Teki Paki

Last updated

Teki Paki
Teki Paki arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s) Toaplan
Publisher(s)
Composer(s) Tomoaki Takanohashi
Platform(s) Arcade
Release
Genre(s) Puzzle
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Teki Paki [lower-alpha 1] is a 1991 puzzle arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Tecmo, Hong Kong by Honest Trading Co. and Taiwan by Spacy Co. Ltd. [3]

Contents

In Teki Paki, players compete for the highest score by stacking block pieces and making them disappear with a chain reaction by connecting them together. Home console conversions of the game, as well as a sequel for arcades were planned and under development, however neither project were ultimately released to the public for unknown reasons. As of 2019, the rights to the title is owned by Tatsujin, a company founded in 2017 by former Toaplan member Masahiro Yuge and now-affiliate of Japanese arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia alongside many other Toaplan IPs.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot ARC Teki Paki (Senno Gemu Teki Paki).png
Gameplay screenshot

Teki Paki is a falling block puzzle game reminiscent of Puyo Puyo and Tetris , where the players' objective is to compete for the highest possible score by stacking up incoming block pieces that fall from the top of the playfield as a group of three, while avoiding to completely fill the screen with block pieces but failing to do so after they are unable to enter and fill the screen results in a game over, unless players insert more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing. [4]

During gameplay, three square blocks of random colors (red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, silver and gold) are dropped and these blocks can be arranged either vertically, horizontally or diagonally to make them disappear after five or more blocks are connected, while more blocks can be added before disappearing. [4] By dropping the block pieces on top of another group placed in the playfield, one of the pieces is unlocked and players can maneuver this sole piece to fill spaces and aim for a chain erase.

When five block pieces are connected, the game enters a new level and each one causes the block pieces to fall faster, with the highest level being 999. There are also two additional special blocks that appear on random occasions; [4] the "Smiley" blocks connects with all the blocks on-screen and the "Bakudan" dynamite that erases all the blocks as well, in addition of granting a 100000-point bonus if players are successful in connecting five of them. The game hosts a number of hidden bonus secrets to be found, which is also crucial for reaching high-scores.

Development and release

Teki Paki's development process and history have been recounted between 2011 and 2012 by former Toaplan composers Masahiro Yuge and Tatsuya Uemura through Japanese publications such as Shooting Gameside. [5] [6] [7] Uemura stated that the project was made "as a puzzle game with the intensity of shooting games". [5] Yuge stated that Tomoaki Takanohashi was originally recruited for sound design but he was initially instructed with learning about programming and although Takanohashi disliked this part of his assignment, he served as one of the project's programmers. [7] Takanohashi was also responsible for writing the soundtrack and after listening to his work, Yuge realized that his talents would diminish if he continued programming and the company let Takanohashi focus on the sound instead later during development. [7]

Teki Paki was released in arcades worldwide in April 1991 by Tecmo, Honest Trading Co. and Spacy Co. Ltd. [1] [2] [8] The game was first playable during a location test in Japan prior to release and showcased various differences compared to the final version such as the Smiley block piece being a sphere instead of its final form, with Yuge claiming that this early incarnation of the aforementioned block piece was a placeholder and the team already decided to change it before release. [6] Uemura said that the title proved to the popular at the company, with one employee in particular playing it constantly. [6] In September 1991, an album containing music from the title and Vimana was co-published exclusively in Japan by Scitron and Pony Canyon, featuring an arranged song from the latter composed by Toshiaki Tomizawa. [9] [10]

A Sega Mega Drive conversion of Teki Paki was announced to be under development by Toaplan and previewed in late 1992 through multiple screenshots on video game magazines such as Beep! MegaDrive, [11] [12] but the conversion was never released for unknown reasons and the only remaining proofs of its existence besides screenshots are a promotional flyer as well as a promotional recording featuring the only known gameplay footage of this version. [11] [13] [14] A Super Famicom port was also planned but never released.[ citation needed ] In 2021, the game was included in the Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli compilation for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as part of M2's Toaplan Arcade Garage label, and as a free download for the physical versions, featuring several additions exclusive in the collection. [15] Teki Paki was included as part of the Toaplan Arcade 1 compilation for Evercade. [16]

