Sin & Punishment : Star Successor has finally been released and, as Micah's review will tell you, it lives up to the high bar that its developer, Treasure, has made for itself in the past. To anyone who knows even a little about Treasure, this shouldn't come as a surprise in the slightest. Even the strangest ideas have been made incredibly fun thanks to them. Over the years, they have become synonymous with mind-blowing games that are filled with tons of enemies, massive bosses, screens soaked with bullets, and intense challenges. S&P: Star Successor follows this model of course, but Treasure isn't limited to games of this type as they've also created a multitude of platformers and fighters over the years.
Founded in 1992 by Masato Maegawa, who still acts as the company's president to this day, Treasure is a privately held company consisting of about forty members. For larger projects, the developer has been known contract independent developers or work with larger companies like Sega or Nintendo. Treasure does not employ a rigid hierarchy to allow for creativity to bubble up from all over the company. Every director from one of their games has also been a programmer, an artist, or even a composer on another game. There are even times when a director for one game has had a different job at the same time on a different one. This system has obviously worked as Treasure is well regarded for a multitude of their games.
In celebration of Sin & Punishment's release, we feel it's worth taking a look back and seeing every one of Treasure's games over the years. That includes the ones that were released only in Japan as well since that's how Sin & Punishment first began its journey to the US. It's my hope that Treasure fans old and new can take a look at this list and find some lost gems to enjoy.
Gunstar Heroes - Sega Genesis (1993)
Treasure's first game is also one of their most well-known. It set the standard for every other shooter to come out of the company and brought many new ideas to the table with its release. Four different weapons can be chosen at the beginning of the game, each of which can be combined with another of the four during gameplay to create fourteen different gun types: Force, which was like a shotgun, Lightning, which could travel through enemies, Chaser, which homed in on enemies, and Flame, which acted like a flamethrower. Unlike Contra, players could get in close to enemies to grab and toss them or perform sliding kicks into them. There was also a lifebar unlike other shooters on this type, but one death meant game over. Much like Treasure's later games, the stars of Gunstar Heroes were the boss fights which filled the screen and used multiple sprites in order to achieve fluid motion. The game was a massive success and is still fondly remembered to this day. It is available to download on the Wii's Virtual Console, the PSN, and the XBLA for anyone who wants to try out this classic.
McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure - Sega Genesis (1993)
Don't laugh. It's better than you'd think. I remember going over to a friend's house and picking up the controller with a roll of my eyes only to find myself playing it all night. In the game you play as Ronald McDonald who is trying to find the four pieces of a treasure map and the treasure itself. The game is a standard 2D platformer that is fairly short, only containing four levels: Magical Forest, Magical Town, Magical Sea, and Magical Moon. Each level contains a platforming segment with a boss fight at the end. The element that made the game interesting was Ronald's scarf which could be used to latch onto hooks and pull him up stages. It added a greater sense of verticality to the McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure that made it interesting and fun. Though certainly not the greatest platformer created, it's a solid effort that's only available on the Genesis. Copies can be bought online for around $10 for those interested in tracking it down.
Dynamite Headdy - Sega Genesis (1994)
Another 2D platformer, this time starring an original character, was Treasure's next project which focused on and took place in a world of puppets, which is kind of creepy if you really think about it. Anyway, Headdy was the titular character of the game and his unique ability is of course his head. It can be thrown in eight different directions to take out enemies, but can also be powered-up with a multitude of different heads that can give Headdy different abilities. Everything from a bomb head to a hammer head is available to temporarily augment your abilities. The game is fairly large as well with nine worlds in all and a varying number of levels in each world. Dynamite Headdy was a hit and is considered one of the gems of the Genesis era. It has some of the most memorable bosses ever, if that’s your sort of thing. It won't be too difficult to find the game if you want to check it out, as it's on the Virtual Console as well as being included in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyō Tōitsusen - Sega Genesis (1994) Japan Only
Based on the only anime series able to compete with Dragonball Z in its heyday in Japan, Makyō Tōitsusen was Treasure's first fighting game. Teasure decided to step things up and make a truly great product when taking on the Yu Yu Hakusho license and took a page from SNK's Fatal Fury series by creating multi-plane battlefields. It also utilized the now-standard button motions to perform advanced moves and included support for four players to fight simultaneously. The game was lauded for its balance (projectile attacks did far less damage than punches and kicks) and the manageable chaos of its four player mode. Each of the eleven available characters had their own style and moveset making it easy for players to find a favorite. The graphics and sound were also considered better than the average Genesis game. Unfortunately, those who are looking to play the game will find themselves spending between $100 and $150 for the game in online auctions, as a downloadable rerelease seems pretty unlikely.
