Month: February 2014

February 12, 2014

†The Blooming of the Arcade

This Month’s Pickup

（Left）
Monaco　GP
Original Company: SEGA
Release Date: 1979

(Middle)
OUTRUN
Original Company: SEGA
Release Date: September 1986

(Right)
R360
Original Company: R360
Release Date: November 1990

A full body experience arcade unit that gave Mana-Sama a big shock

This time, its no exaggeration to declare this was like a romance for boys (?), so why don’t we introduce this full body experience arcade game from back in the day.

The Racing Game Enthusiast
Mana-Sama’s starting point was?

The first full body experience game I encountered was a giant unit, characteristic of SEGA’s “Monaco GP”. It was released in 1979, making it a fairly retro game, so the screen was just a simple top view. Now days we’re used to seeing a 3D view, so the extremely simplistic image is something you have to bare.
However, at that time, as I [watched from] the sky, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding when I climbed into the covered cockpit for the first time. I felt just like I was an F1 racer. Although, I was just a child, so I didn’t know how to operate a car, but since you only needed to work with a simple low gear and top gear, anyone could have a taste of what its like to be a racer, which made me happy.

Furthermore, even though its called “Monaco GP”, the screen is nothing like Monaco, and it seemed quite bland. None the less, there were still sudden slip zones that would appear with narrow bridges, tunnels, and obstacle zones which were thrilling. I particularly remember it being extremely frightening when you went in the tunnel and couldn’t see anything but a few meters ahead of you when you shined a light.

The memories of this late game are where my history of liking racing games started out.

Enjoying the pursuit of driving with the innovation “OUTRUN”

After that, I got into Namco’s “Pole Position”. This game was also a large unit, but it took on pseudo-3D, and after being so used to the 2D top view of “Monaco GP”, I was shocked. Three-dimensionality on the screen made it seem just like a real circuit, and together with the intoxicating feeling of speed, and the 3D [effect] when turning a curb, along with the music that played when you did the out-in-out technique, it became enjoyable.

Also, SEGA’s “OUTRUN” really gave you a true taste of “operating a car”. The unit itself was designed as a sports car. Games up until that point, when comparing the emphasis raised in competition, OUTRUN’s concept was being able to enjoy the scenery as you enjoyed driving. Right from the start, the bright red Ferrari Testarossa has has a girl with long blonde hair blowing in the wind on the passenger side, as you cruise casually by the beach! Ahh, it was an irresistible situation for super car lovers!! Although, my [favorite] was the Lamborghini Countach (laughs).

Aside from that, the real pleasure of this game was how the car would sway with the steering wheel. This innovative racing game made your body feel like it could experiencing a virtual reality, although, I guess I should say it was more like a whole new genre, a driving game. There were also junctions in the course, so you could never get tired of it no matter how many times you played. Furthermore, you could choose BGM [background music] to match the mood; it created the definition for severe race games.

The Blooming of the Arcade
SEGA’s Full Body Experience Series

At this point in time SEGA’s arcade full body experience series became a legend. With the exception of race games, “After Burn” was profoundly memorable. You boarded an compact intimate unit for an air battle and at the same time the entire fuselage would shake in all directions. I thought it seemed cool, but it was even more amazing in person. So, this flight simulator fighter craft was the ultimate unit known as “R360”! The really amazing thing about it was, there was a seat belt hanging from it, which you had to fasten, and then when you controlled it with the joy stick, you could turn the cockpit around acrobatically 360 degrees. This would become the frame work for arcade games far off in the distant future — you could even go as far as to say it was like an amusement park ride. Even I was taken aback by it, and could feel the heated passion hoisted in SEGA’s arcade games. However, when I actually tried to play this game, I would get intense motion sickness…….
However, being able to personally ride in a fighter craft was like a dream, so it was still awesome!

Now days, this art has advanced, so even at home the beautiful images displayed in the game look like real life, so you can feel like you’re really experiencing it. In time, the power of expression within games has evolved remarkably, but I still want to relish in units with fully body sensation type games.

