The horse jumped over the moon, the story of Namco, part 17

In the previous blog I talked about how the “Leonardo DaVinci of Namco” Mr. Shigeki Toyama was the lead designer for three attractions at Wonder Eggs. These were Galaxian³, the Laperopter, and Phantomers. His grandfather Tokio was a roller coaster designer. Creating memorable rides ran in the family. Namco had years of experience in building arcades, amusement centers, running restaurants, and other venues through their diverse portfolio. This background helped them create, and operate a theme park for a few years. What were the elements that made it work? How did they decide what attractions to build, and make them unique compared to the other parks in Japan? To understand the challenge they had to know their audience. My wife, and I got a crash course in user experience (UX) design from former Disney Imagineer Joe Lanzisero. He explained his concept of “floaters, swimmers, and divers” during an interview.

His goal in working on a project was to connect with a broad client base. Regardless of age or background he explained that he could sum up guests in three categories. The floater was the person that was literally looking for a surface level experience. If they were on a Disney cruise for example then they expected all of the amenities of a five-star liner. They wanted to be able to relax, have fun, and enjoy great food. The floater did not need to be familiar with the Disney cartoons or anything else from the company. They were still able to enjoy themselves. Then there were the swimmers. These were the casual fans. They knew a little bit about the parks, characters, etc. Swimmers caught how certain characters, or movies shaped the creation of an area of the ship. They were able to appreciate the attention to detail that went into elevating the experience. The third type were the most die-hard fans. Divers ate, slept, and dreamt all things Disney. They followed the construction of the ship, and were intimately familiar with every floor before it ever touched water. Once onboard the divers wanted to peel off every layer of detail, and discover that there was more magic underneath. It was up to Lanzisero, and his team, to create experiences that could satisfy the demands of each group.

Namco had created something that was perfect for floaters, swimmers, and divers as well. The company was founded in 1955 by Masaya Nakamura. By the time Wonder Eggs was built in 1992 it had grown into one of the biggest game companies in the world. In the ’60s they manufactured electromechanical games for SEGA, they had also secured the Disney license to build kiddie rides in that time. In the ‘70s they invested heavily in video game development even though Japanese banks saw it as a risky venture. By the ‘80s they owned Atari, and had a string of hits including Pac-Man. They were now licensing their own IP to the world. Mr. Nakamura steered the studio through tremendous growth because he believed in the power of play. “We create play” was not just a slogan, it was literally his company’s manifesto. The philosophy of “play” written by Johan Huizinga, and Roger Caillois helped inform his decisions. It allowed him to know his audience better than they knew themselves.

The “Dreamers” that visited Wonder Eggs had different approaches to play. They were willing to engage in the park with the same level of enthusiasm of a floater, swimmer, or diver. Namco had a keen insight on how to appeal to their core personality because of the lessons from Mr. Caillois. The mythical Pyrallis represented the four types of play. Agon represented competition. Alea represented chance. Ilinx represented dizziness. Mimicry represented simulation. How competitive, or lucky, or euphoric, or engaged in the experience varied between the dreamers. There was a a science, and an art to creating different attractions for these people. Depending on your perspective theme park designers knew how trick or exploit the brains of visitors through the use of color, patterns, scale, perspective, audio, and even scents as I described in the previous blog.

The ones that were most engaged with visiting Wonder Eggs, Disneyland, or any park could be identified as the diver, their preferred method of play was Mimicry. At Disney parks the guests that dressed in the style of their favorite characters were said to be “DisneyBounding.” This level of engagement was on the edge of what was socially acceptable. Some guests thought these visitors were sharing their creativity. Others thought they were trying to take attention away from the park, and rides to focus it on themselves. There was a fine line separating their type of self expression that could actually be destructive to their core personality. This was something that Roger Caillois warned about in his book Man Play and Games. We could generally acknowledge that people that were too competitive made play less enjoyable. Those people betrayed the spirit of Agon. The people that had an unhealthy compulsion with feeling euphoric could turn to drug abuse. These corrupted the idea of Ilinx. The people that became addicted to gambling had corrupted Alea. What happened to people that became too invested in Mimicry? What happened to “divers” that went too deep?

