Changes: Vampire Night

Revision as of 04:43, 16 September 2020

Let us settle this once and for all. Who shall live and who shall die.
Flyer

Vampire Night (ヴァンパイアナイト, Vanpaia Naito^?) is a horror-themed rail shooting game developed by Sega WOW Entertainment (formerly Sega AM1) and published by Namco in 2000. Originally released to arcades, it was ported to the PlayStation 2 in December 2001.

Set in an alternate universe, centuries after a conflict between humans and vampires, the game follows vampire hunters Michel and Albert as they battle the vampire leader Auguste.

Jointly developed by Sega, WOW Entertainment, and Namco, Vampire Night draws heavy influence from the gameplay and presentation of the House of the Dead series. The game received mixed reviews upon release, with many critics noting its similarities to The House of the Dead 2.^[1]

Plot

Setting

Vampire Night takes place in an alternate version of France in 2006. However, progress appears to be stuck in the late 19th century. The first two chapters take place in French villages, while the remaining four take place in the castle of Auguste.

Each level has an elemental/primal motif: air, earth, fire, darkness, water, and moon.

Characters

The main antagonist is Auguste, the leader of the vampires, who tires of immortality and creates vampire hunters Michel and Albert -- the protagonists -- to end his life. Auguste soon fears death, stripping the hunters of their powers and sending his loyal followers to kill them.

The members of Auguste's court include Bathe'lemy, a knight who is curious about death; Guillaume, a former scientist who conducted cruel human experiments; Raoul, a fencer who seeks to avenge his love interest by killing humans; and Diane, a mermaid who became a vampire after falling in love with Auguste.

Accompanying Michel and Albert on their journey is Caroline, a young girl whose village was ravaged by vampires.

Synopsis

300 years ago in a battle against the Vampire Hunters, Auguste desired to end his life. When he began to fear death, however, the Vampire Hunters lost their strength since Michel and Albert were merely shadows created by Auguste to kill himself. Now, 300 years later, Auguste wished to end the battle once and for all...
The Past II

300 years after a battle between humans and vampires, Auguste tires of immortality and wishes to end his own life. He creates vampire hunters Michel and Albert to achieve this, but grows fearful of death and enlists his followers to stop them.

In 2006, Michel and Albert travel through France to Auguste's castle. They rescue a young girl, Caroline, from villagers under the influence of the vampiric parasite Sarcoma. A knight serving under Auguste named Bathe'lemy duels the hunters in the city square but is defeated.

In the castle, Caroline is kidnapped by the mad scientist Guillaume, who battles the hunters on a rooftop; upon defeat, he refuses to be killed by humans and commits suicide. Later, fencer Raoul challenges the hunters, seeking revenge on humanity after the death of his lover Sophie. Raoul sacrifices his soul to become a vampire, but upon defeat becomes human again; Michel urges him to "live life as a human" and to "fight [his] soul once again".

Auguste's lover, the mermaid Diane, insists that she stop the hunters. Caroline begs that a compromise be reached between humans and vampires, which Diane rejects. Diane transforms into a vampire, but is ultimately defeated; before dying, she considers Caroline's idea as a possibility.

Michel and Albert confront Auguste, who transforms into his vampire form to do battle. Although Auguste is killed, the hunters -- their mission completed -- let the rising sun end their own lives as well.

Six months later, Caroline pays her respects the vampire hunters' graves, stating that "[her] heart shall remember all... That day, that moment, and what happened". The game ends as her summer hat gets carried away by the wind.

Gameplay

Vampire Night recycles numerous gameplay mechanics from the House of the Dead games. Players shoot approaching enemies with a light gun and reload by shooting outside the screen. The guns can shoot up to 8 bullets before reloading. Damage from enemies removes a life; losing them all results in a game over. Bonus lives are potentially awarded by rescuing villagers, finding life-up icons in destroyable objects, or earning a good ranking at the end of a level. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 also have branching paths, where the player's actions alter the route through the levels.

Villagers behave similarly to the civilians from the House of the Dead series in that they often award bonus lives, but are under the influence of the Sarcoma parasite. The player must shoot the Sarcoma in order to rescue them; failure results in the villager becoming a vampire enemy but there is no life penalty.

Enemy health is measured by health bars that appear over their bodies. Every enemy has a weak point that must be shot to kill them quicker. Bosses have health bars as well as a "cancel" meter, which must be depleted quickly in order to stop attacks.

