Regarding Ibara (Cave interview translated)

Post by **Icarus** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:19 pm

This month's Arcadia has two features on Ibara, the first one being a lovely black and white Ibara Graphic Arts featurette (which after seeing the Mushihimesama and Senko no Ronde Graphic Arts features, was hoping they'd do next), the second being an interview with two of Cave's employees working on Ibara, Akira Wakabayashi and Shinobu Yagawa.

Anyone have any info on these guys? (as in, are they Raizing ex-employees???

)

Scans from Arcadia 61 coming soon.

incognoscente · Post by **incognoscente** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:21 pm

Akira Wakabayashi: Cave designer
worked on Dodonpachi, ESP Ra.De, Guwange, Progear no Arashi, ESPGaluda
was Chief Designer for Dodonpachi daioujou, Ketsui kizunajigokutachi, Mushihimesama

Shinobu Yagawa: former Raizing programmer (Motorolla 68000 side)
worked on Battle Garegga, Armed Police Batrider, Battle Bakraid
also programmed Recca on the NES.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:53 pm

incognoscente wrote:Akira Wakabayashi: Cave designer
worked on Dodonpachi, ESP Ra.De, Guwange, Progear no Arashi, ESPGaluda
was Chief Designer for Dodonpachi daioujou, Ketsui kizunajigokutachi, Mushihimesama

Shinobu Yagawa: former Raizing programmer (Motorolla 68000 side)
worked on Battle Garegga, Armed Police Batrider, Battle Bakraid
also programmed Recca on the NES.

Awesome, we finally have real confirmation that one of the main brains behind Garegga is working on the game. Yagawa rocks.

ill6 · Post by **ill6** » Tue May 03, 2005 4:25 pm

incognoscente wrote:Akira Wakabayashi: Cave designer
worked on Dodonpachi, ESP Ra.De, Guwange, Progear no Arashi, ESPGaluda
was Chief Designer for Dodonpachi daioujou, Ketsui kizunajigokutachi, Mushihimesama

Shinobu Yagawa: former Raizing programmer (Motorolla 68000 side)
worked on Battle Garegga, Armed Police Batrider, Battle Bakraid
also programmed Recca on the NES.

Between them they sure have alot of pedigree, Dodonpachi, ESP Ra.De, Guwange, Progear, ESPGaluda, Dodonpachi daioujou, Ketsui , Mushihimesama, Battle Garegga, Armed Police Batrider, Battle Bakraid

gunbird18 · Post by **gunbird18** » Tue May 03, 2005 4:36 pm

incognoscente wrote:Akira Wakabayashi: Cave designer
worked on Dodonpachi, ESP Ra.De, Guwange, Progear no Arashi, ESPGaluda
was Chief Designer for Dodonpachi daioujou, Ketsui kizunajigokutachi, Mushihimesama

Shinobu Yagawa: former Raizing programmer (Motorolla 68000 side)
worked on Battle Garegga, Armed Police Batrider, Battle Bakraid
also programmed Recca on the NES.

Randorama · Post by **Randorama** » Tue May 03, 2005 4:43 pm

Shinobu Yagawa on Ibara...

if it's a dream don't wake me up, please

I think they worked together on some Toaplan shmup, btw...maybe jiji knows

Stormowl · Post by **Stormowl** » Tue May 03, 2005 6:36 pm

incredible...it's like the manic shmup dream team

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:12 pm

Now I am just praying this game will get ported. We've already been blessed with a lot of great games this year, but Ibara is the one Cave shmup I've been really excited about!

jiji · Post by **jiji** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:22 pm

Randorama wrote:Shinobu Yagawa on Ibara...

if it's a dream don't wake me up, please

I think they worked together on some Toaplan shmup, btw...maybe jiji knows

I can't find any Toaplan credits for Yagawa or Wakabayashi. According to the entry for Gun Frontier on arcade-history.com, Yagawa was responsible for the design of Garegga and its Gun Frontier influences. If that's the case, then this puzzle is solved.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:46 pm

Stormowl wrote:incredible...it's like the manic shmup dream team

Truth.

Now I just wish we could get a good interview with Yagawa. Would be very interesting, especially if he talked about his time at Raizing and how it's now influencing his work at Cave.

Kiel · Post by **Kiel** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:59 pm

Wow, just wow.

Heres to hoping it plays a lot like Batrider.

cigsthecat · Post by **cigsthecat** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:46 pm

This could be another PCB purchase in the making.

U K Narayan · Post by **U K Narayan** » Tue May 03, 2005 9:33 pm

I wonder who's doing the music?