Mr. Caillois argued that people that got lost in their Mimicry suffered from alienation, and split personality. Their level of immersion had become obsessive, and corrupted. There was a reason why the Disney parks had a dress code. Every year many DisneyBounders got asked to change their clothing. They sometimes hung out in a particular area, dressed too similarly to cast members, and confused visitors in the process. Then there were people that acted out their immersion in public. You might have seen the video of an guy playing the arcade game Ghost Squad very intensely. I think it was the same person recorded a few years later playing House of the Dead 4. This person was going through excessive physical motions while playing the arcade games. They might have been to entertain other arcade visitors, or they might have been because this person actually identified his existence within the game world. It was a question that only he could answer.

Wanting to be completely immersed in a different world wasn’t necessarily unhealthy. It was the reason why divers, or annual passholders returned to the Disney parks again, and again. I am a huge fan of the U.G.S.F. universe, of space games in general. If it were up to me I’d own a Starblade cabinet because it was the first single-player Active Simulator from Namco. The port on the original Playstation just didn’t seem to have the same magic. If I had a tremendous amount of disposable income then I would go even deeper than an arcade cabinet. Starblade was the same adventure from beginning to end. As a fan of sci-fi I wanted to explore the cosmos, and never have the same experience twice. PC titles like Elite Dangerous, Everspace 2, Infinity Battlescape covered a broad spectrum of the sci-fi. The level of engagement they provided was limited only by your budget. I had watched UndeadParrot’s guide to building a 180-degrees gaming room. It made the immersive experience seem possible within a budget. If money was no object BANKII’S $30,000 Star Citizen gaming room was the gold standard of simulator rigs. I believe that Namco found a healthy way to keep the Mimicry fans engaged without breaking the bank.

Wonder Eggs discovered that the seasonal events were popular with return visitors. Decorating the shops, and restaurants for the holidays went over well with audiences. The shows, concerts, and performances for Halloween, and Christmas were charming. The park designers wanted to give dreamers a reason to keep returning during the off peak months. To do this they needed to turn the entire park into a play area. Between July, and September they would run a rally event called Zombie Busters. The event only ran for a few hours at dusk. Dreamers could buy a special Zombie Busters event ticket at any local JR - Central Japan Railway Company, convenience store, and play centers.

These event tickets were not sold at the gate. The dreamers now fully engaged in Mimicry were welcomed as warriors defending Laperot Village. They would show up to Elds Square at the appointed hour where the Village Chief would give them their instructions. They had just over two hours to find the zombies located on a special map, compete against them, and earn carnival coins, or reward eggs (currency) for the attractions. Even if the dreamers couldn’t beat all the zombies they at least earned a mask, and badge exclusive for the event. A few years later they added Jester the Clown’s Mysterious Rally. It was a limited time event where guests could collect hidden keywords around the park for a prize. Wonder Eggs and the Egg Empire featured seven carnival style games where dreamers could win discount passports, and other prizes.

Dreamers enjoyed taking part in the play experience outside of the attractions themselves. Those engaging in Mimicry or simulation could defend the park from zombies, but during the Wonder Adventure rally they had an even greater challenge. Ki from the Tower of Druaga needed help sealing away the demon Druaga. Dreamers could now extend the adventure beyond the original ride. Equipped with a map, and puzzle guide they follow the clues, and track down the great evil menacing Laperot. Villagers would wait at certain checkpoints to check their answers, and reward them with stickers, and stamps on their guide. They could also earn currency eggs, carnival coins, and discounts on passes.