Chapters

Development

Arcade version

Inception and concept

TomoyasuVNInterview2 — *Vampire Night* director and planner Yoshinori Tomoyasu.

Yoshinori Tomoyasu, the planner of Sega WOW Entertainment, sought to develop a game on Namco's PlayStation 2-based System 246 arcade hardware. He was then introduced to Namco president Masaya Nakamura by former Sega AM1 head Rikiya Nakagawa.^[2] Ultimately, both companies collaborated: Sega would produce a game on the System 246 hardware, with Namco helping manufacture and distribute it.^[3] In addition, Sega adopted Namco's practice of porting System 246 arcade titles to the PlayStation 2.^[4]

Tomoyasu served as the director and planner of Vampire Night.^[2] Takashi Oda, the director of the main House of the Dead series, was also involved in development.^[5] The game was inspired by the 1999 science fiction film The Matrix. Although the vampire hunters were given more character than protagonists in the House of the Dead games, more focus was placed on the boss design.^[2]

Gameplay

Vampire CA 1 — Concept art of a vampire enemy.

Tomoyasu altered The House of the Dead and The House of the Dead 2's civilian mechanic so that players must "[snipe]" small parasites from their bodies; shooting the civilian instead transforms them into a vampire enemy. To balance Vampire Night's difficulty, Tomoyasu removed life penalties from shooting civilians and increased the player's bullet count from 6 to 8.^[2]

The "attack gauge" mechanic initially did not exist in development, but Tomoyasu created it because he thought The House of the Dead 2's bosses were "quite difficult". He envisioned that the attack gauge would help players see how close they were to successfully stop a boss attack phase.^[2] Since the release of Vampire Night, Tomoyasu's concept has been used in further House of the Dead games, beginning with The House of the Dead III in 2002.

PlayStation 2 port

Tomoyasu and another director oversaw the development of Vampire Night's port to the PlayStation 2. The team resorted to "trial and error" with the porting because they were still unfamiliar with the System 246 hardware. There were ideas to add more enemies, levels, and branching paths in the port's Special Mode, but they could not be realized within the time allotted to port the game.^[2]

Release

A PlayStation 2 port of the game with additional game modes was released in Japan on December 6, 2006.^[6]

Trivia

During the stage 1 boss fight in the 2003 Namco rail shooter Time Crisis 3, there is a billboard that features Vampire Night and other Namco game titles. Like Vampire Night, Time Crisis 3 was a System 246 arcade release.^[7]

Gallery

Arcade flyers

Game covers

Game discs

Magazine articles

Promotional advertising

References

↑ "Vampire Night for PlayStation 2 (2001) MobyRank" (English). MobyGames. Retrieved on August 5, 2020.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 Kawamoto, Masumi (December 28, 2001). "特別インタビュー" (Japanese). GAME Watch. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved on May 21, 2020. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content
↑ IGN Staff (February 15, 2001). "One Tiny New Detail on Vampire Night" (English). IGN. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. “Sega will be developing the Vampire Night game using Namco's PS2-based System 246 arcade hardware. Namco, in addition to supplying the base hardware, will manufacture the game and distribute it to arcades. All this is part of an arcade partnership deal between the two companies that was announced last year.”
↑ IGN Staff (February 13, 2001). "Namco and Sega Join Hands on Arcades" (English). IGN. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. “In the future, Sega plans to further adopt Namco's program, in which games that are developed on Namco's proprietary System 246 -- which is compatible with PlayStation 2 -- will then most likely be ported to PS2 sometime in the future. Using this system [requires] less programming in required for porting, and therefore costs less for both developer and publisher... Sega plans to bolster its profitable arcade game operations and increase supply of software for PlayStation 2.”
↑ Kori (September 7, 2012). "Website of the Dead’s Exclusive Interview with Takashi Oda" (English). The Website of the Dead. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. “Other than The House of the Dead, I have worked on mostly arcade shooters like “Vampire Night” and “Rambo”.”
↑ Yukiyoshi Ike Sato (May 17, 2006). "Vampire Night release date set" (English). GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. “On Monday, Namco revealed that it will release Vampire Night for the PS2 on December 6 in Japan. The game will have new features such as a training mode and a new mode, that includes its own set of side quests and the ability to customize character parameters with items.”
↑ "Namco System 246 Hardware (Namco)". System 16 - The Arcade Museum. Retrieved on July 29, 2020.

