Otomedius

Otomedius (オトメディウス, Otomediusu) is a side scrolling shooter by Konami which featured personification of space fighters from various Konami games. The main characters are mostly females, designed by Mine Yoshizaki, with a set of equipment resembling space fighters from side-scroller games by the same company like Gradius, Salamander, Thunder Cross, TwinBee or Xexex. The name is a pun, being a portmanteau of the terms "otome" (meaning "maiden" in Japanese) and "Gradius". The music was composed by Hiroki Koga.

Otomedius
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)Konami
M2 (Xbox 360)
Publisher(s)Konami
Designer(s)Mine Yoshizaki (character model)
Composer(s)Hiroki Koga
Ruzarin Kashiwagi (Xbox 360)
SeriesOtomedius
Platform(s)Arcade, Xbox 360
ReleaseArcade
  • JP: October 15, 2007
  • JP: August 11, 2014 (e-AMUSEMENT CLOUD)
Xbox 360
  • JP: November 20, 2008
  • JP: March 11, 2010 (Platinum Collection)
  • JP: October 5, 2010 (Games on Demand)
Genre(s)Horizontal-scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systeme-Amusement

It received an Xbox 360 port titled Otomedius Gorgeous! (オトメディウスゴージャス!, Otomediusu Gōjasu!), or Otomedius G (オトメディウスG, Otomediusu Jī) for short. A sequel title, Otomedius Excellent, was released in 2011 as an Xbox 360 exclusive.

Versions

Original version

It is Konami's first arcade shooter since Gradius IV: Resurrection in 1999. The arcade title was announced in AOU2007 Amusement Expo on February 16, 2006, with test version available.

Unlike previous Konami's arcade shooters, player can continue after losing all lives using a single credit. Player can choose which stage to play, with maximum of 3 stages playable using 1 credit.

It features touch screen input and e-AMUSEMENT. When using an e-AMUSEMENT PASS, player gets following features:

  • Character statistics records. The e-AMUSEMENT PASS saves player's name, obtained Otome cards, stage performances.
  • Character development. When playing a character, the character gains experience points (ST) that allows the character to raise ranks, which allow more difficult missions to be chosen.
  • Online features. Player's scores are compared with others via online ranking database.

When the game ends, an item called Otome card is obtained. The following cards are available:

  • Weapon card: Allows players to choose power up type in a fighter's power up slot before the beginning of a mission. Levels 2 and 3 cards allows weapons to have further power increase, but the power increase is time-limited.
  • Illustration card: An illustration card contains a fragment of an illustration. After obtaining multiple illustration cards, an illustration is obtained. It comes in colour and monochrome variants. When obtaining 2 monochrome pieces, they are converted to 1 colour piece.
  • Miracle gift: The selected character gains 1000ST.

Each character has its own rank and ST points, and the ranks are raised by gaining ST points. ST points can be gained by following:

  • Retrieving various Elements in the game. The difficulty rating of collecting a given quantity of Elements affects the earned ST points. However, when a fighter dies in the game, the Elements obtained is halved.
  • Rating bonus. High mission rating gains ST points, while low rating loses them. If player continues a mission or fails a mission, the rating drops.
  • Using Miracle gift card.

Otomedius G (Gorgeous!)

This is the Xbox 360 console version of the game. It added the following game modes:

  • VS Mission: A boss rush game featuring bosses from previous Konami shooters. Up to 3 players can enter simultaneously through Xbox Live or LAN connections.
  • Gorgeous mode: A rearranged stage layout featuring 6 stages. It can be played by up to 3 players through Xbox Live or LAN connections, but without the boss rush counterpart.

This version also added extra fighters: Esmeralda and Poini Coon. Early order included downloadable Aoba Anoa (in St. Gradius school uniform) fighter.

  • Score ranking
  • Cooperative play
  • Downloadable contents (characters, stage, music included)
  • St. Gradius uniform fighters: The uniformed fighters can be used in Original and Gorgeous mode. Each cost 150 Microsoft points.[1] Available fighters include Aoba Anoa, Eru Tron, Madoka, Diol Twee, Tita Nium.
  • New fighters: They can be used in Original and Gorgeous mode. Each cost 400 Microsoft points. Available fighters include Esmeralda, Poini Coon.

Easter island (500 Microsoft Points): In original mode, it has the level of 3 stars (at Normal difficulty), and can be chosen in single mission mode like any other mission. In Gorgeous mode, it is located between Canadian Rockies and Alexandria missions.

Changes background music in Gorgeous mode and Original Mode single missions. Each cost 400 Microsoft points.

  • Anoa pack (2008-12-19): Contains Gradius series music.
  • Tron pack (2008-12-19): Contains Salamander series music.
  • Madoka pack (2009-01-23): Contains TwinBee series music.
  • Diol pack (2009-01-23): Contains Xexex music.
  • Tita pack (2009-01-23): Contains MSX Gradius (Gradius 2 and Nemesis 3) music.
  • Emon pack (2009-03-25): Contains Thunder Cross series and Space Manbow music.
  • Esmeralda & Poini pack (2009-04-08): Contains Gradius Gaiden and Falsion music.

