STG TRANSLATION PROJECT:

GRADIUS DEVELOPER INTERVIEWS (I, II, & GAIDEN) Machiguchi Hiroyasu Interview choice to make a horizontal scroller, it was because Game Hihyou, September 1999 we had materials for Scramble and decided to reuse Translated by Alex Highsmith those as much as possible. In fact, originally started as "Scramble 2."

Machiguchi Hiroyasu. As it was our first title, we didn't have any Born 1960. Joined in 1983. confidence about what we were doing. We had a lot At age 23, became team leader for the of anxiety. In any event, we started coming up with Gradius development group. things, and we tested out idea after idea on the actual monitor screen. For example, with the Selected Titles: Options, we must have tried out around 20 different Gradius (1985): Programmer movement patterns for them, proceeding by the Gradius II (1988): Director process of elimination when something didn't work. Gradius III (1989): Director The development period for Gradius took about a Gradius IV (1998): Producer year, and all the while it was a process of continual experimentation and refinement.

I joined Konami sometime around 1982 or 83. When I joined I didn't really like games that much... or rather, I didn't know much about them. After being hired, I had to learn everything about games from step one. I learned most everything on the job as we went along, even basic things like what we call the element of "game play." I started out as a designer, but after awhile it was determined that I didn't have any talent for that. (laughs) So I got reinstated as a programmer. When I was hired, Konami was working hard to transition from making medal games to video games, and a lot of projects Figure 1: Scramble (1981) ended up getting shelved. As a result, the first game I actually released publicly was Gradius.

I was given a team to work with, but since you definitely can't make a game with only your own ideas, I started off by asking everyone what kind of game they wanted to make. To my surprise, everyone responded "STG!", and with that we began planning. At that time it was the golden age of Namco's Xevious, and everyone was driven by the enthusiastic sentiment that "If we're going to make a STG, let's surpass Xevious." As for our Figure 2: Gradius (1985) STG Translation: Gradius Another one of our goals for Gradius was to be a huge impact on us. Not the story, but the way the able to express something that previous games plasma and lasers and such were drawn left a big hadn't been able to do. That would be what we call impression. On the way back from the theatre we "sekaikan" [[story/world/setting]] today. I think were talking, and we decided "Let's add something having a unique world and setting was one of like that plasma laser to our game!" And that was Gradius' defining points. how the Laser weapon came to be.

At the same time we were developing Gradius, We had many difficulties, but one that stands out Konami finished work on its first 16 bit PCB, the was the limitations of the memory. For its time it was "Bubble System." It was a huge step up in terms of quite a large amount of memory, but it still wasn't display and processing power. Nowadays home enough. In Gradius, when you die, you're sent back consoles have 128bit CPUs, but back then a 16bit several screens to a checkpoint. The truth is that system was very powerful. Accordingly we had all wasn't in our original game design plans. The sorts of wild ideas reflecting our desire to do background data would be loaded 3 screens at a something new that couldn't be done before. The time, and then the next background data would be fact that each stage has a totally different image transferred, but when that transfer would get came from our desire to make a variety of different interrupted in the middle by a player death, to allow worlds for the game. For Gradius, this idea came time for the background data to be transferred we first, and the gameplay followed from it. had to send the player back 3 screens. We had to do that due to memory issues, but it ended up leading us to the interesting "recovery pattern" system, so it was all for the best.2

Another thing we struggled with was the power- up gauge. This was the most difficult. We also tried out a system where you pick up individual items, like a "speed up item" and "missile item", but it somehow wasn't very satisfying. We wanted to give the players freedom in their choices. Not just the choice of whether to pick up an item or not pick it Figure 3: Gradius PCB (Konami Bubble Software) up, but something more detailed. So we figured we'd have players pick up power-ups that they could

store, but we really struggled with how they would For the world of the game, we were very be used and what kind of selection system there influenced by science fiction movies. The popular sci-fi movies at that time were Star Wars and 2 Translator note: According to a knowledgeable source, Lensman1. (laughs) Lensman had just come out this limitation may have been because the bubble memory when we were thinking about what kind of STG we'd required the "bubbles" to be electrically pushed along inside make, and we all went and saw it as a team. It had the memory. It's too slow to read a lot of data from one part, then go read another, and come back. The programming knowhow required to work around this may also have been 1 lacking, as it was this particular team's first game. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lensman:_Secret_of_The_Le ns 2 STG Translation: Gradius would be. We got a flash of inspiration from the way even if the profit falls a bit, and the replay value is the function keys on personal computers of that time low, I think games you can play for a long time are were laid out. It was their layout and arrangement necessary. This was one of the motivations for us in that gave us the image for the power up gauge. making Gradius IV, as well. After that we made the power up button. At that time there were almost no 3 button control panels. So we Recently, due to the influence of games like also made a 2 button version of Gradius, but as we DDR, the focus at game centers has been on casual expected, it wasn't very fun. In the end, after players. That is, players who don't know much about thinking about the players' responses from the games but come to the game center to play anyway. location test, we decided on the 3-button setup. If we don't grasp this fact as designers, even if we make a good game, players will quit before they can I think Gradius' success lies in the fact that we even understand what's interesting about it. I'd say were able to take everyone's ideas on the team, that is the most pressing thing for us to consider debate and discuss them, and make something that now. reflected the whole team's intentions. Also, we didn't pay much heed to ideas from the outside. The As I've been making games for a long time, in decision to use a 3-button setup is one example of my view one of the greatest changes in game that. Instead we forced our way ahead. (laughs) Of development has been the way we make games. course, that was because we were confident that When my generation worked as designers, we'd what we were making was interesting. draw characters on paper with a marker, but now everything is polygons. Its a huge change. And this In the world of arcade games, you're judged is my perspective of things, but I'd say that up till under two different standards: one is the strict now we haven't had to think much about production question of whether the game made income for the costs. There was a strong sentiment to just make operator, and the other is whether the players liked the games we wanted to make. But that has it. And sometimes there is a gap between these two. changed now. Also, we used to think only about Its especially apparent lately. There's various satisfying players, but now we have to think more aspects of arcade gaming... there are games that about our original customers, the arcade operators. draw a low income but are loved by players, and If we can't make the operators happy, then the there are also games that are popular but have a players won't get to experience our games either. I low replay value, so their income ends up being low. think that has been the greatest change--having to Gradius was very popular, but it had a low replay strike a balance between the game as a creative value and didn't draw much income. Still, I think it work and a commercial product. made on average 18000 yen in a day.