External links

v • econtent
Protagonists	Michel • Albert • Caroline • Gaston
Antagonists/Bosses	Bathe'lemy • Guillaume • Rauoul • Diane • Auguste
Vampires	Hemavora • Geomige • Velocipher • Griffaer • Fercis • Morlet • Dumur • Ignis • Votroche • Cirverg • Cermitt • Neriphor • Petrovuh • Morciel • Malglace • Sarcoma
Chapters	Scarlet Snow Prelude • Sword Dance Sonata • Burning Rhapsody • Phantasma Concerto • Vinculum Nocturne • Moonlight Symphony
Other pages	Lore (Castle • Village • Handgun • Hunter's Files ) Vampire Night Perfect Guide • Special Mode (Mission Files • Training Mode • Shop )

v • eThe House of the Dead games
Main series	The House of the Dead (Remake) • 2 (Remake) • III • 4 (Special) • Scarlet Dawn
Spin-offs	Zombie Revenge • The Typing of the Dead (2 • Overkill) • The Pinball of the Dead • English of the Dead • EX slot machine • The House of the Dead: Overkill (Extended Cut) • Loving Deads • Darts of the Dead • Scarlet Dawn (Battle Genesis • On Reels • THE ATTRACTION) • Reels
Prototypes	The House of the Dead (arcade prototype • Sega Saturn prototype) • 2 (Original Sin prototype) • Scarlet Dawn (prototypes)
Compilations	2 & 3 Return
Mobile games	Mobile • Nightmare • Zombie Da: Flick of the Dead • Overkill: The Lost Reels
Non-HOD games	Vampire Night • Sega Golden Gun • Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Gameplay mechanics	Bonus items • Branching paths • Civilians • Health • Weak points
Developers	Sega • Sega AM1 • Namco • Forever Entertainment • MegaPixel Studio • TA Publishing
Staff	Takashi Oda • Rikiya Nakagawa
Other content	Hiiro Sumomo • References in popular culture • Unused content

[1] "Vampire Night for PlayStation 2 (2001) MobyRank" (English). MobyGames. Retrieved on August 5, 2020.

[:0-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 Kawamoto, Masumi (December 28, 2001). "特別インタビュー" (Japanese). GAME Watch. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved on May 21, 2020. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":0" defined multiple times with different content

[3] IGN Staff (February 15, 2001). "One Tiny New Detail on Vampire Night" (English). IGN. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. “Sega will be developing the Vampire Night game using Namco's PS2-based System 246 arcade hardware. Namco, in addition to supplying the base hardware, will manufacture the game and distribute it to arcades. All this is part of an arcade partnership deal between the two companies that was announced last year.”

[4] IGN Staff (February 13, 2001). "Namco and Sega Join Hands on Arcades" (English). IGN. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. “In the future, Sega plans to further adopt Namco's program, in which games that are developed on Namco's proprietary System 246 -- which is compatible with PlayStation 2 -- will then most likely be ported to PS2 sometime in the future. Using this system [requires] less programming in required for porting, and therefore costs less for both developer and publisher... Sega plans to bolster its profitable arcade game operations and increase supply of software for PlayStation 2.”

[5] Kori (September 7, 2012). "Website of the Dead’s Exclusive Interview with Takashi Oda" (English). The Website of the Dead. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. “Other than The House of the Dead, I have worked on mostly arcade shooters like “Vampire Night” and “Rambo”.”

[6] Yukiyoshi Ike Sato (May 17, 2006). "Vampire Night release date set" (English). GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. “On Monday, Namco revealed that it will release Vampire Night for the PS2 on December 6 in Japan. The game will have new features such as a training mode and a new mode, that includes its own set of side quests and the ability to customize character parameters with items.”

