10,000 Bullets

2005 video game the series of Hitman comic books 10,000 Bullets (comics) 10,000 Bullets PAL Cover.jpg European cover art Blue Moon StudioMetro Corporation Taito Yoshitaka MurayamaTanaka, John September 8, 2004 New Action Title From Suikoden Director http://ps2.ign.com/articles/546/546077p1.html IGN May 3, 2012 June 14, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060614232547/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/546/546077p1.html live Ryōji Minagawa Yasunori MitsudaMiki Higashino JP February 24, 2005IGN staff March 1, 2005 Now Playing in Japan http://ps2.ign.com/articles/592/592370p1.html IGN May 3, 2012 March 5, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120305193817/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/592/592370p1.html live EU October 6, 2005 Shooter Single-player PlayStation 2 10,000 Bullets, known in Japan as Tsukiyo ni Saraba ツキヨニサラバ "Farewell to the Moonlit Night", is a third-person shooter video game developed by Blue Moon Studio with Metro Corporation and published by Taito for the PlayStation 2 console. It was released in Japan in 2005, and distributed in Europe by 505 GameStreet later that year. 10,000 Bullets follows an elite hitman named Crow, who works for an Italian mob family and has the innate power of the "gunslinger", allowing him to manipulate the flow of time in battle. The gameplay of 10,000 Bullets focuses on this ability, in which the player must slow down the action in order to avoid the waves of enemy assaults and other hazards. 10,000 Bullets was directed by Suikoden franchise creator Yoshitaka Murayama, who left Konami in 2002 and started his own development firm, Blue Moon Studio, shortly thereafter. Accompanied by Spriggan illustrator Ryōji Minagawa and composers Yasunori Mitsuda and Miki Higashino, Murayama began producing 10,000 Bullets about a half a year after founding the new company. Murayama had wanted to create an action-shooter even before the Suikoden series. 10,000 Bullets was met with poor sales in Japan and a mediocre response from import reviewers. Critics found the game to be unoriginal and noted camera problems, but enjoyed the action sequences. Plot 10,000 Bullets follows Crow, a hitman living in Ireland who works for the Rome-based crime syndicate known as the Tonio Family.Smith, David September 17, 2004 Taito Announces Tsukiyo Ni Saraba http://www.1up.com/news/taito-announces-tsukiyo-saraba Ziff Davis 1UP.com May 3, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121020222021/http://www.1up.com/news/taito-announces-tsukiyo-saraba 2012-10-20 dead 505 Games staff 2005 10,000 Bullets http://www.505gamestreet.com/gameinfo.htm?id=45 https://web.archive.org/web/20070802004335/http://www.505gamestreet.com/gameinfo.htm?id=45 2007-08-02 505 Games May 3, 2012 dead Crow possesses the special "gunslinger" ability, which allows him to slow down time. He inherited this trait from his late mother, a powerful fortune teller who was murdered when Crow was very young. After being taken in by mob boss Papa Tonio, Crow is taught to optimize his abilities by a fellow hitman named Judas, a fugitive from France. Crow hopes to one day exact revenge on the person responsible for his mother's death.GameSpot staff September 8, 2004 Suikoden director creating new game at Taito http://www.gamespot.com/news/suikoden-director-creating-new-game-at-taito-6106952 CBS Interactive GameSpot May 3, 2012 The protagonist is partnered with the young Alice, an Englishwoman of German descent fleeing custody after the death of her military officer grandfather. Gameplay thumb|left|The player freezes time to easily kill a number of enemies. 10,000 Bullets is an action/third-person shooter in which the gun-wielding player character battles numerous enemies and bosses in different environments. Styled similar to cinematography found in The Wachowskis' The Matrix film franchise and gameplay mechanics in games such as Dead to Rights and Max Payne, the player is given an ability to slow down time and thus dodge multitudes of flying bullets and other obstacles.Game Watch staff September 17, 2004 タイトー、PS2「ツキヨニサラバ」インタビュー ブルームーン・スタジオ代表/企画・シナリオ 村山吉隆氏 Taito, PS2 Tsukiyo ni Saraba interview: scenario planning / Blue Moon Studios representative Mr. Yoshitaka Murayama http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20040917/tukiint.htm Game Watch Japanese May 5, 2012 February 16, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130216200543/http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20040917/tukiint.htm live Yip, Spencer September 28, 2005 Tsukiyo ni Saraba http://www.siliconera.com/tsukiyo-ni-saraba/ Siliconera May 3, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20160811174403/http://www.siliconera.com/tsukiyo-ni-saraba/ August 11, 2016 dead The first level, "Enhancement", slows down all action, including the player character. The second level, "Blitz", slows down only the enemies, allowing the player to move around at normal speed. The third level, "Frozen Time", halts everything around the player, who again