‘Tales Of Tuscany’ Dev’s Goal Is To “Let Players Do Whatever They Want”

At PAX East, we had an opportunity to sit down down with the vigorous Nico Papalia and Prime Hat Studios – developer of Athenian Rhapsody, and its newly-announced prequel, Tales of Tuscany (releasing on “no matter you play video games on,” together with Change, in 2026).

We wished to be taught a bit extra about what impressed such a mad-cap universe, and the place the WarioWare / EarthBound / Pokémon-esque concepts all stemmed from. Whereas it was a little bit of a problem to speak over the raucous laughter coming from the gang gathered on the demo sales space, we managed to get an inside glimpse at Papalia’s shocking backstory and his work on each video games.

Right here is our interview with Nico, which was simply as entertaining and zany because the universe these video games are primarily based in…

Nintendo Life: So, let’s begin from the highest — what was the inspiration behind the universe of Tales of Tuscany and Athenian Rhapsody? There appear to be some Earthbound vibes in there…

Nico Papalia: Actually, I did not even play Earthbound till AFTER I began Athenian Rhapsody – enjoyable truth! I bit into it and was like, ‘I really feel like this meshes with me,’ and I felt prefer it regarded like what I used to be making. Positively impressed by Pokémon on Sport Boy Advance, performed numerous that. I additionally performed numerous Fortress Crashers – The Behemoth are my buddies, so I talked to them lots, and we’re truly discussing engaged on one thing collectively too — very slapstick-y, you already know — however they’re so tight about their IPs, so… we’re nonetheless speaking.

I had huge concepts – however I by no means knew programming, I went to high school for artwork, I used to be doing conventional pencil artwork and stuff – I did not know what I used to be doing. So it constructed over time, and I am very lucky and fortunate that I used to be in a position to share this on the scale that I did, and switch it into my job. It’s totally private.

“Slapstick-y” is certainly the correct phrase for these video games, they’re hilarious.

Yeah, it does not take itself too severely, so the inspiration for the world is simply principally my life, my buddies, and what I feel is humorous in the intervening time. I am going to simply throw humorous issues in there as I consider them – and the gamers appear to find it irresistible. I am a solo dev, so I can form of have the ultimate say and simply do no matter I would like. It is enjoyable. Within the first recreation, I took some dangers and had this ‘invisible grilled cheese’ within the map, like an merchandise, and I assumed no person was going to seek out it – however somebody discovered it inside eight hours of launch! I crashed out on social, I bugged out.

Will there be any secrets and techniques or easter eggs to seek out in Tales of Tuscany?

There aren’t too many secrets and techniques but – I am nonetheless creating it, and I simply completed the principle story, so now I’ve to do the ‘evil’ story, and I am going to form of simply throw some additional stuff in there earlier than it releases, in all probability round spring 2026.

Inform us somewhat extra about how the 2 video games differ.

You realize, making Athenian Rhapsody was form of sluggish. I began with GameMaker, and it simply form of snowballed. So I actually did not actually know what I used to be doing, going into the primary recreation. It was in 4:3 ratio, like Sport Boy Advance – as a result of I am an enormous GBA man. So at first I used to be like, “Yeah, that is superior!” Then, you already know, it involves porting it and I am like… “Oh no.”

So, Tales of Tuscany is within the RIGHT decision. It is also bought extra management customisations, quality-of-life stuff like that. Spherical 2: greater, higher, stronger. I wish to say, Athenian Rhapsody is like Pokémon Emerald, and Tales of Tuscany is extra like Pokémon Black & White – primarily based on the battles and stuff, with the digital camera motion, sprite work, stuff like that.

So that you’re clearly an enormous Pokémon fan too! What are among the completely different video games you performed rising up?

I performed numerous Sport Boy Advance video games – Madagascar, Energy Rangers Dino Thunder, Minish Cap, and issues like that. My grandma would simply go purchase them for me. Or I performed Crash Bandicoot on the PS2, and I might simply keep within the beginning space and mess with stuff – I by no means progressed within the recreation, and that was truly in all probability what I do with most of those video games. I by no means progressed; I simply did issues. And I suppose all of it form of simply shaped that inspiration for me.

Fascinating – so are you a little bit of a completionist then? As a result of this recreation — with all the completely different selections and storylines — appears a bit overwhelming for a completionist, like you might by no means *truly* full it fully.

You realize what, once I was an adolescent, I used to be extra of a completionist; I might 100% full Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze and stuff like that. However numerous occasions, I used to be simply form of a silly man who did not know what I used to be doing. I could not advance by the plots, I by no means bought Rayquaza [in Pokémon Emerald] – so I might simply go and do random issues. And now, I am truly form of the other of that. So making Athenian Rhapsody and Tales of Tuscany, I need a child to have the ability to simply go round and have enjoyable.

