[Interview] 29 Years After Its Release: Former WARP Members Including Fumito Ueda Reveal the Turbulent Production Behind the Masterpiece "Enemy Zero" by the Genius Kenji Iino
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999903/20251007046/
Writer: Tattsuo Photographer: Nakamura Yutaka | 2025/10/15 14:55 (UTC)
Released in 1996, “Enemy Zero” left a powerful impact on gaming history with its groundbreaking mechanics—such as “enemies being invisible” and defeating foes relying solely on sound—and the infamous platform change later dubbed the “Enemy Zero Incident.”
At the time, this revolutionary studio was led by the eccentric genius Kenji Eno, who headed WARP (now FromYellowOrange). The team also included Fumito Ueda, known for creating ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. As part of a special “Kenji Eno 55th Birthday Project,” this event commemorates the release of the original soundtrack, bringing together former WARP members—including Ueda—to share behind-the-scenes stories and memories.
Product Name: KENJI ENO 55: ENEMY ZERO Original Soundtrack
Release Date & Time: October 15, 2025 at 23:00 (pre-orders begin)
Format: Double LP vinyl record
Price: £49.99 (~¥12,000 + shipping + tax)
Tomoaki Miyazaki (CG Designer)
Remained with WARP from its founding until dissolution, involved in all game productions. Unique hiring background—he was a student of Kenji Eno while teaching at Ban Tan.
Hidetoshi Sudo (Animation Supervisor)
Handled animation for nearly all WARP games, including D’s Dining Table and Enemy Zero. After leaving the company, he worked on numerous CG anime films such as Mewtwo Returns: Evolution.
Naoya Sato (Programmer)
Remained with WARP from its early days until dissolution, involved in every game produced by the studio. A key pillar who took on a wide range of roles during development.
Fumito Ueda (Game Designer)
Renowned game designer known for ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and Gourmet Hero. Was with WARP during the later stages of D’s Dining Table production through to the development period of Enemy Zero.
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Interview: To Mark Kenji Eno’s 55th Birthday, Former Members of Legendary Band “Norway” Share Memories of the Gaming World’s Maverick
The album “KENJI ENO 55”, commemorating the 55th birthday of Kenji Eno—who passed away at just 42—will be released digitally on May 5. The album includes songs from the band “Norway,” which Eno was active in during his later years. In this feature, we asked members of Norway to share their personal memories of Eno.
[May 5, 2025 at 05:00]
Official Website for “KENJI ENO 55: ENEMY ZERO Original Soundtrack”
The Genius Kenji Eno and the Wild WARP Crew
The Origins of the Unprecedented “Enemy Zero Incident”
—It’s refreshing to have this panel discussion with all four members present. Before we dive into Enemy Zero, could you tell us about your hiring journey, Mr. Ueda?
Fumito Ueda (hereafter, Ueda):
Back then, I was working part-time at a CG company in Osaka. Since I needed to earn money, I decided to join a game company. I thought it would either be WARP or AM2 at Sega—quite ambitious for someone like me back then（笑).
So I secretly prepared some of my own CG work and sent it to WARP. To my surprise, they loved it! So I felt truly lucky to have been picked up by them.
—What kind of work did you send? Did the others see your creations?
Hidetoshi Sudo (hereafter, Sudo):
I remember a scene with rain falling into puddles beside a parked car. And another one where a chick bumped into stacked bricks and scattered everywhere（笑). I watched it so many times that I still recall it clearly.
Naoya Sato (hereafter, Sato):
Yes, we all saw it together at the office.
Tomoaki Miyazaki (hereafter, Miyazaki):
There were characters like Santa Claus or little people. Their animation was incredibly smooth.
Sudo:
The variety of styles made me realize this person had done so many things—just a small portion sent to us. I felt intimidated by that! Everyone kept saying, “This guy named Ueda is going to join,” and it was like we were being warned（笑). But honestly, he really was amazing.
Sato:
It was hilarious watching Sudo back then（笑).
—WARP worked on many projects simultaneously, including Enemy Zero this time.
Sato:
Yes, there were smaller projects too. Like “Short Warp” (※), for example…
※ “Short Warp,” released in January 1996—the same year as Enemy Zero—was a mini-game collection.
