KANAGAWA, JAPAN, January 9th, 2024 -- Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward, a new original 2D fighting game, will release worldwide on Valve’s Steam platform and on the NESiCAxLive platform in Japanese arcades. The game release announcement was held at CES 2024 in collaboration with the gaming hardware maker MadCatz Global Limited.
This new Yatagarasu title builds upon the world and characters of the previous installment ‘Yatagarasu Attack on Cataclysm,’ with new characters and a painstakingly balanced gameplay, and also combines high-quality traditional pixel graphics with simple gameplay that anyone can easily pick up and enjoy.
Mad Catz Collaboration
The game also features an in-game collaboration with Mad Catz in the form of stages inspired by the renowned maker of gaming hardware.
The in-game Mad Catz stage is modelled after their actual touring stage and tournament setup. The stage setup changed with each round, show the progress of the tournament site preparations.
Distributor: Steam
Region: Worldwide
Price: $15 USD
Release timing: Q1 2024
OS: Windows10,11
Processor: 3.0GHz or better
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Graphics: Must support 640x480 resolution
DirectX: Version 9.0
Storage: 1 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectSound-compatible Sound Card
This game preserves the classic 2D fighting game format and features high-quality pixel graphics and a simple gameplay style that anyone can pick up.
But behind the scenes, a Japanese nationalist revolutionary group has staged a coup d’etat with the goal of restoring "the divine nation of Japan." The revolutionaries acted swiftly, seizing control of the Prime Minister’s residence, the police department, major corporations, and newspapers.
Struggling to react, former government forces initiated a secret plan to eliminate key figures involved in the coup through an assassination program known as "Yatagarasu." This covert opeation was assigned to the "Iga Clan", a ninja clan that exists today as an intelligence agency and who are also known as "Government Dogs."
An elderly butler who serves the last descendant of the now-deposed Suitoku royal family. Wugui was retained by the former king, but his demeanor and skills are uncharacteristic of a butler and his background is shrouded in mystery. He intends to use the current unrest in Japan to manipulate the government and restore the royal family.
"It's time to purge."
Ao Tienyi (VA: Yumiri Hanamori)
The last living descendant of the Suitoku royal family. When the royal family was dethroned, she was spirited away by Wugui and lived in hiding. She has agreed to Wugui’s plan to use the current unrest in Japan to rebuild her former kingdom. Tienyi is naturally timid, but decided to take on the role of the "bright and cheerful princess" after being deeply moved by Kotaro's acting.
"Have I become the lady you wish for?"
Sistan (VA: Hisako Kanemoto)
Originally an automated doll designed to bring joy to people, Sistan was reprogrammed by a certain nation to become a secret operative. She was dispatched to Japan on a mission to locate a ‘Divine Drive’ said to be able to predict any event or grant wishes.
"I will execute my orders... and eliminate all obstacles..."
"Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward" is an original 2D fighting game. Our goal was to provide easy-to-understand gameplay so many people can enjoy the fun of fighting games. We deliberately kept the gameplay simple and focused on building a strong base around the fundamentals of fighting games and enabling players to enjoy the fun, core aspects of fighting games.
・An Original 2D Fighting Game
An original 2D fighting game designed in the pixel art style which has become less common over the years. We paid close attention to designing appealing character designs and animations that can only be expressed in old-school pixel art.
・Core "blocking" System
Yatagarasu's core gameplay mechanic is the blocking / "BL" system, which centers on deflecting your opponent's attacks and counterattacking. This simple system makes it easy to understand and apply strategy in the game.
・Simple Game System
For a modern fighting game, Yatagarasu is very straightforward. Our goal was to create a game that anyone can pick up and play but also offers deep gameplay.
・Commentary System
In live settings, fighting games have an off-screen appeal that includes fun smack talk, cheering, and commentary to engage the audience. To recreate this lively off-screen excitement, we’ve integrated a commentary system into the game. This is a unique feature where real-time commentary and hype play out as matches develop.
・Network Battle Support
For "Yatagarasu Enter the Eastward", we've implemented our own netcode from scratch. You can enjoy smooth online battles with minimal network lag. This game includes a variety of features such as ranked matches, lobby matches, playing while waiting, and spectating. You can also use a website (Yatagarasu News) to check the current match status from your smartphone.
・Long Production Period and Intricate Improvements
We’ve worked on the production and updating this game for for a long time, constantly improving the quality while listening to feedback from the fighting game community.
About the Yatagarasu Development Team
This Japanese indie game production team was founded in 2008 by their representative ‘Shiza’ with the goal of taking the time and care to create titles with graphics and gameplay that are difficult to produce under commercial constraints. Their best known work is ‘Yatagarasu Attack on Cataclysm’, which released in 2015.
Press contact:
Shiza, Lead Developer
yatagarasuinfo@gmail.com
http://yataac.com/ee
Yatagarasu official X: https://twitter.com/yatagarasuinfo
Shiza X: https://twitter.com/shizap
About Mad Catz
Mad Catz® – the legendary gaming hardware brand – has been leading innovation in gaming
hardware for three decades. Mad Catz designs products for gaming across multiple platforms
including PCs, consoles, handheld consoles, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.
Headquartered in Kowloon, Hong Kong, Mad Catz Global Limited is the brand owner of Mad Catz
and has branches in Taiwan and China. Mad Catz, the Mad Catz logo, and R.A.T. are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Mad Catz Global Limited. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. For additional information about Mad Catz and
its products, please visit www.madcatz.com. Stay connected with Mad Catz on our social media
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