(Translation by ManaSamaDotNet)

February 6, 2014

†Love of Darkness and a New Genre that Fascinated Gamers

This time why don’t I introduce a very innovative game among Super Famicon software, “Otogirisou”?

A Game that Combines Images, Words, and Sounds

I was extremely shocked when I happened upon this game title. It was a sound novel, creating a whole new style where you could continuously read the game screen like a book. Although I say the expression “You could continuously read the game screen like a book”, that was the game. The purpose of the BGM and images are so the atmosphere of the world in this work are understood well through visuals. To give you further details, I should say its a mysterious genre thats more like “a midway between a book and a movie”. In those days this kind of style was extremely original, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was revolutionary. When this game was published, I had a premonition inside myself saying “Certainly this new world is going to be something like I’ve never been seen before”. I remember I ran to buy it at the game stop without any hesitation the very day it came out. Then when I actually got to play it……my premonition was right.

Right in the beginning where it says “Otogirisou”, the title is written ominously and intense! Furthermore, on the flowery Otogirisou words it also says “Revenge”……. It has somewhat of a scary feeling to it. In such a state, this work made a complete impact. Since Nintendo consoles rarely ever game out with Horror type games, I think its something that really stands out among Super Famicon games that can really be boasted about in their big lineup.

As for raising its weak points, you could name the main character to whatever you like, but the name of the [main character’s] girlfriend “Nami” was something that could not be changed. If you could change this, it would feel like you’re entering in a deeply delusional world……. Wouldn’t it have been perfect if you could play using the name of someone you like? Well it might have made things difficult in the game, creating problems in the scenarios when Nami’s younger sister, Naomi, came along. However, “Change the name~” was something I thought about.

The Story Shows Various Developments Depending on Your Selection

The setting, an old western style house, is my most favorite thing! Also, Otogirisou [St. John’s Wort] are over grown all around the house, bringing about an ominous atmosphere. You could say most of the situations are visuals, so at this point the world has already been established. The entry is like a perfect fairy-tale horror world.

The adventure so far was unique; the screen was filled with a display of words– readings like a story that rapidly draws you in. In order to guide them to their fate, the western-style house invites Nami and the Main Character in. Within 10 minutes the player has a premonition like “Somethings about to happen……”
Upon entering [the first] room in the house, the options A, B, and C appeared, making you choose one of the three. We users would have to choose which direction the story would advance in at every important point. Then based on that, the story would change.

This was so cool! Due to your choices, you could enjoy the story many times over since it would show completely different developments. This type of gaming system was extremely ground breaking during its time.

Being a sound novel, the sound was also an important component to enliven the game. As you advanced through the gloomy western-style house, dark BGM played. Uneasy feelings would then begin to stir. Seriously, my heart would be pounding and I would become extremely nervous. Furthermore, the SE were also used successfully. When you turned a door knob, a clattering sound was linked to it, and suddenly thunder would roar.

Screaming when a mummy appeared in Otogirisou’s most terrifying scene

I was completely drawn into this world, and one by one as I visited a new progression, I would dread what was to come.
And then,
finally,
it came out-!
The moment of terror!

A Female mummy in a wheel chair suddenly appeared. …It was the ultimate terror! Already, it was perfect for a horror movie. The production of this mummy reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”. Since that was the most important scene in the story for “Psycho,” I completely made the link to it.

After “Otogirisou,” sound novels gradually became established as their own genre. This game became a monumental work when the new genre was invented. At that time, when such a new system was being manufactured, ChunSoft’s development was often thought of the most.

Even now “Otogirisou” leaves behind strong impressions. I will never forget this revolutionary game.

Mana-Sama

(Translation by ManaSamaDotNet)

February 6, 2014

†Mansion of Hidden Souls

This Month’s Pickup

(left)
Spelunker
Company: Irem
Release Date: December 6, 1985
Console: Famicon [**Translation note– known as NES outside of Japan]

(middle)
Mansion of Hidden Souls
Company: Sega
Release Date: December 10, 1993
Console: Mega CD

(right)
Wonder Mega　M2 [** Translation note– known in North America as X’eye]
Company: Victor Company of Japan
Release Date: July 2, 1993
Retail Price: 59,800 yen

A recollection of titles that gave me an sensation of expedition

I have changed the title of this series to “Deep Game inferno”!
As I mentioned previously, rather than focusing on consoles, this time forward I want to touch on the extensive world of games that have left a deep impression on me. So then, without further ado, as part one of the renewal, let’s introduce my most favorite games now.