Ueda:
I recall it had hand-written serial numbers and even custom rating symbols we made ourselves（笑).
—They went that far with details? Tell us about the infamous “Enemy Zero Incident.” Initially planned for PlayStation, but at the “PlayStation Expo ‘96” in March 1996, WARP announced a switch to Sega Saturn.
Sato:
I heard about it slightly earlier. Later, Eno gathered everyone and asked, “What do you think about switching from PlayStation to Saturn?” After hearing the reasoning, we all agreed—why not?
Ueda:
Before the announcement, the office was buzzing like a school festival the night before.
Sudo:
I felt the same way. I thought it was interesting, but never expected such a huge reaction.
Sato:
Still, things did feel risky. So on event day, we restricted entry and played the video in total isolation.
Sudo:
The first day was press-only, with announcements telling everyone not to record audio or video…
—That video featured PlayStation’s logo morphing into Sega Saturn’s…
Sudo:
I created that footage—I worked closely with Miyazaki. Afterward, I got scolded badly! You’re never supposed to alter a company’s official logo like that. Even though I was just following instructions…
Ueda:
We were all in our early twenties back then—none of us knew better.
Sudo:
Exactly. At the time, morphing effects from Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” music video were trending. So we thought, “Let’s try it!” Then Eno said, “Use Saturn’s ‘S’ and PlayStation’s ‘S’ cleverly.” We responded, “Sure, let’s do it!”—it was all very casual.
Ueda:
Besides, there weren’t even anonymous forums or social media back then.
Sato:
True. So news mainly spread through magazines and newspapers.
Sudo:
I did think we’d done something reckless—but no one directly told us that at the time. In today’s world, it would’ve been a disaster.
Ueda:
But honestly, there was an air around WARP saying, “This is just what WARP does” (laughs).
—Those who knew WARP from before know how many stories like this could’ve caused massive outrage today.
Ueda:
Even when we won the Multimedia Grand Prize for D’s Dining Table… (laughs)
Sudo:
That year, Hiromi Takashima—the “Hyper Media Creator”—won individually. But at the award ceremony, Eno said right in front of him, “I’ll try not to be called ‘Hiromi Takashima’” (※). That was pure punk spirit—so outrageous! We were such troublemakers back then…
By the way, before Dreamcast’s launch, someone from WARP accidentally left a Sega Saturn mockup controller at a fast-food restaurant.
※ Eno and Takashima had private friendships
Sato:
He realized it on the taxi ride home, panicked, rushed back—and somehow managed to recover it.
Miyazaki:
A terrible company (laughs).
—Hearing these stories, I can’t believe you were actually part of WARP!
Ueda:
We’d hang out at arcades together and play Virtua Fighter. We practically lived there.
Sato:
But we weren’t ever picked for the “punishment games.”
Sudo:
Today’s YouTubers do stunts to get attention, but back then, our punishment games involved doing almost anything. Still, Eno had a certain “punishment team” in mind—there was an unwritten line (laughs).
Miyazaki:
There were so many things we couldn’t talk about. Back then, there wasn’t the internet—no one to tell anyway…
—Then please share something that’s safe to talk about now.
Sudo:
I once had to eat beef bowl while playing guitar.
Miyazaki:
At a certain chain restaurant, Eno and everyone else were already inside waiting. Then Sudo walks in playing the guitar…
Sudo:
“Beef bowl—please!” (laughs). And I once sold CDs on the street corner, got into trouble with suspicious people, wore fireworks on my head… Well, I won’t go further than that.
Ueda:
Sounds fun to watch (laughs). It wasn’t normal—but in the 90s, such things were somehow accepted.
A Super-Grand 4-Part Masterpiece Created by Just a Few
Made Around-the-Clock by Only a Handful of People
—Now let’s talk about Enemy Zero, our main topic today. Did you start production after hearing Eno’s initial concept?
Sudo:
Actually, we often first learned about it through advertisements (laughs).
But there was already a design phase underway—Eno and Shoji Namioka, the illustrator known for Kamen Rider, had been exchanging ideas. When things grew more detailed, Eno told us, “We’re making this kind of game.”
