Fatal Frame
Encyclopedia
Fatal Frame, known as Project Zero in the PAL region
, and Zero Zero in Japan, is a survival horror video game series consisting of four installments and a spin-off
. The first and second games in the series were released for the PlayStation 2
and the Xbox
, the third has been released for the PlayStation 2, and the fourth for the Wii
. The series installments' plots deal with ghosts, exorcism, and "dark" Shinto rituals.
Created by Tecmo, Fatal Frame is one of the most well-received survival horror games to date. It was a unique entry in the genre, as the player explores a mansion and takes photographs of ghosts in order to defeat them. The Fatal Frame series has since gained a reputation as one of the most distinctive in the genre, with the first game in the series credited as one of the best-written survival horror games ever made, by UGO Networks.
. The Xbox version included smoother graphics, more costumes, more ghosts and an exclusive "Fatal Mode" that can be unlocked by completing the main game.
. Tentatively titled Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and published by Nintendo.
Ten years prior to the events of the game, five young girls were kidnapped by You Haibara, a criminal, from a mysterious sanatorium on Rougetsu Island. They were eventually rescued by Choushiro Kirishima, a detective pursuing the criminal. Several years after the incident, two of the girls (Marie Shinomiya and Tomoe Nanamura) died mysteriously. The three remaining girls, Misaki Asou, Ruka Minazuki and Madoka Tsukimori, now seventeen years old, return to the island to recover their lost memories and find out more of what happened that day. Choushiro continues to pursue Haibara, as well as aiding Ruka along the way.
The game was released in Japan on July 31, 2008, and so far sold around 75,000 copies making it the best sold game of the series in Japan. There are no plans for a western release, despite various claims of fans. However, an unofficial English translation patch has been released.
of Fatal Frame that was released only in Japan in October, 2004. The game made use of a cellphone camera as the camera obscura
and required the players to find ghosts and fight them. The game has more than 70 spirits that can be collected, including some from the first two games in the series.
of the Fatal Frame Series that has been announced to be released for the Nintendo 3DS. The game has so far only been announced for release in Japan on January 12, 2012.
Japanese "Occultist" that lived during the late nineteenth century. Using western technology, he developed inventions that would allow him and others to make contact with spirits in the "other world."
His inventions include the Camera Obscura, the primary weapon used to defend against ghosts throughout the series, the spirit stone radio, introduced in Fatal Frame II as a means to listen to the thoughts and memories of spirits that had been stored in special crystals, a projector capable of displaying ghostly images captured on film that motion picture cameras could not see, and the spirit stone flashlight, a weapon used in Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen.
According to Fatal Frame III, Asou's various inventions were eventually scattered about Japan and are now heavily sought after by collectors. The Camera Obscura used by Miku in the first game had once belonged to her mother, and Mio finds a different Camera Obscura while exploring the lost village, while the camera used in Fatal Frame III was discovered in the ruins of the Kuze Shrine by Kei Amakura.
In Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen, the Camera Obscura used by Madoka Tsukimori and Ruka Minazuki is an exhibit in the "Aso Museum" of Rougetsu Hall. This camera was left behind by Dr. Asou when he visited the island. However, Misaki Aso brought a different Camera Obscura belonging to her family as she is a descendant of Kunihiko Asou.
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
, and Zero Zero in Japan, is a survival horror video game series consisting of four installments and a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
. The first and second games in the series were released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, the third has been released for the PlayStation 2, and the fourth for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. The series installments' plots deal with ghosts, exorcism, and "dark" Shinto rituals.
Created by Tecmo, Fatal Frame is one of the most well-received survival horror games to date. It was a unique entry in the genre, as the player explores a mansion and takes photographs of ghosts in order to defeat them. The Fatal Frame series has since gained a reputation as one of the most distinctive in the genre, with the first game in the series credited as one of the best-written survival horror games ever made, by UGO Networks.