Alien Soldier - Sega Genesis (1995)
Alien Soldier was a strange one from the start. It was never given a cartridge release in the US and was solely available on the ill-fated Sega Channel (SEGA’s download games service). The game, however, is almost a spiritual successor to Gunstar Heroes as it was Treasure's second side-scrolling shooter. The main difference between it and its predecessor, though, was Alien Soldier’s primary focus on boss battles. There are 25 levels in the game with a total of 31 bosses. So yeah, the emphasis here is on bosses, which is Treasure's forte by far. The levels themselves were simple affairs and it's apparent from the get-go that they weren't considered that important. From the outset, there are six different guns to choose from and any four of them can make up your arsenal for the rest of the game. Your character, Epsilon-Eagle, comes with several abilities including a double jump, a teleport-dash, and the ability to hover for short time. Alien Soldier isn't considered quite as good as Gunstar Heroes, but those of you looking for a set of challenging bosses can find the game on the Virtual Console.
Light Crusader - Sega Genesis (1995)
Light Crusader is the only RPG that Treasure has ever created. There's likely a reason for this as the game failed to earn the accolades that previous titles from the publisher had. It was styled more like a western game and had a much slower pace than any of Treasure's other games. The game is more of an action RPG with simple sword-slashing gameplay and the ability to mix four elemental spells together. Puzzles and platforming were also part of the game, which was shown from an isometric perspective. Light Crusader isn't a horrible game by any means, it just lacks the flair of Treasure's other projects and fails at capturing the imagination like the more successful RPGs. Give it a look for yourself, as it is available on the Virtual Console.
Guardian Heroes - Sega Saturn (1996)
Treasure's next game was also a bit of a departure for them. Guardian Heroes was a side-scrolling beat 'em up with RPG elements that offered an incredible amount of replay value. The story was much more involved than any of Treasure's previous games and offered up multiple endings, paths, and even bosses depending on which choices were made throughout a playthrough. Five characters were also available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. At the end of each level, players could use their pool of experience points to increase their character's Strength, Vitality, Intelligence, Mentality, Agility, and Luck. Improving these stats provided immediate feedback that helped players through the game. The multiplayer was also fleshed out, allowing for co-op and even a simplistic fighting game featuring the main characters, six original characters, and a host of unlockable monsters, civilians, and bosses. Unfortunately, for those looking to complete their Treasure collection, the game is only available on the Sega Saturn and is quite pricey, reaching around $80 in online auctions.
Mischief Makers - Nintendo 64 (1997)
Mischief Makers was received with mixed feelings when it was first released, but has since achieved a kind of cult status. A 2D platformer with puzzle elements, Mischief Makers focused on the mechanic of grabbing, shaking, and throwing objects. This may seem like an odd choice but the game uses the idea in a lot of new and interesting ways. The main character, Marina Liteyears, can grab any enemy, object, weapon, or solid projectile in the game. As soon as it's in her hands, she can shake it for a secondary effect before throwing it an enemy or puzzle. The game starts off simply, but later levels require Marina to catch incoming missiles and throw them back at enemies. Replay value is added with gold gems that can be collected on each stage if certain conditions are filled. While the gameplay is solid, the graphics and sound are what kept the game from reaching the upper echelon of N64 games. The title has yet to be added to the Virtual Console despite the requests of many fans, but the original cartridge can be found for around $8 if you don't mind a used copy.
Radiant Silvergun - Sega Saturn (1998) Japan Only
Considered one of the greatest shooters of all time, Radiant Silvergun was a vertically-scrolling shooter that again broke from the norm in typical Treasure fashion. Unlike games like Gradius, there were no power-ups in the game. Instead all seven weapons were available from the start and could be strengthened by chaining attacks. However, the game didn't encourage players to power-up one gun and use it the entire time. Every enemy and boss in the game had a particular weakness to one of the weapons, and it became absolutely necessary to use the proper weapon to get through the encounters quickly and effectively, while also gaining bonus points. This idea was truly pushed for the boss encounters where they were divided into separate sections that were strong or weak to different guns. It was possible, though, to find a prime position where players could use two weapons at once to hit both sections with their weakness and gain much more points. The story mode for Radiant Silvergun also features cutscenes animated by anime powerhouse, Gonzo. Buying the game is not cheap as used copies range from about $75 to almost $200. There were rumors of a HD remake being released on the XBLA back in 2007, but sadly it never came to fruition.