Ueda:
I recall we first created the CGI of a door housing enemies—a visual somewhat resembling Akira. We also had an early concept phase that felt like a minimalist sci-fi story—something similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Sudo:
Yes, I remember making that door. Even back then, the ship interior was quite classic—CRT monitors, toggle switches. Namioka’s designs just slightly futuristicized modern technology.
—Namioka is credited for creature design, but he also worked on other aspects?
Miyazaki:
The spaceship too. We started working on that early on.
Sudo:
In the initial concept art, the ship wasn’t so massive. The heart was the central image—with four towers representing arteries and veins.
Miyazaki:
Those four were named after seasons—Summer Tower, Winter Tower, etc.
Sudo:
Back then, Namioka visited often. As Eno and he held frequent meetings, they gradually built up this world—which we later learned about.
Ueda:
Initially it wasn’t animation—it was more like a rendering test. For the heroine Laura, we reused data from D’s Dining Table, placed her in front of a monitor…
—How many people were on the Enemy Zero team?
Sudo:
About three animators, three designers, two programmers… Plus Eno for planning and Yukio Sakamoto for script. Looking back, it was incredibly small.
Ueda:
Even today, indie games are made by small teams. But back then, game development was even smaller—yet we managed to create a visually advanced title using so much CG… It’s rare for the era.
Sudo:
Wasn’t Eno the only planner at WARP back then?
Ueda:
We didn’t hire our first official planner until we started working on that mythical “RPG that would sell 3 million copies” (a game Eno had pitched but never revealed).
—Enemy Zero was made with a tiny team and in an extremely short time. The platform change from PlayStation to Saturn happened in March 1996, and the release was December of the same year…
Ueda:
At that point, we’d already completed the first stage for the PlayStation version.
Sato:
Exactly. After restarting work on Saturn, it took about seven or eight months. Usually, master files were prepared a month before launch—but we missed that deadline and had to deliver in parts.
Sudo:
The very first thing I was told after joining WARP: “Go buy a sleeping bag.” (laughs) It was just assumed you’d be staying over.
Sato:
I bought mine at Mont-Bell in Ebisu. The clerk asked, “Where are you going?” And I thought, “I’m not even going anywhere…” (laughs)
Sudo:
We were literally sleeping on-site—sometimes up to a month straight. Eventually people started saying, “Sudo’s starting to smell.”
Ueda:
They actually scheduled Sudo’s bathroom breaks! But that’s how we managed to finish it.
Sudo:
I’d take two-hour naps under my desk. If Eno thought it was funny, he’d wake me up—by placing a giant speaker right next to my ear and blasting electric guitar “JAAAAAN!” I jumped up so hard I broke two front teeth (laughs). We laughed about such things all the time.
Ueda:
I also had a sleeping bag. At first, it was just for the lower half—I’d sleep in a chair. But since that didn’t help me rest well, Eno told me to sleep under my desk instead. So I did (laughs).
Sato:
I even passed out twice during work. Woke up on the floor… Eno wasn’t home either.
—That sounds intense… While everything was tough, were there any other challenges?
Sudo:
Just me—I was asked at the last minute to add a “special movie.” So we added a scene of Laura taking a shower using a cheat code.
Ueda:
We used a lot of particles. Given rendering specs back then, that must have been tough.
—Was the script still unfinished during development?
Sudo:
Yes, it wasn’t complete. We received scripts per world—but only when we got them did we find out how things would unfold. So until midway through, we didn’t even know the ending.
Without a script, lip-syncing was impossible—we just looped generic “munching” sounds. There are tons of mismatched lines and visuals in the game—back then, it felt acceptable.
Sato:
By the way, Miyazaki—you remember this? We started with World A, moved to BCD—but later redid everything from scratch. Replaced textures and all that.
Miyazaki:
Maybe…?
—You all keep sharing hard times, but Miyazaki hasn’t said much.
Sudo:
I always thought of you as someone who just calmly does whatever’s asked. “Yes, I’ll do it” right away.
Miyazaki:
Eno was so entertaining with what he did (laughs). I enjoyed myself and even wondered if I could’ve done more.
Sudo:
Amazingly disciplined! (laughs)
Cinematic Presentation Meets Brutal Game Mechanics
“Enemy Zero”
—Enemy Zero’s soundtrack by Michael Nyman became a topic of discussion. Rumor has it Eno traveled to meet him and spent hours convincing him.