From our perspective as game designers, we felt that a game where "the better you are, the longer you can play" was best. But its very difficult to do that now. So I think games you can play for a long time are being left to home console games. However, naturally we want those players who love arcade games to come back to the game center, so 3 STG Translation: Gradius Gradius Portable Guidebook Interview Translated by Alex Highsmith

Nakamura Kengo

Designer. Participated in Gradius from the planning stage. Responsible for the basic world setting and enemy characters.His major works for Konami include Contra, Ajax, and Kyuukyoku Sentai Dadandaan [[Monster Maulers]] Figure 4: Gradius - Stage 3 (Moai)

Stage 4: Reverse Volcano

Creating the World of Gradius One day we were testing the vertical inversion

hardware feature, and we tried inverting the volcano Originally, we had the basic idea for Gradius that stage as an experiment. When we did that, we you would warp to a different dimension for each realized that having everything "upside down" stage. As we talked about what the theme for each conveyed a certain feeling of discomfiture, in a good stage would be, the idea came up for ancient ruins sense. It also looked like you were in outer space, and mysterious fantasy worlds. From that we got the and the gameplay was fresh too, so we used it as image for Moai or Stonehenge floating on a the "Reverse Volcano" stage. In the end, Gradius continent in outer space, and everyone thought "this wasn't developed by just following pre-existing rules is cool!" That was the origin of those creative stage and specifications; rather, many of our insights were designs. the result of experimentation, and we wasted a lot of

time, but that's how the game was created. The Stage 3: Moai programmers did complain a lot though. (laughs)

At first the Moai were just part of the background, and I remember it wasn't very interesting. But I personally thought the Moai were memorable characters and I really wanted to add them. (laughs) I said we can't just leave it like this, and so I worked hard with the background designer, suggesting they shoot rings from their mouths and can be destroyed. Though now when I think of it, I don't really know why I thought they should be shooting rings from their mouths. (laughs)

Figure 5: Gradius - Stage 4 (Reverse Volcano)

4 STG Translation: Gradius Stage 5: Tentacle Stage 7: Base

We thought the game would be too plain if the stages were only ruins. We wanted something weirder, so we decided to make a stage with organic cells squirming all around. I think that Tentacle stage was completed more by the determination and technical expertise of the programmers than the designers. My boss, who was both programmer and director, had been saying that he really wanted to include an organic stage in Gradius. But we were very worried whether our hardware at the time could properly convey the right Figure 7: Gradius - Stage 7 (Base) – Ehum, is this a safespot? popping, writhing organic feel for the cells. Then one Well, this will be nothing but excuses, but... we day, the director told us "make a character that were working on this stage up till the very last looks like a pachinko ball." Then, after about two minute and had no time at all, so it was almost days I believe, we came up with the creeping entirely a rush job. The magnetic barrier poses movement of the tentacles. We made each little almost no threat, (laughs) since you can just avoid it pachinko ball (cell) in his arm move individually, and by going to the edge of the screen. We actually had everyone was amazed at how, in a short time, the wanted to make you go inside the barrier and dodge design had become so realistic, disturbing, and a bunch of things. The reason the last boss is a gross. One problem we had was that, while it looked brain is because none of us could come up with any visually impressive, it was very difficult to other designs. The idea was that you'd get so incorporate into the game. At first it didn't go toward excited seeing it, like "huh, what the hell is this!", the players, and it didn't shoot bullets either, so it that you'd get nervous and run into it, losing a ship! was a pretty useless enemy. (laughs) Well, that would only work once of course. (laughs)

By the way, the reason the final boss doesn't fire anything is because we felt it was hard enough just getting to this final point, so let's just give the programm--I mean, the player, a break... (laughs)

