Sakura Wars
The first game's overlap of the tactical role-playing, dating sim and visual novel genres prompted Sega to classify it as a "dramatic adventure", a moniker which has endured during the series' lifetime.
The Sakura Wars franchise includes numerous anime productions, manga, and other media projects such as stage shows.
[7] It was the last title developed for the platform,[11] receiving ports to Dreamcast and Windows,[12] and as a bundle with the first game to the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
[7][35] A mobile game by Sega and Delight Works, Sakura Kakumei ~Hana Saku Otome-tachi~ for iOS and Android devices was announced for a 2020 release in September.
[39] To combat this in Tokyo, the Japanese government created a unit of steam-based mecha called Koubu powered by spirit energy.
The first Sakura Wars and its sequel made use of a traditional turn-based battle system on a tilted two-dimensional grid-based battlefield.
[49][50] Sakura Wars 3 introduced the "Active & Realtime Machine System" (ARMS), which takes place in three-dimensional battle arenas.
[47][49][51][52] For the 2019 Sakura Wars, the battle system was redesigned to use action-based combat, focusing on free movement within large arenas.
[45] The most basic version was established in the first Sakura Wars,[57] then later expanded into "Double LIPS" with the incorporation of a personality meter which could indicate a character's feelings towards the player.
Hiroi drew inspiration from Japanese stage shows when creating the project, initially titled "Sakura" (桜).
[65][63][66] While the scenario and gameplay went through multiple redrafts, Sakura Wars always made use of a steampunk setting, a female lead and mecha combat.
[68] Following the critical and commercial success of Sakura Wars, Sega and Red Company expanded the original premise into a franchise, starting with Thou Shalt Not Die.
[57][58] A recurring feature from Thou Shalt Not Die onwards was the use of subtitles drawn from famous poetry or other types of fiction related to a game's location or mood.
[58][69][70] Following Thou Shalt Not Die, the team moved onto the Dreamcast to develop Sakura Wars 3, rebuilding the game engine and utilising the console's functions for gameplay elements.
[11] Following the release of Sakura Wars 3, Sega discontinued the Dreamcast because of declining console sales, transitioning to a software developer and publisher.
[17] In 2005, Red Entertainment split from Sega after it bought back its majority share holding, although it continued to be involved in the Sakura Wars series.
[73] Sega and Red Entertainment greenlit Dramatic Dungeon: Sakura Wars in an attempt to revitalise the franchise using a new gameplay genre.
[85] New team members included character designer Tite Kubo, and writers Jiro Ishii and Takaaki Suzuki, all famous names in anime and video games respectively.
[96] Tanaka has been involved to some degree in most of the Sakura Wars games, composing the music for all mainline entries, and several spin-off titles.
[99] Early efforts at localizing the series were not undertaken because of Sega's uncertainty over whether the game's blend of genres would find a large enough audience outside Japan to be profitable.
[101] The PSP ports of Sakura Wars and Thou Shalt Not Die were scheduled for the North American market, but it were canceled.
It was later explained that Sony classified Sakura Wars as a text novel, which made then-future licensing for importation and translation difficult.
[5][104] The first official English release in the Sakura Wars series is So Long, My Love, which was translated by NIS America in collaboration with Red Entertainment and Idea Factory.
[105][106] The team also included the Japanese voice track in the PlayStation 2 version, with a dedicated translation which preserved the original character names being created for it.
[102] Japanese website 4Gamer.net described the series as a "legendary" property connected to Sega, citing several elements such as the anime-style presentation and blend of genres that were hardly seen in gaming at the time.
[114] Prior to release, Sakura Wars was the second most-wanted game in a Famitsu poll in 1996, coming in behind Final Fantasy VII.
[57] These include anime, manga, stage shows, several light novels, concerts and CD album releases of soundtracks.
[121] A dedicated themed cafe and merchandise store based in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo, Sakura Wars Taisho Romando, opened in 1998.
[25][119][123] The cast, which grew to include those of later games, remained for the entire run with the exception of actress Michie Tomizawa who retired from the series and her role as character Sumire Kanzaki in 2002.
[144] A second OVA series, The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms, was released as six 30-minute episodes from 1999 to 2000, relating side stories from between Sakura Wars and the end of Thou Shalt Not Die.
