that his favorite Castlevania game is Akumajō Densetsu (Dracula's Curse).
The first game he worked on was the PC Engine version Detana!! TwinBee. The ending of the PC Engine version of Gradius II also credits him as a programmer, and he participated in Tokimeki Memorial as scenario writer. He was also the producer of Shadow of Memories (PSP version only), NanoBreaker and Otomedius Excellent, and the director of Elder Gate.
As of March 15, 2014, he left Konami to found his own studio, becoming a start-up member of ArtPlay Inc. on September 16,[1] and currently acting as a CEO.[2]
He announced his new project, a Castlevania-like game called Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, on May 11, 2015. The game was funded in a day via the website's Kickstarter.
Trivia[]
- His favorite Castlevania games are Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
- His wife was working in the development of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, where he met her.
- According to an interview, he began to work in the Castlevania franchise when his boss offered him to choose a title from Konami, as Tokimeki Memorial, the previous game where he worked as programmer and writer, was well received by the people.
Reference[]
External links[]
- IGALOG Koji Igarashi's blog (in Japanese, inactive)
- ArtPlay, Inc.