Big Core

Since Salamander, we've had different bosses for each stage, but we had no plans for that with Gradius. The character design for Big Core underwent numerous changes, however. It was a process of trial and error. One of our earlier designs Figure 6: Gradius - Stage 5 (Tentacle) looked like the manbow fish. (laughs)

5 STG Translation: Gradius Prototype Gradius well. After the location test, it took about 2-3 months to finalize everything. Because we had so much Actually, at the beginning of development, time early in development to experiment with new Gradius was not the mecha game you see today. ideas, Gradius had a rather long development Everything was entirely organic. Enemy designs period when compared with games from that time. were all organic, like the Ducker enemy, who was a cockroach. (laughs) The fact that the enemies in The Gradius Team Gradius are mechanical, but move more like organic creatures, is a remnant from that early design. But There were 5 of us in the main team, including one day, there was an internal evaluation of our myself. 2 programmers and 3 designers. I did all the work, and it turned out the other teams really didn't character designs, and the other 2 designers like the characters in Gradius. So our director said handled the backgrounds. The sound and hardware we had to redo all the designs. Personally, I really people were from another division in Konami. liked them, but... (laughs) It was very discouraging and difficult. So we decided from there to change The "Gradius" Title everything to a mecha design, but the problem was, I couldn't draw mecha designs at all. (laughs) One The provisional title for Gradius at the planning of our colleagues who knew a lot about mecha stuff stage was Scramble 2. It wasn't until a half year had lent me some of his anime and sci-fi collection, and I passed and the basic structure of the game was spent day and night copying and tracing those nearly finished that we decided on the "Gradius" designs. That took me about a month, and during title. We were saying that if we didn't have a title, we my studies my boss came over and berated me. couldn't make the instruction sheet, so we chose it "What have you been doing! These character then. Actually, the person who came up with the designs haven't changed at all! When are you going "Gradius" name is the same coworker who helped to finish these?!" (laughs) But he was a good me out with all those mecha designs. At a naming person, and even though he said all that he gave meeting, where we were all submitting different me another month. After about 2 months then, I possible names, he suggested "Gradius", which was finally began drawing the designs you see today, an alteration of a certain sci-fi movie title. There and after several weeks of living at the office, I were other candidates as well, but I remember that finished them. Looking back on it now, I wonder this title was easy to say, and we really wanted a what was the point of all those organic designs that title that would stick in a person's memory. Also, we took me 4 months! (laughs) But either way, I'm very also wanted to have a "ga/gi/gu/ge/go" consonant in thankful to my coworker (and adviser) who lent me there somewhere... we just thought that would be his materials and saved me from that hell. cool. (laughs)

Length of Development

If you include our early period of experimenting with ideas... I don't think it was over a year. Maybe about 8 months. When I joined, I spent 4 months on those organic designs, and having to redo them naturally caused the programming to be delayed as

6 STG Translation: Gradius hearing this, know what movie I'm referring to. (laughs) The origin of the name came from two things: first, the way the ship and the options appear in formation looked like a V shape, so I called it "Vic." Second, when the options move it looked like a snake, so I named it "Viper," and together its "Vic Viper." I came up with the name myself. By the way, Vic does not refer to "Big." (laughs)3

About the Graphics

Figure 8: Gradius Arcade Flyer During the development of Gradius, I was The "Gradius" spelling especially aware of the amazing and popular vertical scrolling games that had been released. For Although the word “Gladius” means short sword, their time, they could represent light and shadow in we didn't intend that meaning at all, and its just a a very concrete, three dimensional way. You coincidence. Several years later someone said to couldn't help but be influenced by the sophistication me, "doesn't the title refer to a Gladius?", and that of those worlds. For Gradius, we kept that example was the first time I realized it. Even though it was in mind while trying to create our own unique world, just a coincidence, I remember being really and we put a lot of effort into the light, shadow, and surprised. (laughs) use of color. Also, this is a rather detailed point, but we made sure the stars in the background that were more distant moved slowly, while those closer moved more quickly. Its easy for space scenes to seem rather flat and one-dimensional, so we laboured to make it as 3D as we could. The director and I often went to the game center after work, and we took notes on how the enemies and ships in other shooting games moved and acted. We did a lot of boring work like that back then. (laughs)

The power-up meter system Figure 9: Vic Viper Our initial idea for Gradius was to use a system

like Salamander, where you immediately get the

power of the capsule you just took. But we thought History of the Vic Viper that had been done before, and we wondered if we

