OMEGA 6 THE TRIANGLE STARS" is a 16-bit era respect adventure game that offers adventures in a generous space opera world!

Takaya Imamura, who worked on art direction and character design for Nintendo's "F-Zero," "Star Fox" and "The Legend of Zelda" series, is now independent. His new game, ......, which has attracted a lot of attention, is "OMEGA 6 THE TRIANGLE STARS".

This game is based on Mr. Imamura's original manga "OMEGA6" published in France, and is a sharply pointed adventure game, a command-choice type adventure game with pixel art that respects the 16-bit era. In this article, we will give a spoiler-free report on the playing field of this "OMEGA 6 THE TRIANGLE STARS".

The protagonists of this game are two artificial beings, Thunder and Kayla, who are traveling through space in search of a new world. The human population on Earth is aging and many of its cities have been taken over by space immigrants. Dr. Franklin, an authority on longevity research, is concerned about this situation and creates Thunder and Kyra. He gave them a mission to search for a new place where mankind can thrive, and sent them off on the spaceship "Omega 6.

This time, the two explore three planets: Impostor, a planet teeming with diverse aliens; Igni, a planet of fire with a harsh environment; and Hrothrara, a planet of ice where the rich and powerful gather. What kind of adventures will unfold? ......

There is no need to be self-conscious about the fact that this is a science fiction film. It is an old-fashioned space opera-like world where aliens are more vulgar than earthlings, "space flyers" dance in space, and planets are bought and sold on loan, so it is enjoyable without any logic.

The first thing that catches the eye are the characters designed by Imamura. They are drawn in the American comic style that is Imamura's specialty, and are truly unique. The characters are also very familiar and easy to relate to. Although the two main characters are artificial humans, Thunder is a tough guy who tends to pursue his romantic interests, such as bonsai trees, while Kayla is more of a realist who is frightening ...... once she gets angry, and they have a human touch.

The supporting characters, such as the robot Prop, the good-natured alien Flabo, and the headless knight who looks scary but is soft-spoken, have faces and names that are hard to forget once you see them. The characters are so convincing that you will never forget their names and faces once you see them.

The aliens they encounter are also a mass of individuality: some have animal motifs such as fish and pigs, some have faces attached to their bellies, some have limbs growing directly from their eyeballs, and some have faces composed only of giant lips and eyeballs. Such are the people who hang out in the hustle and bustle and wilderness of the three planets.

Some of them are begging for money, some are challenging us to a fight, and some even call themselves "earthlings" and make dubious sales pitches even though they don't look earthly in appearance. Every time a new face appears, one wonders if he or she is a friend or foe. The variety of silhouettes, vivid colors, retro-futuristic design, and pixel art are a perfect match, giving the game the feel of a space opera from a bygone era, like the bar in "Star Wars" Episode IV or an even older sci-fi adventure. The aliens you meet will be added to your library, so you'll be motivated to see what the next one will bring out.

The game system is a point-and-click adventure game that respects the 8- and 16-bit era, which is a must for those who know those days. The feeling of clicking around the pixel-art backgrounds in search of clues, and being struck in the knees by the cleverly crafted messages and flavor text on background posters and billboards that have nothing to do with the main story, is unmistakably from that era. The commands at the top of the screen also make me smile when I think of the function keys that would have been assigned as shortcuts in the heyday of hobby PCs, such as .......

On the other hand, there are many modern features, the most impressive of which is the money feature. In order to progress in the game, you need to earn money, and to do so, you have to perform tasks such as deliveries, capturing bounty hunters, and defeating vermin (like monsters). This area is similar to the quests in recent games, and the accumulation of money itself becomes fun. Sometimes, the right to stay on a planet is prorated by the day, and you have to re-purchase it every time it expires. This is a good use of money while creating a space opera feel that is mundane in spite of being in space.

Another modern feature is the bonsai trees, which are useful in the battles described below. The Omega 6 has a bonsai room on board, where Sander's favorite bonsai grows and produces a strange fruit. The bonsai pots and branches can be arranged to your liking, and the customizability of the bonsai is very much like a modern video game. You can also collect artifacts, which is another fun aspect of modern collecting.

The most impressive aspect of the game is the battle. Combat in this game is based on rock-paper-scissors-scissors, and the moves that can be made are represented as "rock-paper-scissors" cards. The player and the enemy play cards together, and if the player wins, he or she is dealt damage, and vice versa if the player loses. When one of the players runs out of energy, the game is settled. ...... Of course, the cards are finite and will not be replenished until you run out of cards in your hand. In other words, it is possible for a player to run out of cards in a crucial hand at a crucial moment.

Since both the opponents and the players have a limited number of cards in their hands, it is important to read the opponents' hands and their tendencies. The enemy also has a deck of "rock-paper-scissors" cards, but some of them are turned inside out, so the contents are unknown. Only the cards that will allow you to win the game with your best moves are revealed, but you have to guess what the rest of the cards are.

Thunder's special move is "par" and Kayla's is "goo," and winning with these moves causes more damage, but there is no compensation for winning or losing the rock-paper-scissors game. However, there is no compensation for winning or losing a game of rock-paper-scissors. If the enemy plays a choki or a par, the player loses, wasting a valuable skill. To avoid such a situation, if the opponent tries to defeat your special skill, you can play behind his/her back and enjoy the psychological game of guessing what the rest of the cards are by looking at the partially disclosed cards in the opponent's hand .......

Since the basic rule is rock-paper-scissors-scissors, there are times when luck is involved in the game, but there are also times when you really want to win, such as in an event.

In such cases, the fruits in the bonsai trees come into play. The fruit can restore your strength, improve your abilities, color-code your opponent's flipped-over hand according to his or her hand of Guchokipa, or play a specific move regardless of what you have in your hand. When you cannot afford to lose, you should throw in fruit sparingly.

To do this, you need to prepare by buying nutritional supplements for cultivation, setting these up in the bonsai room, and remembering to harvest the fruits when they are ripe. You can gobble up the fruit with powerful fruit, but the penalty is typical of this work: as a side effect, Thunder and Kayla will look older.

This work has a clear concept: a nostalgic space opera feel with a mix of American comic book-style aliens, but presented as a 16-bit era-style adventure game. It will be nostalgic for those who know those days, and a fresh surprise for those who don't. We hope you will give it a try and enjoy its fascinating worldview.

Game Information

OOMEGA 6 THE TRIANGLE STARS

Genre: Retro-future adventure

Platform: Nintendo Switch / Steam

Platform: Nintendo Switch / Steam ・Nintendo Switch version on sale now, Steam version to be released in 2025

Price: Nintendo Switch download version: 2,970 yen (including tax), regular package version: 3,850 yen (including tax), special package version: 8,470 yen (including tax), special package version + art book & color paper set: 16,500 yen (including tax)

Developer: Happy Meal / Prioscine

Publisher: City Connection

Number of players: 1

Rating: CERO: B (for ages 12 and up)