Shining Soul
Shining Soul (シャイニング・ソウル, Shainingu Souru) is a multiplayer action role-playing game developed by Nextech and Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Sega for the Game Boy Advance in March 2002 in Japan and March 2003 in Europe. Atlus published Shining Soul in North America in September 2003.
Shining Soul marked the return to the series of original Shining artist Yoshitaka Tamaki.
Staff Breakdown
Although the primary developer generally attributed to Shining Soul is Nextech, the studio seems to have had a mostly managerial role in the project alongside Sega, with most names in the game's core staff being identifiable as employees of Grasshopper Manufacture.
The information in the table below has been mostly deduced by comparing each person's work history on other games, and so there is still the potential for misattribution. It is also possible that some of the names associated with Sega are of individuals who were allocated to Nextech, at that time a Sega subsidiary, for the project.
| Name | Sega | Nextech | Grasshopper | Salamander | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junichiro Takahashi | ✔ | Producer | |||
| Kazuhiko Yamada | ✔ | ||||
| Goichi Suda | ✔ | ||||
| Yoshitaka Tamaki | ✔ | Character Design | |||
| Tetsuya Nakazawa | ✔ | Main Program | |||
| Toru Kimura | ✔ | Program | |||
| Rika Kurokawa | ✔ | Graphics | |||
| Hiroto Yamamoto | ✔ | ||||
| Shingo Yasumoto | ✔ | Sound | |||
| Junichi Shimizu | ✔ | Project Administration | |||
| Fumio Shimoya | ✔ | Supervisor | |||
| Masashi Niwano | ✔ | Planner | |||
| Akira Ueda | Director, Art Director | ||||
| Daisuke Tajima | ✔ | Director | |||
| Akira Nishikawa | ✔ | Tester | |||
| Kazuhiko Morii | ✔ | ||||
| Hiroyuki Miyano | ✔ | ||||
| Kazumi Kigawa | ✔ | ||||
| Kazuhiro Asami | ✔ | Promotion | |||
| Ikuo Ishizaka | ✔ | Public Relations | |||
| Yasushi Nagumo | ✔ | ||||
| Tomoni Kiyono | ✔ | ||||
| Yoshihiro Sakuta | ✔ | Packaging Design | |||
| Naohiko Iida | ✔ | ||||
| Masaru Kobayashi | ✔ |
The game has a further twenty-eight names credited under "Special Thanks", including Tsuyoshi Sawada, who would become Shining series producer, and Nextech employee Katsuji Aoyama.
Development History
Dorimaga Interview with Yoshitaka Tamaki
The following text is translated from an interview published in an October 2001 issue of Dorimaga.[1]
- Yoshitaka Tamaki of the original Shining Force is in charge of character design!
- キャラクターデザインを担当するのは初代「シャイニング・フォース」の玉木美孝氏‼
The Shining series continues to receive the impassioned support of Sega fans. Tamaki was there from the beginning, where he produced the character designs for Shining and the Darkness and Shining Force. His characters have since gained many fans. We asked Mr. Tamaki, who's now working on the Shining series again for the first time in ten years, how he became involved in this latest entry and to give us some key points about the title. Listen up, Sega fans!
セガファンから、いまだに熱烈な支持を受けている「シャイニング」シリーズ。その立ち上げ時、「シャイニング&ザ・ダクネス」と「シャイニング・フォース」でキャラクターデザインを担当し、多くのファンをつかんだ玉木キャラ。実に10年ぶりに「シャイニング」シリーズのキャラクターデザインを手掛ける玉木氏に、シリ一ズ最新作に参加することになった経緯と、新作のポイントを聞いた。セガファン大注目だ!
- Crafting a world from the (secret) setting documents of days past
- 当時の(秘)設定片手に世界観を作っています
[Interviewer] Well this announcement came out of left field, didn't it? With the Shining series, you know that fans from the Mega Drive era will be pleased at the announcement, but what exactly is this?
――今の発表もいきなりでしたよね?「シャイニング」シリーズというと、メガドライブ時代からのセガファンには、うれしいお知らせかと思いますが、いったいこれはどういったで？
[Tamaki] It was just as much of a surprise to me. It really was by chance. Sega contacted me about the new Shining game they were planning and asked if I wanted to get involved. "Do you want to do designs for the new game?" This happened really recently, around the beginning of this year. [Laughs.]
玉木■僕のほうも、本当にたまたまだったんですが、セガさんのほうから、「シャイニング」シリーズ最新作の企画の話を聞きまして、「新作のデザインワークに参加しませんか?」って携われたんです。これがまた、本当に最近の話でして、今年の初め頃なんですよ(笑)。
[Interviewer] That is pretty recent. So, tell me how you feel about the current state of development.
