The People Reviving the Darius Series

Famitsu Translations

Publish Date: 12/06/2018

We've interviewed the main staff responsible for the Darius Cozmic Collection at Taito and M2 (who is responsible for the porting). It's divided up into three topics: We start with the details of planning the collection, move into the fixation on sound, and then end with some features found only in this collection. Tatsuhito Kasuga (Sound, M2) Kazuki Kubota (U-Design, M2) Tetsuya Abe (Main Programmer, M2) Saoki Kudou (Sound, M2) Hirotoshi Kobayashi (Producer, Taito) Yuuichi Toyama (Development, Taito) Naoki Horii (Producer, M2) Yukiko Karashima (Director, M2) Continue Reading

A Witness to the Dreamcast’s History, From Rise To Fall

Publish Date: 12/06/2018

Masanao Maeda (Marza Animation Planet Executive Producer)

He was involved with the Dreamcast at Sega, and served as the COO of Sega of America. He currently works at a CG animation studio affiliated with the Sega Sammy Group called Marza Animation Planet. The Dreamcast was known by many for using a large amount of money on promotions, such as the commercial featuring Managing Director Yukawa. It seemed like smooth sailing at first, but it was affected by problems with the graphics chip and supply shortages. Sega tried for a comeback with a large price drop, but they ended up having to cease sales a mere two years after its release. We ask Masanao Maeda, formerly of Sega, about what happened in that short time.

Achieving Big Success Through Advertising Strategy Ended Up Being a Big Pitfall Before Launch!?

What did you feel that the mood was like at Sega when the Dreamcast launched? Continue Reading

Interview with Hiroshi Fujioka for Shenmue I & II

Publish Date: 11/30/2018

Hiroshi Fujioka talks about his memories of playing stern father Iwao Hazuki in Shenmue, then sends a message out to young players! Play Shenmue I & II!

Shenmue I & II was released on the PlayStation 4 on 11/22/2018 in Japan. To commemorate this event, we talked with actor and martial artist Hiroshi Fujioka, who played Iwao Hazuki in the original game. He told us about his memories from back then, as well the passionate feelings that he put into playing Iwao. (Interviewer) Please tell us your thoughts on Shenmue. (Fujioka) Boy, Shenmue huh? That really brings back memories. It was a very astonishing game for the time, so being a part of it was a lot of fun for me. When I heard about the details of the game, it struck me as a story that crossed borders since it was on such a grand scale. Continue Reading

Capcom Belt Action Collection with Rensuke Oshikiri (High Score Girl)

Famitsu Translations

Publish Date: 12/13/2018

Capcom Belt Action Collection (Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle) consists of 7 titles that exemplify Capcom's beat 'em ups of the 1990s. "Powered Gear" ("Armored Warriors") and "Battle Circuit" are ported from their arcade versions for the very first time, and "Battle Circuit" and "Captain Commando" allow for 4-player simultaneous play. All titles offer online play, allow players to join in partway through a game, or even just spectate. Rensuke Oshikiri is a manga author that loves arcades, and debuted with "Masashi! Ushiro da!". His masterpiece "High Score Girl" was made into an anime in 2018, and has gained quite a bit of popularity. The series consists of "High Score Girl Continue" (volumes 1-5) and "High Score Girl" (volumes 6-9). The 10th volume is planned for release on 03/25/2019. While the downloadable version is already available, the packaged version of the Capcom Belt Action Collection will soon be released. We've interviewed manga author Rensuke Oshikiri about the charms of beat 'em ups, in order to convey the charms that this collection has to offer. Continue Reading

M2, The Company Where The Desire To Resurrect The Mega Drive Burns Bright

Famitsu Translations

Publish Date: 11/15/2018

M2 is a company that ports and reissues hit games of years past, a very trusted company within the industry. As a company, they've been involved with many Sega titles, and have a long history with the Mega Drive. We ask Naoki Horii, president of M2, about the allure behind Mega Drive titles, and his dedication to re-releasing them!

Naoki Horii (President of M2)

M2 energetically works on porting the Sega Ages series, and more. They're also developing the 3DS game The Legend of Dark Witch 3: Wisdom and Lunacy, and other new titles.

Not Overlooking Even The Smallest Differences! Striving For "The Ultimate Counterfeit"

First of all, would you please tell us about how you established M2? Continue Reading