[7] "Namco System 246 Hardware (Namco)". System 16 - The Arcade Museum. Retrieved on July 29, 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 </gallery>
 |developer(s) = WOW Entertainment (SEGA AM1)
-|publisher(s) = [[Namco]]|release_date = March, 2000 (Arcade)
+|publisher(s) = [[Namco]]|release_date = *March, 2000 (Arcade)
-December 6, 2001 (PlayStation 2)
+*December 6, 2001 (PlayStation 2)
-|platform(s) = Arcade, PlayStation 2
+|platform(s) = *Arcade
+*PlayStation 2
 |arcade_cabinet = Namco System 246}}
 {{Quote|Quote = Let us settle this once and for all. Who shall live and who shall die.|Attribution = Flyer}}
 {{Nihongo|'''''Vampire Night'''''|ヴァンパイアナイト|Vanpaia Naito}} is a horror-themed rail shooting game developed by [[Sega]] WOW Entertainment (formerly Sega AM1) and published by [[Namco]] in 2000. Originally released to arcades, it was ported to the PlayStation 2 in December 2001.
-Set in an alternate universe, centuries after a conflict between humans and [[vampires]], the game follows vampire hunters [[Michel]] and [[Albert]] as they battle the forces of [[Count Auguste]].
+Set in an alternate universe, centuries after a conflict between humans and [[vampires]], the game follows vampire hunters [[Michel]] and [[Albert]] as they battle the vampire leader [[Auguste]].
-Jointly developed by [[Sega]], WOW Entertainment, and Namco, ''Vampire Night'' draws heavy influence from the gameplay and presentation of the ''[[The House of the Dead (franchise)|House of the Dead]]'' series.
+Jointly developed by [[Sega]], WOW Entertainment, and Namco, ''Vampire Night'' draws heavy influence from the gameplay and presentation of the ''[[The House of the Dead (franchise)|House of the Dead]]'' series. The game received mixed reviews upon release, with many critics noting its similarities to ''[[The House of the Dead 2]].''<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.mobygames.com/game/ps2/vampire-night/mobyrank|language = English|publisher = ''MobyGames''|accessdate = August 5, 2020|title = "Vampire Night for PlayStation 2 (2001) MobyRank"}}</ref>
 ==Plot==
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 ===Setting===
-''Vampire Night'' takes place in an alternate version of France in 2006, when progress became stuck in the late 19th century. The first two chapters take place in French villages, while the remaining four take place in the castle of Count Auguste.
+''Vampire Night'' takes place in an alternate version of France in 2006. However, progress appears to be stuck in the late 19th century. The first two chapters take place in French villages, while the remaining four take place in the castle of Auguste.
-Each level has an elemental/primal motif: air, earth, fire, darkness, water, and light.
+Each level has an elemental/primal motif: air, earth, fire, darkness, water, and moon.
 ===Characters===
-The main antagonist is Count Auguste, the leader of the vampires, who tires of immortality and creates vampire hunters Michel and Albert -- the protagonists -- to end his life. Auguste soon fears death, stripping the hunters of their powers and sending his loyal followers to kill them.
+The main antagonist is Auguste, the leader of the vampires, who tires of immortality and creates vampire hunters Michel and Albert -- the protagonists -- to end his life. Auguste soon fears death, stripping the hunters of their powers and sending his loyal followers to kill them.
-The members of Auguste's court include [[Bathe'lemy]], a knight who is curious about death; [[Guillaume]], a former scientist who conducted cruel human experiments; [[Raoul]], a fencer who seeks avenging his love interest by killing humans; and [[Diane]], a mermaid who became a vampire after falling in love with Auguste.
+The members of Auguste's court include [[Bathe'lemy]], a knight who is curious about death; [[Guillaume]], a former scientist who conducted cruel human experiments; [[Raoul]], a fencer who seeks to avenge his love interest by killing humans; and [[Diane]], a mermaid who became a vampire after falling in love with Auguste.
 Accompanying Michel and Albert on their journey is [[Caroline]], a young girl whose village was ravaged by vampires.
 ===Synopsis===
-{{Quote|Quote = 300 years ago in a battle against the Vampire Hunters, Auguste desired to end his life. When he began to fear death, however, the Vampire Hunters lost their strength since Michel and Albert were merely shadows created by Auguste to kill himself. Now, 300 years later, Auguste wished to end the battle once and for all...|Attribution = The Past II}}
+{{Quote|Quote = 300 years ago in a battle against the Vampire Hunters, Auguste desired to end his life. When he began to fear death, however, the Vampire Hunters lost their strength since Michel and Albert were merely shadows created by Auguste to kill himself. Now, 300 years later, Auguste wished to end the battle once and for all...|Attribution = The Past II}}300 years after a battle between humans and vampires, Auguste tires of immortality and wishes to end his own life. He creates vampire hunters Michel and Albert to achieve this, but grows fearful of death and enlists his followers to stop them.