couldn't create a system where the user could select The motif for the Vic Viper design originally his weapons more freely and intentionally. Also, in came from the ships that appear in a certain sci-fi movie. I mean the way the ships wings are divided 3 Translator note: Japanese fans may have wondered into two pointed ends... I'm sure there's people who, about that because the romanizations for Vic and Big differ only in the voiced consonant at the end. 7 STG Translation: Gradius our initial version, you only got power-ups from the The Options red enemies, but we later changed it so that you'd get a power-up when you defeated a line or In an early development version, the Vic Viper formation of enemies, as a kind of reward. But this design looked like a seahorse. The options then caused there to be too many power-ups, and just looked like children, and the whole thing made you taking one could break the balance of the game. So think of a duck and its little ducklings. (laughs) we were wondering how to let players use these Personally, I thought it was really unique and rather power-ups that they'd taken risks to accumulate, liked it... but from a gameplay perspective, I realize and it was these concerns that led us, through that design had problems; if the options looked so continual test plays, to the system you see today. concrete and material, then when they hit against the terrain, you would naturally expect them to The Laser disappear. But that would be too difficult to implement, and the option system would lose its From the start we had a vague idea about appeal as well. So for that reason we designers creating a laser that resembled a beam weapon changed our beloved little options to the ones we from the movies, something that hadn't been done have today that look like pure energy. We did a lot in arcade games yet. It was our director who poured of testing to determine what would be best: options his all into creating that laser, and just as with the that trace the ship's path, or a system that allowed creation of the tentacle enemy, we designers just the player to freely change the formation of the stood back and watched. (laughs) It was really options. We had about ten different systems, and amazing for its time, seeing the laser go "pew!" eventually settled on the one you see today. across the entire screen. It was awesome, and we all got goosebumps seeing it. However, we had to Why is the Shield power-up designated with a “?” ? make the laser interact with all the options, and it turned out to be a real struggle due to both game Actually, with that, we planned to have a variety balance and slowdown. of power-ups there, not just a shield, so that is why it was a question mark. Though in the end it turned out to be just a shield... there were a lot of things we left unfinished, and I offer my apologies to all the players. (laughs)

Test Playing at Konami

This wasn't just our team, but in those days we pretty much lived at the company and only went home to take a bath or change our clothes. (laughs) So we did a lot of test playing too. All the employees Figure 10: Vic Viper Showing off his laser cooperated on bug checks for each other's projects, and we'd create a schedule for a 24-hour rotation.

One amazing thing was that the employee who

found an important bug would get a free VCR! We

8 STG Translation: Gradius had a ranking system for bugs (A, B, and C level), volcanoes in stage 1 without knowing to use a and it was like an exchange counter, where you'd single power-up. (laughs) It'd be very present your A-level bug and say "VCR please!" quickly, and we saw them kick the table and walk (laughs) In those days a new VCR cost several away, as if to say "what a crappy game!" We hundred dollars, and they were piled up in the bug realized this was a major problem, so we created an checking room, and everyone was in a frenzy to get instruction sheet that carefully explained the power them. (laughs) After bug checking for about 8 hours, system. Even then a lot of people didn't look at someone would come in and say "my turn!", and those instructions. (laughs) But by and by people that person would be like "noooo!!!" (laughs) There came to understand the game system, and good were people who got really good by doing that week players came and were watched by others. After after week, until even in a sleep deprived state they that the game shot up in popularity. Now that I think could dodge the bullets. (laughs) You'd say to them, back on it, the Gradius project really wasn't well "this is getting crazy, you need to sleep!" but they organized or planned out. (laughs) just couldn't step away from that joystick. (laughs) Ideas that didn't make it We never predicted people would get so obsessed with it. There were many employees who On the cell stage, we had an idea that the small would play on their breaks, and it seemed like there cell enemies would attach to the player ship and was an uninterrupted stream of people sitting at the slow it down, eventually making it so you couldn't cabinet. During lunch you'd always see someone move. We also wanted to do a crystal stage. That there. Even after lunch, when it was time to start the idea didn't come to fruition, but we were able to afternoon shift, employees from other teams would revive it for Gradius II. From a programming be playing it. They had intended to only play a little perspective, if you were to take all the ideas we tried and then quickly get back to work, but they'd get out and abandoned, it would be a massive pile. obsessed with it and couldn't walk away. (laughs) That happened a lot. For us developers, once we A Hi-Score system with Gender and Astrological started the test play phase we felt the game really Sign had something addictive in it, and everyone was glad to do the bug checks. (laughs) I remember The idea for adding gender and astrological sign people like Takatori, our Gradius II programmer, came from two other designers who were women. was absolutely crazy about it and would play it We were talking about what to do for the high score whenever he had a spare moment. (laughs) entry, and we wanted to try adding something that hadn't been done. Since the Gradius setting was in Response from the Location Tests space, someone suggested adding astrological signs to the ranking. I had wanted to do it from the We used three buttons for shot, missle, and beginning, actually. (laughs) power-up, and the Twinbee team who was next to us at the time said "there's no way you can have three buttons in your game." (laughs) At the location test too, I remember everyone thinking it was a little dicey. At our first location test the speed of the ship was too slow, and there were people who got to the

