Let's talk shooters: From Space Invaders to Radiant Silvergun

Meeting on the Internet

-I heard that Iuchi-san and Toyama-san have been acquainted for some time now.

Iuchi: It happened when I replied to a post on a bulletin board that Toyama-san wrote, which was entitled "Please tell me your thoughts on Soukyuugurentai".

Toyama: We started sending mails back and forth after that, and even started talking about Sakimoto-san.

Iuchi: We talked a lot about him. Asking if he "had worked on this and that" (laughs). [Treasure] being able to ask him to work on the [RS] soundtrack stemmed from those conversations.

Toyama: I noticed him a while back. I was eventually introduced to him by an acquaintance, and when I asked him to work on Shippu Mahou Daisakusen he agreed.

The Strange Relation of Silvergun and Soukyuu

Iuchi: Actually what made me rethink the scoring system [for RS] was Soukyuu. I like it when you get that "all enemies destroyed" at the end of a stage. Scoring systems are more interesting the deeper they go. However, I'd be ashamed if I just did the exact same thing (laughs). Trying to add a little of my own flavor, I thought the system would have a different meaning if you connected the scoring and power-up systems.

Toyama: Until halfway through development, Sokyuu didn't have the system where the multiplier is tied to the lock-on. I don't really view scoring as important. But there's also the fact that the game we put out before Soukyuu was Battle Garegga (laughs). However, there are lots of high-score players that like the aspect of gambling their life for points, so we added it later. Rather than points, I focus on story. For example, in the middle of the game I always think strategically "why is he here?" and "what is he thinking?" As such, I can't continue if there's no story set in place. For Soukyuu, I was bored with the "aliens attacking" theme (laughs) so I opted for a company which had it's own defense force.

Nami: I'm the complete opposite. I love a really boring world (laughs). One of the games I was involved in before, Contra Spirits, had robots and monsters. Thinking up things for a world that can literally hold anything is easy.

Toyama: You could think of that as a difference between Treasure and Raizing.

Nami: We might've gone a little overboard too (laughs).

Iuchi: You can't proceed until you've got the whole world completely set out (laughs).

Toyama: Looking at Xiga on stage 6, I just thought to myself, "What're they thinking?! No way I'd do this!" (laughs).

Iuchi: Certainly one might laugh when they first see him.

Nami: No, I actually tried to make him as seriously as I could (laughs).

Iuchi: I wanted to get away from robots in Silvergun.

Nami: "No Humanoids!" we decided (laughs). It was a thin line, but we made it where just the eyes flashed.

Toyama: For Soukyuu as well, we didn't want any humanoid enemies. I'm just bored with that.

Nami: But if you don't have any, I get lonely...

Iuchi: Until this, I thought if they made movements like something you'd see in Gunstar Heroes it might be okay.