Sakura Wars 3

Last updated

Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?
Sakura Wars 3 cover art.jpg
Cover art of the original Dreamcast release, featuring protagonist Erica Fontaine
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Director(s) Akira Nishino
Producer(s) Ryutaro Nonaka
Designer(s) Toru Yoshida
Programmer(s) Takayuki Kudo
Artist(s)
Writer(s) Satoru Akahori
Composer(s) Kohei Tanaka
Series Sakura Wars
Platform(s)
Release
March 22, 2001
  • Dreamcast
    • JP: March 22, 2001
    Microsoft Windows
    • JP: March 25, 2004
    PlayStation 2
    • JP: February 24, 2005
Genre(s) Tactical role-playing, dating sim, visual novel
Mode(s) Single-player

Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? [lower-alpha 2] is a cross-genre video game developed by Red Company and Overworks and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. The third installment in the Sakura Wars series, it was released in March 2001. Defined by its publisher as a "dramatic adventure" game, Is Paris Burning? combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel gameplay elements.

Contents

Taking place after the events of Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die , Sakura Wars 3 follows protagonist Ichiro Ogami join the newly formed Paris Combat Revue and train the "Flower Division", an all-female unit dedicated to fighting supernatural threats against the city while working as a cabaret act. Alongside Ogami's training, the Paris Division must prevent Salu and the Paris Phantoms, the game's main antagonists, from threatening Paris.

The concept work for Sakura Wars 3 began during development of Thou Shalt Not Die. Most of the original staff returned, including series creator and general producer Oji Hiroi, writer Satoru Akahori, artists Kōsuke Fujishima and Hidenori Matsubara, and composer Kohei Tanaka. Newcomers included director Akira Nishino and executive producer Noriyoshi Ohba. While retaining the basic systems of the Sakura Wars series, the engine and gameplay were rebuilt for the Dreamcast, with a new battle system being designed. The anime cutscenes were produced by Production I.G, blending traditional animation with computer graphics. It received positive reviews from journalists and sold over 300,000 units. A direct sequel, Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens , was released in 2002.

Gameplay

Sakura Wars 3 gameplay 1.jpg
Sakura Wars 3 gameplay 2.jpg
The two main gameplay modes of Sakura Wars are social interaction using the LIPS system (above), and turn-based strategic battles which is directly influenced by earlier LIPS interaction (below). Sakura Wars 3 implemented expanded "Analog LIPS" and a 3D combat system.

Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? is a cross-genre video game in which the player controls Ichiro Ogami and the all-female "Flower Division" of the Paris Combat Revue, who must defeat Salu and the Paris Phantoms before they threaten Paris. Dubbed a "dramatic adventure" game and taking place across 11 episodes, the gameplay segments incorporate tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel elements. [1] Gameplay is divided between adventure segments where Ogami explores Montmartre, and combat sequences governed by a turn-based battle system across a three-dimensional (3D) area allowing full range of movement. [2] [3]

During the adventure segments, Ogami navigates Montmartre and the Paris Division's base at the club Le Chatte Noir starting from his apartment. [4] During these sequences, when talking with both members of the Paris Division and supporting characters within the Paris Combat Revue, conversations rely on the traditional Live & Interactive Picture System (LIPS). When faced with critical choices in the course of a conversation, dialogue options are displayed with a time limit for the player to select a response. Depending on the type of response, the character may react positively or negatively, impacting their relationship and future interactions with Ogami. Other actions within LIPS include holding the cursor over parts of a character's portrait to trigger internal monologues and varying responses from the characters. [5] The version used in Sakura Wars 3 is dubbed Analog LIPS; certain choices allow for use of the analog stick to adjust the intensity of a single answer, which can in turn elicit further variation from characters. [2] [6] [7] An additional "dinner mode" has Ogami taking dinner with the other protagonists, with whom Ogami initiates a conversation with and how that conversation develops affecting later interactions. [7] A version of this mode, dubbed "Elegant Day in Paris", is dedicated solely to navigation and LIPS-based interactions. [8] [9]