Reception and legacy

According to Tatsuya Uemura, Teki Paki did not sell well. [5] Den of Geek noted it to be one of the titles from Toaplan in which the company pursued other game genres besides their shoot 'em up endeavors. [17] A sequel, Teki Paki 2, was planned and under development but never released for arcades. [5] [18] The rights to the game and many other IPs from Toaplan are now owned by Tatsujin, a company named after Truxton 's Japanese title that was founded in 2017 by Yuge, who are now affiliated with arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as Brainwashing Game Teki Paki (Japanese: 洗脳ゲーム テキ・パキ, Hepburn: Sennō Gēmu Teki Paki) in Japan.

Related Research Articles

<i>Zero Wing</i> 1989 arcade video game

Zero Wing is a 1989 side-scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and originally published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Williams Electronics. Controlling the ZIG space fighter craft, players assume the role of protagonist Trent in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien cyborg CATS. It was the eighth shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their fourteenth video game overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toaplan</span> Japanese video game developer 1979-1994

Toaplan Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo responsible for the creation of a wide array of scrolling shooters and other arcade video games. The company was founded in 1979 but its gaming division was established in 1984 by former Orca and Crux employees, who wanted to make games, after both companies declared bankruptcy. Their first shoot 'em up game, Tiger-Heli (1985) on arcades, was a success and helped establish Toaplan as a leading producer of shooting games throughout the 1980s and 1990s that would continue to characterize their output.

<i>Tiger-Heli</i> 1985 video game

Tiger-Heli is a vertically scrolling shooter game developed by Toaplan and released for arcades in 1985. It was published in Japan by Taito and in North America by Romstar. Controlling the titular attack helicopter, the player must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. The Tiger-Heli has a powerful bomb at its disposal that can clear the screen of enemies when fired. It was the first shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their third video game overall.

<i>Twin Cobra</i> 1987 video game

Twin Cobra, known as Kyukyoku Tiger in Japan, is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Toaplan and released for arcades in 1987 by Taito in Japan and Europe, then in North America by Romstar. It is a sequel to the 1985 arcade game Tiger-Heli. Controlling the titular attack helicopter, the players must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. It was the fourth shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their tenth video game overall. It was ported to multiple platforms, with each done by different third-party developers that made several changes or additions.

<i>Out Zone</i> 1990 video game

Out Zone is a run and gun arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Tecmo, North America by Romstar and Europe in August 1990. Set in a future where an alien race from the fictional planet Owagira are threatening to wipe out humanity after multiple failed attempts to defend Earth against their attacks, players assume the role of cyborg mercenaries recruited by the United Nations in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the invaders.

<i>Flying Shark</i> 1987 video game

Flying Shark, known as Sky Shark in North America, is a 1987 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published by Taito in Japan, Romstar in North America and Electrocoin in Europe. Controlling the titular biplane, the players must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. The plane has a powerful bomb at its disposal that can clear a portion of the screen of bullets and damage enemies when fired. It was the third shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their eighth video game overall.

<i>Truxton</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Truxton is a 1988 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan and Europe by Taito, as well as in North America by Midway. Set in a future where the Gidans alien race led by Dogurava invaded the fictional planet Borogo, players assume the role of fighter pilot Tatsuo taking control of the Super Fighter ship on a last-ditch effort to overthrow the alien invaders.

<i>Demons World</i> 1989 video game

Demon's World is a 1989 run and gun arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Taito and in North America by Catalina Games. In the game, players assume the role of two ghost hunters to fight against several ghosts and monsters that were unleashed upon Earth by the titular demon king. Initially launched for the arcades, the title was then ported to the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² by NEC Avenue and published exclusively in Japan on 26 February 1993, featuring various additions and changes compared with the original release.

<i>Hellfire</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Hellfire is a 1989 horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Taito and North America by U.S.A. Games. The first horizontal shoot 'em up title to be created by Toaplan, the game takes place in the year 2998 where a space matter known as Black Nebula created by robot dictator Super Mech spreads and threatens to engulf human-controlled galaxies, as players assume the role of Space Federation member Captain Lancer taking control of the CNCS1 space fighter craft in a surprise attack to overthrow the enemies with the fighter craft's titular weapon.

