Toaplan v2 and the Birth of Raizing: Sorcer Striker
4 days ago
- #arcade-games
- #shoot-em-up
- #gaming-history
- Toaplan's 'v2' chipset was used by Raizing for their first game, Sorcer Striker (Mahou Daisakusen in Japan).
- Raizing was formed by developers from Compile, known for games like MUSHA Aleste, who wanted to make arcade shoot 'em ups.
- Sorcer Striker's Korean version was manufactured in Korea and had a more aggressive difficulty curve compared to the Japanese and Western releases.
- The Toaplan v2 hardware featured the GP9001 chip, enabling advanced tilemaps and sprites, with later games adding a sophisticated text layer.
- Sorcer Striker's audio setup included a YM2151 FM synthesizer and an OKI M6295 for ADPCM sound effects, a setup also used in Batsugun.
- Raizing continued using the Toaplan v2 hardware until 1999, five years after Toaplan's bankruptcy, showcasing the hardware's longevity.
- The Mahou Daisakusen series included sequels like Kingdom Grandprix and Great Mahou Daisakusen, with characters appearing in other Raizing games.