Post by **undamned** » Tue May 03, 2005 10:12 pm

Dylan1CC wrote:...about his time at Raizing and how it's now influencing his work at Cave.

Take no personal offense to this, Dylan, as I'm not attacking anything you wrote:

Influencing? What about Ibara is actually Cave? Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about a new shooter from the Garegga-man, but, as far as it being from Cave, from the video, I've seen nothing that reflects Cave. The question I would have is, "how has Cave affected your Raizing game?"
-ud

Post by **Icarus** » Tue May 03, 2005 10:58 pm

Kiel wrote:Wow, just wow.

Heres to hoping it plays a lot like Batrider.

Bah. I'd rather it played like Garegga

(but each to their own...)

Dylan1CC wrote:Now I just wish we could get a good interview with Yagawa. Would be very interesting, especially if he talked about his time at Raizing and how it's now influencing his work at Cave.

I'll be scanning in the shmup articles from Arcadia 61 either tonight or sometime tomorrow, and updating fw.net with them definitely tomorrow. If a Japanese literate shmupper here would like to help and translate the interview article, which is a two page interview feature with Wakabayashi and Yagawa, I would be very willing to supply the scans early, to translate them before the next update

I for one would definitely be interested in reading what they both say about their new game. Could be an eye opener.

Please PM me if anyone's interested.

gunbird18 · Post by **gunbird18** » Wed May 04, 2005 12:36 am

Kiel wrote:Wow, just wow.

Heres to hoping it plays a lot like Batrider.

Judging from the "blurry" video from that Tokyo show a couple months back, it truly looks like it oozes good ole Raizing gameplay. Bullet-shaped bullets, the wildly spinning turrets, and then the first level boss. If that wasn't Yagawa design, then this would be a very cruel joke.

The question I would have is, "how has Cave affected your Raizing game?"
-ud

Right. And I think the influence would be the muted backgrounds and the color purple.

Post by **undamned** » Wed May 04, 2005 1:19 am

gunbird18 wrote:...I think the influence would be the muted backgrounds and the color purple.

Exactly. Nice sig by the way

-ud

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed May 04, 2005 2:21 am

gunbird18 wrote:Right. And I think the influence would be the muted backgrounds and the color purple.

I'm hoping for the long-overdue appearance of Optional Rank myself.

gunbird18 · Post by **gunbird18** » Wed May 04, 2005 2:39 am

I know this has been lamented before, but I just wish Arika was back in the distribution picture. We would at least have had a glimmer of hope for this to be ported, with replay DVD, and possibly a gorgeous gallery!!! I like this guy's art! Thanks for the link, ud!

I'm guessing a port is in the future since it was quite popular at the Tokyo show. Now, let's wait and see how Taito does Mushi and then we can get our hopes up for a possible port!

Post by **Icarus** » Wed May 04, 2005 2:51 am

According to Click-Stick's site (copy-pasted):

"Mihara confirms that CAVE is doing the actual porting of Mushihime, and mentions that CAVE originally asked them [ARIKA] to do it, but ARIKA declined. So it looks like ARIKA was more ashamed [of the Ketsui DVD situation] than CAVE was angry with them. Interesting."

(Thanks to LMN for the news post and Click-Stick for posting it on his site.)

Seems like Mushihimesama could well have been ported by ARIKA had the Ketsui replay DVD thing not happened the way it did. I guess when you lose face with a company as big and popular as CAVE, it'll be tough to get back to working relations. I'm hoping that Mihara and ARIKA have a change of heart when a possible port of Ketsui or Ibara is considered, as I liked the work ARIKA did on Daioujou and Espgaluda.

There's not much we can do now except keep our fingers crossed. And maybe pester Mihara to change his mind

I hope Cave do a good job with the Mushi port (lots of lovely extras, a replay DVD, gallery, and big foldout poster like ARIKA did with Daioujou's manual, please), and Taito don't interfere too much. (and I hope I can find $2500 to get the Ibara PCB on release

)

alpha5099 · Post by **alpha5099** » Wed May 04, 2005 2:57 am

BulletMagnet wrote:
gunbird18 wrote:Right. And I think the influence would be the muted backgrounds and the color purple.
I'm hoping for the long-overdue appearance of Optional Rank myself.

Ditto. I'm a fan of the aesthetic designs of Raizing's games, and the gameplay is damn fine, but the rank ruins it. If there isn't an oppressive rank system in place, I will be behind this game 110%.

gunbird18 · Post by **gunbird18** » Wed May 04, 2005 3:02 am

I hope Cave do a good job with the Mushi port (lots of lovely extras, a replay DVD, gallery, and big foldout poster like ARIKA did with Daioujou's manual, please), and Taito don't interfere too much. (and I hope I can find $2500 to get the Ibara PCB on release )

Word.