<i>Wardner</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Wardner is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Toaplan and published in arcades worldwide by Taito in 1987.

<i>Slap Fight</i> 1986 video game

Slap Fight is a 1986 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published by Taito. Set on the colonized fictional planet of Theron in the future, where an alien race led by Gaudy have invaded the human-controlled location, players assume the role of an Allied League of Cosmic Nations (ALCON) fighter pilot taking control of the SW475 space fighter craft in an effort to counterattack the invaders. Initially launched for the arcades, the game was later ported to other microcomputer and console platforms by various third-party developers, with each one featuring several changes or additions compared to the original release.

<i>Fire Shark</i> 1989 video game

Fire Shark is a 1989 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and Europe, and by Romstar in North America. It is the sequel to Flying Shark, a game released in 1987 on multiple platforms. Set in the year 1991, the game focuses on a mysterious armada launching a worldwide attack from a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. Players take control of the titular biplane to counterattack the enemy forces.

<i>Grind Stormer</i> 1993 video game

Grind Stormer is a 1993 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and North America. It is considered to be the spiritual successor to Slap Fight. Based around a video game within a video game concept, players assume the role of a young secret agent assigned by the government taking control of the NA-00 space fighter craft in an attempt to defeat the titular virtual reality simulator, rescue the abducted players who lost against it and unveil its true purpose.

<i>Truxton II</i> 1992 video game

Truxton II is a 1992 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game originally developed and published by Toaplan in Japan and Europe. It is the sequel to Truxton, which was released earlier on arcades in 1988 and later ported to various platforms.

<i>Vimana</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Vimana is a vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Tecmo and Europe in June 1991. It is notable for being one of the few titles by Toaplan that has not received any official port to home consoles as of date and for its unique combination of science fiction with brief Hindu references. In the game, players assume the role of the titular warriors taking control of powerful ancient space fighter crafts in order to reclaim their home planet by fighting against military machines gone wild. The title received positive reception from critics and reviewers alike after release in regards to the gameplay, but was considered a flop in arcades. As of 2019, its rights are owned by Tatsujin, a company founded in 2017 by former Toaplan member Masahiro Yuge and now-affiliate of Japanese arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia alongside many other Toaplan IPs.

<i>Knuckle Bash</i> 1993 video game

Knuckle Bash is a 1993 side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan in Japan, as well as North America and Europe by Atari Games. It is notable for being one of the few titles by Toaplan that has not received any official port to home consoles as of date.

<i>Dogyuun</i> 1992 video game

Dogyuun is a 1992 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan. Set on the colonized fictional planet of Dino in the future, where an alien race of metallic robots have invaded a police communication center and held its inhabitants as hostages, players assume the role of two fighter pilots taking control of the Sylfers bomber space fighter crafts in an revenge attempt to overthrow the invaders and free the surviving colonists after one of their comrades is killed by one of them during a reconnaissance assignment.

<i>Guardian</i> (1986 video game) 1986 video game

Guardian is a 1986 side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Taito and North America by Kitkorp. In the game, players assume the role of a robot fighting against a multitude of enemies and bosses across six locations on a futuristic science fiction setting. It is notable for marking the debut of Twin Cobra and Hellfire artist Kōetsu Iwabuchi in the video game industry, serving as its graphic designer.

<i>Performan</i> 1985 video game

Performan is an action arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published exclusively in Japan by Data East in April 1985. In the game, players assume the role of the titular robot in order to defeat enemies across multiple stages. The title is notable for being created by most of the same team that previously worked on several projects at Orca and Crux before both companies declared bankruptcy. A group of employees from the two gaming divisions would go on to form Toaplan as a result. Performan is one of the few titles by Toaplan that has not received any official port to home consoles.

<i>Snow Bros. 2: With New Elves</i> 1994 video game

Snow Bros. 2: With New Elves is a 1994 platform arcade video game developed and published by Toaplan under their Hanafram label. One of the last games to be created by Toaplan, it is the sequel to Snow Bros., which was released earlier in 1990 on multiple platforms. In the game, players assume the role of one of the playable characters to rescue a kidnapped princess from captivity.