During combat segments, the Paris Division fights monsters in the streets of Paris using machines called Kobus. This game uses a real-time battle system called the Active & Realtime Machine System (ARMS), where each unit has a full range of movement, with their distance limited by an Action Point meter. [10] They have their own turn, with each turn allowing two actions. These actions include "Attack", "Defend", "Move", "Deathblow" (a critical strike that kills an enemy in one hit), Charge (store energy for a more powerful action during the next turn), and Heal (which restores health points to a chosen unit). Different units specialize in different skills, such as support actions, melee attacks, or distance attacks—along with their range of movement, each unit also has an independent range in which they can perform actions. [11] Actions taken during LIPS sequences with members of the Flower Division directly impact battles; skillful performances during LIPS segments raises a character's Trust, granting status increases and improving combat ability. LIPS interactions can also unlock Combination and Coalesce attacks, where two characters perform a joint attack to deal high damage to a single enemy. [3] [9] If certain conditions are not met or if Ogami's unit is destroyed, the game ends. [12]

Minigames can be played during adventure segments, with each minigame being themed around one of the main characters; these include a top-down arcade-style shooter, a chess-style tactical game, score-based games where Ogami must hit targets, and a simulation where Ogami and another character pick locks within a time limit. A dedicated casino allows Ogami to play poker, blackjack, and on a slot machine. [4] When in his apartment, Ogami can access a device called the Kimenotron, allowing audio communication with characters from earlier Sakura Wars games. A portable version of this called the Mobile Kimenotron is also available for players who connected the Dreamcast console's Visual Memory Unit, which relays text messages at random intervals. [2] [13] [14]

Synopsis

In 1926, Imperial Japanese Navy Lieutenant Ichiro Ogami arrives in Paris to train a new fighting unit established by the government to combat supernatural threats. Dubbed the "Paris Combat Revue" and modelled on Ogami's original group from Tokyo, the all-female group maintains its cover as a cabaret act at the nightclub Les Chatte Noir. Their main fighting unit is called the Paris Division, its members acting as both cabaret stars and magically-imbued warriors able to pilot mechas called Kobus. Its initial members are clumsy nun Erica Fontaine, and cold French noble Glycine Bleumer. In his efforts to build the group, Ogami helps recruit three more members—Coquelicot, a Vietnamese traveling circus performer; French-Japanese widow Hanabi Kitaoji; and Romanian master thief Lobelia Carlini.

As the Paris Division grows, Paris is attacked by a group of black magicians dubbed the Paris Phantoms, many of whom torment members of the unit in attempts to break them. The Paris Phantoms are revealed to be controlled by the clown Salu; the last of an ethnic group who communed with Paris' dead and were hunted to near-extinction, Salu intends to use the Great Oak Tree, a god-like being which guards Paris, to resurrect his people using Paris' population as sacrifices. Using their united spiritual power, the Paris Division are able to defeat Salu, restoring Paris and the Great Oak Tree.

Alongside these events, Ogami experiences Parisian city life and culture while training the group to function with the same ability as the Imperial Combat Revue's Flower Division alongside their roles as cabaret performers at Les Chatte Noir. During his interactions with each member, he has the option of pursuing a romance with them. The flow of events is broken slightly when the Flower Division arrives in Paris during summer holidays, and demonstrates their comradeship and unity to the Paris group during a dance competition. Following Salu's defeat, Ogami decides that the group is able to fend for itself and leaves for Tokyo. The final scenes alter depending on whether Ogami pursued a romance with a member of the Paris Division.