One of the things that made this game unique was that you could play it with a partner, and take on the roles of Kai, and Gil. Here was the writeup from the park; 

"Enjoy the popular Wonder Egg attraction "Tower of Druaga" easily with Barcrown. Become the young protagonists "Gil" and "Kai" and take on the seven challenges. You will embark on a journey to find a stone called "Ishtar's Tear" that will give power to the magical sword. Once you have all seven spells, you will try your luck one last time. If you achieve a perfect score, you will receive a map (bandana) that shows the location of "Ishtar's Tear". Even if you do not get a perfect score, you will receive a special bonus. Let's challenge ourselves to become the Crystal Knight!"

The greatest challenge for dreamers was called the Wonder Rally. It would incorporate all of Wonder Eggs 2. This meant that dreamers would have to visit all 22 attractions, 8 restaurants, and shops. Participants for the Wonder Rally would get a “passport” and were tasked with collecting stamps, and stickers by going on attractions, earning a certain score, locating hidden Pyrallis, and solving puzzles. It was up to the dreamers to prove they were “heroes of play” by completing the passport. This event could be done individually or with a group.

There were two levels of difficulty; elementary school students, or younger. Or junior high school students and older. Exceptions could be made if there were height or physical limitations preventing completion of the challenges. It was very difficult to complete the entire rally in one day. Dreamers were rewarded by how much they accomplished. Those that did the bare minimum of collecting 4 Pyrallis stamps, and the Elds Crest earned the rank of Wonder Master: “Hero of Play.” These people got a 1,000 yen discount when buying annual passports for Wonder Eggs or the sister Egg Empire park. Then there were pins given out to people that earned the Grand Master ranks; Bronze Master of Play, Silver Master of Play, Iron Man of Play (gold badge). The “Superman of Play” was a perfect score, this title came with a special medal badge and a certificate. The added perk for the medal rankings bronze, and above was admission to both parks for free, or purchase an annual passport for 50% off.

Wonder Rally was the ultimate event for “divers,” the fans of Mimicry. The rally events helped Wonder Eggs maintain attendance during the slower months. The popularity of them began influencing the seasonal events as well. There was even a special holiday Wonder Rally, where limited-time Christmas stamps appeared for the passports. The “Candle Christmas” at Wonder Eggs 2 ran from November 21 through December 25. Dreamers could enjoy the “romantic” decorations, and events happening in Elds Square. There was a “Christmas Engagement Ceremony,” where lovers made wishes with candles, walked down the “Virgin Road,” and pledged their eternal love at the "Candle Altar." This special event only ran between December 19 through the 25th. Wonder Eggs was embraced by locals, theme park fans, and gamers of all types.

Namco created a park that worked for “floaters, swimmers, and divers.” The attractions they created were the frosting on the cake. We will explore some of them on the next blog. Were there any defunct parks that you visited? Please tell me about it in the comments section. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Wonder Eggs, and Egg Empire research collected from: Wonder Eggs Guide Map, Namco Graffiti magazine, the book “All About Namco II", NOURS magazine, The Namco Museum, Namco Wiki, Ge-Yume Area 51 Shigeki Toyama Collection, mcSister magazine, first person attraction details from Yoshiki. Event details from Hole in the Socks

How fight culture became fighting game history, part 47

Capoeira was a graceful fighting art form. It revolved around the rhythms, colors and communities of Brazil. The indigenous people of South America and the African slaves helped keep the form of combat alive under the guise of a sport. Many of the strikes did not lose their lethal nature though. It came in especially handy for escaped slaves and prisoners. It was up to the developers at Spiritonin to bring the history of Capoeira to life and make it appear as diverse in game as it was in reality by applying different variations of the art to different characters. For some it flowed freely and highlighted amazing spinning strikes. For others it was an explosion of concentrated punches and counter attacks. The beauty of the art form was countered by the ugliness of some of the combatants in Capoeira Fighter 3.

