History of Japanese Video Games

Pokémon. Where do we begin with Pokémon? Today, it is the video game sensation which has sold over 200 million copies spanning the whole series since its first installment in 1998. Conceptually, Pokémon is the lovechild of two simple concepts: insect collecting and Gashapon. Pokémon, which is literally short for Pocket Monsters, is based around collecting wild monsters and training them as your own. Series creator Satoshi Tajiri loved the pastime of insect collecting and wanted to materialize his fascination for it into a game. He knew he wanted to create many different monsters, all with their intrinsic abilities and appearances, but he didn’t know how one would be able to travel with so many at a single time. This is where we introduce Gashapon. Gashapon are Japanese coin-operated, vending machines seen often in grocery stores or retailers. These Gashapon machines spit out high quality items (usually toys), surrounded by a hard plastic ball which you pop to open. This Gashapon concept would be later reimagined in the form of Pokéballs. Outlining this is important because we have to recognize that Pokémon was inherently a Japanese creation, with many of its roots centered in Japanese culture.

The very first installments of Pokémon were Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue for the Nintendo GameBoy. Since then, the Pokémon series has seen 5 more canonical entries to the series which are now each their own generation. Pokémon Red and Blue started the player out in Pallet Town, the protagonists home town. Here, the player is given a starting Pokémon and learns how to capture other Pokémon he encounters. He must initiate a battle with a wild Pokémon, weaken it by using his own Pokémons attacks, and then capture it using a Pokéball.

Pokémon varied in types. The original set of types were Normal, Fighting, Flying, Fire, Electric, Water, Ice, Grass, Poison, Bug, Ground, Psychic, Rock, Ghost, and Dragon. Each type had an advantage over another but in turn was usually at a disadvantage against another type, so finding the right balance of Pokémon types was essential to winning battles.

The battle mechanics of Pokémon were very inviting, and also very rewarding. It drew from influences like Earthbound and Final Fantasy to blend existing RPG elements and create a totally new game style. It had “boss battles” in the form of Gym Battles. It had leveling up, skill designation, item usage, and even puzzle elements. Its only low point, if any, is that it forces the player to ‘grind’, which is repeating battles for hours to level up. However, the highs of Pokémon vastly outnumber the very little lows it possessed. Nintendo found the right formula to create a game that would make the player feel emotionally attached to the characters but all in the same while creating a game with fascinating gameplay.  

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon#Generations

An interesting chapter in the history of Japanese video games arrives in the year 1998 with the release of the Japanese game Dance Dance Revolution: the game that literally revolutionized Japanese, and subsequently Western, game arcades. The premise of Dance Dance Revolution, or often abbreviated DDR, was very simple. Its aim was to simulate dancing through the use of buttons laid out on the floor in the pattern of a D-pad, which are to be stepped on after commands were displayed on a screen to the beat of the song that is played.

Released by Konami and serving an installment in the Bemami music video game series, DDR easily caught on with Japanese audiences due to its captivating mechanics and its upbeat, musical appeal. One person could play by themselves or with another, competing to land every step and beat the previous high score. This game pioneered the rhythm and dance genre of video games. DDR brought to the video game industry a tremendous social opportunity that had never presented itself before. People did not have to be very into games, or even own a game console, to enjoy DDR. It also brought an interesting and way to interact with a video game where a player would essentially become the game controller. It was one of the first times in game history where the player was taken away from the familiarity of the living room. It welcomed physical exercise while fully engaging the player.

DDRs DNA is present in todays rhythm games such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, DJ Hero etc. DDR blended the music industry and the game industry into a game that could utilize the physical response we have for music and the competitive thrill we get from games to create a completely different experience that sparked new kinds of creativity into the video game industry. This is why I think DDR is a deserving entry to the Japanese history of video games.

Sources:

In 1998, Team Shanghai Alice, a one-man developer, released Touhou Project also known as Project Shrine Maiden, a fan-made shooter series, for the Japanese PC-98, a 16-bit microcomputer.  The first game of the series, Highly Responsive to Prayers, released in 1996 was similar to Arkanoid, an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986 which expanded upon Atari’s Breakout games.

The first characteristic that differentiates Touhou from shooter games like Arkanoid is its “bullet hell”, or “manic shooters” element. This means that the player does not only need to be aware of targets that come in their direction, but they require the ability to dodge a high number of projectiles coming from all directions. This adds a layer of difficulty to the game and makes it more challenging from other shooters.

Gameplay Video

Touhou is also unique for its character depth. The player controls a human character instead of a spaceship (Space Invaders) or a ball (Arkanoid). The main protagonists of the series, Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame are given their own personality and traits, which I believe might create a connection between the player and character. For instance, Reimu is known to be optimistic and a bit curious, where Marisa is described as being straightforward and has a mania for collecting things (might be a hoarder).  