Development

Concept work for Sakura Wars 3 began during the development of Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die , with the ending of the second game leading directly into the events of Sakura Wars 3. The game was produced by Red Company and Sega's Overworks division; Overworks was one of Sega's nine semi-autonomous studios when the company restructured its arcade and console development teams in 2000. [15] [16] Series creator Oji Hiroi returned as general producer, along with director Akira Nishino and series writer Satoru Akahori. Regular series character designers Hidenori Matsubara and Kōsuke Fujishima devised the visuals for the new characters, while mecha designs were handled by Mika Akitaka. Noriyoshi Ohba, who produced the last two games, was the executive producer. [17] [18] [19] New staff members include producer Ryutaro Nonaka. [19]

While the previous two titles had been developed for the Sega Saturn, the console was soon to be replaced by its successor the Dreamcast. Due to the game being for a new platform, the engine and systems were rebuilt from scratch to take advantage of all the Dreamcast's planned systems. [15] The more comprehensive "Analog LIPS" system was born from the team's wish to add variety to Ogami's individual responses. The Kinematron communication device—first introduced in Thou Shalt Not Die—was redesigned to take advantage of the Dreamcast controller, in addition to playing a larger role in the story and potential romances by keeping Ogami in contact with the Flower Division in Tokyo. [20] The team also aimed to reduce loading times between the adventure gameplay segments; the revamped system was dubbed "Seamless ADV". [21]

So as to properly portray Paris in the 1920s, Hiroi and other staff went over to Paris to research its culture and setting, consulted with French natives who could speak Japanese, and made reproductions of adverts from the 1920s. During the course of development, Hiroi estimated that around 80% of the early planning material went unused in the final game. [22] Producing the cutscenes was an exhaustive process, requiring 200 different cuts, storyboards equivalent to a half-hour original video animation (OVA), and 4000 sheets of character movements. [15] The cutscenes included a technique dubbed "Neo CGI", which blended 3D computer graphics with traditional 2D animation. [23] [24] The anime segments were directed by Shinji Takagi and produced by Production I.G, which had first worked on Thou Shalt Not Die. [19] [25] [26]

A major theme of the game is talking with people, which was amplified through the use of Paris as a setting, as during the game's time period Japan had little contact with the outside world apart from its navy. [20] The idea of moving the setting from Tokyo to Paris was suggested to Hiroi by Akahori. The premise drew from the short story "The Dancing Girl" by Mori Ōgai. [21] The nightclub where the Paris Division were based was inspired by Le Chat Noir, one of the early venues of modern cabaret. [15] Commenting on creating the game's character design drafts, Fujishima called the experience both exciting and difficult. [21] An unusual addition to the cast was Lobelia, who was brought in on sufferance due to her power. [20] The game's subtitle was taken from the title of a book of the same name by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, which had been made into a 1966 movie. The phrase made reference to the instructions given by Adolf Hitler to Dietrich von Choltitz to destroy Paris before the Allies of World War II arrived. [15]

Audio

The score of Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? was written by regular series composer Kohei Tanaka. [17] [19] Tanaka thought he would write a remixed version of the recurring theme "Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan" with Parisian-sounding instruments for the opening. [27] Instead he was told to create an entirely new theme, "Mihata no Moto Ni", with the staff demanding it be better than the original. [27] [28] The song's lyrics were written by Hiroi and arranged by Takayuki Negishi. [29] In contrast to the rock and jazz style of the original theme song, Tanaka made use of classical orchestra and choir elements. [28] The two ending themes, "Hana no Paris" and "Mirai", was performed by the lead actresses Noriko Hidaka, Saeko Shimazu, Etsuko Kozakura, Kikuko Inoue and Yoshino Takamori. The game also featured an iteration of "Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan", known as "Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan III", performed by original cast members Chisa Yokoyama, Urara Takano, Michie Tomizawa, Kumiko Nishihara, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Mayumi Tanaka, Maya Okamoto and Kazue Ikura. [29]

Release

Sakura Wars 3 was announced in October 1999 as part of the "Sakura Project 2000" project, being announced alongside the first game's anime series adaptation, the OVA series Sakura Wars: The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms , and Sakura Wars: The Movie . [21] The game was released on March 22, 2001. [30] Multiple downloadable audio dramas were released over the Dreamcast's SegaNet internet network between March 2 and December 14, 2001. [31] [32] Broadcasts ended on March 20, 2002. [31]