 

This did not mean that the characters were physically ugly but that they exploited the form simply for the sake of harming others. The worst of these offenders went by the name of Zumbi. The Mestre had played the heavy in the previous incarnations of the game but by the third chapter in the story he became a boss-level fighter. Zumbi did not simply gain a host of more powerful attacks but his voice, his appearance and even stage had changed dramatically. The end result was a monster of a man named Zumbi Azul. This new character observed many of the same conventions that were created by Capcom when the studio designed Gouki.

Zumbi Azul was meant to evoke supernatural origins. Creator Scott Stoddard and artist Adam Ford started by changing his skin color. The cool blue was "painted" over Zumbi as part of a dark ritual. It was meant to reflect the night. Symbolically this also reflected the dark Macumba spirits that had possessed him. The contrast from white painted markings was meant to make the character look like a skeleton as well. These new color choices were contrasted by blood red eyes and fingernails. It made Zumbi Azul look like a Voodoo Spirit rather than a person. These things were all done deliberately. Every design clue in the game was meant to invoke images that would have been clearly understood by gamers in the West. Gouki had animalistic features, dark red skin and other traits that were universally recognized as making him demonic. Some of his other cues were not as obvious to players outside of Asia. The spiky hair was reminiscent of the guardian spirits or Nio and the rope belt he wore had Shinto connotations. In order to make Zumbi and the mythology of Zumbi Azul work the studio had to put in enough visual cues that highlighted the spiritual elements in the series, again the spiritual elements from the West.

Capoeira Fighter 3 had a mix of influences, not solely from the fighting styles but also from other video games. It was heavily based in the visual style of Street Fighter Zero but with gameplay elements, control schemes and animations from Street Fighter III and Tekken as well. Part of the success of the other games were the memorable stages that the fights took place in. Spiritonin used landmarks that had a dual meaning in several of the levels. The Sao Paulo Cathedral and statue of Christ the Redeemer from Rio De Janeiro were important symbols from Brazilian Christianity. Two beautifully painted versions of these places, by Ford, were the backdrops for the heroic characters in the game.

These icons were meant to reinforce the personalities of the cast. Mestre Rochedo was a noble fighter and was constantly vigilant against Zumbi. He would warn his students to watch out for him in the game. Rochedo fought in front of the statue of Christ, seemingly invisible to the tourists that had gathered there. The name Rochedo actually meant cliff in Brazilian, it was short for the saying "only the cliff can face the wind." In this case only Rochedo could face Zumbi and his dark powers. Ramba was a student of Mestre Loka, another honorable teacher. She was a tough fighter whose macho attitude earned her the female equivalent nickname of "Rambo." She was actually in law school during the third Capoeira Fighter Tournament. Both of Ramba's possible endings had her helping out the less fortunate and thus demonstrating strong Christian values. It made sense that the Sao Paulo Cathedral was the backdrop for her stage.

The Western world was much better acquainted with the Christ figure and symbolism of churches and iconography. The themes explored by these stages would have been easily understood by Western audiences. Even non-Christians could appreciate the aesthetics of the level designs. The earth tones used for the cathedral balanced the cool darkness of the sky and the warm glow of a setting sun. It showed the beauty of the cathedral and the streets of Sao Paulo at night. The Christ statue itself was very serene and peaceful. The use of clouds made the stage location look heavenly. Those that followed the religion were familiar with the lessons of Christ. They knew that fighting was not a sin, especially not if the person was fighting against the forces of evil. In this case it would be the Christian belief versus the pagan ideal. Even the art of capoeira itself was filled with religious undercurrents. There was a sincere relationship between the Mestre and students, not unlike a priest or pastor and their parish. Those that would earn a name had to undergo a Batizado or Baptism as well and earn a place in the community.

The interplay between good and evil, light and dark was not lost on either Zumbi or Zumbi Azul. Zumbi was a bad guy yet his stage was visually one of the nicest ones in the game. In other fighting games the bad guys sometimes fought in a dirty alley or dark forest. For Zumbi the character fought on train tracks. On the horizon was a setting sun. It gave everything in the level a soft glow. From the farm house in the distance to the nearby grain elevators and even factory smokestack, the industrial and rural met in relative peace. It could be interpreted as symbolic of the state of Zumbi. The character was at a crossroads as well. He had dedicated his life to combat and was willing to forgo the traditional world of man and the beauty of the modern world. This would be the dusk of his existence and night would mark his transition into a new person. The stage of Zumbi Azul was a stark contrast to the train crossing.