$2500?

gulp

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Wed May 04, 2005 12:23 pm

jiji wrote:
Randorama wrote:Shinobu Yagawa on Ibara...

if it's a dream don't wake me up, please :lol:

I think they worked together on some Toaplan shmup, btw...maybe jiji knows :?
I can't find any Toaplan credits for Yagawa or Wakabayashi. According to the entry for Gun Frontier on arcade-history.com, Yagawa was responsible for the design of Garegga and its Gun Frontier influences. If that's the case, then this puzzle is solved. ;)

Aha! The similarites between Gun Frontier and Garegga have always puzzled me, thanks! :)

Randorama · Post by **Randorama** » Wed May 04, 2005 3:32 pm

@Jiji, Zinger:

eh yes, the entry on arcade-history is mine

Actually, most of steam-punk shmups take more or less inspiration from GunFrontier, for instance Giga Wing Generations has a couple of (very cryptic) homages. I wonder if Yagawa has worked at Taito, even as a grunt programmer.Sure thing is, we have ex-toaplan people again working together, and they may get published by their old friends at Taito

brand1bil · Post by **brand1bil** » Wed May 04, 2005 6:20 pm

Rando:

While we're at the subject "Taito & their old friends" - how come there is no project going on between Taito and G.Rev nowadays? Is there any hard feelings between these two you think? I'm thinking about possible stuff like Taito publishing Border Down for the PS2 or Ronde for PS2...

Post by **Icarus** » Thu May 05, 2005 1:33 am

Just to tease you while I get ready a new site design and the Arcadia 61 update:

Straight from the Ibara Graphic Arts feature.

LMN has offered to help translate the interview, so expect that also, shortly. The more I read about Ibara, the more excited I get

gameoverDude · Post by **gameoverDude** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:08 am

Ah. Cave was ready to call a truce there, but Arika was in shame. Mihara needs some cheering up.

@alpha5099: Battle Bakraid's rank system is a little tamer than that of Garegga- based merely on your extends and time spent on your current life, as Icarus mentioned in his GD. Dropping Extends or top value medals decreases the rank. Maybe Ibara could take more after Bakraid than Garegga? I'd like to see a multiplier system come into play here once again.

Icarus wrote:According to Click-Stick's site (copy-pasted):

"Mihara confirms that CAVE is doing the actual porting of Mushihime, and mentions that CAVE originally asked them [ARIKA] to do it, but ARIKA declined. So it looks like ARIKA was more ashamed [of the Ketsui DVD situation] than CAVE was angry with them. Interesting."

(Thanks to LMN for the news post and Click-Stick for posting it on his site.)

Post by **Icarus** » Thu May 05, 2005 2:35 am

gameoverDude wrote:Maybe Ibara could take more after Bakraid than Garegga? I'd like to see a multiplier system come into play here once again.

That seems unlikely given the location test video I've seen and the snippets of info I've read from 2ch and Arcadia. The game, if anything, has two types of Medals inherent - the typical up-to-10,000pt Medals seen in many Raizing games, and the Rose Medals gained by attacking stuff with the Bomb weapon - and the score seems to (currently) max out in the tens of millions, as opposed to the 100mil+ seen in Bakraid.

I think Garegga (and maybe Batrider) are a closer approximation to what Ibara might be in terms of scoring. I can't really comment on the rank system though, as I've seen no info regarding that anywhere

I posted quite a bunch of speculative info regarding the gameplay elements on Click-Stick's Ibara forum thread, if you're interested. I'm hoping there will be a large influx of replay material from Japanese gamers after the PCB release, as I'm most interested in seeing just what about Ibara is really Raizing (besides the graphic design)...

WarpZone · Post by **WarpZone** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:18 am

Icarus wrote:
Kiel wrote:
Heres to hoping it plays a lot like Batrider.
Bah. I'd rather it played like Garegga (but each to their own...)

Well, I hope it plays like Ibara.

MadSteelDarkness · Post by **MadSteelDarkness** » Thu May 05, 2005 4:23 am

WarpZone wrote:
Icarus wrote:
Kiel wrote:
Heres to hoping it plays a lot like Batrider.
Bah. I'd rather it played like Garegga (but each to their own...)
Well, I hope it plays like Ibara.

I'll take any of the above...

Here's hoping it gets a good console port at some point.