9 STG Translation: Gradius Memories of the Gradius Development

We never thought Gradius would become so famous. Our feeling at the time was simply, "if we're going to make a game, let's make something that's never been done before!" And although it was difficult, I think circumstances at the time allowed us to do something new like that. Despite the many challenges I think the game really showed off the creativity of our programming, sound, character design, and also hardware. For me personally I remember the project as being trying and difficult Figure 11: Apparently, Capricorns were born to play Gradius! almost the entire time, but it was all repaid by seeing the players enjoy the game. One night, when About the Sound Gradius ranked #1 in income, I was out eating ramen with my senior colleague when he said to There were several songs that I requested from me, "we were right about our game." Even now I get the staff based on ideas I had. Generally we asked teary-eyed thinking about that. Although I still have for 80s popular western music, and I remember the some regrets where I wish we'd done this or that Kuuchuusen prelude coming from that. When we'd differently, it was a game we gave everything to. request something from the sound staff, we'd give And I'm exceedingly grateful to my colleagues and them some music cassette tapes as an example, Konami, who let us do whatever we wanted, even and from there the sound designers would look at when we didn't know what we were doing. (laughs) the game in action and expand things with their own ideas. The whole development team was really If you were to make a new Gradius...? pleased with what the sound and music staff created. I don't think there were many games back Hmmm... well, its not a game, but if I had the then where the music left such an impression that chance I'd like to make a space opera movie of hearing the opening phrases made you immediately Gradius, where I could depict the world with the think of the stage. I love each song they composed, proper sense of scale. It would be a live action film but of course my favorite is the Kuuchuusen BGM of course. But my brain isn't up to the task, I'm which I had requested. afraid. (laughs)

Later games in the Gradius series 1996, #2 interview with Machiguchi Hiroyasu I played the Famicom versions of Gradius. As Translated by Alex Highsmith for the recent games, I can't say I've played them a lot... though honestly, that's because my skills are During the development of Gradius I worked as limited. (laughs) But to see how the series has a programmer and as the team leader. I was continued to this day without interruption is very involved in Gradius, Gradius II, and Gradius III--the moving to me, as if a part of my DNA had been entire series. Originally Gradius was planned as carried on to future generations. "Scramble 2." The famous STG at that time was 10 STG Translation: Gradius Xevious... there had been many STGs released after it, but none had surpassed it. One of our development concepts for Gradius was to make a horizontal STG which would surpass the vertical scrolling STG Xevious. The capsule powerup system was at first an item power-up system. It probably makes more sense if I call it the "Salamander" system. But we wanted players to be able to choose how to power up their ship, so we left it as you see it today.

Gradius was the first STG to use 3 buttons. Figure 12: Gradius II (1988) – Stage 3 (Ice) Nowadays there are many 6 button arcade games, but at the time 2 button games were the norm. Until We originally added the Moai because we the location test, Gradius was also a 2 button game. wanted to give a mysterious image to the game. But it felt too much like something ported from a Xevious had used the Nazca Lines, and we were Famicom game, and at the location test the inspired by that. But we had no idea the Moai would development staff collected a number of surveys become a mainstay of the series like it has. from the game center, and after much deliberating, they decided to make it a 3 button game in order to As for safe spots and such, we were able to make it more strategic. At the time it was a very bold confirm some of them ourselves, but most of them move. Various departments at Konami exchanged have been found by players. Simply put, they were their opinions about it, but in the end we made it a 3 bugs. We didn't plan for them to be there. This goes button game. We had a lot of anxiety about that for slowdown as well as safe spots, but I think for choice, but I think players were happy about it. Gradius all the bugs ended up having a positive

effect on the game, and I think we were extremely Generally speaking there was no way players lucky in that regard. Although its definitely true that would enjoy playing something that we ourselves those were the boom days of "secret tricks" on the didn't find interesting, so we came up with a variety Famicom, from the developer's perspective we'd of ideas for the stages as well. Some of those ideas rather not have had those bugs. But in the case of couldn't be accomplished due to hardware Gradius, we were lucky in that the players limitations, but we brought them back for Gradius II supported us, so those mistakes weren't fatal. . and III. The fast scrolling stage and the ice stage in

Gradius II, and the bubble stage in Gradius III are Our offices were in Osaka during the Gradius examples. development, and after we released the first game a

young kid of about elementary school age brought us 200000 yen and asked us to sell him Gradius. Since this was a large amount of money even to us, we called his parents to confirm, and they asked us to sell it to him, so we did. That we had a fan like this made me extremely happy.

11 STG Translation: Gradius then it was a combination no one had thought of yet. We also wanted to add other "adventure" aspects to Gradius. We planned a system where once you cleared a stage, you'd have a branching choice of where to go next. But in the end, due to memory space limitations, we couldn't add that feature.

1988 Gradius II - Kouji Hiroshita Interview Translated by Alex Highsmith

Figure 13: Gradius III (1989) – Stage 2 (Bubble) Kouji Hiroshita

Joined Konami in 1981. Bonus! 1993 Nagata Akihiko – Has worked on Megazone, Twinbee, Konami STG Interview Excerpt Jackal, A-JAX, and others. (non-gradius portions excised)

Selected Titles: Director: Contra (1987) Producer: Super Contra (1988)

After Salamander had been released, we started plans for a third game in the Gradius series. We were all waiting for a chance to make it, and of course the requests from fans for us to make it was a big motivation. For STGs, if you just continue

making sequels with no break, there's a fear you'll Around the time of the first Gradius, the concept fall into the same patterns. That was why we didn't of "power ups" in STGs had not yet been clearly start making Gradius II immediately after defined. Games had systems where the weapons Salamander... we wanted to take some time and you started with stayed with you from beginning to develop more ideas. During that time the fans end. But we thought that was boring. We thought continued to clamour for a sequel, so we finally got that it might be interesting to add some kind of started on it. bonus items.

