Trolling Sony, Tricking the ESRB, and Horror Games: A Kenji Eno Story | Past Mortem [SSFF]

[@StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

If you wanna watch some spooky Punching Weight streams go to ☠► www.twitch.tv/stopskeletonsfromfighting

[@GrumpySylveon]

Stop Skeletons From Fighting e

[@protoluigi2047]

3:51 At least you have a job, the closest thing to work is eBay, and working at a furniture store. Other than that I don't have a job.

[@protoluigi2047]

Also can you make a video about Tomonobu Itakagi, haven't heard from the guy since he did Devil's Third!!!!

[@MaxMarriner]

I don’t think Kenji Eno would’ve ever expected his legacy would lie with a couple of Alaskans with an affinity for retro video games.

[@drunkensailor112]

Do they life in Alaska? Also born there?

[@loonatis]

@@drunkensailor112 I'm guessing Max also includes Grace in there. If I remember right her and Derek moved to Seattle.

[@SmaMan]

And yet, given his crazy contributions to entertainment, he probably wouldn't have had it any other way.

[@sanity000-x2r]

@@drunkensailor112 Derek used to live in Alaska before moving to Seattle in 2014ish. Don't know about Grace.

[@IgikoPop]

Max Marriner omg this comment is me XD I had to sell D2 and the Saturn game but I still have D

[@hatad321]

The reason Laura is in all the D games even though each is a different character, is because he had the idea of a "Digital Actor". She's not the same person in the stories, but she's the same "Digital Actress". His idea was that you could rent out a character, likeness and voice, to other studios.

[@skornie123]

Isnt that just like the actress in the first Final Fantasy movie ?

[@VIeshPilled]

Yeah I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned in the video, it's one of the more interesting things about his D games. He basically created a virtual actress, with intent on her or others becoming like Hatsune Miku. What a mad lad.

[@skornie123]

@@VIeshPilled In a horror movie whenever I see a famous actor, it kinda takes something away from my immersion, in contrast to an unknown actor. So when there is a "actress" in a game I dont think it works so well. I mean Hatsune Miku works because she appears mostly in Music Videos and is fitting for advertisements. or small cameos But still this dude was pretty forward thinking and I have to applaud him for that^^

[@hatad321]

@@skornie123 To be fair, people like Troy Baker, Steve Blum,etc are in like every game and usually do the same voice.

[@skornie123]

@@hatad321 Thats true, sometimes you it gets like "Oh hey its that character from the other video game!". Steve Blum voiced many characters simultaneously in Killer7 but it worked because he put in some variety into the voices. But I think generally a voice wouldnt distract me as much as seeing the same actor over and over again. For example in GTA Vice City, I dont think of the Protagonist "Oh hey its Ray Liotta". Its Tommy Vercetti who has been brought to life through Ray Liottas awesome voicework^^

[@Aqua_Xenossia]

I caught a little segment on NHK a few years ago about the little neighborhood restaurant he used to go to regularly, and how he charmed his way into being able to order mapo doufu(normally reserved for dinner) for lunch there, and how he’d pay for others to try it too, just so he could share the experience and the flavor of his favorite dish with people he didn’t even know. That’s just how strong Eno’s passion was about everything he did, and I hope that people continue to share his story, his games, and even some mapo doufu, just to keep his legacy alive.

[@PrinceMallow]

Hearing how he made a game for the blind, a minority that no game developer was thinking of at the time, and even went as far as to include a manual in braille and knowing that it wouldn't really be a financial success is incredibly touching and made me start to tear up a bit.

[@sonerec725]

we need to try and see if theres some way to crowd source a translation for broader audiences.

[@bczarrockbeast6264]

What about dudes with no hands? Not many games for them either. Where is the no handed ppls love?

[@emperormegaman3856]

Joke aside, the kinect could have been a opportunity for games that doesn't require hands. Could.

[@bczarrockbeast6264]

@@emperormegaman3856 ya got me i have to hand it to ya.

