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Contact (video game)
Encyclopedia
is a role-playing video game
developed by Grasshopper Manufacture
for the Nintendo DS
handheld game console
. It was published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan on March 30, 2006, by Atlus
in North America on October 19, 2006, and by Rising Star Games
in Australasia
and Europe
on January 25, 2007 and February 6, 2007 respectively.
The player is included in the storyline as a separate character from Terry, and the game's characters recognize the player as "controlling" Terry using the DS, breaking the fourth wall
. Throughout the game, the Professor will talk directly to the player to give hints on how to use the controls and to voice his concerns about Terry. The Professor is eager to keep the player's existence and their role in Terry's life a secret from the boy.
gain is instantaneous, meaning that leveling up in the middle of a battle is required, complementing the real time combat system. Rather than the tradition in RPGs where a character levels up, increasing multiple statistics
at once, Contact's experience system increases Terry's statistics individually as he performs different actions. For instance, when Terry takes damage, his defense increases; when he damages an enemy, his strength increases.
There is a costume
system through which new skills can be learned. Up to eight costumes can be obtained, turning Terry into such forms as a fisherman, a cook, a thief, an "aqua shot" (as is the name of the costume), a car driver, a digger and a pilot. With greater use, a costume will add extra powers to its associated skills and statistics, including elemental magic
and magical properties. Terry also has weapon-based skills. These weapons can be gathered as the player progresses. The weapons are divided into three different categories; punching (gloves), striking (clubs), and slashing (swords). Each skill can be upgraded by using each type of weapon throughout the game. Each enemy has its own weakness, so some of Contact's strategy involves switching to the appropriate weapon to exploit an enemy's weakpoint. The game also uses decals or stickers
. The player can stick multiple decals to Terry, resulting in added powers. Decals can also be used to attack enemies, heal the character's wounds, and other functions.
There are other statistics that affect Terry's relationship with the game's non-playable characters
, including fame, courage, and karma. The character can attack any NPC at will. As animosity towards Terry grows, townsfolk will attack Terry on the street or run when they see him. The game contains a number of side-quests. While none of these are necessary to complete the game, certain costumes cannot be obtained without completing a particular sidequest, and the sidequests themselves add significant replay value to the game. The game additionally makes use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
. During Contact Mode, the player can exchange friend codes with another player and make contact with one-another. In the single player adventure, upon reaching the WiFisland, all friends who have been contacted through friend codes appear as non-playable characters, sharing tips and items. Up to 8 players can be stored as NPCs in the WiFisland.
as the company's first RPG on the DS. Goichi Suda
, Grasshopper Manufacture president and supervisor for Contact, explained that they wanted to create the game in order to present something unique to the genre, as opposed to the traditional fantasy period pieces found in most RPGs. The developer also tried to push boundaries with the sound design, which consists of musical style "only possible in video games". The game's main designer and director is Akira Ueda
, a former Square
graphic designer and a prominent contributor to the Shining Soul
games. Ueda described the game's main storyline as providing a "framework of diversions" such as combat, item collection, and monster hunting. He also stated that the game uses the touchscreen in several ways through the game. "We've endeavoured to use as many of the DS' features as we could, but not in an obvious way," Ueda explained. "Our philosophy was 'How can we use these fantastic features properly?'. We wanted them to work for the story rather than dictate it, which is something we feel is incredibly important for an original concept like Contact."
Contact features Apple IIe
-style fonts on its title screen and 8-bit
mini-games. However, the main graphical draw of Contact is its contrast in art styles between the two DS screens. A simple, pixelated style makes up the top screen, while the bottom screen has a pre-rendered, detailed art style. These styles clash when the Professor transitions from one screen ot the other. Ueda was originally developing the game for the Game Boy Advance
. Producer Takeshi Ogura revealed that on this handheld, the two art styles were to switch back and forth. However, when development moved to the DS, the team decided to take advantage of the dual screens by showing them simulatenously. As implied by Ueda, this differentiation has been done purposely as "it underlines how the player and the Professor are aliens to each other. They must make contact, communicate and co-operate to make it through the game" and to "create feelings of nostalgia; just like the interplay between the 'real' and 'game' worlds."