The cool blues and grays of an old cemetery at night were meant to elicit a chilly response from players. The full moon, framed by ominous clouds, gave off an ethereal glow. This type of level design was meant to tell a story. The stages created for Gouki in the Street Fighter series were layered with themes of Hell and the afterlife. Even though these places could have actually existed somewhere in Japan there was a certain subtext that was hard to ignore. The cemetery of Zumbi Azul was meant to do the same thing in Capoeira Fighter 3. This was the place that the dead called home. Any person foolish enough to face Zumbi Azul there would probably end up joining the residents before dawn.

This new "home" of Zumbi Azul was decorated with multiple candles, hinting that some sort of Macumba ceremony had been performed there. Of course popular media would suggest that the only types of ceremonies performed over a grave or mausoleum at night were unholy. If Zumbi had died physically, spiritually or even symbolically perhaps he would have been reborn with new powers. The spirits of the Macumba would now be in charge of the man. One interpretation of Zumbi Azul was that he had become a Zombie, or servant to the dark forces. The actual Haitian practice of Vodou gave rise to the zombie myth. Unscrupulous practitioners of the dark arts were called Bokor. These people would kidnap people to turn into mindless slaves. Other times they would raise the dead in order to turn them into servants.

The ceremonies the Bokor performed, their various potions, spells and curses had been closely guarded secrets for several centuries. Modern science had created a plausible theory for what these so-called masters of the dark arts had actually been doing. First they poisoned their victims with a strong neurotoxin, from a puffer fish or poisonous frog. This would slow down their breathing and heartbeat to an undetectable state. The person would then be declared dead and be buried in a shallow grave allowing time for the toxins to wear off. The Bokor would then magically "revive" the person by force feeding them a paste made up of sweet potato, cane sugar and the hallucinogenic plant datura. The end result, provided that the person actually survived the ordeal and was fit for work, was cruel and grotesque. The newly born zombie would be brain damaged from the lack of oxygen during paralysis and unable to communicate, reason or have any higher brain functions. The Bokor would constantly beat, berate and keep the zombie in a stupor with their drugs while forcing the zombie into a life of slavery.

The Bokor claimed that they did not raise zombies to sell into slavery but rather that these people were being punished for committing the most cardinal of sins against the religion. The lack of medical information and strong word of mouth gave credibility to the supernatural powers of the Bokor. It was not uncommon for some family members to remain vigil over the grave of a deceased relative until they were certain that the body had begun to decay and would not be exhumed. In other instances some people were dismembered by their own family before being buried. Whichever the case was the African and Afro-Caribbean communities learned to be wary of these mysterious rituals and practitioners.

The mythology of Macumba, the Orisha and Voodoo worked in favor of Zumbi Azul. This was a character that embraced his own evil tendencies and turned himself into a monster. It was as if he were both the Bokor and Zombie. He did not want or need an accomplice to perform the ritual he had studied up on. Those that wanted to follow in his footsteps, characters like Maestro and Buldogue, would be turned into blue-skinned servants. At least in one of the possible endings both of the fighters became minions for Zumbi Azul. This villain demonstrated all of the traditions that made for a great evil character. He was willing to do whatever it took to win. He lacked respect for the life of his opponents and even himself. He was willing to pay with his body and soul in order to achieve unstoppable power.

Capoeira Fighter 3 was already a good fighting game given the diversity of characters, strong minorities, balance, animation and control. It became a great fighting game when it included a villain that could be held to the same standards of the best bosses. The next blog will look specifically at the things that reflected the heritage of Zumbi Azul and close out this series. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!