Sega ported Sakura Wars 3 to Microsoft Windows personal computers (PC). It was released for Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows XP on March 25, 2004. [30] Due to the game's size, these versions were released on multiple CD-ROMs. [33] A DVD-ROM version was released for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista on January 25, 2007. [30] [33] The PC version was published in China by Dysin Interactive on July 23, 2003. [34]

Sakura Wars 3 was ported for a second time by Sega for the PlayStation 2. While mostly identical to the Dreamcast original, gameplay was adjusted to fit the console's DualShock controller, Dreamcast-exclusive functions were reworked for the PlayStation 2 hardware, and all fifteen audio dramas were included behind a password system. [35] [36] The PlayStation 2 port was released on February 24, 2005. [30] As with most of the Sakura Wars series, the game never saw a release in Western territories. [1] Wider localization efforts were prevented due to Sega's uncertainty as to whether the game's blend of genres would find a profitable audience outside Japan. [37]

Reception

In its week of release, Sakura Wars 3 sold over 216,000 units, selling through over 70% of its initial shipments. It has sold over 304,000 units in Japan as of 2004, becoming the seventh best-selling Dreamcast title of all time in the region. [41] The PlayStation 2 port sold over 51,500 units during 2005. [42] As of 2008, Sakura Wars 3 was ranked as the third best-selling title in the Sakura Wars series. [43] Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the game a score of 34/40, earning the "Gold" ranking in their weekly Hall of Fame. [38] [44]

Due to its Japanese exclusivity, some of the English-language reviews for Sakura Wars 3 were published years after the initial release. The RPGFan reviewer cited the redesigned battle system as their favorite part of the game, with praise going to the real-time action and strategic options. The character designs, music and voice acting were also praised. Their main criticism was against the story, which was called out as unoriginal. [39] Jenni Lada, writing for TechnologyTell, gave praise to every aspect of the game from its graphics and story to gameplay and music, calling the game "a wonderful entry in the series". [40]

Legacy

Ogami's foreign travels portrayed in Sakura Wars 3 were intended to continue into the next entry, but due to the discontinuation of the Dreamcast, the concept was reworked and Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens released in 2002 as the culmination of the series on Sega consoles. [45] [46] [47] The Paris Assault Group were later featured in the 2004 spin-off title Sakura Wars Story: Mysterious Paris for the PlayStation 2. [48] [49] The cast of Sakura Wars 3 was featured as characters in the 2008 dungeon crawler spin-off Dramatic Dungeon: Sakura Wars — Because You Were There for the Nintendo DS. [1] [50] [51] The use of "Neo CGI" in Sakura Wars 3 would inspire its development staff to surpass it when developing the CANVAS engine of Valkyria Chronicles for the PlayStation 3. [24]

Two OVA series were created based around the Paris Combat Revue. [48] The first three-episode series, Sakura Wars: École de Paris, was released between March and August 2003. Produced by Radix Ace Entertainment and Overworks, with script by Kawasaki and music by Tanaka, the stories focused on the Paris Combat Revue and members of the Paris Division before and during the early events of Sakura Wars 3. [52] The second three-episode series, Sakura Wars: Le Nouveau Paris, was released between October 2004 and March 2005. Again produced by Radix Ace Entertainment, the story focused on the Paris Division's exploits following the end of Sakura Wars 3. [53] Funimation licensed École de Paris for a Western release, publishing it on DVD on July 5, 2005. The DVD included over 45 minutes of extra features alongside the complete OVA. [54] [55] [56] Funimation also issued cease and desist orders to fan subtitle versions of Le Nouveau Paris alongside other titles later confirmed for Western release, but nothing further was announced. [57]

