Espgaluda

Espgaluda
Developer(s)Cave
Publisher(s)AMI
Director(s)Tsuneki Ikeda
Producer(s)Kenichi Takano
Designer(s)Akira Wakabayashi
Hideki Nomura
Hiroyuki Tanaka
Kengo Arai
Programmer(s)Takashi Ichimura
Tsuneki Ikeda
Artist(s)Tsukasa Kado
Composer(s)"SOU1"
SeriesEspgaluda
Platform(s)Arcade, EZweb, i-mode, PlayStation 2, Yahoo Mobile
Release
  • JP: November 2003
Genre(s)Bullet hell
Mode(s)Single-player, co-op
Arcade systemPolyGame Master

Espgaluda[a] is a 2003 manic shooter by Cave and published by AMI. It is the spiritual successor to ESP Ra.De. and is followed by Espgaluda II.

Gameplay

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Arcade version screenshot

Espgaluda is an arcade game which involves firing bullets and lasers at enemies, with the ultimate goal being to gain points and make it through all of the game's levels. The player character has an energy gauge that can be depleted either by using a shield attack or being hit by a bullet, which activates an automatic guard barrier. When this barrier is activated, the player fires a laser and is momentarily invincible. If the gauge is depleted when the player character is hit by the bullet, the player loses a life. The player collects gems and, when they enter Kakusei mode, the gem counter drains. While draining, the enemies turn purple, and the bullets and enemies begin to move more slowly. When enemies are defeated, their bullets turn gold, which adds to the score multiplier. When it ends, the player goes into Kakusei Over mode, where bullets turn red and travel faster than normal.

Development

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Espgaluda was produced by Kenichi Takano and directed by Tsuneki Ikeda, co-founders of Cave whose previous works include the DonPachi series.[1][2][3][4] Ikeda also served as co-programmer alongside Takashi Ichimura.[1][5] Akira Wakabayashi, Hideki Nomura, Hiroyuki Tanaka and Kengo Arai also acted as co-designers.[1][6][7][8] Artist Tsukasa Kado was responsible for both world building and character designs.[1] The soundtrack was composed by "SOU1" under supervision of Toshiaki Tomizawa, another co-founder of Cave.[2][3][9][10] The team recounted its creation process and history through various publications.[11][12]

Release

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Espgaluda was first released in arcades by AMI in November 2003.[13] On March 15, 2004, a soundtrack album containing music from the game was published in Japan by Cave.[10][14] On June 17 of the same year, a conversion for the PlayStation 2 was developed and published by Arika in Japan.[15] The PlayStation 2 version included different modes such as arcade, simulation, arrange, and a walkthrough DVD video featuring high-level replays.[16][17][18][19] In arcade mode, players can configure screen orientation and other settings. Simulation mode simulates an arcade mode stage where players can practice of sections under pre-defined conditions.[17][19] Arrange mode is a PlayStation 2-exclusive feature and introduces more aggressive enemy patterns, new playable characters, an arranged soundtrack, among other additions and gameplay changes.[16][17][19]

In 2005, Espgaluda was split into two separate parts and distributed by Cave through the Gaesen Yokocho service for EZweb, i-mode and Yahoo Mobile phones.[16][20] Both parts were later merged into a single release titled Espgaluda DX, featuring enhanced graphics and a special mode.[16][21]

Reception

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Espgaluda garnered positive reception from critics who reviewed it as an import title,[23] with the PlayStation 2 conversion being regarded by outlets like Kotaku Australia and TheGamer as one of the best shoot 'em ups on the console.[24][25] According to Famitsu, the PlayStation 2 version sold over 10,125 copies in its first week on the market and approximately 17,755 copies were sold during its lifetime in Japan.[26]

Famitsu's four reviewers gave the PlayStation 2 conversion a positive outlook.[22] Game Watch's Toyotomi Kazutaka praised the extra additions of the PlayStation 2 port such as arrange mode, as well as its "Kakusei" and guard barrier mechanics.[19] Edge commended the PlayStation 2 release for its accessibility, "Kakusei" and guard barrier mechanics, scoring system and extra modes but criticized the loss of visual fidelity due to screen resolution differences.[17] Consoles +'s Kael also gave positive remarks to the PlayStation 2 version for its gameplay and music but criticized the short length.[18] Hardcore Gaming 101's Craig Gabrielson noted its scoring system and accessibility in a positive light but criticized the visual variety in terms of stages and soundtrack.[16]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: エスプガルーダ, Hepburn: Esupugarūda