Contact was picked for a North American release by Atlus
prior to its Japanese launch. The company's localization director, Tomm Hulett, was attacted to the style and humor of the game, comparing it to the cult-classic EarthBound
. As per the company's translation policy, the English language
localization of the game features no alterations from the original Japanese, aside from the name of the protagonist being changed from Cherry to Terry. According to Hulett, it was difficult trying to figure out which parts of the dialogue were serious and which were comical. Also, the files he used did not show which character was speaking, which was a problem when multiple characters conversed.
. Gamebrink gave the game 9.0/10.0, comparing the statistics and level systems to games like Oblivion
. The site praised the story, job system and, especially, the music, but defined the battles as "fairly shallow." On the other hand, the game received a 6.5 out of 10 by Steve Thomason in the November 2006 issue of Nintendo Power
. His major complaints were that the game was "frustrating because your objectives are often obtuse and unintuitive and the game can be brutally difficult."
Contact performed poorly on the Japanese market at just 6,064 copies sold during its first week on sale. Hulett suspects that the game suffered from low sales in the region due to the game's concurrent release with the highly-anticipated handheld title Mother 3
. However, it was announced during a 2006 interview between Gamasutra
and developer Grasshopper Manufacture that a sequel to Contact is in the works by Ueda's own company Audio, Inc.
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
developed by Grasshopper Manufacture
Grasshopper Manufacture
Grasshopper Manufacture, Inc. is a Japanese video game development house founded on March 30, 1998 in Suginami, Japan. Grasshopper gained mainstream attention in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 game Killer7...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
. It was published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan on March 30, 2006, by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
in North America on October 19, 2006, and by Rising Star Games
Rising Star Games
Rising Star Games is a video games publisher formed as a joint business venture between Scandinavian distributor Bergsala and Japanese video game publisher and content developer Intergrow....
in Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on January 25, 2007 and February 6, 2007 respectively.
Plot
The story begins with a scientist known as the Professor flying through space, fleeing from a mysterious enemy known only as the "CosmoNOTs" (Cosmic Nihilist Organization for Terror). He ends up crash landing on a strange planet, losing the "cells" that power his ship. Without power, he is stranded. He enlists the help of Terry, a young boy. Terry agrees to help the Professor by exploring the planet and locating the cells. Helping the Professor is the only way that Terry will be able to get home, but the Klaxon Army are tracking them down, the cells are hidden in some dangerous areas and, as the game progresses, the Professor's intentions are slowly thrown deeper and deeper into question.The player is included in the storyline as a separate character from Terry, and the game's characters recognize the player as "controlling" Terry using the DS, breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
. Throughout the game, the Professor will talk directly to the player to give hints on how to use the controls and to voice his concerns about Terry. The Professor is eager to keep the player's existence and their role in Terry's life a secret from the boy.
Gameplay
In Contact, the Professor talks directly to the player, giving instructions in order to help Terry. The game also differs from ordinary RPGs in that experienceExperience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
gain is instantaneous, meaning that leveling up in the middle of a battle is required, complementing the real time combat system. Rather than the tradition in RPGs where a character levels up, increasing multiple statistics
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
at once, Contact's experience system increases Terry's statistics individually as he performs different actions. For instance, when Terry takes damage, his defense increases; when he damages an enemy, his strength increases.
There is a costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
system through which new skills can be learned. Up to eight costumes can be obtained, turning Terry into such forms as a fisherman, a cook, a thief, an "aqua shot" (as is the name of the costume), a car driver, a digger and a pilot. With greater use, a costume will add extra powers to its associated skills and statistics, including elemental magic
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
and magical properties. Terry also has weapon-based skills. These weapons can be gathered as the player progresses. The weapons are divided into three different categories; punching (gloves), striking (clubs), and slashing (swords). Each skill can be upgraded by using each type of weapon throughout the game. Each enemy has its own weakness, so some of Contact's strategy involves switching to the appropriate weapon to exploit an enemy's weakpoint. The game also uses decals or stickers
Label
A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or article, on which is printed a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc. A label may also be printed directly on the container or article....
. The player can stick multiple decals to Terry, resulting in added powers. Decals can also be used to attack enemies, heal the character's wounds, and other functions.
There are other statistics that affect Terry's relationship with the game's non-playable characters
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
, including fame, courage, and karma. The character can attack any NPC at will. As animosity towards Terry grows, townsfolk will attack Terry on the street or run when they see him. The game contains a number of side-quests. While none of these are necessary to complete the game, certain costumes cannot be obtained without completing a particular sidequest, and the sidequests themselves add significant replay value to the game. The game additionally makes use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...