This work was not a terrible game!
The full appeal of Spelunker

It might seem surprising, but that game was “Spelunker” for the Family ComputerThere are probably also quite a few people to whom the LED light that lit up on the game cartridge left an impression on.

There are many things that put “Spelunker” in the position of being a terrible game to the world. Certainly, when the poor main character would die just by falling from a different level, it caused a little bit of frustration. However, the true nature of the game was being in the depths of the earth, so for men who have yearned to do so before, its an appealing implementation.

Now as for the game itself, when you overcome figuring out how to operate the main character, it suddenly becomes interesting. That was a setback for many people who couldn’t arrivate at that point, but if you were good at operating the cross-key, it was feasible to guide the character smoothly with the controller. The graphics had quite a bit of beauty for a famicon game at that time. The visuals of the levels and the depths of the earth presented in a side view format were easy to grasp, and
seeing where you were to go next clearly was an advantage.

In this way, you had search for treasure inside the depths of the earth while facing various enemies and obstacles. It was fun and enjoyable wondering “When am I going to get to the treasure,” — the excitement didnd’t stop. Then when I finally managed to get to the treasure, I felt like I had a taste of what it would really be like to explore the depths of the earth. However, the volume of the treasure was so compact it was a little sad……

Moving me to tears……
My encounter with Mansion of Hidden Souls

I know I said in the beginning “I’m not going to be fixated on consoles,” but I want to introduce Sega’s legendary Wonder Mega here [**Translation note, this system is better known as the X’eye in North America upon its release outside of Japan].
This was like a hybrid unified system of the Mega Drive and Mega CD, but was sold by Victor. When it was first released in April 1992 it was more than 80,000 yen, so it felt as though its popularity among average [people] was rigid, but later on it was changed to a smaller light weight version known as the Wonder Mega M2 (M2 for short) was popularized in its release. However, on the M2 the game pad was changed to a cordless version! It became a next generation machine in its present day.

Why am I suddenly hurrying to introduce this console? The answer is because I remember being held captive to a game on it just like “Spelunker”. It was “Mansion of the Hidden Souls” used for the Mega CD.

The amazing thing about this game was that it freely used the latest 3D graphics of its time and you could walk around in the middle of the mansion. Although thats normal now, at that time it was extremely ground breaking, popularizing the new “virtual cinema” genre. Furthermore, since it was supplied via CD-ROM the sound was beautiful and the mysterious world of the mansion was depicted very well.

As you break through various traps set inside the mansion you advance through the story. When you go down stairs to the basement in the last part, a fantastic scene is spread out right before your eyes. Even now its burned into my mind. I became dazed in extreme emotion, and noticed tears were suddenly flowing from my eyes.

However, its because I played in real time all the way to the end. If gamers now days who are used to seeing super high quality graphics were to play this game, they probably wouldn’t have the same kind of emotions over it as I remember having.

However, there is no mistaking one of the points that the game aimed for even after it was done in the Mega CD version of “Mansion of Hidden Souls”. It was that I would still loiter the estates every day and [continue to] be completely immersed in the world of “Mansion of Hidden Souls”.

Although I had such a hot talk on it, at that time this game was not for the Wonder Mega, but I did play it on a combination console of the mega drive 2 and Mega CD (laughs).

By the way, later on on there a sequel release on the Sega Saturn called “True Teachings of the Dream Mansion Somebody’s at the door…” I had really been looking forward to this title. However, when I tried to play it when it first came out, it felt like something was missing in comparison to the Mega CD version, because although it was only a 32 bit console the graphics were remarkably beautiful. As a result the world of “Mansion of Hidden souls” was destroyed by cramming in various unnecessary components that were made to improve the console performance. I’m afraid to say it, but in the end it was a sad sequel.

Mana-Sama

(Translated by ManaSamaDotNet)