Game Freak’s forthcoming free-to-play magical girl title, Ame Nochi Hare Onna, marks a significant departure from the studio’s well-known Pokémon series. In a recent Famitsu interview, director and producer Shigeru Ohmori detailed the game’s origins and the reasoning behind blending the magical girl theme with real-time weather conditions.
Following the completion of 2022’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Ohmori ventured into developing projects beyond the Pokémon universe. One concept drew inspiration from his early days at Game Freak involving grass patches in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, which evolved into Pokémon Pokopia. Simultaneously, another idea, sparked by watching his wife do laundry, combined with his ambition to explore “unique forms of expression exclusive to original games,” laid the groundwork for Ame Nochi Hare Onna.
Ohmori envisioned a game where magical girls don outfits that grant them distinct abilities, fueling his interest in “fully exploring the appeal of bishojo characters,” a cornerstone of Ame Nochi Hare Onna’s design.
The development team aimed to craft an experience “grounded in everyday reality.” Recognizing that many Japanese users frequently check real-time weather and location data on their phones, Game Freak saw an opportunity to merge this data with the magical girl concept. Ohmori noted that the weather information integrated “seamlessly” with the gameplay.
In Ame Nochi Hare Onna, players guide their magical girls, or “Hare Onna,” through city patrols, engaging in turn-based combat against sentient trash monsters. They utilize powers derived from their Hare-gi outfits and the current weather conditions. Over time, these outfits become soiled, necessitating washing and drying to maintain their power levels—drying times vary with the climate, being quicker on clear days and slower during rain.
Ohmori emphasized that Ame Nochi Hare Onna is designed to complement players’ daily routines rather than disrupt them. The game is intended for brief play sessions, such as when checking the weather, with standard patrols lasting about 5 to 10 minutes. Ohmori cited the strategic advantage of deploying a rain-type Hare Onna on a rainy day as an example of how the game integrates with real-life activities.
Ame Nochi Hare Onna is slated for release this Winter on iOS and Android, currently planned as a Japan-exclusive title.