-years after a battle between humans and vampires, Count Auguste tires of immortality and wishes to end his own life. He creates vampire hunters Michel and Albert to achieve this, but grows fearful of death and enlists his followers to stop them.
-In 2006, Michel and Albert travel through France to Auguste's [[castle]]. They rescue a young girl, Caroline, from villagers under the influence of the vampiric parasite [[Sarcoma]]. A knight serving under Auguste named Bathe'lemy duels the hunters in the city square, but is defeated.
+In 2006, Michel and Albert travel through France to Auguste's [[castle]]. They rescue a young girl, Caroline, from villagers under the influence of the vampiric parasite [[Sarcoma]]. A knight serving under Auguste named Bathe'lemy duels the hunters in the city square but is defeated.
 In the castle, Caroline is kidnapped by the mad scientist Guillaume, who battles the hunters on a rooftop; upon defeat, he refuses to be killed by humans and commits suicide. Later, fencer Raoul challenges the hunters, seeking revenge on humanity after the death of his lover Sophie. Raoul sacrifices his soul to become a vampire, but upon defeat becomes human again; Michel urges him to "live life as a human" and to "fight [his] soul once again".
@@ Line 48: / Line 47: @@
 Michel and Albert confront Auguste, who transforms into his vampire form to do battle. Although Auguste is killed, the hunters -- their mission completed -- let the rising sun end their own lives as well.
-Six months later, Caroline pays her respects the vampire hunters' graves, stating that "[her] heart shall remember all.... That day, that moment, and what happened". The game ends as her summer hat gets carried away by the wind.
+Six months later, Caroline pays her respects the vampire hunters' graves, stating that "[her] heart shall remember all... That day, that moment, and what happened". The game ends as her summer hat gets carried away by the wind.
 ==Gameplay==
-''Vampire Night'' recycles numerous gameplay mechanics from the ''House of the Dead'' games. Players shoot approaching enemies with a light gun and reload by shooting outside the screen. The guns can shoot up to 8 bullets before reloading. Damage from enemies removes a [[life]]; losing them all results in a game over. Bonus lives are awarded by rescuing villagers, finding life-up icons in destructable objects, or earning a good ranking at the end of a level. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 also have [[branching paths]], where the player's actions alter the route through the levels.
+''Vampire Night'' recycles numerous gameplay mechanics from the ''House of the Dead'' games. Players shoot approaching enemies with a light gun and reload by shooting outside the screen. The guns can shoot up to 8 bullets before reloading. Damage from enemies removes a [[life]]; losing them all results in a game over. Bonus lives are potentially awarded by rescuing villagers, finding life-up icons in destroyable objects, or earning a good ranking at the end of a level. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 also have [[branching paths]], where the player's actions alter the route through the levels.
 Villagers behave similarly to the [[civilians]] from the ''House of the Dead'' series in that they often award bonus lives, but are under the influence of the Sarcoma parasite. The player must shoot the Sarcoma in order to rescue them; failure results in the villager becoming a vampire enemy but there is no life penalty.
@@ Line 70: / Line 69: @@
 == Development ==
-=== Inception and concept ===
+=== Arcade version ===
-Yoshinori Tomoyasu, the planner of Sega WOW Entertainment, sought developing a game on Namco's PlayStation 2-based System 246 arcade hardware.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref> He was then introduced to Namco president Masaya Nakamura by former Sega AM1 head Rikiya Nakagawa.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref> Ultimately, both companies collaborated: Sega would produce a game on the System 246 hardware, with Namco helping manufacture and distribute it.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/15/one-tiny-new-detail-on-vampire-night|title = One Tiny New Detail on Vampire Night|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200422193147/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/15/one-tiny-new-detail-on-vampire-night|archivedate = April 22, 2020|author = IGN Staff|date = February 15, 2001|publisher = ''IGN''|quote = Sega will be developing the Vampire Night game using Namco's PS2-based System 246 arcade hardware. Namco, in addition to supplying the base hardware, will manufacture the game and distribute it to arcades. All this is part of an arcade partnership deal between the two companies that was announced last year.}}</ref> In addition, Sega adopted Namco's practice of porting System 246 arcade titles to the PlayStation 2.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/14/namco-and-sega-join-hands-on-arcades|title = Namco and Sega Join Hands on Arcades|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131205174004/http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/14/namco-and-sega-join-hands-on-arcades|archivedate = December 5, 2013|author = IGN Staff|date = February 13, 2001|publisher = ''IGN''|quote = In the future, Sega plans to further adopt Namco's program, in which games that are developed on Namco's proprietary System 246 -- which is compatible with PlayStation 2 -- will then most likely be ported to PS2 sometime in the future. Using this system [requires] less programming in required for porting, and therefore costs less for both developer and publisher... Sega plans to bolster its profitable arcade game operations and increase supply of software for PlayStation 2.}}</ref>