[@TheY2KReviewer]

The man deserves his own life story movie.

[@agniratha7297]

Kenji Eno's band was called Norway. There's a KZbin channel up with a few songs they did most of them after Eno's death. As well as original songs they did Evangelion covers and tributed Eno's death with a cover of Komm Süsser Tod from The End of Evangelion. Other songs on Eno's KZbin channel including more Eva covers don't seem to be available anymore sadly.

[@sozaj]

That makes so much sense...

[@Phyrrax]

His career was as crazy and interesting as his output. Sad that such an unique guy is gone. R.I.P. Kenji Eno.

[@Duskets]

This dude got back into making games after sharing spliffs with musicians at a fucking Mac Expo and then bullied an Oscar award-winning pianist into creating the soundtrack for his invisible space alien game. What an actual legend.

[@soltreeii]

The hero, the legend, God bless Kenji Eno

[@WTFisTingispingis]

The god.

[@PikaLink91]

Have you been watching Ahoy?

[@BluGuyEX]

"Hey I'm Derek, its me Derek." Never would've guessed your name is Derek

[@ChicaneryBear]

MAXIMUM DEREK

[@omega1397]

I thought his name was skeleton. And us watching his channel prevented him from continuing his reign of terror in the streets.

[@bshpev]

Pffffft I know Derek when I see him: reviewing Chrono Trigger. This is obviously Calvin trolling us.

[@ChicaneryBear]

@@bshpev uhhh like I know probably didn't mean any harm, but she transitioned and she's called Maya now.

[@bshpev]

@@ChicaneryBear woah holy shit, no way. Good for her, but you also blew my mind.

[@Drinkabeerandplayagameofficial]

“You may not know of Eno” Lies, I watched those D videos in 480i back in 09

[@MixMasterLar]

Bro same

[@Proutbedaine]

*lifts hand* me too

[@harrus88]

Same here :)

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Uh, I don't think KZbin has ever supported interlaced resolutions. Don't you mean 480p or 240p?

[@Thebossstage1]

@@ThePreciseClimber Maybe he didn't watch them on KZbin?

[@vaugna1620]

Kenji Eno is an absolute LEGEND I'm so glad his games are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve the past few years

[@genericsavings]

Enemy Zero is still an underrated horror gem. The game made me go back and forth with feelings of sadness, disgust, and panic. Eno was a unique voice; glad you guys gave him credit, where credit is due.

[@SmokePudding]

This man + Hideo Kojima would make an unstoppable duo

[@fernie-fernandez]

Smoke Pudding But is HK’d Death Stranding will be his big-break? Considering gamers are not proud of it, especially with cinematic games...

[@m0rShh]

I believe they were friends in real life. You can find some pictures of Kojima and Eno playing Enemy Zero together, and Kojima's listed in the 'special thanks' section of D2's end credits.

[@PBaloo01]

Wow. I had no idea about this creator or his works. Thank you so much for this awesome video.

[@frogman9721]

Kenji Eno would be happy seeing someone so excited about his work like this. Good video guys

[@andrewkos5560]

I've watched the D videos you made several times, but I NEVER would've guessed Eno was this rad. Absolute legend.

[@CortezaDeAbedul]

I really love this channel because it's one of the few ones that would talk of guys like Kenji Eno, otherwise I would have never known about him! If not because of you, then how? I guess I would have known thanks to the eventual DYKG - Kenji Eno, right? Ha!

[@ThePreciseClimber]

He kinda looks like Japanese Tommy Wiseau.

[@fernie-fernandez]

ThePreciseClimber Let’s hope he’s a lot better than Wiseau for numerous reasons....

[@m0rShh]

I think Eno's definitely better than Tommy Wiseau. I'd compare him more to someone like Ralph Bakshi.

[@fernie-fernandez]

@@m0rShh You know...whatever happened to Bakshi?

[@m0rShh]

@@fernie-fernandez He released a short film a couple of years ago, 'Last Days of Coney Island'. He's not really heavily involved in the animation industry anymore, he spends most of his time painting these days.