Rakugaki Showtime - Playstation (1999) Japan Only
Rakugaki Showtime is a fighting game by Treasure that few gamers have likely played. The title is played in much the same fashion as Power Stone. The first thing that becomes obvious about the game is that it has an incredibly unique visual style where the playable characters all look like they've been drawn by a 3 year old and haphazardly cut out. There are plenty of crazy ideas that went into the characters as everything from typical male and female characters, to an alien dog, to an old drunk man who vomits as his attack, to Marina Liteyears from Mischief Makers is playable. While all the characters have standard attacks, the focus is mainly on the items that fall on the stage and create total chaos. The most important of which is the Smiley Ball, which is extremely similar to the Smash Ball from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and unleashes one of three super attacks. The game is considered chaotic fun with four friends, but the single player, like most fighting games, is nowhere near as satisfying. Importing the game is expensive as it runs for almost $200. However, it is available on the Japanese PSN for far cheaper.
Silhouette Mirage - Playstation (1999)
Originally released on the Sega Saturn in 1997 in Japan, Silhouette Mirage was later ported to the Playstation and given an official US release. It was another side-scrolling shooter, but used a new mechanic that is similar to the one found in Ikaruga. Enemies are divided into two categories, blue Silhouettes and red Mirages, and each can only be defeated by the opposite colored blast. Fortunately, the hero of the game, Shyna, has characteristics of both and can fire energy of either one depending on the direction she is facing. While enemies can be destroyed by the opposite color, killing every enemy in your path is not the sole strategy. Spirit energy is needed to attack and can only be regained by attacking an enemy with its positively aligned color. This added a lot of strategy to gameplay, which was lauded much like Ikaruga at the time. Silhouette Mirage has not been added to the PSN yet but the original PSX disc can be bought for anywhere from $13 to $30.
Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth - Nintendo 64 (2000) Japan Only
Sin & Punishment was supposed to come out in the US. In fact, it was developed with an American release in mind, as much of the voice acting, even in the Japanese version, was in English. However, the game was being released on the tail end of the Nintendo 64's lifespan, and many gamers were moving on to the next generation, so plans were quietly scrapped for the international release. Sin and Punishment is essentially a rail shooter, but unlike other games like House of the Dead, the game takes place from a third-person perspective (sort of like a modern Space Harrier). This allowed players to run and dodge attacks rather than being forced to take out enemies before they were hit. Whenever an enemy gets close, the player can perform a melee attack or even send certain projectiles back for double the damage. There are also two firing modes: manual and lock-on. Manual forces players to aim at their opponents but does twice as much damage as the lock-on option. Switching between the two can happen at any time and it's up to the player to decide which is more appropriate for the situation. Sin & Punishment was a hit and a favorite of importers since much of the game was already in English. It's now available on the Virtual Console for $12. Even though the sequel has just come out stateside, the original is still worth checking out, although the controls can take some getting used to.
Bangai-O - Sega Dreamcast (2001)
Another of Treasure's cult classics, Bangai-O was originally released solely for the Nintendo 64 in Japan before it was ported, upgraded, and given an international release on the Dreamcast. It is a side-scrolling shooter in which the player controls a mecha piloted by two characters, Riki and Mami. When Riki is in control, he fires homing missiles while Mami fires lasers that ricochet off objects. Both are necessary in certain situations and can fire in eight different directions. The main strategy is actually tied to the super attack of their mecha. At the beginning of each level (of which there are over forty), players are given two super attacks and can earn up to five by causing as many explosions as possible. The super attack unleashes a 360 degree blast from the current weapon that uses anywhere between 40 and 400 bullets depending on the amount of bullets onscreen and how close they are to your mecha. In order to maximize the super attack's usefulness, players have to put themselves directly in the line of fire before letting loose. Bangai-O's crazy style and fun design have made it a fan favorite and a copy for the Dreamcast can be found for about $30 to $70.
Silpheed: The Lost Planet - Playstation 2 (2001)
Treasure often seems to go through phases of game design, concentrating on one genre for a while before returning to another. In this case, Treasure had its sites set firmly on the shooter genre with Silpheed : The Lost Planet being an enhanced remake of the original Sega CD vertical shooter. The game is generally considered an average effort on Treasure's part, more of a way to learn how to develop for the Playstation 2 than anything else. Silpheed is still quite fun, and was considered one of the best looking SHMUPs at the time. It also had an easier difficulty curve than its peers, making it somewhat unusualy for a Treasure title. There isn't any unique strategy to the game, as players can equip two different guns on their ship and fire them either alone or together. The game’s one unique element mostly had to do with scoring, as points were earned based on how close an enemy was to you when it was destroyed. Shooter fans will still want to check the game out as a part of Treasure's history. A used copy ranges from $10 to $20.
We've reached the halfway point of Treasure's history and have already encountered many of the games that made them famous. There are some true gems in here and we would love to hear what you think about Treasure's games past and present in the comments.