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Cave (2003). Espgaluda (PolyGame Master). AMI. Level/area: Staff.
  2. ^ a b "CAVE 15th Anniversary ~Shoot'em All!!~". Monthly Arcadia (in Japanese). No. 118. Enterbrain. March 2010. pp. 46–55. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2019-09-14 at the Wayback Machine).
  3. ^ a b "Dossier Shoot 'em up". IG Magazine (in French). No. 8. Ankama Presse. May–June 2010. (Translation by Gaming.moe. Archived 2019-02-13 at the Wayback Machine).
  4. ^ "池田 恒基". ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年 (in Japanese). Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 199–202. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-10-28 at the Wayback Machine).
  5. ^ "市村 崇志". ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年 (in Japanese). Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 180–182. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-01-02 at the Wayback Machine).
  6. ^ "田中 周幸". ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年 (in Japanese). Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 183–186. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-05-10 at the Wayback Machine).
  7. ^ "野村秀樹". ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年 (in Japanese). Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 191–194. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-11-05 at the Wayback Machine).
  8. ^ "若林 明". ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年 (in Japanese). Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 195–198. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-05-10 at the Wayback Machine).
  9. ^ "エログラサンとか言うな - SOU1インタビュー". The Interviews (in Japanese). paperboy&co. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2020-12-19 at the Wayback Machine.)
  10. ^ a b Fuentes, Edgar S. (June 10, 2020). "Vandal Game Music: CAVE. Un rítmico despliegue balístico — Repasamos la amplia carrera musical de una las compañías más importantes en shooters de nave". Vandal (in Spanish). El Español. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  11. ^ "ボーナス！ケイブ事実！ - 怒首領蜂". ケイブシューティング史 こんにちは17年 ありがとう16年 (in Japanese). Cave. 24 August 2010. pp. 203–224. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2019-12-30 at the Wayback Machine).
  12. ^ "Espgaluda – Developer Interviews". Shmuplations. August 20, 2015. Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  13. ^ Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). "AMI; ケイブ Cave". アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. pp. 17, 26. ISBN 978-4990251215.
  14. ^ Greening, Chris (August 1, 2012). "ESPGaluda Original Soundtrack". vgmonline.net. Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  15. ^ "エスプガルーダ (PS2)". PlayStation Official Site Software Catalog (in Japanese). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  16. ^ a b c d e Gabrielson, Craig (March 14, 2014). "Espgaluda". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2021-04-04. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Testscreen - Espgaluda (PS2)". Edge. No. 139. Future plc. August 2004. p. 104.
  18. ^ a b c Kael (August–September 2004). "Test (Import): Espgaluda - Vole, Petit Papillon... (PS2)". Consoles + [fr] (in French). No. 151. M.E.R.7 [fr]. p. 100.
  19. ^ a b c d Kazutaka, Toyotomi (June 30, 2004). "★PS2ゲームレビュー★: 弾幕シューティングの登竜門 -「エスプガルーダ」". GAME Watch (in Japanese). Impress Corporation. Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  20. ^ "iモードシューティング「エスプガルーダ 前編」". ITmedia Mobile (in Japanese). ITmedia [ja]. February 25, 2005. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  21. ^ Tsuda, Keimu (May 18, 2005). "ケイブ、256KB Vアプリ対応シューティング「エスプガルーダDX」". K-Tai Watch (in Japanese). Impress Corporation. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  22. ^ a b "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: エスプガルーダ". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 810. Enterbrain. June 11, 2004.
  23. ^ a b "Espgaluda (PS2)". Game Fan [fr] (in French). No. 2. Japan Culture Press. July–August 2004.
  24. ^ Vas, Gergo (April 18, 2013). "The Coolest Japanese Video Games With Over-The-Top Action". Kotaku Australia. G/O Media. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  25. ^ Cheeseman, Ian (July 25, 2020). "10 Of The Best Shoot Em' Ups For The Playstation 2 - There were a lot of great shoot em' ups present on the Playstation 2 over the years. Here's a look at 10 of the all-time best". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  26. ^ "Game Search". Game Data Library. Archived from the original on 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
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