The development period was extremely short, At that time, Western computer RPGs were only about 5 months I think. We were looking coming into Japan, and "building your character" towards this year's AOU show, and we started was a kind of new gaming buzzword. We were designing it just after last year's AM show. Being thinking of ways to bring that concept into the STG such a tight schedule, it was very hard on the staff. genre. Nowadays it seems rather obvious, but back

12 STG Translation: Gradius Gradius II is the 4th game in the series, following Gradius. But it didn't really work out that way. The 4 Gradius, Salamander, and Force. The difficult choices were meant to be equal, but the 2-way part was that it needed to resemble the Gradius missile option was considerably stronger because it series, but at the same time, it couldn't just be an could fire upwards, I think. exact copy. So we tried out all our new ideas, while trying to keep things "Gradius"-ish, and I think we The reason the laser is weaker for Gradius II is succeeded in making a game that will be difficult that we thought it was too strong before, so we enough for fans of the series--one that even skilled made it a little less powerful. In Life Force you can players can enjoy. select the Ripple Laser or the normal Laser. But most players only selected the Laser, so by making On our Gradius II development team, we have the Laser weaker this time, the Ripple Laser should people who joined Konami because they played now appear stronger. Another way we strengthened Gradius in the game center and liked it. Hearing it was when the Ripple Laser hits an obstacle now, it their perspective on the series brought out a variety gets a little smaller, but continues onwards. Each of of ideas. One person remarked that the essence or the 4 weapon selections has their speciality, and I appeal of Gradius is that its a smart, stylish game. I think for each stage there's one which is more think that probably comes from design of the advantageous than the others. Our goal was to character ship and the enemies. The power-up allow players to freely choose the weapons they like system also gives it a distinctive flavor. There are and develop their own strategies. For skilled many people on the Gradius II staff that personally players, after they clear the first loop with one of the like the STG genre, and there was a sense that stronger weapon selections, they can challenge we're all here to make STGs. Lately there's also themselves with a different setup. been an increasing number of skilled players, so we want to make it difficult for them. So naturally there The Moai stage was the first stage we made. was a sense of wanting to provide a challenge from We did that because the Moai are a mainstay in the the developers to the players. Gradius series, and their character design is already established. The idea for the stage was to stuff it At first we only had one selection for power-ups. with as many Moai as possible. After that we made That was the first one (speedup, ground missile, stage 1, the artificial sun stage. The point of that double, laser, option, shield). That was the selection stage is to give the player a chance to power up. from the original Gradius, but we later added more But if you just give the player a bunch of power-ups, choices. Various ideas were suggested, and we it will be boring, so we wanted something where decided that we should let people freely select their skilled players could get powerups easily, and own power-ups. We had a lot of ideas then, where the more you tried to power up the more regardless of whether they could actually be dangerous the enemy attacks would become. achieved in the programming or not. Things like a ground laser, or homing missiles. Eventually we settled on the current scheme of 4 separate power- up selections. The goal for our staff was to make each option about the same power, so that in the end, after trying out each one, you'd return to the first selection you had gotten used to in the original

13 STG Translation: Gradius in the same set location, depending on how the sequence of programming events unfolds, it might get dangerous for the player and cause him to change his route. We made this stage in such a way that the spread bomb would be good for it.

Originally, the game ended after the boss rush in stage 7. But we felt we needed to have a base for a Gradius game, so we added the final stage. Also, the last stage we created was the Volcano stage. We also felt here that if its Gradius, you've got to Figure 14: Gradius II - Stage 1 (Burning Heat) have a Volcano stage.

We created the second stage somewhere in the middle. At first it was an organic "internal organs" stage like Salamander, but we changed it later to its current form. The second half of that stage is just like a Contra stage. For this stage we had a female designer on our staff, and she designed almost all of it. We'd see her drawing these outrageous characters and cackling to herself, and the other staff members were always saying "What is going on in your head???"

Figure 16: Gradius II - Stage 4 (Volcano)

Personally, I don't think Gradius is that difficult of a game. If you can make it to the end it does become difficult though. By the third loop its like, this is no game. (laughs) But our intention was to make the first and second stages easy to clear. A lot of games recently are very difficult right from the start, and we wanted to go against that trend.

I think the special quality of the Gradius series is Figure 15: Gradius II – Stage 2 (Synthetic Life) that you feel the enemies are somehow watching you. There are almost no enemies that just move on For the crystal area of stage 3, we programmed their own, unresponsive to the player. We also it so that the ice would have a certain chance of thought it was boring if players always follow the either drifting toward the player's ship or rebounding exact same routes, so we've added a certain degree and moving away from it. We also added some of randomness to things, including bullet patterns. randomization to that--its not completely random The most obvious example of this is in the crystal though. That way, although the ice always appears