Ueda:
Back then, he was famous for the score in The Piano Lesson.
Sato:
But I never asked why—he just said, “He’s going to do it,” so I thought, “Huh?” (laughs)
Miyazaki:
Still, actually going to meet him shows incredible initiative!
—What was your impression after hearing the music?
Sato:
No game music from that era had such a mood. It really shocked me.
Sudo:
The music came in almost at the very end of development.
Enemy Zero Original Soundtrack
—Even now, it sounds incredible. But D’s Dining Table and Enemy Zero both had a distinct cinematic quality.
Ueda:
Wasn’t that because Sudo was involved in D’s Dining Table?
Sudo:
Yes—I handled all camera work and shot composition myself…
Ueda:
So we could aim for this direction because someone capable was there.
Sudo:
I received great praise for layout and camera work—after leaving WARP, I entered the anime industry.
—Before Enemy Zero’s release, they held an event showing full opening and ending videos. That’s quite unprecedented.
Sato:
Probably Eno himself played through it—he never delegated such things to others.
Sudo:
We actually did a similar event for D’s Dining Table. Eno played piano while game footage ran. Since there was no save system, playing through took about two hours—so it worked. Then we thought: “Let’s do the same thing with Enemy Zero.”
—Although Enemy Zero had saving, it had strict limits and was extremely difficult.
Sudo:
Game balance decisions were all made by Eno.
Sato:
I remember being handed instructions for how many save attempts to allow (laughs).
—Maps weren’t visible in-game—you had to draw them yourself. Also, elevators didn’t use numbers; you had to manually operate switches to go up or down…
Miyazaki:
Who’d figure out binary?
Ueda:
Wait—is it really that hard? (laughs)
Sudo:
Also, Laura (voice: Yui Komatsu) never speaks during gameplay—only when saving/loading. And in the ending.
Sato:
For example, there’s a line when loading: “This is what happened before.” But originally, she was recorded as “Laura Harris” from D’s Dining Table instead of her actual name “Laura Lewis”—so we had to re-record it.
—The crew voices in Enemy Zero were provided by legendary voice actors: Naomi Yukida, Akio Otsuka, Shōchō Ōtsuka, and Tetsuji Nishikawa.
Sudo:
It’s a cruel design—the only way to detect enemies is through sound. But toward the end of the game, even that audio disappears! So in the final moments, David (voiced by Akio Otsuka) guides you: “Go right… go left…” telling you where to move next.
Back then, people said, “Laura doesn’t talk—can’t emotionally connect.” But Eno’s intention was clear: this isn’t Final Fantasy, it’s more like Dragon Quest. Since the player is the protagonist, Laura shouldn’t speak at all in-game. Even if players didn’t get that message (laughs).
Sato:
Now I realize—WARP never had a dedicated sound designer. Eno made enemy detection sounds himself, but other effects were mostly me.
Miyazaki:
Eno handled music too—he focused on the rest of it.
—Let’s go back: what part do you think makes Enemy Zero truly exceptional?
Sudo:
It’s that moment when the movie ends and you step into enemy space—the graphics are nothing, but then “Pong, Pong” sounds… And suddenly you know: “There’s an enemy nearby!” That chilling feeling is hard to replicate. Later in the game, multiple enemies trigger overlapping beeps—“Ping-Ping-Ping”—leading to panic mode. It’s unique to Enemy Zero.
Sato:
I was impressed by the idea of judging everything based on sound. Also, how well interactive movie segments blended with real-time gameplay.
Originally, D’s Dining Table, Enemy Zero, and D’s Dining Table 2 were called “WARP Trilogy.” The first one was nearly all interactive movie; second half-and-half; third almost fully real-time—this balance worked quite well.
Sudo:
The Saturn’s specs weren’t great back then. PlayStation had higher processing power… But since the game focused on passageways and areas rather than monsters, we didn’t need top-tier hardware. That made it a smart choice in hindsight.
Ueda:
We managed to design beautifully within constraints.
Miyazaki:
It felt like making old-school Famicom games. With no room, we had to reuse assets—wanted to show more enemies but only had time for one moment of defeat. Even that got cut down. We prioritized UI elements first, then walls, floors, and passages. It was incredibly tight on space—we struggled a lot.