[@fernie-fernandez]

@@m0rShh I see...

[@ianlove3217]

Nostalgia hit me so damn hard seeing y'all talk about Eno again; I've been watching this channel literally since elementary school, got hooked bc of the D trilogy videos, and my interests in weird games have only grown since. I don't say this kind of thing often but seriously, I don't know what the hell kind of person I'd be if I didn't grow up with these videos.

[@EscanthonX]

Thanks Derek. Really. Keep these coming, don't let these developers' stories fade into obscurity, they deserve better. You rock, man.

[@Casanuda]

Miyamoto is a master of game design, a well known hero of the game industry. Eno was a man for all seasons.

[@redwheelbarrow5119]

What an amazing man. he had creativity, an Duke Nukem level balls of steel.

[@ShawnMihalek]

THERE'S A TRILOGY OF D GAMES?! I haven't played my lost copy of D2 for probably over 10 years. Holy Shit. Thank you.

[@EricGrain]

This is an awesome tribute to him. I have to admit I didn't know him prior to this, but it's a shame he died so young. He clearly had a lot of talent

[@iropyro3095]

A gifted man, and a truly amazing soul taken too soon from the world. We salute you, Eno-San.

[@tornekotaloon9732]

Kenji Eno is one of my favorite developers. Even his not as famous stuff, like flopon world(which includes a great single screen galaga style shooter) is great. I hope there will always be visionary developers in the future. It makes me glad to see devs like Swery, or Suda51. They understand how to create an enjoyable experience, even if the gameplay is a bit rough. Its a shame Eno died so young. This is a wonderful documentary and I'm glad his legacy lives on.

[@lightbluesquid]

What makes Eno's legacy more interesting is that he also worked with Ko Takeuchi (3D Modeller/D2) and Fumito Ueda (Animator/Enemy Zero) of all things! This man really went out to define the time and passion he put in his games!

[@timmadone8930]

Kenji Eno was a genius & the fact he made a game for the blind is nothing short of amazing. I've played "Winds Of Regret" & despite not understanding Japanese, the music & sound effects kept going until I finished it. "Trip'D" is a very fun game & I like it better than "Puyo Puyo". I was a bit surprised you didn't mention Fumito Ueda. He worked on the director's cut of "D" as well as "Enemy Zero". Considering Kenji Eno gave Ueda his start in the business, it's no wonder he's considered a genius too.

[@TockTockTock]

Yay! I'm SO happy y'all did a bio of Eno and his work. I got into his D series a while back when y'all covered it as HVGN, and I was hoping there would be an SSFF video about him later on. Thank you so much! He seemed like such a thoughtful and creative human being.

[@ChicaneryBear]

I remember the D videos when they were new. Oh god, I’m old.

[@d3ath31ng]

God, this is a blast from the past. I'm having flashbacks of the candles, wine glass, and low-lighted room in those very early videos, hahah. It's nice to see you talk about Eno again in detail.

[@NickyJamesTV]

These long form videos are fantastic and you're touching on subjects few else are. Your channel is growing up in front of my very eyes :')

[@MoeMoeJoeJoe]

This dude is a god damn LEGEND! When he was born he must have put all his points in charisma! An IRL Bard!

[@D3usExMachina]

I remember watching your Enemy Zero vids on the bus to middle school back in 2010. You still have that old spark man

[@arzak1]

This is truly a great video, i'm really happy that you were able to talk of Eno's life. He deserves to be known better!

[@clashmanthethird]

If you made a movie based off Eno's life, audiences would complain that it's too unrealistic.

[@celestinemorningstar4851]

Kenji Eno will be immortalized in the hall of Absolute Mad Lads

[@MacabreDaymare]

Call Count Dankula for this. LOL

[@dokidash7052]

I was lucky to interview a friend of Mr. Eno, James Mielke, shortly after he passed. I admired Mr. Eno from a fan point of view, but after the interview, I admired him as a person, which is not a common thing to find in any industry. Here's the article (in Japanese) in case you're interested: automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/interview-james-milkey-with-eno-kenji-memory/

[@Rawhaki]

Thank you. Any possibility of this interview translated into English?