——結構最近ですね。すると、現在の開発状況はどんな感じで
[Tamaki] It's already running on the GBA. You can fight enemies, and we have a work-in-progress map. The planning started around the end of last year, but since this is GBA hardware, development has progressed very quickly. [Laughs.] I'm basically just doing character and monster designs and worldbuilding. That's the scope of my involvement.
玉木■すでにGBAの実機上で動いていますよ。敵とも戦えますし、いちおうマ ップもできていますね。企画のほうは、昨年末くらいから始まっていたようなんですが、ハードがGBAですから、開発は結構サクサクと進んでまして(笑)。僕のほうは、基本的にキャラクターデザインとモンスターデザインと世界観。そのへんを担当してやってます。
[Interviewer] By the way, what else have you been working on lately, Tamaki? After the first Shining Force, the series got a new character designer, right?
――ちなみに、玉木さんはここ最近はどのようなお仕事を? 「シャイニング・フォース」も、1作目をやったあとはキャラクタ ーデザインが別の方になりましたよね?
[Tamaki] That's right. Even when I did Climax Landers for the Dreamcast, it was as a freelancer. The work I did in between was too. Personally, I'd say I'm a "case-by-case" kind of guy. Around that time, there had been stuff that I wanted to do, and after my work on Shining Force ended, I sort of floated around for a while. [Laugh.] But, well—maybe I should just say that I'm back after a long time. I don't think that's a bad thing. [Laugh.]
玉木■そうですね。DCの「クライマックスランダース」に参加したときも、立場的には「フリー」でやっていたんですよ。その間にあった仕事もそうですね。僕自身、どちらかというと、「その場その場」の人間なんです。その時々にやりたいことっていうのがあったりして、「シャイニング・フォース」をやり終えたあとは、いろいろとふらふらしていたかもしれません(笑)。でも、まあ今回久しぶりに帰ってきたというか。悪くはないなと。
[Interviewer] What's the world of this game like? Is there any connection or relationship to Shining Force?
――作品世界的にはどうなんですか?「シャイニング・フォース」とのつながりとか、関係とか?
[Tamaki] Basically, we're approaching the game from the perspective of Shining Force. That game really had a lot of behind-the-scenes setting materials, and we're talking about drawing from those. Well, it shares concepts with Shining Force, but I think you can think of the things that are in it as being new.[note 1] With this game, you can play using four link cables, and then I think the game feels sort of like a handheld Phantasy Star Online. It's fun to play the game battling monsters with four people, or just playing alone.
玉木■基本的には「シャイニング・フォ ース」の世界観とのつながりの中で進めています。あの作品自体、じつは結構裏設定とかが山のように当時あって、そちらを持ち出しながら、今は打ち合わせを進めているんですよ。まあ、世界観は「フォース」の世界観なんですけど、ゲーム自体は新規の内容と思っていただいていいかと思います。今回は、GBAを4台通信ケーブルでつなげて遊べますから、遊んだ感覚は「ファンタシースターオンライン」のお手頃版みたいな感じだと思います。4人が並んで別々の視点でゲームが進められるんですけど、結構プレイ感覚は新鮮だと思いますよ。4人で協力してモンスターを倒したりとか、1人だけで遊んでも楽しい。
[Interviewer] When you say it's like PSO, does it also have character creation?
――「PSO」のようだというと、キャラクターメイキングとかもある?
[Tamaki] There is, sort of. You can choose a design by changing your character's color palette from a number of presets. Right now there's four classes: warrior, berserker, wizard, and archer. Because it's been such a long time since I did any character design, I gave it a lot of thought before I started drawing. But eventually I decided to base them on the tone of the first Shining Force but sort of tough with hard lines.
玉木■ありますよ。いちおうキャラクタ一のパレットの色替えと、何パターンかの中から、デザインも選べる。職業は今のところ4種類で、戦士と狂戦士と魔法使いとアーチャー。キャラクターのデザインも、やはり久しぶりでしたから、絵を描き始めるまではずいぶん検討もしましたよ。で、最終的には、1作目の「シャイニング・フォース」のノリをベースにしつつ、ちょっと硬派でカタい路線でいこうと。
[Interviewer] How does it feel to be back with the Shining series after ten years?
――10年ぶりの「シャイニング」シリーズというのは、心的にいかがでしたか?
[Tamaki] It's kind of hard! [Laughs.] There's a lot that I've forgotten. A knowledgeable member of our staff would say to me, "Isn't this thing supposed to be a certain way?" and I'd say something like, "Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I think that's right." And another thing to think about is the difference in hardware. The user base is probably different, and that's something we're paying attention to. I mean, back then the Shining series had entries that were going up against Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy on Sega hardware. With how things were, I have this deep-rooted attachment to Shining Force. But I didn't think I'd be part of its development again after ten years—it's really unbelievable. But, once I'd gotten started, it was definitely fun. [Laughs.]
