Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire
Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire | |
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Single-player, multiplayer |
Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire (
Hudson forged a collaboration between CAProduction and Mika Akitaka to develop Sapphire. Akitaka was known for his artistic work in the
In retrospective coverage, Sapphire is considered one of the best PC Engine shoot 'em ups. Although the gameplay was found to be average, critics concluded that the graphics and sound were of such incredible quality that they made up for any shortcomings in the game mechanics. Sapphire was produced in low numbers at the end of the PC Engine's lifespan and subsequently became a rare collector's item. The game's value soared to hundreds of dollars and lead to counterfeiting in the mid-2000s. In 2008, the game was re-released on a compilation for the PlayStation Portable released exclusively in Japan.
Gameplay
Sapphire is a
The player can pick to play as one of four women. Each has their own ship with a unique movement speed and three unique weapons. Weapons include a straight shot, wide angle shot, and a rear-facing shot, which can be
Development
The
CAProduction were working on a third entry in the "Thunder" trilogy following
The music in the game was composed and performed by the company T's Music who are a group of musicians and
Release
Sapphire was published by Hudson and released on 24 November 1995 in Japan for the PC Engine.
The release came late in the PC Engine's lifespan and subsequently was printed in low numbers.[11][12] As a result, Sapphire became a rare collector's item, selling for high prices in the video game collecting market.[12][4][11] E. Kozo of Hardcore Gamer said used copies were obtainable for about US$300 in 2008, not including the "hundreds of dollars worth of 20-year-old hardware from Japan" needed to play it.[4] A prospective player needs a Japanese region PC Engine with a CD-ROM drive and an Arcade Card to play.[3] In 2015, Eurogamer noted that copies were selling for around £300.[11] The game's notorious rarity also made it a popular target for counterfeiting around 2005.[2][11] Eurogamer said that the counterfeits were impressive and only identifiable under incredible scrutiny. They were convincing enough to become valued at over £100 and influenced prices of original Sapphire copies.[11] Due to its rarity and specific hardware requirements, few gamers have played Sapphire.[4] Kurt Kalata of Hardcore Gaming 101 called it one of the "holy grails" of PC Engine collecting.[2]
On 31 July 2008, Hudson Soft released a
Reception and legacy
Upon release, four reviewers from Famitsu gave it a 19 out of 40. They compared the game to classic shooters like Truxton and Aleste. One reviewer was shocked by the genre, expecting a girl raising sim based on the title.[14]
In retrospective coverage, both Kurt Kalata of Hardcore Gaming 101 and E. Kozo of Hardcore Gamer lauded Sapphire as one of the greatest PC Engine shoot 'em ups. Kalata described it as "the ultimate PC Engine shooter...a showpiece for what the system could do" while Kozo called it "one of the best shooters ever made".[2][4] In his review, Kalata found the gameplay mediocre and non-innovative but said the strengths lied in the game's graphics and sounds. He goes on to explain that some of Sapphire's 2D sprites were pre-rendered at a high quality and animated so well that they seemed like 3D polygons. Kalata also praised the other graphical effects such as digitized holograms, morphing effects, and scaling effects.[2] In the same vein, Kozo commended the game's parallax scrolling and lighting effects. He concluded that "Sapphire's style and action make up for any of its shortcomings".[4]
Both Kalata and Kozo praised the PlayStation Portable compilation Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Collection for giving gamers a more accessible way to play the game.[2][4] Reviewing the re-release, Kozo thought the compilation had a great value since original Sapphire copies were worth ten times its price. He also praised the bonus art content but criticized the poorly implemented aspect ratio options. He felt the original aspect ratio was too small, the full screen ratio was too stretched, and felt the game was lacking a proper vertical display option. He concluded that the re-release of Sapphire was a "top notch example of a quality game withstanding the test of time".[4]
IGN identified the game as one of the most important shooting games on the PC Engine, alongside Gate of Thunder, Lords of Thunder and Rayxanber III.[10]
Notes
References
- ^ "『PCエンジン ベスト コレクション 銀河お嬢様伝説コレクション』名作美少女ゲームがひとつに". Famitsu. 21 May 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kalata, Kurt (10 December 2016). "Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- ^ a b c d Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire instruction manual. Hudson Soft. 1995. pp. 3–10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Kozo, E (Winter 2008). "PC Engine Best Collection". Hardcore Gamer. Vol. 4, no. 4. pp. 50–51.
- ^ "アイドル女子高生ユナ、PSPで『銀河お嬢様伝説』を再び紡ぐ!". 電撃オンライン (in Japanese). 30 July 2008. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ CAProduction (1995). Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire. Hudson Soft. Level/area: Credits.
- ^ "The J Files/Face to Face". GameGO!. Vol. 1, no. 1. United States of America: Video Game Depot Corp. June 2001. pp. 42–43.
- ^ "CAProduction - 開発履歴". CAProduction (in Japanese). 2007. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007.
- ^ a b "銀河お嬢様伝説コレクション / PC Engine Best Collection". Hudson Soft. 2008. Archived from the original on 31 August 2008.
- ^ a b Corritore, Andrea (12 December 2016). "PC-Engine: quando la leggenda diviene realtà". IGN Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Massey, Tom (25 January 2015). "A guide to gaming's most valuable treasures". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ a b Woger, Martin (8 July 2014). "Die wertvollsten, seltensten und teuersten Videospiele". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^ "PC Engine Best Collection 銀河お嬢様伝説コレクション | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト". PlayStation (in Japanese). 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ a b "銀河婦警伝説サファイア [PCエンジン]". Famitsu. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
External links
- Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire on Hudson's website (Archived) (in Japanese)
- Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire PSP re-release on Hudson's website (Archived) (in Japanese)
- Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire counterfeit identification guide