+==== Inception and concept ====
+[[File:tomoyasuVNInterview2.jpg|thumb|223x223px|''Vampire Night'' director and planner Yoshinori Tomoyasu.|right]]
+Yoshinori Tomoyasu, the planner of Sega WOW Entertainment, sought to develop a game on Namco's PlayStation 2-based System 246 arcade hardware. He was then introduced to Namco president Masaya Nakamura by former Sega AM1 head Rikiya Nakagawa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20011228/vpk.htm|title = "特別インタビュー"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200422200300/https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20011228/vpk.htm|archivedate = April 22, 2020|last = Kawamoto|first = Masumi|date = December 28, 2001|publisher = ''GAME Watch''|accessdate = May 21, 2020|language = Japanese}}</ref> Ultimately, both companies collaborated: Sega would produce a game on the System 246 hardware, with Namco helping manufacture and distribute it.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/15/one-tiny-new-detail-on-vampire-night|title = "One Tiny New Detail on Vampire Night"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200422193147/https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/15/one-tiny-new-detail-on-vampire-night|archivedate = April 22, 2020|author = IGN Staff|date = February 15, 2001|publisher = ''IGN''|quote = Sega will be developing the Vampire Night game using Namco's PS2-based System 246 arcade hardware. Namco, in addition to supplying the base hardware, will manufacture the game and distribute it to arcades. All this is part of an arcade partnership deal between the two companies that was announced last year.|language = English}}</ref> In addition, Sega adopted Namco's practice of porting System 246 arcade titles to the PlayStation 2.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/14/namco-and-sega-join-hands-on-arcades|title = "Namco and Sega Join Hands on Arcades"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131205174004/http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/14/namco-and-sega-join-hands-on-arcades|archivedate = December 5, 2013|author = IGN Staff|date = February 13, 2001|publisher = ''IGN''|quote = In the future, Sega plans to further adopt Namco's program, in which games that are developed on Namco's proprietary System 246 -- which is compatible with PlayStation 2 -- will then most likely be ported to PS2 sometime in the future. Using this system [requires] less programming in required for porting, and therefore costs less for both developer and publisher... Sega plans to bolster its profitable arcade game operations and increase supply of software for PlayStation 2.|language = English}}</ref>
+Tomoyasu served as the director and planner of ''Vampire Night''.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref> [[Takashi Oda]], the director of the main ''House of the Dead ''series, was also involved in development.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=1622|title = "Website of the Dead’s Exclusive Interview with Takashi Oda"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20190805132746/http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=1622|archivedate = April 19, 2020|author = Kori|date = September 7, 2012|quote = Other than The House of the Dead, I have worked on mostly arcade shooters like “Vampire Night” and “Rambo”.|publisher = ''The Website of the Dead''|language = English}}</ref> The game was inspired by the 1999 science fiction film ''The Matrix''. Although the vampire hunters were given more character than protagonists in the ''House of the Dead ''games, more focus was placed on the boss design.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref>
+==== Gameplay ====
+[[File:Vampire CA 1.jpg|thumb|223x223px|Concept art of a vampire enemy.]]
+Tomoyasu altered ''[[The House of the Dead (1996 video game)|The House of the Dead]] ''and ''[[The House of the Dead 2|''The House of the Dead 2'']]''<nowiki/>'s civilian mechanic so that players must "[snipe]" small parasites from their bodies; shooting the civilian instead transforms them into a vampire enemy. To balance ''Vampire Night''<nowiki/>'s difficulty, Tomoyasu removed life penalties from shooting civilians and increased the player's bullet count from 6 to 8.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref>