The video games appear to be designed virtually like a relentless dopamine hit. Gamers are allowed to simply be mischievous and do no matter they need. And there is in all probability no method you might expertise each single alternative accessible to you within the video games.

That is precisely it! That is form of what me and my buddies like. You form of must get in there a couple of occasions, and the way in which it labored out, some gamers like that, and a few do not. Some individuals are that goal, numeric, “I am achieved, examine the field” factor – however with these video games, the expertise is at all times going to be completely different, relying on who you will have in your get together and the alternatives you make. One other factor is that, it does not really feel ‘good’, and lots of people like that.

Did you at all times intend for the sport to be a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ model like that?

Yeah, I at all times supposed for it to be like that, however I did not precisely know the best way to do it at first. I could not determine it out. So, Athenian Rhapsody was not programmed very nicely… Tales of Tuscany is programmed significantly better, I used to be in a position to pull it off higher. However I simply needed to begin small and construct off of it, as a result of I had huge concepts – however I by no means knew programming, I went to high school for artwork, I used to be doing conventional pencil artwork and stuff, I did not know what I used to be doing. So it constructed over time, and I am very lucky and fortunate that I used to be in a position to share this on the scale that I did, and switch it into my job. It’s totally private.

As somebody who studied artwork and went to high school for it, did that assist with the event of the sport itself – at the very least, the artwork side of it?

That is truly a sick query – it will need to have! I went to SUNY Oneonta, superior college, I had numerous nice lecturers. I used to be all into anatomy — transformational anatomy — and it took me form of some time to determine it out, utilizing house and character design.

So once I began Athenian Rhapsody, my pixel artwork was very poor – I did not have these fully-saturated colors but, I did not determine that out but. My sprites, I used to be doing the pillow shading… so it took me some time to get it. There’s some form of interlink, however that talent undoubtedly wasn’t instant; I needed to be taught to entry that a part of my mind, studying the fundamentals of pixel artwork. Even in Athenian Rhapsody, if you play it, you may see there are 10 issues happening in a single room; that is as a result of I did not know what I used to be doing with the house! That actually led to this sense of extraordinarily hyper tempo, issues round each nook…

But it surely works! The absurdism is what makes all of it so endearing. A part of it sounds prefer it was unintentional, trial-and-error, however that truly turned a very cool factor.

Precisely! And I used to be simply doing what I wished to do. I bought fortunate that folks favored it. Some folks assume it is somewhat an excessive amount of, however I’ve additionally heard from numerous gamers who actually prefer it, saying they love the story. One other publication, the reviewer stated he thought the story “modified vibes an excessive amount of,” and that is the place he wrote me off for factors. However I’ve bought different folks — particularly youthful children, however numerous adults, too — saying they love that concerning the story!

And I personally assume it is very wanted. Lots of occasions on this business, folks can take themselves somewhat too severely, and I admire that you just’re simply doing what you wanna do. It looks as if individuals are drawn to that.

Yeah, I try to get very private and present myself as I’m. That is how I constructed this, doing tutorials on-line and constructing a following simply being myself. I simply took my cellphone and filmed my display screen displaying “Right now I did this,” and I used to be simply being actual. However I am fortunate, I nonetheless simply get to do no matter I would like. Like for Tales of Tuscany, the staff thought it was somewhat little bit of a danger, making the principle character a sheep…

Lambypoo – it jogs my memory of my canine’s toy, Lambchop!

Oh my god, YES! That is precisely it! I’ve 100 of these laying round my home, ripped up! That is the place it got here from, I am so glad you stated that! So I used to be identical to… yo, what if I had a button, the place the lamb simply began “baaa”-ing? And that is the place the thought for the ‘Baa’ button got here from. You realize, it does not at all times must be this “Maintain X, cost your sword…” – you’ll be able to simply have enjoyable with it. So the ‘Baa’ became an interplay instrument – you’ll be able to break crops and automobiles and stuff, as a result of folks simply wanna do enjoyable stuff, just like the dopamine hits we talked about earlier. So I am attempting to hone in on that.

I am nonetheless shocked you hadn’t performed the Earthbound / Mom video games previous to beginning your first recreation. It appears like such a non secular successor to these video games.

Proper? And in the case of the flavour textual content in these video games, just like the choices are: “Yeah”, or “I am lactose illiberal” – that is precisely how I write, too. It virtually unlocked one thing, once I noticed that. I used to be like, ‘Okay, so that is okay what I am doing, this irreverence.’

I watched a documentary on Earthbound, and the director was saying he had a really intuitive method – he did not plan all of it out, he simply did it block-by-block, and that is precisely what I do, too. So I suppose it is that very same mind kind, perhaps? And I had buddies from my college who had been attempting to inform me: “Yeah, it’s important to block the entire recreation out” and all of these items, and I used to be like: “Dude, however I am altering it daily?”. So there are numerous variations between the 2 video games and the way a lot I deliberate out Tales of Tuscany, however they’re the identical spirit.

