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Akira Yamaoka

Grasshopper Manufacture's Akira Yamaoka Hopes To Do Shadows of the Damned Sequel

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 08:19
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The games they create may never be mega hits but somehow Grasshopper Manufacture receives funding to either produce sequels or create new IPs. As a fan of the company I’m not complaining about such a thing as it’s just nice to see a studio live on and not necessarily hinge on every product having to be a two million+ units sold hit in order to stay afloat or receive funding.

Sine Mora [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 03:41
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Overall Feeling: 

Sine Mora is a captivating game that provides an amazing amount of detail and depth that’s hardly seen in the shmup genre.  Gameplay wise the game may not be a flawless masterpiece that deserves to be displayed as the epitome of a perfect game experience, but the gameplay is put together in a smart way that forgoes needless difficulty ramps in favor of slick encounters and scenarios that  don’t always involve blowing up giant bosses or mass enemy fleets.  Not only is the game fun to play, but Sine Mora is also a beauty as well as it features visuals that are varied and are just filled with originality.  The extent of shmup games may be limited, but if you’re looking for a good XBLA game then Sine Mora fulfills that quest as it’s one of the best games released on the platform.

The Pros: 

+ Game design is perfect in how it doesn’t rely on constant difficulty to entertain the player but instead provides boss encounters that are presented in a unique and logical way.

+ The story of the game is really intense but is captivating in how it provides something different within the genre.

+ Visually the game is beautiful as the graphics have a nice sheen to them and the art design doesn’t stay within one style.

+ Akira Yamaoka’s score suits the game perfectly and creates an outstanding mood.

The Cons: 

- Occasionally it’s difficult to differentiate between enemy fire as it melds into the background easily.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

At this point when I go into a game I like to believe that I know what to expect.  Being a game “journo” and all I do have a rather extensive knowledge on some games leading up to their release so I know a thing or two about game X before I ultimately have the pleasure of reviewing it.  I don’t know if saying such a thing totally makes me out to be silly, but I’m just passionate about games so I often religiously follow a property way farther than most people tend to do.

Akira Yamaoka Returns To Score Second Silent Hill Movie

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 15:44
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Most films based on video games tend to be of a less than great quality but the Silent Hill film adaptation somewhat bucked that trend.  Far from being a complete marvel of celluloid perfection, Silent Hill’s film debut offered a somewhat loyal adaptation of what made the video game series so memorable. Certain elements of the plot were a bit hackneyed in their execution, but the visuals and quality acting made it a decent watch.  

Shadows of the Damned [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 07/05/2011 - 09:16
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Overall Feeling: 

Shadows of the Damned wears what it is right on the sleeve of its slick leather jacket: it’s a demon killing game with lots of dark humor and some wicked combat.  I don’t know what it is the team at Grasshopper Manufacture drinks or eats to make them think of such twisted visions and jokes, but what they’ve done in Shadows of the Damned is some of their best work.  Devoid of any major gameplay problems outside of a few poorly implemented level segments, taking a trip to the Underworld with your demon buddy in search of your one true love is extremely fun and for that I think people who enjoy out of the box games or cult films like Evil Dead owe it to themselves to play Shadows of the Damned.

The Pros: 

+ Grasshopper Manufacture + Shinji Mikami is a good combo since the core shooting mechanics of SOTD are fun and feel responsive.
+ I don’t think SOTD will be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like decapitated heads and an almost constant wave of dirty jokes then you’ll love what the story and writing has to offer.
+ The voice acting by actors Steven Blum and Greg Ellis is amazing and the soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka is an instant classic in my eyes.
+ The depiction of the Underworld and the design of the bosses offers a twisted yet often beautiful vision of utter madness.

The Cons: 

- Some of the levels feel a bit too claustrophobic and static despite some of the amazing art design that’s offered.
- There are a couple of level segment which could’ve used some fine tuning since they’re less than fun to play.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

There are some games that when you first go it and start playing you assume you already know everything that is to be expected from the game.  Outside of plot developments and certain boss encounters I think it’s safe to say that when someone plays a game such as Metal Gear Solid they’re going to expect lots of stealth action, a heavy helping of military mumbo jumbo and perhaps some supernatural elements that are on the verge of being ridiculous.  As a longtime fan of developer Grasshopper Manufacture and game designer Suda 51 I kind of had a general outline of what I was expectin

Shadows of the Damned Pre-Order Bonus Isn't A Ripoff At All

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 04:41
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Pre-order bonuses often tend to be a complete rip-off this generation with key in-game content being splintered from the core game only to be dished up as individual DLC for various retailers.  This of course is in stark contrast to the good old days of gaming in which gamers were rewarded with tight novelty t-shirts, action figures or slightly gaudy posters for their customer loyalty upon pre-ordering from shops like GameStop.

Shadows of the Damned Emerges Once More With New Screens + Video

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 11:46
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As an ardent fan of Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture I’ve been paying close attention to Shadows of the Damned.

Grasshopper Manufacture Podcast Episode 2: Special Guest Akira Yamaoka

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 04:37
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It’s Friday and you know what that means: another installment of the Grasshopper Manufacture podcast. Once again Grasshopper employees Esteban Salazar and John Davis are your hosts and this time they have a very special guest.  Acclaimed composer Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill 2) joins the show to discuss his career and what gamers can expect from his work on the mysterious Grasshopper EA Partners game.

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