References

  1. 1 2 Yanma (May 1991). "Super Soft Hot Information: Video Game! (ビデオゲーム) - 洗脳ゲーム テキ・パキ". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 107. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 255.
  2. 1 2 Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006). テクモ（テーカン）Tecmo; 東亜プラン (Toa Plan) (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Amusement News Agency. pp. 49, 50. ISBN   978-4990251215.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ "VG: テキ・パキ". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 24. SoftBank Creative. September 1991. p. 127.
  4. 1 2 3 "洗脳ゲーム TEKI・PAKI" (in Japanese). Shooting Star. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Iona; VHS; K-HEX (June 2009). "東亜プラン FOREVER". Floor 25 (in Japanese). Vol. 9. pp. 1–70. (Translation by Gamengai. Archived 2020-10-10 at the Wayback Machine ).
  6. 1 2 3 "東亜プラン シューティングクロニクル". SweepRecord (in Japanese). SuperSweep. 14 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2018-07-11 at the Wayback Machine ).
  7. 1 2 3 Kiyoshi, Tane; hally (VORC); Yūsaku, Yamamoto (3 February 2012). "東亜プラン特集 - 元・東亜プラン 開発者インタビュー: 弓削雅稔". Shooting Gameside (in Japanese). Vol. 4. Micro Magazine. pp. 41–48. ISBN   978-4896373844. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2019-09-06 at the Wayback Machine ).
  8. ↑ Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Trademarks (Vol. 1143 - Number 2). United States Department of Commerce. 13 October 1992. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  9. ↑ Kotowski, Don (1 August 2012). "Vimana & Teki Paki". vgmonline.net. Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on 20 September 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  10. ↑ "PCCB-00071 | VIMANA・TEKI-PAKI". vgmdb.net. VGMdb. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  11. 1 2 "New Release Scramble - 洗脳ゲームTEKIPAKI(テキパキ)". Beep! MegaDrive (in Japanese). No. 38. SoftBank Creative. November 1992. p. 48.
  12. ↑ "News - Previews: Teri Paki (Megadrive/Visco)". Joypad (in French). No. 14. Yellow Media. November 1992. p. 16.
  13. ↑ Reptiles C (15 September 2014). 販促ビデオ MD 【未発売】洗脳ゲームTEKI・PAKI TEKI PAKI GENESIS PV. YouTube . Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  14. ↑ Barone (21 April 2016). "Where is Teki-Paki?". sega-16.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  15. ↑ Sugiura, Ryō (7 October 2021). "「洗脳ゲーム TEKI・PAKI」が「究極タイガーヘリ」の購入特典として登場。M2ガジェットやヒント表示機能，オンラインランキングにも対応". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas Inc. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  16. ↑ McFerran, Damien (31 May 2022). "Evercade Is Getting An "EXP" Upgrade, Complete With Irem And Toaplan Collections". Nintendo Life . Nlife Media. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  17. ↑ Lambie, Ryan (21 June 2018). "Toaplan: the rise and fall of Japan's greatest shooting game company". Den of Geek . Dennis Publishing. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  18. ↑ "井上淳哉 - 「エスプレイド」「ぐわんげ」を創った男". Continue (in Japanese). Vol. 6. Ohta Publishing. September 2002. ISBN   978-4872337006. (Translation by Gamengai. Archived 2019-11-22 at the Wayback Machine . Transcription by Gaijin Punch. Archived 2006-07-10 at the Wayback Machine ).
  19. ↑ "ライセンス事業" (in Japanese). TATSUJIN Co., Ltd. 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  20. ↑ Bravo, Roberto (12 September 2018). "Nueva compañía "Tatsujin" asegura tener gran parte de las IPs de la extinta Toaplan" (in Spanish). Gamercafe. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  21. ↑ "Tatsujin". exA-Arcadia. 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  22. ↑ Bravo, Roberto (25 January 2019). "Tatsujin, los dueños de Toaplan, anuncian que están trabajando para exA-Arcadia" (in Spanish). Gamercafe. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  23. ↑ "［JAEPO2019］TATSUJINやナツメアタリの参入が発表されたexA-Arcadia。出展コーナーの模様を紹介". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas Inc. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.