Tozai Games
Scott Pelland Consulting & Creative Services provides marketing and media relations services to our friends at Tozai Games, so if you’re interested in getting in touch with Tozai, you’ve come to the right place. Please feel free to contact me regarding press opportunities or other media-related business.
You can also link directly to Tozai’s home page.
A Quick Overview of Tozai Games Products:
R-Type Dimensions for Xbox LIVE Arcade
Space shooters don’t get any more classic or any more challenging than R-Type, but Tozai Games found a way to keep both elements when they brought the franchise to XBLA early in 2009. R-Type I and II (arcade classics) were recreated in exacting detail, then Tozai along with a dev team at SouthEnd Interactive added new hi-res graphic sets and gave player the ability to switch between them on the fly. As for challenge, Tozai created an “Infinite” mode allowing infinite deaths and continues so every player could see every gorgeous level. IGN called the game one of the 10 best for LIVE Arcade the year of its launch.
Lode Runner for Xbox LIVE Arcade
Since 1983, when the game first appeared, Lode Runner has appeared on virtually every gaming platform imaginable, but Tozai Games truly created the definitive version for Xbox LIVE Arcade, recreating from the ground up the classic action style while adding all-new levels (272 in all), new modes including both co-op and multiplayer competitive modes, and a user-friendly Level Editor and Community for sharing user-generated levels online with other Lode Runner players. The title launched in late April with excellent reviews and a bit of controversy regarding a pricing error by Microsoft, which should serve as a reminder to everyone in the game industry that even the big guys make bone-head moves. I’ve seen several at Nintendo, as well. And many observers have commented that Sony’s entire history with PS3 has been one long, tragic error.
Lode Runner for Wii Virtual Console
Lode Runner in its purest form is available on Virtual Console for a wee 500 points, so if you don’t still have an Apple II or Commodore 64 (shame on you) then this is your best bet.
A note on Lode Runner: As the worldwide IP owner for Lode Runner, Tozai Games is planning continued activity around its flagship franchise, and I’ll be posting updates about future products in the weeks and months ahead.
Spelunker for PS3
Another reimagined classic is Tim Martin’s Spelunker, which Irem published and developed for PSN in Japan. Tozai Games, the rights owner of Spelunker, will bring the game to North America with Irem in early 2010. Besides the bold graphic concepts of the new Spelunker, the game features six-player live action over PSN for an entirely novel underground adventure.