[@brutusab]

"He was 19 and have his own company....and i am over 30 and mega man is still my hero...."

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

8:54 - This game looks heavily inspired by the early Lucasfilm / Lucasarts game Ballblazer, which has the same vertically split screen with players sliding around a 3D plane pushing pucks.

[@michaelavanessian8558]

"Hey, Panic Restaurant looks cool, let's check out Pricecharting and see how much it costs..." >$470 for a loose copy *cries on the bathroom floor*

[@SmaMan]

Just get the Famicom version. It's about 1/10th of that price. Literally the only differences are the title, the main character's sprite, and it includes the credits.

[@michaelavanessian8558]

@@SmaMan I mean, you've got a point but that's still S I X T Y U S D O L L A R S. Also the PAL version is only like $20 more expensive. But still, I emphasized the US value because it's funny. On an unrelated note, it really sucks that you can't easily obtain any of Kenji Eno's late period work legally.

[@Klonoa7H]

Emulate it.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

Real sound was actually made because his father had vision problems and he wanted to make something for his dad. Eno was really interesting. I have D for the Saturn and Enemy Zero as well. Bought it day one, still haven't finished it. Great game but you only have limited saves,rough. D2 is a really good game. There are some great interviews with him and James Milkie from EGM. Wish you could still get You,Me and the Cubes. Sad that his last game is unavailable. R.I.P Eno San. Glad he had a child.

[@iPlaySEGA]

I loved his games, may he rest in peace... *Salute!

[@Jofe000]

9:40 This makes pretty clear that this was written and recorded long before it was discovered that the ESRB doesn't play the games and pretty much just believes publishers when it comes to game content

[@Cupcom5]

You know, I was always trying to get noticed with my music on youtube since 2012, never had too much luck that I stopped and started drawing and few animations (recently.) But seeing how someone and legendary as kenji eno being so underrated compared to capcom and nintendo, I feel like its not really a bad thing: People will go hunting and will just find that treasure that the rest of the world has never seen. And that greatness eventually comes to light. Sorry, its just kenji been putting his all into his work, I truly believe he is just above and beyond. Loved the D series. Maybe I just shouldn't give up completely and try again sometime.

[@8BitHorse]

Your HVGN video is the reason why I made "D" my Halloween game that year. A totally unique experience, and pretty crazy (for the time) that you have to play it all in one sitting.

[@DarkspineBowser]

I loved the old D trilogy videos, watched them and the Splatterhouse reviews so many times. So nice to see Eno being talked about again

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

You didn't mention anything at all about his dad, Brian Eno.

[@NetConsole]

Stand up comedian material....for Dane Cook

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

@@NetConsole Interesting proposal. Can you pass it along to him the next time you get up from between his knees?

[@NetConsole]

What a creative joke.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

@@NetConsole I heard KZbin has an opening for a "bitchy Roger Ebert of the comment section." You may have what it takes to apply.

[@Samarama1994]

MGMT be like: BRiaN EnOoOoO

[@Zackcatyt]

Kenji Eno is one of my video game heroes. When he passed I was following him on twitter and noticed he had stopped posting, and the news came out. He was an visionary who was about to make his comeback into the game world but it wasn't fated to be.