14 STG Translation: Gradius stage, I think. In addition, its often said among our team that Gradius is a strategy game. If you use your head and think about what you're doing, you'll progress. That also means that each person will have their own individual strategies. Our Gradius II team is the same, with each person having their own individual route through the stages. I felt that way seeing people play at the location test as well... ah, this route is also possible... oh, someone has completed a new route here... and so on. Our development goal was that if a route or pattern worked in one place, it shouldn't work in the next. We were surprised when players figured out a route for the section just before Crab in the last stage, and for the safe spot on Covered Core. Our staff watched a video of that and everyone was shocked. Figure 17: Gradius II Arcade Flyer

The important thing for games is that they allow you to lose your sense of time. The better a game is, the more it does this and makes you feel like you've been playing a very long time each credit. I 1997 Gradius Gaiden – don't say this because short play times are best for Seki Teisaku & Staff Interview earning income, but I'd like to make a game where Translated by Alex Highsmith the degree of satisfaction is the same for those who only play a short while and those who played a long time. Of course, this isn't the end of the Gradius Seki Teisaku series, and we hope to continue making dense games that allow you to fully forget the passage of Selected Titles: time. And we want to continue making games that Director: Gradius Gaiden (1997) answer the wishes of our fans. Designer: Castlevania Bloodlines (1994)

Introduction by Teisaku

The concept for Gradius Gaiden was, to put it simply, to pursue and refine the gameplay of the Gradius series. We want our games to progress along with the development of new technology and hardware. I think you see this with Solar Assault, but the Gradius series too will probably continue to evolve in the future. But I think the essential fun qualities of the series, like the power-up system, 15 STG Translation: Gradius should stay the same. As refining the gameplay was just ships with different colors, so we added new both our concept and goal this time, we decided to ships. The weapons each have 2 levels of power as call this entry "Gaiden."4 well. Basically, that came from the desire to create stronger versions of the existing weapons. We also The game takes place in an era far in the future thought it would deepen the strategy by giving more of the series, but among the developers, we choices to the player. considered it more of a side story. As you can see from the development of the Gradius series heretofore, each game takes place in the same universe. Therefore we made several connections with the Salamander series as well. We also were aware that the Famicom games are straight copies of the arcade games, but the MSX develops an entirely different story.

Figure 20: Vic Viper, Lord British, Jade Knight, and Falchion β

The basic difference between the 1st and 2nd loops is "fan service." Its our way of saying thank you for playing the game a lot. We don't currently have any plans for "Gradius Gaiden 2," but if the response to this game is good, we'll have to think about. Please be sure to send Konami your thoughts about our game!

Short Profiles Figure 19: Gradius Gaiden (1997) – Stage 3 (Crystal)

Previous games had a lot of variation in the Seki Teisaku Laser, but the Double weapon didn't evolve that much. So we added new weapons with the idea of Role: Director, Character Design strengthening the Double, and diversified the new

Double weapons according to the various roles they Previous Works: Lagrange Point and would fulfill ingame. We also were thinking about 2P others. simultaneous play, and we thought it would be better to have different kinds of ships rather than PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: Easier to

4 Translator note: Gaiden means "side story." As he develop for than other consoles. I think says, the developers were not necessarily furthering the the hardware limitations don't influence main story or world of Gradius, but rather wanted to focus on the gameplay designs. developing different gameplay aspects of the series.

16 STG Translation: Gradius Favorite Konami STG: Trigon, I think. Gradius is very well done too. Seki Kazue

Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: Jade Role: Designer. Also helped some with Knight. Its hypnotizing... Moai stage and other bosses.

Development Challenges: The planning phase was the hardest. Previous Works: The megadrive version of Animaniacs... but it was only released Kobayashi Takayuki overseas, so nobody knows it! Mine is a lonely life. Role: zako enemies, boss design, enemy placement PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: All people have their strengths and weaknesses. Previous Works: Detana Twinbee And you can say game hardware is the Yahoo! Deluxe Pack, Gradius Deluxe same way. But you know, it isn't as Pack. simple as "strengths==good" and "weaknesses==bad." The key is to PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: Because forgive all, and love everything. If you of the frame buffer system in the PSX, can do this, you may enjoy what is you have a high degree of freedom for lacking, too. Yes, that is part of being a displaying graphics onscreen, allowing "professional." Man, I just got deep you to present a variety of things. But there. because the backgrounds and everything has to be redrawn on screen, Favorite Konami STG: Hmm, I love it requires a lot of speed. many games... this is difficult. Only one? Well then, the legless Twinbee. Why? I Favorite Konami STG: Gradius like what I like. I love radishes and strawberries. Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: Lord British Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: Since I designed them, they are all like beloved Development Challenges: By playing children to me. If I had to say, the ship I every day I became too used to the like the most in terms of shape is the game, and I lost the ability to tell what Lord British. The one that's most fun to was difficult and what was easy. play would be Jade Knight. But the Falchion β weapon effect is also a sight Future of Shooting?: I think both 2D and to behold. And for pure aesthetic 3D shooting each have their own beauty, nothing matches the Vic Viper's distinct appeal, so I think the current laser. Ah, I praised them all! Hehe, style will continue to be around. anyway, I recommend them all.

17 STG Translation: Gradius Future of Shooting?: I don't know the answer to such difficult questions. Only one thing is certain. The only thing that Jun Asami will never change is that things will keep changing. Hehe. Role: Graphics

Previous Works: PSX/ ports of Snatcher. Ryo En'you PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: The ability Role: Programming for stage 4/7 to have multiple patterns for the enemies, stage 6 boss, Triple core, characters. No particular Giant Ducker difficulties/weaknesses.