In a Famitsu reader vote for the top 100 Japanese games of all time in 2006, Sakura Wars 3 was ranked in eighteenth place, being the second most popular in the series up to that point. [58] In 2016, Sakura Wars 3 was voted as the third most memorable Dreamcast game in a later Famitsu reader poll. [59] Erica Fontaine was later included as a playable character in the 2012 Nintendo 3DS crossover title Project X Zone and its 2015 sequel, representing Sakura Wars 3 alongside characters from the original Sakura Wars and the fifth game Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love . [60] [61]

Notes and references

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Ported to the PlayStation 2 by H.I.C.
  2. ↑ Japanese: サクラ大戦3 〜巴里は燃えているか〜, Hepburn: Sakura Taisen Surī: Pari wa Moeteiru ka

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Lada, Jenni (April 24, 2006). "Important Importables: Sakura Taisen". GamerTell. Archived from the original on May 9, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 ゲーム紹介 - システム - アドベンチャーパート (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 3 Dreamcast Website. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  3. 1 2 ゲーム紹介 - システム - 戦闘パート (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 3 Dreamcast Website. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  4. 1 2 サクラ大戦3 〜巴里は燃えているか〜 - ミニゲーム (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 3 PlayStation 2 Website. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ Sega, pp. 22-23
  6. ↑ Sega, p. 24
  7. 1 2 サクラ大戦3～巴里は燃えているか～ - 新登場！ "会食モード"の情報を入手!! (in Japanese). Famitsu. February 23, 2001. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  8. ↑ Sega, p. 46
  9. 1 2 サクラ大戦3～巴里は燃えているか～ - ファミ通独占情報!! "巴里の優雅な一日" (in Japanese). Famitsu. March 9, 2001. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  10. ↑ Sega, pp. 32-34
  11. ↑ Sega, pp. 35-38
  12. ↑ Sega, p. 31
  13. ↑ Sega, p. 26
  14. ↑ サクラ大戦3～巴里は燃えているか～ - フランスはパリ・モンマルトルの街並を大紹介!! (in Japanese). Famitsu. February 16, 2001. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 サクラ大戦3 巴里は燃えているか 原画&設定資料集[Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning Original Picture & Setting Material Collection] (in Japanese). SoftBank Creative. 2001. ISBN   4-7973-1583-0.
  16. ↑ "Overworks". IGN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  17. 1 2 "New Sakura Taisen 3 Artwork & Info!". RPGFan. May 8, 2000. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  18. ↑ サクラ大戦3 〜巴里は燃えているか〜 インタビュー (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning Website. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Red Company, Overworks (March 22, 2001). Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? (Dreamcast). Sega. Scene: Credits.
  20. 1 2 3 "Famitsu Interview about Sakura Taisen 3". RPGFan. 2000. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  21. 1 2 3 4 【お知らせ】『サクラ大戦3』がドリームキャストで2000年秋発売、テレビアニメ化、映画化も (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. October 18, 1999. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Oji Hiroi Interview". ゲームセンター「CX」[Game Center "CX"] (in Japanese). Ohta Publishing. December 1, 2004. ISBN   4-8723-3907-X.
  23. ↑ ゲーム紹介 - システム - ムービー (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 3 Dreamcast Website. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  24. 1 2 『戦場のヴァルキュリア』の魅力を開発陣が語る！ (in Japanese). Famitsu. September 7, 2007. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?". Production I.G. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  26. ↑ "サクラ大戦4". Dorimaga (in Japanese) (21). SoftBank Creative: 44. March 8, 2002.
  27. 1 2 セガゲームス・アトラス生放送！DAY4（9/15）【TGS2019】 (Video) (in Japanese). Tokyo: YouTube. September 14, 2019. Event occurs at 6:16:58. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  28. 1 2 Tanaka, Kohei (May 26, 2009). サクラの主題歌 ん〜、プレッシャー. Kohei Tanaka blog (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
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  34. ↑ DYSIN - - - 大新網站 (in Chinese). Dysin Interactive. Archived from the original on April 16, 2004. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  35. ↑ サクラ大戦3 〜巴里は燃えているか〜 - FAQ (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 3 PlayStation 2 Website. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  36. ↑ サクラ大戦3 〜巴里は燃えているか〜 - 新システム (in Japanese). Sakura Wars 3 PlayStation 2 Website. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Letter of the Month: Sakura, Sakura, Sakura". Official Dreamcast Magazine (US) (7). Dennis Publishing: 12. September 2000.