It was released a version bundled with a special controller manufactured by Hori. The controller includes a small touch input screen on the right side of the action buttons. Using this input screen, gamers are able to recreate all of the touch features from the arcade version of Otomedius with the home console port.

The product went on sale on 2008-11-20.[2]

Gameplay

Characters
  • Aoba Anoa: Vic Viper pilot (Gradius-themed fighter)
  • Eru Tron: Lord British pilot (Salamander-themed fighter)
  • Emon Five: Xel Viper pilot (Thunder Cross-themed fighter)
  • Madoka: Murdoch Viper pilot (Twinbee-themed fighter)
  • Diol Twee: Serenity Viper pilot (Xexex-themed fighter)
  • Tita Nium: Bigcore Examiner pilot (Gradius NEO/Nemesis boss-themed fighter)
  • Esmeralda: Jade Knight pilot (Gradius Gaiden-themed fighter)
  • Poini Coon: Falchion Beta pilot (Gradius Gaiden/Falsion-themed fighter)
  • Mermaid's Pet Seal:San Salvador Boss
  • TiTi XIV: Alexandria boss
  • Eliza: San Salvador boss
  • L.B.Gofer, R.B.Gofer: Tokyo bosses. In the test version, they are the San Salvador boss. In Otomedius Gorgeous!, they are also bosses for the Valhalla stage.
  • Meta Lium: Canadian Rockies boss
  • Crystal core D-X02: Antarctica boss
  • Yoshiko & Yoshio: Easter Island bosses
  • Big Core
  • Tetran
  • Viva Core
  • Space Manbow
  • Big Core Mk-II
  • Rolling Core
  • Covered Core Mk-II
  • Death
  • Abandon Warship
  • Mayhem Warship
  • Z.F.F.(Zeros Force Fortune): Area E boss.
  • Odin Core

Missions

There are 4 stages in each game, with 4 (normal, hard, expert, ultimate) difficulty settings.

When the game starts at date 2009–08, player can only choose mission 1 with normal difficulty, mission 2 with hard or lower difficulty, mission 3 with expert or lower difficulty. Playing early missions with higher difficulties require a higher level fighter. To unlock Ultimate difficulty, at least 1 Expert mission must be completed.

Player can choose which mission to complete in any order within a game, but a completed mission cannot be chosen more than twice per game.

At the end of each mission, the fighter is given a rank from S (highest) to E (lowest) based on score, obtained element, collected capsules, received damage, life loss. The rank determines ST points earned by the fighter. ST point is also determined by:

  • Difficulty. Higher ST points with more difficult mission, lower otherwise.
  • Continues.
  • Death. Every time the game is continued, obtained elements are reduced by half.

If the mission is completed with poor performance, it is possible for the fighter to lose ST points.

  • San Salvador
  • Alexandria
  • Tokyo
  • Antarctica
  • Easter Island (2009-08): Paid downloadable level in Otomedius Gorgeous!

There are 5 areas in the game. The difficulty of each area depends on player's average skill level. Player has infinite fighter stock, and the burst gauge slowly recovers.

Each area consists of grunt battle, followed by treasure hatch (except area E), then boss battle. The boss of each area (except area E) changes between games.

In treasure hatch region, opening hatch causes enemy to appear. The hatch shows the icon type for a given hatch, but when a hatch is destroyed, a different icon appears, which causes different effect:

  • Points icon: Increases bonus points.
  • Element icon: Causes Enemy that releases element to appear.
  • Capsule icon: Causes Enemy that releases power capsule to appear.
  • Sky icon: Releases indestructible iron ball.

At the end of each game, overall rankings between players were given based on bonuses decided by the ranks of collected element, collected capsule, received damage. The overall highest ranked player gains ST points, while 2nd rank player gains no ST points, and 3rd rank player loses ST points.

Plot

Thousands of years have passed since the war of Planet Gradius and sub-space Bacterion. The legend of the combat aircraft has become a myth...

In 21st century Earth, the mysterious Bacterion visits Earth and continues the war. The St. Gradius high school 2nd grade student Aoba Anoa was sought by the secret anti-Bacterion organization 'G' for her talents, and became the maiden 'Angel'. She was given a Riding Viper named Vic Viper.

Millennia from the legend, new myth has begun.

Reception and legacy

Eurogamer editor Jonti Davies rated Otomedius Gorgeous! 7/10 for unbalanced Gorgeous Mode game play, slowdown in Gorgeous mode, but he states the game has more personality than any shoot 'em up since Choaniki.[3]

MMS2nd

In 2008, Konami released a set of figures based on the main characters of the game. These designs use the Konami MMS2nd figure as their base, the same used in their Busou Shinki line. The sets also each contained 2 penguin mascots which are common enemies in the game Parodius.

Otomedius: Another Dimension

It is a series of digital comic serialized on Weekly Konami Magazine, based on Otomedius characters. First issue was released on 2007-10-19. First volume was released free for i-revo subscribers.

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See also

References
  1. List of items for Otomedius G in Japanese Xbox Marketplace
  2. "Konami Boob Shooter Stick Lets Players Touch". Kotaku.
  3. Davies, Jonti (2008-11-27). "Otomedius Gorgeous!". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
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