玉木■結構苦労しますね(笑)。僕自身、忘れていることがいろいろあって。詳しいスタッフに「それは、こうじゃないですか?」とか教えられたりして、「ああ、そういえば、そうだっけ」みたいな。あと、気を付けているのが、ハードウェアの違いですね。たぶんユーザー層も違いますから、そのへんも気を遣ってやってます。まあ、当時、「シャイニング」シリーズというと、セガハードの中で、対「ドラクエ」「FF」みたいな部分はありましたよね。そういう流れもあって、僕自身の中で「シャイニング・フォース」に対しての思い入れというのは、根強いものはあります。でも、実際に10年経ってから、また自分が参加するようになるとは思ってもいなかったですし、かなり突拍子もなかったですね。でも、始めてみると、やっぱり楽しいなというのも確かにあって(笑)。
[Interviewer] By the way, are we going to be able to play the game at the show?
――ちなみに、今回のゲームショウでは、もう遊べたりするんですか?
[Tamaki] No, it's not going to be playable yet. It'll be coming out next spring. We're only showing off video at our booth at the show.
玉木■いや、遊べるまではまだですね。発売は来年の春ですから。ゲームショウへの出展はビデオ映像のみです。
[Interviewer] How does it feel playing it right now?
——現状への手応えはいかがです?
[Tamaki] Part of me wants to say that Shining Soul . . . brings the Shining "Soul" back again. [Laughs.] I'm sure the title has a different origin to it, but I can't say what that is right now. But basically, since it gives off the feeling of an online game, it's different from a strategy RPG like Shining Force. That's why when designing the game we tried to eliminate the sense that like, "this character has to be a certain way." Instead, in order to make the game more replayable, I tried to come up with character designs that were relatable and easy to cast yourself in. But having said that, I think there are things that'll make all the people who remember those days smile. We put a lot of that energy from back in the day into this while making it. I really hope you get to see more coverage in the coming days.
玉木■「シャイニング」魂をもう一度......ということで、「シャイニング・ソウル」だなんて、言ってる部分もあるんですが(笑)、ちゃんと別に名前の由来はあるんですね、まだ言えないんですけど。ただ、基本的なイメージは、ネットワークゲーム的なところにあるので、「シャイニング・フォース」のような、シミュレーションRPGとは違うんです。だから、「このキャラの特徴はこんな感じです」といった部分はデザイン的にも排除しているんですよ。逆に何度でも遊べるような感じに、自分の中に取り込みやすいキャラクターデザインを心がけています。とはいえ、当時を知っている方々には、いろいろとニヤリとするような部分もあるかと思います。僕らも当時の思い入れをたくさん入れ込んで作っていますから。ぜひ、今後の続報には注目していてほしいですね。
"The Shining series is being resurrected after ten years. It means a lot to me." (Tamaki)
「10年越しの『シャイニング』シリーズ復活。その意味は僕にとって大きいですね(玉木)」
Notes
- ↑ The Japanese word sekaikan (世界観) translates very broadly to English concepts of "setting", "perspective", or "worldview", but it does not have the narrow sense of the English "setting". The English "setting" as a literary term indicates a particular location or world in which a piece of fiction takes place, but the Japanese sekaikan in this context amounts to something closer to a theme or vibe than a reference to a specific place.
References
Game Directory
| Shining Games | |
|---|---|
| Mega Drive | Shining and the Darkness・Shining Force・Shining Force II: The Ancient Seal・Shining Force CD |
| Game Gear | Shining Force Gaiden・Shining Force Gaiden II・Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict |
| Saturn | Shining Wisdom・Shining the Holy Ark・Shining Force III Sc. 1・Shining Force III Sc. 2・Shining Force III Sc. 3・Shining Force III PD |
| Game Boy Advance | Shining Soul・Shining Soul II・Shining Force: Resurrection of the Black Dragon |
| PlayStation 2 | Shining Tears・Shining Force Neo・Shining Force EXA・Shining Wind |
| Mobile | Shining Road to the Force・Shining Road 2 |
| PlayStation Portable | Shining Hearts・Shining Blade・Shining Ark |
| Nintendo DS | Shining Force Feather |
| Arcade | Shining Force Cross・Blade Arcus from Shining |
| PlayStation 3 | Shining Resonance・Blade Arcus from Shining EX |
| PlayStation 4 / Switch | Shining Resonance Refrain・Blade Arcus from Shining Rebellion |
| Related Games | |
| PC-88 | Fangs: The Saga of Wolf Blood |
| Mega Drive | Land Stalker: The Emperor's Treasure・Ragnacënty |
| Super Famicom | FEDA: The Emblem of Justice・Lady Stalker |
| Saturn | FEDA Remake!・Dark Savior |
| PlayStation | Alundra・FEDA 2: White Surge the Platoon・Alundra 2 |
| Dreamcast | Climax Landers |
| Game Boy Advance | Golden Sun: The Broken Seal・Golden Sun: The Lost Age |
| Nintendo DS | Golden Sun: Jet Black Dawn |