  38. 1 2 ドリームキャスト - サクラ大戦3 〜巴里は燃えているか〜. Famitsu . No. 641. Enterbrain. March 16, 2001. p. 41.
  39. 1 2 "RPGFan Reviews - Sakura Taisen 3". RPGFan. 2001. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
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  42. ↑ 2005年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP500 (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Archived from the original on January 27, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  43. ↑ "サクラ大戦". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 487. Enterbrain. February 8, 2008. p. 54.
  44. ↑ 今週の殿堂入りソフトを紹介!! (in Japanese). Famitsu. March 15, 2001. Archived from the original on April 16, 2001. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  45. ↑ 2002年春、ドリームキャスト最後の超大作「サクラ大戦4」遂に映画化! 12月22日「サクラ大戦 活動写真」劇場公開 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. June 25, 2001. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  46. ↑ セガ、PS2「サクラ大戦V」発売記念トークショーを実施広井王子氏らが「太正浪漫」の裏話などを披露 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. July 7, 2005. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  47. ↑ セガ、DC「サクラ大戦4」発売日を3月21日に決定Xbox「ガンヴァルキリー」、PS2「NFL2K2」なども決定 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. January 8, 2002. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  48. 1 2 "Sakura Taisen World Project: 7 New Sakura Taisen Games Announced". RPGFan. July 1, 2002. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  49. ↑ 『サクラ大戦物語』発売を記念してセガダイレクトで多数のグッズを販売！ (in Japanese). Famitsu. December 26, 2003. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  50. ↑ Winkler, Chris (December 3, 2007). "New Sakura Taisen DS Details Announced". RPGFan. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  51. ↑ 「東京ゲームショウ2007」セガブース、イベントレポートDS「サクラ大戦 ～君あるがため～」、PS3「戦場のヴァルキュリア」 (in Japanese). Game Watch Impress. September 23, 2007. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  52. ↑ 「サクラ大戦3」第4期OVAシリーズ - 「エコール・ド・巴里」 (in Japanese). Sakura Wars Portal Site. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  53. ↑ 「サクラ大戦3」第4期OVAシリーズ - 「ル・ヌーヴォー・巴里」 (in Japanese). Sakura Wars Portal Site. Archived from the original on December 24, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  54. ↑ Koulikov, Mikhail (May 2, 2005). "Anime Central 2005; Anime Central - Funimation". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  55. ↑ "Funimation Gets Sakura Wars OVAs". ICV2. February 12, 2003. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  56. ↑ "Sakura Wars: Ecole de Paris Release Date". Anime News Network. January 19, 2005. Archived from the original on April 27, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  57. ↑ Macdonald, Christopher (January 26, 2007). "Funimation Announces Mushishi". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  58. ↑ Campbell, Colin (March 3, 2006). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100". Edge . Archived from the original on April 20, 2006. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  59. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (June 2, 2016). "Poll: Japans Most Memorable Games on Each Console". Kotaku . Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  60. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (May 16, 2012). "Chun-Li and Morrigan Join the Cast of Project X Zone". Andriasang. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  61. ↑ Eisenbeis, Richard (November 20, 2015). "The 58 Playable Characters in Project X Zone 2". Kotaku . Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2017.

Bibliography

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Sakura Wars is a Japanese steampunk media franchise created by Oji Hiroi and owned by Sega. It is focused around a series of cross-genre video games. The first game in the series was released in 1996, with five sequels and numerous spin-off titles being released since then. The series—set during a fictionalized version of the Taishō period—depicts groups of women with magical abilities using steam-powered mecha to combat demonic threats.