maintains normal speed. By pressing the shoulder buttons, the player can lock-onto and switch aim at the various enemies. Successfully dispatching several foes in a row earns the player bonus points, which can be used at the end of a stage to purchase upgrades like more health, as well as special attacks and acrobatic evasion skills that can be mapped to certain controller buttons. The game features four playable characters (Crow, Alice, Dragon, and Boris), each of which has their own unique set of abilities. Between the action sequences, the player must advance the plot through a graphic adventure-style interface, where certain characters must be spoken to in order to continue. Development 10,000 Bullets was produced by Suikoden series creator Yoshitaka Murayama under his own Blue Moon Studio, with game development handled by Metro Corporation and published by Taito. It is the first game that Murayama has created since Suikoden III and his departure from Konami in 2002. The project began about half a year after starting up his own development company. Before signing on to create the role-playing franchise, Murayama had been wanting to make a shoot 'em up, citing his preference for arcade action titles such as Taito's Metal Black.Nowakowski, Kasper Kudo, Takashi amp August 2009 I goda vänners lag In good company LeveL 41 When the game was first revealed, the new detail revealed that the player could die from a single gunshot wound. Murayama explained in an interview to Dengeki Playstation: "I've been thinking for a while if there were any ways of bringing movie-style gunplay action scenes into video games, but the difficult thing was that it wouldn't be much of a game if you died instantly with one quick shot. And the solution to that was slow motion and motion stopping. I realized that the game's visuals didn't have to be quick to convey the thrills of gun battles and getting killed with a single shot... When you think about having to dodge enemy shots and shooting back at them, Tsukiyo ni Saraba is kind of close to a shooting game". Development on 10,000 Bullets took nearly three years to complete. The game's characters were designed by Ryōji Minagawa, the artist for the manga series Spriggan. Music The music for the game was co-composed by Konami veteran Miki Higashino and Yasunori Mitsuda, famous for his work on Square properties such as Chrono Trigger and Xenogears. After her contribution to the 2001 release Gensō Suikogaiden Vol. 2, Higashino retired from video game scoring to focus on her family.http://squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/mikihigashino.shtml Greening, Chris Schweitzer, Ben amp January 2012 Interview with Miki Higashino Square Enix Music Online March 2, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120229125407/https://squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/mikihigashino.shtml February 29, 2012 She returned to work on 10,000 Bullets after an invitation from her former boss Murayama. Higashino chose jazz for her contributions to the score and wanted to integrate bebop or acid jazz, but found she lacked the time to do so while caring for a new baby. Higashino felt that she "probably caused a good deal of trouble for my family, my client, and Mitsuda-san" and took yet another hiatus from composing. The game's soundtrack, Moonlit Shadow, was published in Japan by Mitsuda's Procyon studio the day before the game's Japanese launch.Famitsu staff December 28, 2004 『ツキヨニサラバ』オリジナルサウンドトラックCDが発売！ Tsukiyo ni Saraba Original Soundtrack CD released http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2004/12/28/103,1104217249,34983,0,0.html Enterbrain Famitsu Japanese May 3, 2012 December 1, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081201094355/http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2004/12/28/103,1104217249,34983,0,0.html live Moonlit Shadow track list 60:30 Tsukiyo Ni Saraba ~ Opening Theme ~ Yasunori Mitsuda 1:38 The Maximum High Speed Miki Higashino 2:47 Smooth Blues Higashino 4:34 D.O.L.L Mitsuda 3:19 Cool Sky Mitsuda 3:03 Joni Scott Club Higashino 2:21 An Illegal Messenger Higashino 3:24 Red Shot Higashino 2:20 Urban Fantasy Mitsuda 2:06 Hit Man Mitsuda 3:59 Striking Distance Mitsuda 1:39 Junk! Junk! Junk! Higashino 3:34 Target Mitsuda 3:05 One Note Blues Higashino 3:18 Jungle City Mitsuda 3:46 Asian Kung-Fu Foundation Higashino 4:15 Blue Moon Mitsuda 3:16 Au Revoir Dans la Nuit de Clair de Lune Higashino 2:49 Maria Mitsuda Yoshitaka Murayama 1:16 Lullaby Higashino, Akira Ishii Higashino 4:01 Release 10,000 Bullets was first announced via the Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation in September 2004. The game was subsequently showcased at the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) later that month.Lewis, Ed September 24, 2004 TGS 2004: Tsukiyo ni Saraba - First Look http://ps2.ign.com/articles/551/551252p1.html IGN May 3, 2012 March 7, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050307094046/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/551/551252p1.html live Famitsu staff September 26, 2004 ja:【イベント】村山吉隆氏が熱く語る！