. During Contact Mode, the player can exchange friend codes with another player and make contact with one-another. In the single player adventure, upon reaching the WiFisland, all friends who have been contacted through friend codes appear as non-playable characters, sharing tips and items. Up to 8 players can be stored as NPCs in the WiFisland.
Development
Contact was developed by Grasshopper ManufactureGrasshopper Manufacture
Grasshopper Manufacture, Inc. is a Japanese video game development house founded on March 30, 1998 in Suginami, Japan. Grasshopper gained mainstream attention in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 game Killer7...
as the company's first RPG on the DS. Goichi Suda
Goichi Suda
, is the CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture. The "51" in his nickname, Suda51, is a pun on his given name. In Japanese, "Go" means 5 and "ichi" means 1. His works include Moonlight Syndrome, The Silver Case, Flower, Sun and Rain, Michigan, killer7, the No More Heroes series, and most recently, Shadows...
, Grasshopper Manufacture president and supervisor for Contact, explained that they wanted to create the game in order to present something unique to the genre, as opposed to the traditional fantasy period pieces found in most RPGs. The developer also tried to push boundaries with the sound design, which consists of musical style "only possible in video games". The game's main designer and director is Akira Ueda
Akira Ueda
is a Japanese video game designer, director, and graphical artist. After previously working for several notable companies, he currently designs games from his own company Audio, Inc.-Career:...
, a former Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
graphic designer and a prominent contributor to the Shining Soul
Shining Soul
is an action role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance. It is part of the Shining series. The game was followed by a sequel, Shining Soul II, in 2003...
games. Ueda described the game's main storyline as providing a "framework of diversions" such as combat, item collection, and monster hunting. He also stated that the game uses the touchscreen in several ways through the game. "We've endeavoured to use as many of the DS' features as we could, but not in an obvious way," Ueda explained. "Our philosophy was 'How can we use these fantastic features properly?'. We wanted them to work for the story rather than dictate it, which is something we feel is incredibly important for an original concept like Contact."
Contact features Apple IIe
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were only available as upgrades and add-ons in earlier models...
-style fonts on its title screen and 8-bit
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
mini-games. However, the main graphical draw of Contact is its contrast in art styles between the two DS screens. A simple, pixelated style makes up the top screen, while the bottom screen has a pre-rendered, detailed art style. These styles clash when the Professor transitions from one screen ot the other. Ueda was originally developing the game for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. Producer Takeshi Ogura revealed that on this handheld, the two art styles were to switch back and forth. However, when development moved to the DS, the team decided to take advantage of the dual screens by showing them simulatenously. As implied by Ueda, this differentiation has been done purposely as "it underlines how the player and the Professor are aliens to each other. They must make contact, communicate and co-operate to make it through the game" and to "create feelings of nostalgia; just like the interplay between the 'real' and 'game' worlds."
Contact was picked for a North American release by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
prior to its Japanese launch. The company's localization director, Tomm Hulett, was attacted to the style and humor of the game, comparing it to the cult-classic EarthBound
EarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
. As per the company's translation policy, the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
localization of the game features no alterations from the original Japanese, aside from the name of the protagonist being changed from Cherry to Terry. According to Hulett, it was difficult trying to figure out which parts of the dialogue were serious and which were comical. Also, the files he used did not show which character was speaking, which was a problem when multiple characters conversed.
Reception and legacy
Critical reception for Contact has been above average. The game currently hold an aggregate review score of 73% on both GameRankings and MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Gamebrink gave the game 9.0/10.0, comparing the statistics and level systems to games like Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
. The site praised the story, job system and, especially, the music, but defined the battles as "fairly shallow." On the other hand, the game received a 6.5 out of 10 by Steve Thomason in the November 2006 issue of Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
. His major complaints were that the game was "frustrating because your objectives are often obtuse and unintuitive and the game can be brutally difficult."
Contact performed poorly on the Japanese market at just 6,064 copies sold during its first week on sale. Hulett suspects that the game suffered from low sales in the region due to the game's concurrent release with the highly-anticipated handheld title Mother 3
Mother 3
Mother 3 is a role-playing video game developed by Nintendo, Brownie Brown and HAL Laboratory, and published for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It has only been released in Japan, alongside a limited supply bundle. It is the third video game in the Mother series, following EarthBound...
. However, it was announced during a 2006 interview between Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
and developer Grasshopper Manufacture that a sequel to Contact is in the works by Ueda's own company Audio, Inc.