G.rev
Encyclopedia
G.rev is a Japan
ese arcade
video game developer. The company was founded by former employees of Taito
's arcade division who had worked on G-Darius
and RayStorm
, and is known primarily for their acclaimed arcade shoot 'em up
games.
and Treasure, co-developing the popular shooter Ikaruga
with the latter. This relationship would remain fruitful, with G.rev assisting again on Gradius V
, and Ikaruga director Hiroshi Iuchi assisting on G.rev's own Strania. G.rev's first independent release was a puzzle game, Doki Doki Idol Star Seeker, a Mine Sweeper-like arcade puzzle game, created with low investment and high returns in mind.
With the money in place to develop a full-fledged arcade shooter on their own, the team, under direction of president Hiroyuki Maruyama, set out to develop Border Down
a spiritual successor to the Taito
arcade classic Metal Black
. Border Down was met with wide acclaim among shooter fans following the release of its Dreamcast port, with particular praise paid to its unique beam mechanics and "border system", which put players on different paths if they died. They followed this success with Under Defeat
, a helicopter shooter praised for its gritty wartime atmosphere. Its port to Dreamcast would be one of the last games released on the system.
Their next release was the unique hybrid gameSenko no Ronde
, which combined shooter-like firing patterns and themes in a projectile-based fighting game similar to Taito's Psychic Force
series. With the Dreamcast gone, they chose to port the Sega NAOMI game to Xbox 360
, remaking the game's graphics and adding gameplay enhancements along the way. This release, Senko no Ronde Rev. X, became the first G.rev game to be released in North America as WarTech: Senko no Ronde
. The American release was met with mixed reviews that praised the title's innovation but criticized the brief length and high pricepoint. As of present it is the only retail release of a G.rev game outside of Japan. Some of the gameplay enhancements of Rev. X were carried over to the arcade release Senko no Ronde SP.
Following the formation of Gulti, another small developer formed by veterans of the shooter genre, G.rev proposed a collaborative effort, as Gulti didn't have the capital needed for a full-scale shooter of their own. The two companies created Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta!, or Mamorono for short, an overhead-view, multi-directional shooter with a Japanese fantasy theme, initially released on the NAOMI. The title was ported to Xbox 360, and an widescreen version made it to PlayStation 3 much later.
The company's next title was Senko no Ronde DUO: Dis-United Order, a sequel to their earlier crossover title. This time, G.rev chose to develop for the more powerful Taito X2 hardware, allowing the graphical quality of the arcade version to match the later Xbox 360 port. Unlike its predecessor, the title was not released outside of Japan.
G.rev continued to develop on Taito X2 hardware, releasing Seisou Kouki Strania, a vertically-scrolling shooter that allows players to arm two different selectable/upgradable weapons at once. For the first time, G.rev decided to forego a retail release, instead releasing a fairly direct port on Xbox Live Arcade
, and promising some of the usual bonus features like an alternate course as future downloadable content. The home version was released simultaneously across all regions, giving Western gamers their first G.rev title since Senko no Ronde.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
video game developer. The company was founded by former employees of Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
's arcade division who had worked on G-Darius
G-Darius
G-Darius is a shoot'em up arcade game, released by Taito in 1997. It is the fourth arcade installment of the Darius series and the first in the entire series to feature three-dimensional polygonal graphics.-Gameplay:...
and RayStorm
RayStorm
RayStorm is a scrolling shooter developed by the Taito Corporation . Originally released in Japan as an arcade game in 1996, it was later ported there to Sony's PlayStation game console in 1997, to the Sega Saturn in that same year, and to Windows-based personal computers in 2001...
, and is known primarily for their acclaimed arcade shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
games.