[@Neetso]

4:56 OH MY GOD! I was literally searching for any info about this nostalgic game during these last months, with no results; And just when I was off-guard, it gets mentioned in a Stop Skeletons video...! Much thanks! You guys are precious. :)

[@jordanwhite352]

Fun fact. I used to work in the video game industry so I made a lot of friends because of my intermediate knowledge with Japanese. I was always a huge fan of his games and after reaching out on his blog we would talk a lot on Twitter. One of my fondest memories of our conversations was asking if the green blood in D2 was inspired by the infamously bad film Troll 2. He admitted to me that while he's heard about that film he's never actually seen it and I made a promise to him that as long as he didn't see it beforehand that when I meet him in Japan in a year or two I will bring a copy with me and I will watch it with him together. We never got to do that. I cried when the news broke that he passed away which I was already nervous about because it was a while before he posted anything new. RIP Eno. 😞

[@AbdallahTeach]

I hope a documentary or a book gets published about him

[@PinkiePie2]

It is so surreal to think back when you first talked about the D trilogy, at the time, you could have met the man himself. I didn't know he passed until after this video. The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

[@joecwik]

That album on the wall behind you. I loved that as a kid.

[@pintatatphpaobe9563]

For a second I thought that was a pun on Kid A

[@GameplayandTalk]

RIP Mr. Eno. Also, it's hard to believe your D videos were nearly a decade ago. It feels just like yesterday I watched them.

[@jjenk911]

That's a badass shirt. Eno Kenji died too young. Probably from all the stress and was probably in poor health.

[@rebeccahubish8560]

Nice Disney Haunted House record Phish "covered" that album one year for Halloween and it was pretty great.

[@JT-nd6qp]

Watching Eno cornering Michael Nyman in the hotel would be the greatest six-hour comedy sketch ever. Seriously, I want to know how that went down. Did Eno even speak English?

[@AgentDanielCross]

I'd think so, considering he'd probably had extensive contact with Trip Hawkins.

[@hotplanofaction3219]

Hey Derek, as a fellow retro fan I just want to say you're great and I loved the video. I think Kenji Eno was underappreciated in his time. I do want to let you know his name is actually pronounced Kenji Iino, like feed or greed. Back in the 90's romaji wasn't as well known in the west, so his name was spelled Eno to help people pronounce it. Ironically now romaji is very well known (especially among gamers and otaku) which has led to his name being pronounced ehno. Once again, love you, love your work, not being a dick or correcting you, just think as a fan you'd like to know. Hope October goes great for you!

[@alfhacalderon6094]

Man I watched this then went to your original D episode and man your officially retro!!! Your intro brought back some many memories

[@GabAssbreaker]

This is absolutely inspiring. total respect for this lad.

[@StuartKReilly]

I know of the original D thanks to Retsupurae. Didn't know about this amazing story behind the creator.

[@Tama23]

I didn't realize he had passed away. D was quite a fascinating game to me when I was younger, too, and I had no backstory to know about how creative this man truly was. Thanks for this video. ❤️

[@joeswansonanator]

Derek, I thank you for helping me discover Nyman's score for Enemy Zero. It has been a big influence to my music making.

[@Comkill117]

You gotta appreciate the balls on Eno to announce a Saturn exclusive at a PlayStation show. That’s honestly just badass.

[@Proutbedaine]

Don't be diminutive with your work or path. He'd be hella proud of you man. I know I am. You've gone such a long way since I first started watching you and in a really meaningful way (content wise and as a person too).

[@chrono32123]

I really enjoyed this look into Eno and Warp. My mom introduced me to D when I was really young and the game scared me to actual tears. Years later I brought my Saturn and copy of D to my college apartment and me and my friends played it one night on a whim and it was such a fun experience.

[@aresx666]

Damn what a good video. Super emotional at the end. I had no idea he died thats so sad ):

[@tobytobiasjones]

"Dummy NOT thiqq stick figures. Now we talkin'..." - D. Alexander

[@dettloff7]

Great video, deserves more views! Ano's story is one of which more should know, video game enthusiast or not.

[@AssaulteedOne]

Thank you so much for doing a video covering some of Kenji Eno's legacy! I've always loved the guys' work & can only keep hoping we see more of his games re-released on GOG/Steam -- you can get the original D on GOG, but none of the other D-titles unfortunately.

[@EndymionMkII]

What was I doing when I was 19? Watching some Happy Video Game Nerd It's amazing how Kenji Eno has always been a part of the documentaries and reviews of this channel

[@JohnnyCProduction]

Thanks for this great video. I just played D2 for the first time recently and now I am really interested in Kenji’s work.