So I always see Enemy Zero as an extremely simple game.
—Even though both creators and players suffered so much, the advertising for Enemy Zero was striking.
Sudo:
Despite its brutal design, Eno wanted to attract mainstream audiences by featuring Kahimi Karie in ads (laughs).
—Was that iconic logo also designed by Eno?
Ueda:
Yes.
Sudo:
Once it was done, he’d always smile widely and say, “Hey, come here for a sec?” He couldn’t wait to be praised (laughs).
—If you were to make another game today with the same theme of “invisible enemies,” what would you try differently?
Miyazaki:
Maybe a VR version—would be terrifying.
Sudo:
Good idea, definitely!
Ueda:
Too scary (laughs).
Sato:
You could actually use sound direction based on your orientation. With position and distance tracking, as enemies approach, the audio spacing shortens—perfect for VR.
Sudo:
Personally, I’d like to move away from the Alien plotline a bit. Back then, people often said Enemy Zero was just “bringing back an unknown alien lifeform as a weapon”—very similar to Alien. But Eno didn’t care about that at all.
Even in our time, Alien was already classic sci-fi—just one common trope among many. So if it’s still getting compared so much, maybe we should tweak that part.
Ueda:
Indeed—the idea of “a drama inside a single spaceship” is solid—and limitations can actually help with development. But now, there are countless games based on closed-space scenarios… That’s the current dilemma.
—Our time is nearly up. Finally, how did Enemy Zero and WARP influence your careers as creators?
Sudo:
Massively. By the way—an odd story: after leaving WARP, my next job was at a company that made an animated film called Final Fantasy, featuring enemies designed by Shoji Namioka—again! “Another invisible enemy?” (laughs)
Ueda:
Wait—is it really him? I didn’t know that.
The experience of proving “I can do this” back then still lives on in me (laughs). At WARP, I was around 25—I gained mental toughness and the will to challenge my limits. I’m truly grateful for Enemy Zero.
Sato:
Before Enemy Zero, I mainly did porting or side jobs. This was the first time I led major parts of a project myself. That experience built the foundation for later leading roles in other works.
Miyazaki:
Eno’s fearless, free-thinking creativity—and his ability to express it clearly—I still deeply admire that. It’s hard for me to reach such heights, but I strive to be like him.
—Thank you very much.
At the request of Ms. Yuka Eno—wife of Kenji Eno and CEO of FromYellowOrange—we’d like to share one special anecdote.
Enemy Zero had a legendary limited edition called the “Special Box.” The wooden outer case alone cost tens of thousands of yen, inside which were non-sale items: mockups of in-game weapons, companion costumes, and other treasures—totaling 200,000 yen.
But all 20 units sold out instantly upon release. And the service? Eno himself personally delivered them (along with WARP staff using a 2-ton truck to travel nationwide).On the day before this panel discussion, one of the buyers—Mr. A—contacted Ms. Yuka through his friend Mr. B. Mr. A had been diagnosed with terminal illness and was clearing his affairs when he thought first about returning the Special Box. With no family, he asked Mr. B to return it to WARP as a final request.
After agreeing, Ms. Yuka received the box from another friend living on a remote island. She brought it to the panel event as a keepsake—and later created a video message from all former WARP members, asking to send it to Mr. A. That night, she sent it.At that time, Mr. A’s condition had worsened—he could no longer operate smartphones. Mr. B immediately traveled to the island and showed him the video. Though speech was difficult, Mr. A smiled with joy upon seeing it.
Image Gallery No.015 thumbnail / [Interview] 29 years after release. Former WARP members including Fumito Ueda reveal the intense production process and secrets behind Kenji Eno’s “Enemy Zero” Image Gallery No.016 thumbnail / [Interview] 29 years after release. Former WARP members including Fumito Ueda reveal the intense production process and secrets behind Kenji Eno’s “Enemy Zero”
Image Gallery No.017 thumbnail / [Interview] 29 years after release. Former WARP members including Fumito Ueda reveal the intense production process and secrets behind Kenji Eno’s “Enemy Zero” Image Gallery No.018 thumbnail / [Interview] 29 years after release. Former WARP members including Fumito Ueda reveal the intense production process and secrets behind Kenji Eno’s “Enemy Zero”