History
G.rev was founded with the mission of developing arcade shooters, but they realized the cost of development was more than their initial investment capital. To generate revenue, they took on contract work for TaitoTaito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
and Treasure, co-developing the popular shooter Ikaruga
Ikaruga
is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Treasure. It was released in the arcades in 2001 on the Sega NAOMI, subsequently released on Dreamcast in Japan and then worldwide on the Nintendo GameCube, and was released on Xbox Live Arcade on April 9, 2008...
with the latter. This relationship would remain fruitful, with G.rev assisting again on Gradius V
Gradius V
Gradius V is a Japanese-developed shoot 'em up video game published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console in 2004. Gradius V was largely developed under contract by the Treasure team responsible for Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga under supervision of Konami's internal development...
, and Ikaruga director Hiroshi Iuchi assisting on G.rev's own Strania. G.rev's first independent release was a puzzle game, Doki Doki Idol Star Seeker, a Mine Sweeper-like arcade puzzle game, created with low investment and high returns in mind.
With the money in place to develop a full-fledged arcade shooter on their own, the team, under direction of president Hiroyuki Maruyama, set out to develop Border Down
Border Down
is a horizontal scrolling shooter arcade game created by G.rev in 2003. It is a spiritual sequel to Metal Black, a favorite game of creator Hiroyuki Maruyama. As with most other Sega NAOMI titles, the game was later released on the Dreamcast in September 2003 in two incarnations: a normal edition,...
a spiritual successor to the Taito
Taito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
arcade classic Metal Black
Metal Black (video game)
Metal Black is an arcade shoot 'em up released by Taito. It is the end result of "Project Gun Frontier 2," being made by the same development staff, though it bears little resemblance to the original Gun Frontier. It is more similar to another Taito shooter, Darius.Players control the Black Fly on...
. Border Down was met with wide acclaim among shooter fans following the release of its Dreamcast port, with particular praise paid to its unique beam mechanics and "border system", which put players on different paths if they died. They followed this success with Under Defeat
Under Defeat
Under Defeat is a shoot 'em up arcade game by G.rev. It was released for the Sega Dreamcast in March 2006. The game takes place in an alternate reality based on World War II, and, in a controversial twist, players control German-speaking characters with uniforms that resemble those of the Nazi SS,...
, a helicopter shooter praised for its gritty wartime atmosphere. Its port to Dreamcast would be one of the last games released on the system.
Their next release was the unique hybrid gameSenko no Ronde
WarTech: Senko No Ronde
is an Xbox 360 video game, a port of the arcade fighter/shooter hybrid developed by G.rev for the Sega Naomi board.Two revisions have been released in the arcades. A home port was released in Japan on July 27, 2006 for the Xbox 360 with enhanced graphics, a more concise story for each character,...
, which combined shooter-like firing patterns and themes in a projectile-based fighting game similar to Taito's Psychic Force
Psychic Force
is a 1995 fighting arcade game created by Taito which was later ported to the PlayStation in 1996. The PlayStation version was released by Acclaim in North America, and in PAL regions. The game was a 3D fighter which combined the normal features of an arcade fighting game with psychic powers. There...
series. With the Dreamcast gone, they chose to port the Sega NAOMI game to Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, remaking the game's graphics and adding gameplay enhancements along the way. This release, Senko no Ronde Rev. X, became the first G.rev game to be released in North America as WarTech: Senko no Ronde
WarTech: Senko No Ronde
is an Xbox 360 video game, a port of the arcade fighter/shooter hybrid developed by G.rev for the Sega Naomi board.Two revisions have been released in the arcades. A home port was released in Japan on July 27, 2006 for the Xbox 360 with enhanced graphics, a more concise story for each character,...
. The American release was met with mixed reviews that praised the title's innovation but criticized the brief length and high pricepoint. As of present it is the only retail release of a G.rev game outside of Japan. Some of the gameplay enhancements of Rev. X were carried over to the arcade release Senko no Ronde SP.
Following the formation of Gulti, another small developer formed by veterans of the shooter genre, G.rev proposed a collaborative effort, as Gulti didn't have the capital needed for a full-scale shooter of their own. The two companies created Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta!, or Mamorono for short, an overhead-view, multi-directional shooter with a Japanese fantasy theme, initially released on the NAOMI. The title was ported to Xbox 360, and an widescreen version made it to PlayStation 3 much later.
