“ONI Zero: Resurrection” Planned Before “ONI Zero X”! Takaya Iijima on “ONI” Future and Unrealized “Ninja War” [Mini Interview]

We spoke with Takaya Iijima about everything from the response to the re-release of *Scary Stories from School* to his plans for a new horror title utilizing generative AI.

Game creator Takaya Iijima has worked on numerous titles, including *Scary Stories from School* and the *ONI* series. While re-releases of his past works have been coming one after another in recent years, he has also announced the development of a new title, *ONI Zero X (Cross)*.

Game*Spark conducted a mini-interview with Mr. Iijima at the “National Entertainment Festival” held in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture. We spoke with him about the response to the re-releases, the development status of *ONI Zero X*, the legendary *Ninja War*, and generative AI.

Re-releases of *Scary Stories from School* Resonate with Younger Generations

――Recently, *Scary Stories from School* and *Tsukikomori* were re-released. How have fans reacted?

Takiya Iijima (hereinafter Iijima): There’s a reboot of *Scary Stories from School* titled *Apathy: The Seven Mysteries of Narukami Academy*, but among fans of the original *Scary Stories from School* and *Tsukikomori*, there are actually quite a few who prefer the live-action versions.

Some people said they’d had their fill of anime and illustrations, so they were incredibly happy about these reissues. On the other hand, we also received many comments from people who discovered the series through *Apathy*, then explored *Scary Stories from School* and were surprised to realize, “This is where it all began.”

――Did you get any feedback from younger fans as well?

Iijima: I was actually quite surprised that more young people are playing it than I expected.

――There’s been a steady stream of re-releases of older titles lately. Is there a particular reason for this?

Iijima: There are so many interesting games out there these days that it’s becoming difficult to recoup development costs even when creating new titles. I think we’re heading toward an era where even individuals can create major titles using AI. To keep the company afloat, re-releasing older titles is one option. Sometimes, re-releases actually sell better than new titles.

“Scary Stories from School” was an expensive game back then, costing nearly 10,000 yen per copy. People who were children at the time and couldn’t afford it might want to play it as adults, only to find it’s now selling at premium prices of 50,000 or 100,000 yen. The re-release is welcomed by those people as well.We’ve also gained more young fans thanks to game playthroughs on YouTube. Now, people can play the games they saw in those videos themselves at an affordable price. I think we’re living in a great era.

The origins of *ONI* lay in a much darker and more complex story

—The *ONI* series collection includes, as a bonus, a newly written story titled *Zanchi-hari*, which serves as the origin of the series, right? Could you tell us a bit about what that’s like?

Iijima: I actually started out in PC gaming. Titles like *The Legend of the Renegade Ninja* and *Last Armageddon* weren’t exactly lighthearted stories. How do you survive in a world where not everything ends happily? That’s the foundation of my creative work.

However, when making console games, companies like Banpresto and Bandai—which were also toy manufacturers—asked for brighter stories with clear-cut good versus evil themes aimed at children.

When I first pitched the project *Zanchi-cho*, I had envisioned a much darker story where the protagonist constantly questions the morality of his own actions. But it was deemed too difficult for elementary school students, so the concept was revised.The worldview I originally intended to depict in *Zanchi-cho* was carried over into *ONI Zero*. In other words, it served as the prototype for *ONI Zero*.

――“ONI Zero X” was originally announced for release in 2027. What is the current status of development?

Iijima: While some people were happy when we announced *ONI Zero X*, we also received criticism asking, “What happened to *Ruten*?” and “Why is the protagonist Fujimaru from *Sengoku Cyber: Fujimaru Jigokuben* even though it’s called *ONI Zero*?”After discussing it with the publisher, we decided to properly revive *ONI Zero* before moving on to *ONI Zero X*. I believe this will satisfy the fans and make it easier for them to accept *ONI Zero X* as well.

We’re planning to release *ONI Zero: Revival* next year, followed by *ONI Zero X* the year after. However, Mr. Kitamura, a staff member at our publisher, Moebius, is currently recovering from an illness, so development isn’t progressing as smoothly as we’d like. To be honest, everyone’s feeling a bit stuck right now.

――Why did you choose Fujimaru as the protagonist for *ONI Zero X*?

Iijima: Initially, Kitamura-kun really liked my worldview and told me he wanted to work on a Japanese-style title.While the *ONI* series as a whole has sold in the millions, the single title that sold the most was *Fujimaru Jigoku-hen*. So, just as I was thinking about a project featuring Fujimaru, Bandai approached us with the idea of doing *ONI*. In the end, we decided to go with the title *ONI Zero* and make Fujimaru and his team the protagonists.

Actually, there was an initial concept called *Ninja War*.It was supposed to be a ninja version of *Super Robot Wars*. I’d once discussed a project with Banpresto that would feature various ninjas from the works of Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Sanpei Shirato, and Takao Saito. Although that idea fell through, my desire to create a game featuring lots of ninjas remains to this day.

“You Can’t Make Games These Days Without AI”

—You recently posted “Scary Stories from School” created using generative AI on social media. Are you interested in AI-generated creativity?

Takaya Iijima is developing the latest installment of “Apathy: Scary Stories from School.” First look at live-action-style footage with an eerie atmosphere | Game*Spark - Domestic and International Game Information Site

It’s said to be in development behind the scenes, so details are unclear.

https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/01/170063.htmlRead more »

Iijima: To be honest, I don’t think we can make games going forward without AI. AI is becoming integrated not just into games, but into society as a whole. While some people are resistant to AI, I don’t think we can go against the tide of the times.

When Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) first appeared, there were people who resisted it, but it opened up the possibility for anyone to create music. AI will do the same—it will enable us to create things we couldn’t before, such as art, novels, and audio.

Does that mean creators who’ve worked without AI will have no choice but to quit? No, that’s not the case. AI is, after all, just a tool, so I think we’re entering an era where we’ll need to figure out how to incorporate it into our own work. Personally, I’d like to try using AI to give shape to my own worldview and see how fans react. It’s half fun, half scary.

――Was seeing the fans’ reactions also one of your goals?

Iijima: Yes, it was. There are reports suggesting that many companies are already using AI. How we accept and utilize AI will become crucial.

――Can you tell us about a game you’d like to create in the future?

Iijima: There’s one game I’m really eager to make right now. It’s a suspense horror game where streamers who are live-commentating on a game created by AI find themselves in increasingly dire situations. I’ll have the AI create the game, and more and more people will start streaming it. However, I’ll write a scenario where, triggered by a certain event, the situation spirals out of control. I’d like to create a world that feels like a collaboration between the AI and me.

――Thank you very much!

While discussing his efforts to bring past works to a new audience through re-releases, Mr. Iijima also spoke of his enthusiasm for new creative projects utilizing generative AI. We look forward to seeing what he does next, along with the future of the “ONI” series.