3D Shooting Tsukuru (Playstation)

 This is a "construction kit" type thing, not a game. Like RPG Maker, but for 3D rail shooters. A pretty cool concept, and it's both a surprise and a shame that no publisher ever bothered to pick it up for a western release. You'd think the creative urge would be a pretty obvious universal market, wouldn't you? But I guess it's the cost of translating all those menus that put them off. (Even though the Playstation version of RPG Maker did get an official translation, somehow).

 

And on the subject of menus and language, I have to admit that I haven't even tried to actually make something using this program. Sorry. But I have been curious for a while about whether there were sample games on the disc, and if they were worth playing, since rail shooters are cool and fun, and ones that weren't even actual releases would definitely fall into this blog's remit. Luckily, there are three of them, with differing levels of complexity, difficulty, andeven completeness!

 

First up is the utilitarianically-entitled Sample Event 96. It's pretty simple, and has you flying a spaceship/plane through various situations. Sometimes you're shooting enemies, sometimes you're just avoiding scenery. After three stages, it abruptly ends with the same game over screen you'd get if you died. This really is nothing more than a sample game, and it doesn't even feel like it was finished. Scoring isn't implemented (though the kill counter is), and it's not even clear if shooting the enemies is having any effect sometimes. I wonder if part of the program's tutorial has you fixing the faults in this one? If so, its existence makes a lot more sense.

 

Second on the list is Ride On Broom, a game that feels like it must have taken influence from Panorama Cotton and Panzer Dragoon. It sees you controlling a little witch as she rides her broom through two fantasy worlds: a sea with rocks floaing above it, and a semi-abstract world with a giant storybook spread open in the distance. This one's a little more sophisticated: you can shoot a rapid fire stream of shots, as well as Panzer Dragon-style lock-on homing lasers. There's only two stages, and it's incredibly generous with the extra lives, but once you get through those stages, it does at least roll some end credits, which is nice.

 

Finally, there's Orbital Force. Again, it's more sophisticated than the games before it, and again it takes clear inspiration from SEGA games. This time: Afterburner and Galaxy Force. Like Sample Event, you're flying a spaceship/plane, and shooting enemies, but this time, you've got lock-on missiles like in those aforementioned arcade games. And the missiles look great, too: they blast off and fly around leaving a trail of little white smoke cloud sprites. I can't tell you how long this game is, however, as after several attempts, I've been unable to get past the first boss. Still, Orbital Force is a good time while it lasts, and really shows the kinds of things that can be made with this consumer-level package running on consumer-level hardware. And all without keyboard, mouse, or hard drive, too!

 

Unless you've got enough proficiency in Japanese to actually use 3D Shooting Tsukuru for its intended purpose, I don't recommend actually spending any money on it, but if you're a fan of rail shooters and I've made you curous about playing these sample games, then emulating it definitely wouldn't be an unpleasant experience or a waste of your time.