The company's next title was Senko no Ronde DUO: Dis-United Order, a sequel to their earlier crossover title. This time, G.rev chose to develop for the more powerful Taito X2 hardware, allowing the graphical quality of the arcade version to match the later Xbox 360 port. Unlike its predecessor, the title was not released outside of Japan.
G.rev continued to develop on Taito X2 hardware, releasing Seisou Kouki Strania, a vertically-scrolling shooter that allows players to arm two different selectable/upgradable weapons at once. For the first time, G.rev decided to forego a retail release, instead releasing a fairly direct port on Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, and promising some of the usual bonus features like an alternate course as future downloadable content. The home version was released simultaneously across all regions, giving Western gamers their first G.rev title since Senko no Ronde.
Releases
- Doki Doki Idol Star Seeker — (2001, NAOMI / Dreamcast)
- SIMPLE 1500 Series Vol 66. The Kaiten Mawasunda!! — (2001, PlayStation)
- Star Seeker Mobile Phone Edition — (2002, Mobile phones)
- Border DownBorder Downis a horizontal scrolling shooter arcade game created by G.rev in 2003. It is a spiritual sequel to Metal Black, a favorite game of creator Hiroyuki Maruyama. As with most other Sega NAOMI titles, the game was later released on the Dreamcast in September 2003 in two incarnations: a normal edition,...
— (2003, NAOMI / Dreamcast) - Fairyland StoryFairyland StoryThe Fairyland Story is a classical arcade platform video game released by Taito in 1985 in its arcade form. The game has two known conversions, to the MSX and X68000 computer families....
— (June 16, 2003, Mobile phones) - Densha De Go! 3D -series — (2003, Mobile phones)
- Senko no Ronde — (2005, NAOMI / Xbox 360)
- Under DefeatUnder DefeatUnder Defeat is a shoot 'em up arcade game by G.rev. It was released for the Sega Dreamcast in March 2006. The game takes place in an alternate reality based on World War II, and, in a controversial twist, players control German-speaking characters with uniforms that resemble those of the Nazi SS,...
— (March 2006, NAOMI / Dreamcast) - Senko no Ronde SP — (2006, NAOMI)
- Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta — (July 2008 - NAOMI / June 2009 - Xbox 360 / March 2011 - PlayStation 3)
- Senko no Ronde DUO - Dis-United Order — (2009, Taito Type X2)
- Strania - The Stella Machina — (March 30, 2011 - Xbox Live Arcade / NESiCAxLIVE)
- Under Defeat HDUnder DefeatUnder Defeat is a shoot 'em up arcade game by G.rev. It was released for the Sega Dreamcast in March 2006. The game takes place in an alternate reality based on World War II, and, in a controversial twist, players control German-speaking characters with uniforms that resemble those of the Nazi SS,...
- (January 19, 2012 - Xbox 360 / Playstation 3)
Other works
- IkarugaIkarugais a shoot 'em up video game developed by Treasure. It was released in the arcades in 2001 on the Sega NAOMI, subsequently released on Dreamcast in Japan and then worldwide on the Nintendo GameCube, and was released on Xbox Live Arcade on April 9, 2008...
— (2001, NAOMI / Dreamcast / GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
) - Programming and background graphic design. - Gradius VGradius VGradius V is a Japanese-developed shoot 'em up video game published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console in 2004. Gradius V was largely developed under contract by the Treasure team responsible for Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga under supervision of Konami's internal development...
— (2004, PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
) - Programming and background graphic design.
External links
- G.rev official website (in Japanese)
- Interview by Joan Godoy for gen16.com
- Interview by Travis Fahs for GotNext
- Interview by Dream-Storming for Under Defeat
- Interview by Dream-Storming for Senko No Ronde
- Interview by EDGE with G.Rev (interviews to Milestone and Triangle Service on the same page)
- Senko no Ronde 2 Official Website (in Japanese)