Psikyo
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese video game company started in 1992. Psikyo is an off-shoot formed from the staff that created the Aero Fighters
Aero Fighters
Aero Fighters is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1992 by Video System, ported to the Super Famicom in 1993 and the Super Nintendo in 1994....
series for Video System
Video System
was a software company that was founded and ran by software designer Koji Furukawa in Kyoto, Japan in December 1984. It was best known for making video game titles for the arcades and other different platforms, including the Super Nintendo, Neo-Geo and Nintendo 64.They released various types of...
. Psikyo focused on arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s, mostly vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
s and pornographic mahjong
Mahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
games. The popularity of these arcade games led to them being ported to home consoles, and then ultimately to Psikyo developing games for consoles.
Psikyo was acquired by X-nauts in mid-2002. In 2003, it was reported that Psikyo was shutting down. Shortly afterwards, X-nauts stated this news was wrong. Games under the Psikyo label are still being released, but these games are outsourced to other teams.
Psikyo is known for its difficult "second loops"; after completing the game, you start again, with a high difficulty increase over the first "loop". This has been present in every Psikyo shooter, since Samurai Ace, and was present in Aero Fighters. This has even been extended to Aero Fighters 2
Aero Fighters 2
Aero Fighters 2 is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1994 by Video System.-Gameplay:The game is played with two buttons, with the A button firing bullets from the plane and the B button launching a special bomb attack which uses a bomb from a limited stock of bombs. Power...
and Aero Fighters 3
Aero Fighters 3
Aero Fighters 3 is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1995 by Video System.-Story:The world seems to be free from the menace of the evil alien forces. However, they are not willing to give up and launch a surprise attack against the Aero Fighters' base, effectively...
, although these games are not developed by Psikyo.
List of Psikyo releases
- Samurai AcesSamurai AcesSengoku Ace , also known as Samurai Aces, is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released by Psikyo in 1993. It was the first game by Psikyo and was designed by Shin Nakamura, the creator of Aero Fighters and the company's founder.-Story:The science fantasy story of Sengoku Ace...
/ Sengoku Ace - 1993 - Arcade - Battle K-RoadBattle K-Roadis a one-on-one fighting arcade game released by Psikyo in 1994.-Gameplay:The game focuses mostly on reality fighting than fictional. At the start of the game in 1P mode, the player will face against the other fighter that uses the same fighting style as the one the player chose...
- 1994 - Arcade - GunbirdGunbirdGunbird , retitled Mobile Light Force for the European and U.S. PlayStation releases, is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up released in 1994 by Japanese company Psikyo. It was followed by a sequel, Gunbird 2, in 1998.-Story:...
- 1994 - Arcade - Strikers 1945Strikers 1945Strikers 1945 is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1995 by Japanese company Psikyo. It was followed by two sequels, Strikers 1945 II in 1997 and Strikers 1945 III , as well as a version for SNK's Neo Geo called Strikers 1945 Plus Strikers 1945 is a vertically scrolling...
- 1995 - Arcade - Gunbird - 1995 - PlayStation
- Gunbird - 1995 - Saturn
- Tengai / Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode IISengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode IISengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II , also known as Tengai , is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up video game released for arcade machines in 1996 by Psikyo as a sequel to the 1993 shooter Sengoku Ace.- Gameplay :...
- 1996 - Arcade - Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II - 1996 - Saturn
- Strikers 1945 - 1996 - PlayStation
- Strikers 1945 - 1996 - Saturn
- Sol Divide - Sword of Darkness - 1997 - Arcade
- Strikers 1945 IIStrikers 1945 IIStrikers 1945 II is a vertically scrolling Dogfight shoot 'em up released in 1997 by Japanese company Psikyo. This game was also ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.-Story:...
- 1997 - Arcade - Taisen Hot Gimmick - 1997 - Arcade
- Zero GunnerZero GunnerZero Gunner is a shoot 'em up developed by Psikyo and released in 1997. The arcade game allows for eight-way movement using a joystick and supports up to two players at a time. It was notable for its lock on targeting mechanic that allowed players to rotate around targets...
- 1997 - Arcade - Daraku Tenshi - The Fallen AngelsDaraku Tenshi - The Fallen Angelsis a 2D versus fighting arcade game developed by the Steel Hearts development team and published by Psikyo. It is Psikyo's second attempt in the 2D versus fighting genre after Battle K-Road. Information about the game's development and fate are scarce, though it is widely reported that it was...