Saeko Shimazu is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator from Isehara. Shimazu is notable for having had voice roles in all four of the major anime television series based on the works of Rumiko Takahashi - she played Shinobu Miyake in Urusei Yatsura, Sayoko Kuroki in Maison Ikkoku, Kodachi Kuno in Ranma ½, and Abi-hime in Inuyasha. Shimazu is currently a freelancer.

Kumi Domon, better known by her stage name Etsuko Kozakura, is a Japanese voice actress from Mizuho. She was formerly with Ohsawa Jimusho, but now heads her own agency called Little Portal with husband Jin Domon. Some of her major roles are Daizu Noyama in Azuki-chan, along with Yukana Nogami, Ryo-Ohki in the Tenchi Muyo series,, Coquelicot along with Noriko Hidaka & Kikuko Inoue in Sakura Wars, Piplup in Pokémon, Tamama in Sgt. Frog, and Yōhei Yamada in Chi's Sweet Home. In video games, she is the voice of Omochao in the Sonic series and of Jibanyan in the Yo-kai Watch series & Yoriko Nikaidou alongside Sakiko Tamagawa, Akiko Hiramtsu, Rica Matsumoto of JAM Projects, Sakakibara Yoshiko and Akira Ishida in You're Under Arrest!, You're Under Arrest! Fast and Furious Season 2 & Your Under Arrest Full Throttle season 3.

1996 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Super Mario 64, Duke Nukem 3D, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Super Mario RPG, King's Field III, Virtua Fighter 3, along with new titles such as Blazing Heroes, NiGHTS into Dreams..., Crash Bandicoot, Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, Resident Evil, Dead or Alive, Soul Edge, Quake and Tomb Raider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega AM1</span> Japanese development team within Sega

Sega AM Research & Development No. 1 is a development department within Japanese toy and amusement game company Sega Fave that also previously existed as Wow Entertainment and Sega Wow Inc. AM1 spent most of its early existence under the leadership of Rikiya Nakagawa and developed a number of arcade games for Sega.

<i>Super Robot Wars Alpha</i> 2000s video game

Super Robot Taisen Alpha, known as Super Robot Wars Alpha outside Japan, is a 2000 tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Banpresto for the PlayStation. A version for the Dreamcast, Super Robot Wars for Dreamcast, was released a year later.

<i>Sakura Wars: The Movie</i> 2001 film by Mitsuru Hongo

Sakura Wars: The Movie is a 2001 Japanese animated action-adventure film produced by Production I.G and distributed by Toei Company based on the video game franchise published by Sega. Directed by Mitsuru Hongo, and written by Hongo, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Nobuhisa Terado and Oji Hiroi, Sakura Wars: The Movie stars the voices of Chisa Yokoyama, Michie Tomizawa, Urara Takano, Kumiko Nishihara, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Mayumi Tanaka, Maya Okamoto, Kazue Ikura, and Ai Orikasa. A sequel to Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?, it follows the Imperial Combat Revue's Flower Division as they team up with new recruit Ratchet Altair to defend the division's existence from the schemes of the American Douglas-Stewart company.

<i>Sakura Wars</i> (TV series) 2000 TV series based on the video game series

Sakura Wars, commonly referred to as Sakura Wars TV, is a 2000 Japanese anime created by Madhouse first broadcast on TBS and later on other TV stations. It is based on the Sakura Wars video game franchise by Sega and Red Entertainment.

<i>Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love</i> 2005 video game

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love is a cross-genre video game developed by Sega and Red Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, with a later port for the Wii developed by Idea Factory. The fifth installment in the main Sakura Wars series, it was released in 2005 in Japan by Sega, and in 2010 in North America and Europe by NIS America, being the first Sakura Wars game to be localized in English. Defined as a "dramatic adventure" game, So Long, My Love combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel gameplay elements.

