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Aquales
Developer(s)Exact
Publisher(s)Exact
Designer(s)Hiroyuki Saegusa
Programmer(s)Kazuki Toyota
Artist(s)Toshimitsu Ōdaira
Composer(s)Hiroshi Yamamoto
Platform(s)X68000
Release
  • JP: 12 September 1991
Genre(s)Action role-playing, run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player

Aquales[a] is an action role-playing run and gun video game developed and published by Exact exclusively for the X68000 in Japan on September 12, 1991.[1][2] The second title to be created and released by Exact for the X68000 platform, the game takes place in the dystopian future of 2069 where the British Elias-Rits Investigative Unit ship went missing during a reconnaissance operation at the Kermadec Islands, as players assume the role of American pilot Fredric von Nyuya from the elite World-Ocean Development League squad taking control of a mecha in an attempt to unveil the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of the Elias-Rits embarkation during their operation. Its gameplay mainly consists of action and shooting mixed with mission-based exploration, as well as role-playing elements, using a main two-button configuration.

Created by most of the same staff who previously worked on Naious, Aquales and its plotline were initially envisioned as a manga series of 600 pages spanning over 13 volumes, but the storyline for the seventh volume was condensed into the game project.[2][3] Though it was initially launched by Exact on retail stores, the game would later be distributed through the Takeru software vending machines, which allowed users to write games on blank floppy disks.[1][4]

Aquales became another popular title among the X68000 userbase from Exact and received praise for the graphics, music and gameplay that would eventually lead it to being nominated for a "Game of the Year" award by Japanese magazine Oh!X under its genre.[5] Commercially however, it did not sell well when it was initially released. Despite being exclusive to Japan, it has been retrospectively referred by publications such as Retro Gamer to be one of the best titles for the system.[6][7] After its initial release, Exact would go on to develop their third title for the X68000, Étoile Princesse, which was released two years later to a similarly positive critical and audience response.

Gameplay

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Gameplay screenshot

Aquales is a side-scrolling action role-playing platform game with run and gun elements similar to Bionic Commando, Front Mission: Gun Hazard and Target Earth, where players assume the role of pilot Fredric von Nyuya from the elite W-ODL squad taking control of a mecha through eight stages of varying thematic set on a dystopian Earth, fighting enemies and bosses at the end of the each stage in order to unveil the truth behind the disappearance of the Elias-Rits embarkation during their assignation as the main objective.[6][7][8] Prior to starting, players have access to the configuration menu at the title screen of the game, where various settings can be adjusted. When starting a new game, the players are equipped with a number of weapons and tools under their disposal that can be expanded by finding new weapons, which are divided into four categories and most of them have their own advantages and disadvantages between each other, as well as items that are hidden in chests across each stage.[6][7][9]

By defeating enemies, players gain XP in order to increase their current experience level, health and attack output.[6][7] Controlling the mech is done with a directional pad, which moves the player character left and right, as well as both an attack and a jump button. Pushing the jump button while in mid-air activates a grappling hook that can allow the mech to pull forward, swing from the ceiling of any platform or jump into the latched platform.[6][7] Pressing both action buttons and down at the same time allows access to the inventory screen to choose a weapon. Once a stage is completed, the players' current progress is automatically saved. If the mech sustains too much enemy damage, the players lose a live and once all lives are lost, the game is over.

Synopsis

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The plot of Aquales begins in the year 2042, where 70% of the land on Earth is now covered by bodies of water due to the depletion of ozone and greenhouse effects caused by humankind, which resulted in the polar ice caps melting that raised the sea level at an alarmingly quick pace, leaving almost no terrain as a result. With the overpopulation of the remaining lands and the possibility of space colonization not being realizable yet, a major scientific research initiative in regards of sustaining life on the ocean is made, leading to the development of a Kermadic Trench at the Kermadec Islands in New Zealand. 27 years later, 82% of the planetary surface was now covered in water and the trench was still under the development phase, making the United Nations desperate for answers due to the lack of progression and sent the British Elias-Rits Investigative Unit ship for a reconnaissance operation, but contact with the unit eventually stopped. Another team was deployed in order to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Elias-Rits embarkation during their operation but with no success and, due to further research required exploring hostile environments in the deep sea, authorities dispatched a special elite squad known as World-Ocean Development League (W-ODL), which are renowned for piloting the Mid-Stanry submarine, to unveil the whereabouts of the ship, with the players assuming the role of American pilot Fredric von Nyuya controlling an advanced humanoid mecha.[2][8]

