Summary
If you don’t know yet, Hideki Kamiya was responsible for directing and writing the iconic games you played throughout the early and mid-2000s. Whether you started shooting up infected and mutated humans because ofResident Evilor developed a huge crush onBayonetta(because who wouldn’t), none of it would’ve been possible without this legendary developer.
If he didn’t direct the titles you’ve grown to love, he was most likely responsible for writing its story, conceptualizing the game, or supervising it. Based on design, story, and overall reception, here are the best games that Hideki Kamiya worked on.
Updated December 16th, 2024 by Hilton Webster:With the announcement of an Okami sequel after almost two decades, and newly headed by original director Hideki Kamiya, there’s been a renewed interest in the iconic creators previous works. We’ve given this list an update to highlight every game he’s had a significant presence on for your viewing pleasure.
16World Of Demons
World of Demons is one of PlatinumGames' more unheard of titles.Released exclusively on Apple Arcade, it was originally developed as a free-to-play title before pivoting platform. It is a gorgeous game, taking cues from Kamiya’s earlier work on Okami, with enemy designs that bear a striking similarity as well.
That said, the game was severely lacking in depth and content, and fell into obscurity fairly quickly, and is no longer legally available either. Kamiya’s role was that of a supervisor, likely owing to the Okami inspiration.
Viewtiful Joe 2
The sequel to the original Viewtiful Joe, this game wasn’t directed by Kamiya like the original, but did still have him penning the story as before. This was also the first game made by the ill-fated Clover Studio, which also made Okami and God Hand.
Viewtful Joe 2 was akin to its predecessor in most regards, combining elements of 2D with 3D with that beautiful cel-shaded graphics.It also added Silvia as a playable character of her own with unique powers to set her apart from Joe.
14Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble
Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!
When a mysterious crime syndicate descends on the set of Captain Blue’s newest movie and makes off with the film, Joe rushes to the rescue. Will his dazzling new moves prove powerful enough for Joe to nab the thieves and save the fate of Captain Blue’s movie? Innovative use of the Nintendo DS™ system’s capabilities:* Zoom in on the action to solve mind-bending puzzles! * Split the lower screen to move objects and overcome obstacles!
Viewtiful Joe is the fourth game in the series, with only one of the entries not having been worked on by Kamiya at all. It was also the final entry in the series, with the story that Kamiya once again wrote left unfinished. It was also the first and only entry on the DS, offering a dramatically different play experience from the other games.
Unlike previous games, whose stories had taken place within the fictional move sets, Double Trouble shifted gears into the actual reality of the games. Maybe one day that cliffhanger will finally be picked up.
13Sol Cresta
Sol Cresta, the first game directed by Kamiya since The Wonderful 101 in 2013, is a rather unexpected title.It is a top-down shooterin the vein of arcade classics. In fact, it is literally the sequel to Terra Cresta 3D, itself a sequel to a series that began on arcades with Moon Cresta back in 1980. The game is something of a passion project.
The game is built around ‘docking’, combining multiple ships together to unlock new, more powerful abilities. It even comes with a DLC to have Kamiya narrate the game for you if you’ve ever dreamed of having him speak to you at length without being blocked.
In a drastic departure for the series, Bayonetta Origins presents itself as a storybook adventure, popping with colour and playing in a story that feels more whimsical than the over-the-top nature of the mainline games. It has Kamiya as the story writer once again, as well as helping craft the over narrative and a supervising director role.
Taking a step away from the character actions of the more adult entries, this game has Cereza traveling with Chesire who is the real fighter this time around. It takes more from Astral Chain in some regards, having to carefully balance gameplay between Cereza and Chesire’s various abilities at the same time.
Bayonetta Origins first appeared as a secret playable level in Bayonetta 3.
While Astral Chain was directed by Takahisa Taura, long-time lead game designer at PlatinumGames, Kamiya assisted in a supervisor role, helping with getting thematic ideas across in terms of gameplay and design. The Legions for example, the various beasts you have to assist you in combat, were designed with recommendations by Kamiya.
Astral Chain is also one of the most astoundingly gorgeous games on the Switch. The combat is simplified comapred to many of Platinum’s other games in favour of letting you explore more at your own pace. And it is a treat with such gorgeous designs and banging music.
The Wonderful 101 isn’t the most well-known game in this roster, but it does deserve credit for its unique gameplay. No other game lets you control 100 characters all at once, or gives you the privilege to group them all up to fight against gigantic aliens in very creative and cooperative ways.
The reason the heroes have to work together is that the aliens invading their planet are huge, and not one hero can single-handedly take them down. If you’ve ever wanted to play a game that championed the power of friendship and strategy to save the world from evil, Wonderful 101 is something you shouldn’t ignore.
Viewtiful Joe is so seriously underrated that it should be illegal. But fans of Hideki Kamiya know about this hidden gem, as it was a hit side-scrolling beat ‘em up game on consoles. It follows the story of Joe, who was teleported into the Movieworld by the villain of the movie he was watching. An early case of isekai, he wasn’t taken in by the foreign world for nothing: he had the mission to save Silvia, who was also taken into the Movieworld.
Entrusted with a device by Captain Blue, the world’s hero, Joe was given the ability to transform into a hero himself so that he can save Silvia and defeat evil. Directed by Hideki Kamiya himself, this game wears his signature well from its theme up to its uniqueness in art style.
It goes without saying that most people’s experience in zombie bashing and fear of succumbing to engineered biohazards is rooted in the firstResident Evilgame. We were introduced to the ground zero of the outbreak: Raccoon City, and the three characters that drove the next few games in the series whether explicitly or behind the scenes.
If you’ve had suspicions of the connection between Resident Evil and the Sweet Home comics, it’s true that the monsters of the game, as well as the haunted mansion setting, are inspired by the latter. Simply put, Resident Evil was a horror action game like no other upon its launch, and it is the first installment of the iconic series. Kamiya only worked as a System Planner here, but it laid the foundations for his later work on the series.
Resident Evil Zerogave fans the much-needed lore in this prequel, as it explained the involvement of Umbrella Corp. and the creation of the T-Virus. This also puts more focus on the Bravo Team and Albert Wesker’s loyalties, all within a day before the events of the first game.
This game’s remastered version improved and updated the graphics, so you wouldn’t need to worry about clunky-looking gameplay, and you could just focus on immersing yourself in the mysterious events before the first game. For an old game, it also features one of the most hardest achievements to unlock in the Resident Evil Series.