『ツキヨニサラバ』ステージが開催！ [Event] Mr. Yoshitaka Murayama introduces "Tsukiyo ni Saraba" on-stage! http://www.famitsu.com/game/event/2004/09/26/264,1096164594,31466,0,0.html Enterbrain Famitsu Japanese May 3, 2012 January 13, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140113230147/http://www.famitsu.com/game/event/2004/09/26/264,1096164594,31466,0,0.html live 10,000 Bullets was officially released in Japan on February 24, 2005. A launch event was held at three locations near Shinjuku Station; Atsuko Enomoto, the Japanese voice actress for the character Alice, held autograph sessions for those who purchased the game.Famitsu staff February 21, 2005 ja:『ツキヨニサラバ』店頭イベント開催！ 榎本温子がゲスト出演！ Events held over-the-counter Tsukiyo ni Saraba! Guest appearance by Atsuko Enomoto! http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1160785_1124.html Enterbrain Famitsu Japanese May 3, 2012 January 13, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140113224349/http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1160785_1124.html live Taito published the game in Europe later that year with distribution by 505 GameStreet. The game was translated by the Japanese firm Soli Consultants and features English voice acting and in-game text with multiple language options including English, Italian, German, French, and Spanish.Spencer November 6, 2007 Could a second PSP title from Irem come to North America too? http://www.siliconera.com/2007/11/06/could-a-second-psp-title-from-irem-come-to-north-america-too/ Siliconera May 3, 2012 January 14, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140114140138/http://www.siliconera.com/2007/11/06/could-a-second-psp-title-from-irem-come-to-north-america-too/ live The game was re-released in Japan on November 2, 2006, under the "Taito Best" label.Sony staff ja:ツキヨニサラバ タイトーベスト Taito Best Tsukiyo ni Saraba http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slpm66599.html Sony Computer Entertainment Japanese May 3, 2012 January 13, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140113221745/http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slpm66599.html live Reception 10,000 Bullets received mediocre scores from Japanese publications including a 27 out of 40 from Weekly Famitsu and a 270 out of 400 from Dengeki PlayStation. Spencer of Siliconera found the Japanese version of 10,000 Bullets to be a cheap imitation of more successful action games that use bullet-time. He noticed a faulty camera and lock-on system issues, bland environments, a tedious adventure mode, and a musical score that does not match the game's overall theme. The reviewer did, however, enjoy the action sequences. Ed Lewis of IGN, who previewed the incomplete TGS version of the game, noted similar problems with the camera, but was likewise impressed with the action, stating that the game "packs in lots of action and uses the time manipulation in a way that almost feels like a 3D version of Viewtiful Joe". 10,000 Bullets was met coldy by the editors of Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine, who summarized it as "dull action-adventure which combines sub-standard bullet-time combat, badly synched cut-scenes, and a waif-like plot" and stated that "not even hardcore masochists should touch it".Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine staff August 2006 Reviews: 10,000 Bullets Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine Future plc 99 1472-3123 10,000 Bullets sold poorly in Japan. According to Media Create sales information, the game ranked 500th on the top 500 best-selling games in Japan for 2005 at just 15,244 copies.2005年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP500 2005 Weekly Famitsu Top 500 http://geimin.net/da/db/2005_ne_fa/index.php Geimin.net Japanese May 3, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20090127020408/http://geimin.net/da/db/2005_ne_fa/index.php 2009-01-27 dead Taito had previously developed a third-person action game Bujingai. However, as of 2010, the company has expressed no interest in re-entering the genre.Sheffield, Brandon January 11, 2010 Bonus Feature: Time For Taito: From Space Invaders To Cooking Mama http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132619/bonus_feature_time_for_taito_.php?page=4 UBM plc Gamasutra May 4, 2012 May 9, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120509213354/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132619/bonus_feature_time_for_taito_.php?page=4 dead References Category:2005 video games Category:505 Games games Category:Metro Corporation games Category:Organized crime video games Category:PlayStation 2 games Category:PlayStation 2-only games Category:Ryōji Minagawa Category:Single-player video games Category:Taito games Category:Third-person shooters Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Video games scored by Miki Higashino Category:Video games scored by Yasunori Mitsuda Category:Video games set in Italy Category:Video games set in Japan Category:Video games with time manipulation