[@sentientricecake3125]

Can't describe how happy I am this video exists

[@whatamalike]

It seems genuinely fitting that you've made this considering that without you, I probably would've never played the D games (though still to give D2 a try) and definitely wouldn't have heard of Kenji Eno! Marvellous work!

[@antshield]

What. A. Rollar Coaster. Such an amazing and inspirational life! I'm so glad I watched this. RIP Mr. Eno.

[@TheMalMeninga]

This was a great video, you can really feel how personal this one is to you. Good stuff!

[@jesternario]

The man didn’t burn bridges with Sony. He took a wrecking ball to their toothpick replica of a bridge!

[@Jawmsie]

"I was hosting a college radio show!" That explains quite a bit.

[@chutton988]

Y'all are just amazing. This is a great video about an inspiring creator. Thanks a bunch!

[@firstname7071]

You can say it. He would be proud. He'd be proud of everyone's creativity.

[@alexrushdy2751]

Your D trilogy videos are among my favourite. Glad you made this so I could learn more about Eno! I still love D2 tho. So good.

[@TrashManForLife]

I am so ready for spook-tober with SSFF!! Honestly you two makes the best Halloween KZbin videos out of any other KZbinr, can't wait to see what other videos you guys post the rest of the month! Great video as well, I'm I got to learn more about a real legend in the game industry and his fascinating life!

[@SomniaCE]

My favorite game dev of all time! Love to see him get more of a spotlight on his work

[@Vectorman2X]

13:28 man you gave my goosebumps,edge magazine what memories

[@Toschez]

Kenji Eno's surname is pronounced as iino; it was his preferred and non-standard spelling inspired by Brian Eno.

[@dianaburn2474]

Fair, but no need to be rude about it.

[@montlejohnbojangles8937]

That uh, intro kinda got away from you there huh? 😂 Love you guys, keep doing what you do.

[@CobraBlade]

Was hugely into D & Enemy Zero... they cemented my love of pre-rendered graphics that Donkey Kong Country started. So much so that despite the tech we have today, my own game creations are all pre-rendred. Such a shame he is no longer with us.

[@joeyparkhill8751]

Happy Halloween Derek & Grace

[@ajvark]

Kenji Eno looks like your childhood friend's older brother who has an expensive synthesizer in his room, shows you a bunch of cool games he's working on, and probably has some cannabis stored somewhere in his dresser.

[@theozziepotato]

This is maybe the 3rd time I've watched this video. I implore everyone who enjoyed this video to be on the lookout for Archipel's soon to be released documentary on Kenji Eno. I'm looking forward to it!

[@matt-dr4fk]

The new t-shirt design looks sick as hell!

[@adriensebbane]

I love D for some reason. It has a special feel to it. I haven't played Enemy Zero yet. What Kenji Eno built is fascinating. His merketing strategies as well. Thank you for this informative video/documentary.

[@tobytobiasjones]

I've watched your D trilogy vids at least 5 times each. Thanks for more wisdom on Eno!

[@XitlalicProductions]

That was great. I was not familiar with him before this video. I am happy I stumbled upon your channel.

[@tlis4724]

Incredibly touching. Excellent work, man.

[@YAIAAC]

Incredible video for an incredible man. Thank you Derek and Grace 💕

[@EvilPichu]

I did not know about Eno-san and his amazing life. I watched the old HVGN videos and then this one. That was quite a ride... Too bad he passed away so early. Especially that he designed a game for blind people touched me, since Japan is usually not very open about people with disabilities. Lots of greetings from Germany! Keep up the great work!

[@megamarsonic]

YES! I've been waiting for you to go more into the man himself after your reviews of the D trilogy. Excellent video.

[@soltreeii]

Really hope they pull through on Kakexun. Every now and then I dig around for any new info and besides some mini stuff on their Facebook and an article blurb, nada