Fatal Frame (2001)
After having received almost no news for over a week, Miku goes into the Himuro Mansion to look for her missing brother, Mafuyu Hinasaki. She finds no trace of her brother, except for her mother's old camera that Mafuyu brought along with him. Realizing that she is now trapped within the mansion, Miku continues searching for her brother and a way out. The game was later ported to the XboxXbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The Xbox version included smoother graphics, more costumes, more ghosts and an exclusive "Fatal Mode" that can be unlocked by completing the main game.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (2003)
Twin sisters Mio and Mayu Amakura are visiting a childhood play spot, when Mayu follows a mysterious crimson butterfly deep into the forest. Concerned for her twin, Mio follows Mayu, and the two twin sisters are led to a lost village. When they reach the village, they notice that the path they took to this mysterious place has vanished. Mio must uncover the mystery behind the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual, while chasing her sister, who is becoming increasingly possessed by the evil spirit of Sae, the last girl to be sacrificed. Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003, a Director's Cut edition was later released for the Xbox in 2004. The director's cut added several updates to the gameplay, such as a first-person play mode, a survival mode, a new ending, enhanced graphics, and a greater number of alternate costumes to unlock.Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (2005)
Released only for the PlayStation 2, the game follows Rei Kurosawa, a 23 year old freelance photographer. While on an assignment taking pictures of a supposedly haunted mansion, the image of her deceased fiancé appears in a photograph. Afterwards, Rei begins having strange recurring dreams of an old Japanese manor during a heavy snowfall and observes her fiancé entering the house. She follows his figure into the house, where the dream becomes a nightmare.Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen (2008)
The fourth installment of the Fatal Frame series was developed for the Wii in co-production with 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...
. Tentatively titled Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and published by Nintendo.
Ten years prior to the events of the game, five young girls were kidnapped by You Haibara, a criminal, from a mysterious sanatorium on Rougetsu Island. They were eventually rescued by Choushiro Kirishima, a detective pursuing the criminal. Several years after the incident, two of the girls (Marie Shinomiya and Tomoe Nanamura) died mysteriously. The three remaining girls, Misaki Asou, Ruka Minazuki and Madoka Tsukimori, now seventeen years old, return to the island to recover their lost memories and find out more of what happened that day. Choushiro continues to pursue Haibara, as well as aiding Ruka along the way.
The game was released in Japan on July 31, 2008, and so far sold around 75,000 copies making it the best sold game of the series in Japan. There are no plans for a western release, despite various claims of fans. However, an unofficial English translation patch has been released.
Fifth installment (TBA 2011)
The fifth Fatal Frame game is to be released on the Wii. It was announced at the Nintendo Conference 2010.Real: Another Edition (2004)
Real: Another Edition is a cellular based spin-offSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Fatal Frame that was released only in Japan in October, 2004. The game made use of a cellphone camera as the camera obscura
Camera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
and required the players to find ghosts and fight them. The game has more than 70 spirits that can be collected, including some from the first two games in the series.
Spirit Camera: The Possessed Notebook (2012)
Spirit Camera: The Possessed Notebook (心霊カメラ ～憑いてる手帳～; Shinrei Camera ~Tsuiteru Techou~) is a spin-offSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the Fatal Frame Series that has been announced to be released for the Nintendo 3DS. The game has so far only been announced for release in Japan on January 12, 2012.
Story background and history
Throughout the series, references are made to Kunihiko Asou, a fictitiousFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
Japanese "Occultist" that lived during the late nineteenth century. Using western technology, he developed inventions that would allow him and others to make contact with spirits in the "other world."
His inventions include the Camera Obscura, the primary weapon used to defend against ghosts throughout the series, the spirit stone radio, introduced in Fatal Frame II as a means to listen to the thoughts and memories of spirits that had been stored in special crystals, a projector capable of displaying ghostly images captured on film that motion picture cameras could not see, and the spirit stone flashlight, a weapon used in Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen.
According to Fatal Frame III, Asou's various inventions were eventually scattered about Japan and are now heavily sought after by collectors. The Camera Obscura used by Miku in the first game had once belonged to her mother, and Mio finds a different Camera Obscura while exploring the lost village, while the camera used in Fatal Frame III was discovered in the ruins of the Kuze Shrine by Kei Amakura.
In Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen, the Camera Obscura used by Madoka Tsukimori and Ruka Minazuki is an exhibit in the "Aso Museum" of Rougetsu Hall. This camera was left behind by Dr. Asou when he visited the island. However, Misaki Aso brought a different Camera Obscura belonging to her family as she is a descendant of Kunihiko Asou.