<i>4th Super Robot Wars</i> 1995 video game

4th Super Robot Wars is a tactical RPG for the Super Famicom developed by both Banpresto and Winky Soft and published by Banpresto. It is the 5th entry in the Super Robot Wars series and the last entry in the Classic Timeline. It was first released on March 17, 1995, and received mostly positive reception, with reviewers highly praising the improvements from the last game while criticizing the game's increased difficulty. The game was ported to the Sony PlayStation and released on January 26, 1996, under the name 4th Super Robot Wars Scramble.

<i>Sakura Wars: The Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms</i> 1997 original video animation

Sakura Wars: The Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms is a 1997 Japanese original video animation (OVA) produced by Animate Film, Bandai Visual, and Sega and animated by Radix. It ran for four episodes and is the first OVA based on the Sakura Wars video games. The episodes were released in VHS and LaserDisc formats.

<i>Sakura Wars: The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms</i> 1999 original video animation

Sakura Wars: The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms is a 1999 Japanese OVA produced by Animate Film and animated by Radix. It ran for six episodes and is the second OVA based on the Sakura Wars video games. The episodes were released in VHS, LaserDisc and DVD formats.

<i>Sakura Wars</i> (1996 video game) 1996 video game

Sakura Wars is a cross-genre video game developed by Sega and Red Company and published by Sega in 1996. It is the first installment in the Sakura Wars series, created by Oji Hiroi. Originally released for the Sega Saturn, it was later ported to other systems including the Dreamcast, and had a remake for the PlayStation 2. Defined by Sega as a "dramatic adventure" game, Sakura Wars combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim, and visual novel gameplay elements.

<i>Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die</i> 1998 video game

Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die is a cross-genre video game developed by Red Company and Sega, and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. The second installment in the main Sakura Wars series, it was released in April 1998 and later ported to other systems, including to the Dreamcast in September 2000. Defined as a "dramatic adventure" game, Sakura Wars 2 combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel gameplay elements.

<i>Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens</i> 2002 video game

Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens is a cross-genre video game developed by Red Entertainment and Overworks and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. The fourth main installment in the Sakura Wars series and the last for Sega home consoles, it was released in March 2002. Defined by its publisher as a "dramatic adventure" game, Sakura Wars 4 combines overlapping tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel gameplay elements.

<i>Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier Exceed</i> 2010 video game

Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier Exceed is a crossover role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Nintendo DS (DS) in 2010. Forming part of the Super Robot Wars series, Endless Frontier Exceed is a sequel to the 2008 DS game Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier, carrying over its gameplay elements.

<i>Sakura Wars</i> (2019 video game) 2019 video game

Sakura Wars, known in Japan as New Sakura Wars, is a cross-genre video game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 4. The sixth mainline entry and a soft reboot of the Sakura Wars series, the game was released in 2019 in Asia and 2020 worldwide. It is the first Sakura Wars game not to be developed by Red Entertainment. The gameplay combines overlapping action role-playing, dating sim and visual novel elements. The base campaign was later expanded with downloadable content (DLC), adding further gameplay options such as additional costumes.

<i>Sakura Wars: The Animation</i> 2020 anime television series

Sakura Wars: The Animation is a Japanese anime television series directed by Manabu Ono, written by Ono and Tatsuhiko Urahata, and animated by Sanzigen. Co-produced by Sega, Sammy and Tencent Japan, under the name SAKURA PROJECT, it is based on the setting and story of the 2019 video game Sakura Wars, and takes place after the events of the game. Set in 1941, the series follows the adventures of Seijuro Kamiyama and the Imperial Combat Revue. The series ran on Tokyo MX and BS11 from April 3 to June 19, 2020 and is streamed in North America by Funimation. It is scheduled to be released in four Blu-ray and DVD compilations by Pony Canyon, with the first two being released on June 17, 2020. In Asia-Pacific, the series is licensed by Medialink and released on Ani-One YouTube channel.

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