Another aspect that makes Tohou different from other shooter games, is that it was the first bullet hell in introducing a storyline. The plot is introduced to the player through conversations between characters during action interludes throughout the game. Usually at the end of every level, bosses and the player character would engage in conversation, presenting a conflict between them and the reason for which the player needs to defeat them. I believe that this adds a different goal to the game, where the player does not only go through levels in order to obtain as many points as possible, but to also get deeper into the game’s story.

Story Presentation in game - Remilia Scarlet’s Story Video

Up until now there have been multiple releases of the game, the last being Impossible Spell Card (May 2014). In each of these players can choose to play as Reimu, Marisa or some of the bosses that had been presented in previous games.

I believe that Touhou changed the concept of bullet hell games by introducing a set of original characters and compelling stories told in every game. It proved that shooting games could not only be about taking down aliens, but also they are capable of presenting a story of their own along with the gameplay. The game also possesses one of the biggest fandoms in Japan, which shows how much influence the game has had throughout the years.

Sources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touhou_Project#PC-98_predecessor_games

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoot_%27em_up#cite_note-lecture-7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkanoid

In 1996, Capcom released another game that would define a new genre of gaming. Resident Evil defined a new type of survival horror games. They played on most typical horror clichés and emulated it exceptionally well through rich character development, deep story, and atmospheric level design. Resident Evil for the original Playstation sold over a million copies within a few months which put it on the same commercial level as Street Fighter.

Resident Evil’s graphics were cutting edge at the time. They used pre-rendered backgrounds and 3D characters. Resident Evil’s plot focuses on multiple characters and their roles in a fictitious alternate Earth where zombie outbreaks and other monsters are wreaking havoc upon humans due to a fictional corporation known as Umbrella Corporation.

The gameplay consists of solving puzzles, action, and collecting items to survive. The player can defend themselves using either weapons such as guns and melee attacks such as knives. The player had to micromanage a limited health but can be replenished with very rare health items. Each level is cleverly designed to force the player to feel trapped, weak, and helpless in the worst situations. The background music is subtle and doesn’t interfere with the atmosphere that the game creates.

Resident Evil helped define the Playstation. It changed the tone of horror games. Just like Street Fighter, Resident Evil has spawned several spinoffs such as comic books, cartoons, movies, toys, etc. Their movies have been huge blockbusters bringing in millions more in revenue. Even an energy drink called T-Virus Antidote was released. There is even a Resident Evil themed restaurant and horror theme park based from the games.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil

Capcom was founded in 1979. They initially started out as developing software for arcade machines. They had a few mild hits in Japan and was starting to venture in to multiple genres of games. In 1987, Capcom released a game that would impact the industry for years to come. This little gem was called Street Fighter.

Initially released as an arcade game, Street Fighter changed the way gamers played fighting games by introducing six button controls and command based special attacks. The game can be played either as a single player game against a computer opponent or a 2 player game against a human. Each match consists of 3 rounds lasting 30 seconds per round. The player must defeat the opponent by damaging them through the use of attacks. Special moves are performed by using a combination of buttons and directions on the joystick. The player wins by draining all the health from their opponent. The player loses if they lose all their health.

Street Fighter had a huge success and was ported to many consoles at the time. It has also been re-released as part of compilations for many current generation consoles and portable devices. By 1991, Capcom released an updated sequel called Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. This was the first 1 on 1 fighting game to give players the option of selecting from multiple characters. What really made this game stand out was that each character was unique. They each had their own country that they were from, their own story and motive, and their own martial arts style.

Street Fighter II had such a huge impact on the gaming industry. The game became a multimedia franchise spawning toys, movies, collector’s items, comic books, etc. The characters are so iconic and well thought out. Everybody and anybody can relate to any of the characters. Their special moves have even become iconic in everyday lives spawning such memes as “Hadouken” which involves taking a picture of someone pretending to shoot a fireball at someone else and catching the picture mid action as if the other person was hit by an invisible fireball.

Street Fighter had spawned a cultural revolution. Their music is recognized easily and some music producers have even sampled sound effects and background music in to their own creations. Street Fighter became more than a game, it became a lifestyle. There are even professional cos-players (people who dress up as characters) who make a living from dressing up as their favourite characters from the game.

Most fighting games that came out after Street Fighter have all been influenced by the game’s mechanics such as separate health bars on each side of the screen, combos, whacky over the top characters, multiple martial arts styles, button combinations, and special moves. A few notable stand outs are Tekken, Killer Instinct, and Mortal Kombat.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fighter_(video_game)

Hello game enthusiasts,