Talking of Earthbound, I’ve heard you discuss with your video games as “JRPGs” a couple of occasions – what does that label imply to you particularly?

Actually, I have been saying “JRPG” recently simply because I consider a long-narrative-based recreation, and “RPG” is simply too broad. However I do not know… I additionally name it an “IRPG” typically — “Italian RPG” — as a result of I am Italian, and Italians do like lengthy conversations.

For somebody who’s by no means heard of both of your video games, what is the one factor you’ll say to get them to try this collection?

Out of all the RPGs and JRPGs on the market, there are lots, and a great one that actually makes it to the end line is difficult to seek out. This recreation has numerous love in it, there’s one thing to like in it for everyone, that is an enormous a part of how I made the sport. I liked Sport Freak’s early philosophy of attempting to strike a stability between ‘cute’ and ‘cool’, and the way everybody has a favorite pokémon. And with Athenian Rhapsody, I attempted to make one follower that everybody might love. It is the sport that conforms to what you want, and everybody will get one thing out of it. The ‘rhapsodies’ are like Gen 1 buying and selling; I wished everybody to get one thing out of it. In Pokémon, you’ll be able to port your Pokémon throughout all the consoles, and that is form of what I used to be attempting to do. We’ll see how that works!

So, the ‘munchkins’ are making a comeback, too, solely this time, the weasels are watching you and ruining all the things. This new characteristic appears fairly merciless, and I am questioning what occurred to you as a baby that made you wish to torture folks?

HA! So, within the first recreation, I had a debug possibility within the ‘pause’ menu — only a placeholder — and it was referred to as ‘munchkins’, and all these silly issues. And I used to be like, eff it, I am gonna make ‘munchkins’ an actual factor. So principally, it’s important to wait, like, 8-10 hours to obtain them, and you’ve got a 50% probability of failing… and if it really works, it is only a image of some artwork of mine that claims like, “Congratulations” – however I did not understand everybody was going loopy over that!

So with Tales of Tuscany, I assumed ‘Okay, I will not have a random 50% probability of failing on the finish… however there WILL be weasels… and the weasels come and slowly go throughout the display screen, and once they let you know, it’s important to press an enter, in any other case they will corrupt the munchkin.’ I assumed, ‘I can not simply do the identical factor once more’, so I modified it up somewhat bit. No person else is doing munchkins! No person else is doing one thing to the participant the place they’re like, ‘No, you do it the way in which I would like you to do it, or else you fail, and I am not making it simpler since you’re complaining.’

@athenianrhapsody

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♬ unique sound – Athenian Rhapsody

You are simply going to make the sport you wish to make, and purposely dwell exterior of the field. Was there something too loopy in Tales of Tuscany that ended up getting vetoed but?

Yeah, there are some things my publishers inform me I’ve to edit… I do know extra the best way to skirt the road now, however there have been a couple of elements which may have to alter. There’s this character from Athenian Rhapsody referred to as Uncle Billiard, and he is on this one once more as a result of he is an incredible character – and he has this scorching canine place, however all of them name the new canine ‘wieners’… and there is this one character who’s like, “Oh yeah, my double wiener sandwich…” and looking out again on it, I am like, “I can not simply be throwing ‘wiener’ round like that.” Or like, I wished to have an enemy with a plumber’s crack, and a mechanic the place it’s important to throw issues in it. And I truly vetoed that for Athenian Rhapsody, as a result of it was form of disgusting.

…Ask forgiveness, not permission?

Yep, that is my motto!

Do you will have plans so as to add any extra to this universe, or do you assume you may go in a completely completely different route?

Actually, I feel this IP was a great one, it is robust. I did particularly wish to do three RPGs.

Why three, due to Earthbound?

Oh, I did not even take into consideration that! I simply thought it might be a pleasant quantity.

It is best to do three, and simply by no means launch the ultimate one right here.

HA, yeah, I am going to simply say there is a third! You realize, I did initially wish to do three, however making this recreation, I am nearing the tip of the inventive growth, and I form of wish to take a break from RPGs for a bit. We’re doing the cellular recreation, too – it is referred to as Goobie Backyard, and Thunder Goober is in it, he clearly hit one thing, so even when I do determine to take a break with the IP, I am going to at all times come again to it. However I feel for my subsequent console recreation, I would love to do one thing somewhat extra easy, mechanic-based… perhaps a battler? I would love to do a roguelike recreation. Unsure but although!

This interview has been calmly edited for readability.

Thanks, Nico Papalia (@AthenianRhapso1 on X) and the staff at Prime Hat Studios, for taking the time to reply our questions. Tales of Tuscany shall be coming to PC and consoles in 2026.

Will you be taking part in Tales of Tuscany when it releases? Did you play Athenian Rhapsody? Tell us within the feedback beneath.