Development and release

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Aquales served as the second title to be developed and published by Exact for the Sharp X68000 and it was originally planned to be a manga series of 600 pages with over 13 volumes worth of storyline, but the plot for the seventh volume was instead condensed into a video game project, which was created by most of the same staff who previously worked on Naious, their first game project for the X68000.[1][2][3][10] The game was first planned for a retail release on August 24, 1991,[11][12][13][14] before being ultimately released on September 12 of the same year with a retail price of JP¥8,700.[15][16][17][18] It was later distributed through the Takeru software vending machines, which allowed users of the machine to download games by inserting a blank floppy disk.[1][4] In August 1992, a music album containing the original soundtrack composed by Hiroshi Yamamoto and Hiroyuki Saegusa, as well as arranged renditions of the soundtrack was released in Japan by Apollon.[19]

Reception

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Aquales was positively received by the audience and critics alike since its release, eventually proving to be another popular title from Exact among the X68000 userbase in Japan.[22][23][24][25] Nishikawa Zenji from Oh!X magazine praised multiple aspects such as the graphics, music and gameplay.[20] It was nominated for a "Game of the Year" award from Oh!X magazine under its genre, alongside other titles.[5] Despite the positive reception, it did not sell well during its original release. In a retrospective review, John Szczepaniak of Retro Gamer praised the visuals, audio and gameplay, regarding it as one of the best titles on the computer.[6][7]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: アクアレス, Hepburn: Akuaresu

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Tsuyāpu (January 1993). "Computer Entertainment Side - 現行ゲームソフト・カタログ・シリーズ 第1回 X68000シリーズ: エグザクト - アクアレス". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 127. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 215.
  2. ^ a b c d Gyusyabu 2001 (2019). "アクアレス for SHARP X68000" (in Japanese). Retro PC Game Music Streaming Radio. Archived from the original on 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2019-06-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b Exact (September 12, 1991). Aquales (Sharp X68000) (in Japanese). Exact. Level/area: System Disk.
  4. ^ a b Minato, Kazuhisa (August 4, 2016). "Soft Vendor TAKERU: The world's first App Store". A Game Programer in Japan. WordPress.com. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  5. ^ a b "The Softouch Special - 1991年度Oh!X Game of the Year". Oh!X (in Japanese). No. 119. SoftBank Creative. February 1992. pp. 22–27.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Szczepaniak, John (March 2010). "Import Only: Aquales". Retro Gamer. No. 74. Imagine Publishing. pp. 64–65.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Szczepaniak, John (August 7, 2017). "Aquales". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  8. ^ a b Aquales (アクアレス) ユーザーマニュアル (X68000, JP)
  9. ^ Zed (July 2014). "Japon BITS: La historia de los ordenadores SHARP - Juegos Para X68000". RetroManiac Magazine (in Spanish). No. 9. RetroManiac. pp. 218–220.
  10. ^ Exact (12 September 1991). Aquales (Sharp X68000) (in Japanese). Exact. Level/area: Staff.
  11. ^ Akira, Yamashita (May 1991). "Super Soft Hot Information - Birthday / Data Base". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 107. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. pp. 251–252.
  12. ^ Akira, Yamashita (June 1991). "Super Soft Hot Information - Birthday / Data Base". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 108. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 253.
  13. ^ Akira, Yamashita (July 1991). "Super Soft Hot Information - Birthday / Data Base". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 109. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 252.
  14. ^ "The Softouch - Software Information: アクアレス". Oh!X (in Japanese). No. 112. SoftBank Creative. July 1991. p. 31.
  15. ^ "Aquales (アクアレス)". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 110. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. August 1991. p. 200.
  16. ^ "Aquales (アクアレス)". Oh!X (in Japanese). No. 113. SoftBank Creative. August 1991. p. 14.
  17. ^ "The Softouch - Software Information: アクアレス". Oh!X (in Japanese). No. 113. SoftBank Creative. August 1991. p. 28.
  18. ^ "Aquales (アクアレス)". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 111. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. September 1991. p. 202.
  19. ^ "APCG-4023 - AQUALES - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2019-06-23.
  20. ^ a b Zenji, Nishikawa (November 1991). "The Softouch - Game Review - アクアレス". Oh!X (in Japanese). No. 116. SoftBank Creative. pp. 38–39.
  21. ^ "Gaming World - AQUALES (アクアレス)". Technopolis (in Japanese). Vol. 10, no. 111. Tokuma Shoten. November 1991. p. 23.
  22. ^ Kawaguchi, Caption (September 1991). "Super Soft 大特集 - 今月の注目ソフト: アクアレス". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 111. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 246.
  23. ^ Akira, Yamashita; Ryoryu (December 1991). "Super Soft Hot Information - Personal Computer (パソコン): Hot 40". Micom BASIC Magazine (in Japanese). No. 114. The Dempa Shimbunsha Corporation. p. 248.
  24. ^ "The Softouch - Software Information: Top 10". Oh!X (in Japanese). No. 117. SoftBank Creative. December 1991. p. 32.
  25. ^ "The Softouch - Software Information: Top 10". Oh!X (in Japanese). No. 118. SoftBank Creative. January 1992. p. 28.
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