-Tomoyasu served as the director and planner of ''Vampire Night''.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref> [[Takashi Oda]], the director of the main ''House of the Dead ''series, was also involved in development.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=1622|title = "Website of the Dead’s Exclusive Interview with Takashi Oda"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20190805132746/http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=1622|archivedate = April 19, 2020|author = Kori|date = September 7, 2012|quote = Other than The House of the Dead, I have worked on mostly arcade shooters like “Vampire Night” and “Rambo”.|publisher = ''The Website of the Dead''}}</ref> The game'' ''was inspired by the 1999 science fiction film ''The Matrix''.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref> Although the vampire hunters were given more character than protagonists in the ''House of the Dead ''games, more focus was placed on boss design.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref>
+The "attack gauge" mechanic initially did not exist in development, but Tomoyasu created it because he thought ''The House of the Dead 2''<nowiki/>'s bosses were "quite difficult". He envisioned that the attack gauge would help players see how close they were to successfully stop a boss attack phase.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref> Since the release of ''Vampire Night'', Tomoyasu's concept has been used in further ''House of the Dead ''games, beginning with ''[[The House of the Dead III]] ''in 2002.
-=== Gameplay ===
+=== PlayStation 2 port ===
+Tomoyasu and another director oversaw the development of ''Vampire Night''<nowiki/>'s port to the PlayStation 2. The team resorted to "trial and error" with the porting because they were still unfamiliar with the System 246 hardware. There were ideas to add more enemies, levels, and branching paths in the port's [[Special Mode]], but they could not be realized within the time allotted to port the game.<ref name=":0" />
-Tomoyasu recycled the civilian mechanic from ''[[The House of the Dead (1996 video game)|The House of the Dead]] ''and ''[[The House of the Dead 2]]'', but modified it so that players must "[snipe]" small parasites from their bodies; failure to do so results in the civilian turning into a vampire enemy. To balance the difficulty, Tomoyasu removed the life penalty for accidentally shooting a civilian.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref>
+== Release ==
-Unlike the first two ''House of the Dead ''games, the player's guns have 8 bullets instead of 6; this was another attempt to balance the difficulty, as Tomoyasu has described ''Vampire Night ''as "[requiring] rapid fire".<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref>
+A PlayStation 2 port of the game with additional game modes was released in Japan on December 6, 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.gamespot.com/articles/vampire-night-release-date-set/1100-2811558/|title = "Vampire Night release date set"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200522175730/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/vampire-night-release-date-set/1100-2811558/|archivedate = March 22, 2020|author = Yukiyoshi Ike Sato|date = May 17, 2006|quote = On Monday, Namco revealed that it will release Vampire Night for the PS2 on December 6 in Japan. The game will have new features such as a training mode and a new mode, that includes its own set of side quests and the ability to customize character parameters with items.|publisher = ''GameSpot''|language = English}}</ref>
+== Trivia ==
-The "attack gauge" mechanic initially did not exist in development, but Tomoyasu created it because he thought ''The House of the Dead 2''<nowiki/>'s bosses were quite difficult. He envisioned that the attack gauge would help players see how close they were to successfully stopping a boss phase.<ref name=":0">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fgame.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2F20011228%2Fvpk.htm&sandbox=1 Game Watch - "Vampire Night" Developer Interview]</ref> Since the release of ''Vampire Night'', Tomoyasu's concept has been used in further ''House of the Dead ''games, beginning with ''[[The House of the Dead III]] ''in 2002.
+* During the stage 1 boss fight in the 2003 Namco rail shooter ''[[w:c:timecrisispedia:Time Crisis 3|Time Crisis 3]]'', there is a billboard that features ''Vampire Night'' and other Namco game titles. Like ''Vampire Night'', ''Time Crisis 3 ''was a System 246 arcade release.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=543&page=1|title = "Namco System 246 Hardware (Namco)"|publisher = ''System 16 - The Arcade Museum''|accessdate = July 29, 2020}}</ref>
 == Gallery ==
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 Play DE 2001-11 page 48.jpg
 Joypad FR 107 page 148.jpg
+File:Joypad_Issue_110_page_73.jpg
 </gallery>
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 VN PS2 advert3.jpg
 Vpk00.jpg
+VN01.jpg
 </gallery>
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 {{VampireNight}}
+{{Games}}
 [[Category:Games]]
 [[Category:Non-HOD games]]