- 1998 - Arcade - Gunbird 2Gunbird 2Gunbird 2 is a 2D scrolling shooter, sequel to the original Gunbird game.-Story: Through gameplay cutscenes it appears that the zany, uproarious humor is considerably increased since the original Gunbird...
- 1998 - Arcade - Pilot Kids - 1998 - Arcade
- Space BomberSpace BomberSpace Bomber is a shoot 'em up arcade game released in 1998 by Japanese company Psikyo.-External links:**...
- 1998 - Arcade - Taisen Hot Gimmick Kairakuten - 1998 - Arcade
- Sol Divide - Sword of Darkness - 1998 - PlayStation
- Sol Divide - Sword of Darkness - 1998 - Saturn
- Strikers 1945 II - 1998 - PlayStation
- Strikers 1945 II - 1998 - Saturn
- Strikers 1945 IIIStrikers 1945 IIIStrikers 1945 III is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up released in 1999 by Japanese company Psikyo.- Gameplay :thumb|left|In-game screenshot...
/ Strikers 1999 - 1999 - Arcade - Strikers 1945 PlusStrikers 1945 PlusStrikers 1945 Plus is a shoot 'em up video game for the Neo Geo MVS arcade System created by Psikyo. This game is a remix of Strikers 1945 and Strikers 1945 II on a horizontal screen.-Gameplay:...
- 1999 - Arcade - Taisen Hot Gimmick 3 Digital Surfing 1999 - Arcade
- Dragon BlazeDragon BlazeDragon Blaze is a vertical scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game released in 2000 by Psikyo. It was ported in 2004 to the PlayStation 2 as part of the Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 3:Sol Divide & Dragon Blaze compilation...
- 2000 - Arcade - Lode Runner - The Dig Fight - 2000 - Arcade
- Quiz de Idol! Hot Debut - 2000 - Arcade
- Cannon SpikeCannon SpikeCannon Spike, known as ガンスパイク in Japanese arcades, is a multi-directional shooter arcade game released in 2000 by Psikyo and later in the same year for the Dreamcast by Capcom. It uses Capcom-designed characters and runs on Sega's Naomi Hardware...
(CapcomCapcomis a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
license) - 2000 - Arcade - Cannon Spike (Capcom license) - 2000 - Dreamcast
- Ikuze! Onsen Takkyuu!! - 2000 - PlayStation 2
- Gunbird 2 - 2000 - Dreamcast
- Gunbarich - 2001 - Arcade
- Zero Gunner 2Zero Gunner 2Zero Gunner 2 is a 3D multidirectional shooter developed by Psikyo as a sequel to Zero Gunner, the original arcade game. It was released for the Dreamcast in Japan in 2001.-Story:...
- 2001 - Arcade - Taisen Net Gimmick: Capcom & Psikyo All Stars (Capcom license) - 2001 - Dreamcast
- Zero Gunner 2 - 2002 - Dreamcast
- Cho Aniki:Legend of Holy Protein - 2003 - PlayStation 2
- G-TasteG-Tasteis an erotic manga series illustrated by the artist Hiroki Yagami and serialised in Young Magazine Upper's. The "G" in "G-taste" is used symbolically as the letter between "F" and "H" . The anime has been licensed in the US by Softcel Pictures. However the rights have since expired and now...
- 2003 - PlayStation 2
Psikyo label games not developed by Psikyo:
- Buggy Grand Prix:Kattobi! Dai-Sakusen - 2003 - PlayStation 2
- Gunbird 1 & 2 - 2004 - PlayStation 2
- Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 1: Strikers 1945 I & II - 2004 - PlayStation 2
- Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 2: Sengoku Ace & Sengoku Blade - 2004 - PlayStation 2
- Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 3: Sol Divide & Dragon Blaze - 2004 - PlayStation 2
- Taisen Hot Gimmick:Cosplay Mahjong - 2004 - PlayStation 2
- Sengoku Cannon - 2005 - PSP
- Taisen Hot Gimmick:Axes-Jong - 2005 - PlayStation 2
External links
- Official website
- Psikyo at IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- X-Naut.Psikyo at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...