Previous Works: Detana Twinbee Favorite Konami STG: All of the Gradius Yahoo! Deluxe Pack, Gradius Deluxe series. Pack Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: I like the PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: In the Falchion β for its swept forward wings. beginning I was a little lost on how to use the Playstation's unique frame Development Challenges: I ran out of buffer. ideas for the zako characters about halfway through. Favorite Konami STG: My favorite has got to be Gradius II. I'm not very good, but for some reason it has a strange Yukihiro Yamazaki fascination for me and I can't stop playing it. Also Xexex. I was very moved Role: Programming for zako and bosses by the Princess---err, I mean, the stage 1 background graphics and music. Previous Works: Secret

Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: I like Favorite Konami STG: I can't get them all. (laughs) I recommend the Lord enough of A-JAX. I was impressed by British and Jade Knight to people who the cool scenes with the fast like weird weapons. rotation/scaling effects and the rousing music. Development Challenges: The refraction effect on the Vic Viper's laser. Until the Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: I middle of the development I couldn't get recommend the new Falchion β ship. It it to refract and bend correctly. excels in both defense and offense, and can be enjoyed by beginners and veterans.

18 STG Translation: Gradius anything. There were a number of Development Challenges: As one would things I wanted to do in the beginning, imagine, the pressure of releasing but I did my best with my limited something that would not disgrace the abilities. Gradius name. The pressure was considerable, as this was both part of a series and one of Konami's flagship Y. MAT titles. Though that fact alone made it all the more worth doing. Role: Sound Effects

Future of Shooting?: Times are PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: This was changing, and hardware and software my first game doing SFX for, so I can't are both evolving to 3D, but I think 2D make any comparisons. shooters like Gradius will definitely not go away. Favorite Konami STG: Famicom Gradius.

Akira Souji Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: I thought the Lord British was easiest to use at Role: Progamming first, but when I got used to it, the ‘ Falchion β was also fun. PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: We were able to use data compression for Development Challenges: Making the Gaiden, and it was a process of trial and new sound effects I made match up well error to see how much memory we'd with the previous sound effects from the need to layout for sound and other series. things. So we spent a lot of time with the feedout timing and the data readback. Norizaki Miura Favorite Konami STG: Axelay on the SFC. The reason is simple--it was the Role: Music Composer first STG I oversaw after joining Konami. I did the soundtrack and sound effects PSX Strengths/Weaknesses: With the for it as well. PSX you no longer have the constraint of having to worry about sharing Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: Jade channels with fx and music and such, so Knight. I like the sound of its laser too. its you have relatively more freedom when composing. However, to a certain Development Challenges: I'd been degree I wanted to use the developing for Sega Saturn previously, characteristic Gradius sounds, so I so when I was suddenly switched to struggled to recreate their timbre and PSX development I didn't know tonal quality.

19 STG Translation: Gradius For our image of Princess Irene La Tias, we Favorite Konami STG: Gradius Gaiden. lined up our various drafts on a table and each pointed out what we liked--her hair should be Favorite Gradius Gaiden ship: Jade straight, she should have a necklace like this, etc. Knight. The design is cool, and I like the Her personality should be very reliable and a little green laser. If you clear the game, you easy-going. Planet E-Square is a peaceful, pastoral can hear the Jade Knight theme music. world, after all.

Development Challenges: Making sure There's no particularly deep connection between not to shatter the "Gradius" image. The the Flint and Irene. Planet E-square was seeking theme I had for composing Gradius help from outer space with the power of telepathy, Gaiden's music was "newness within and at the same time, they happened to discover nostalgia." That newness doesn't mean the Flint. Now that peace has been restored, the "new music"... my intention was to bring Flint and the people of E-Square have established something new out of the old series. communications and continue friendly relations. The Flint have bonded with E-Square, and that's how the planet has been brought back to life, I think.

Irene's voice actress was Sumi Shimamoto. Since she's a real pro, everything went smoothly. We didn't have much memory left for the sound effects and vocals, though, so that was tough. But I'm glad we were able to work with her.

Figure 21: Gradius Gaiden - Stage 4 (Ruins)

Bonus! Xexex 1993 Development Team Interview

Our goal for Xexex was to change the image people had of Konami STGs as being "hardcore." That's why we added a cute girl. The plan was to add a girl so as to attract general players, not only hardcore gamers, but at Konami there was a lot of controvery over it right until the end.

20 STG Translation: Gradius

Figure 22: Gradius ReBirth (2008)

Gradius Chronology:

1985 – Gradius 1988 – Gradius II 1989 – Gradius III 1997 – Gradius Gaiden (PSX) 1998 – Gradius IV 2001 – Gradius Galaxies (GBA) 2004 – Gradius V (PS2) 2008 – Gradius ReBirth ()

See also: Scramble, Salamander series, Nemesis series, series, and Solar Assault.

T H E E N D

Credits: Interviews were translated by Alex Highsmith. Document was edited by DMC and read by you.

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