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wfmag.cc \ 53Tecmo \^ Developer ProfileFatal Frame
PS2 / Xbox / PS3 2001
Although less celebrated for their work than,
say, Capcom or Konami, Tecmo had form in
the horror genre, having released the less-well-
known Deception in the nineties. Fatal Frame’s
nifty ghost-fighting camera mechanic added
freshness to the haunted house proceedings,
and director Makoto Shibata’s use of pace and
atmosphere made the game genuinely scary.Tecmo Super Bowl
NES 1991
A sports game that, as we’ve already seen, is
still being played avidly decades later, Tecmo
Super Bowl displayed an admirable dedication
to realism – it featured all 28 NFL teams – but
also just enough arcade-style outlandishness to
make it enjoyable for those less steeped in the
sport’s sweaty minutiae. Little wonder it’s still
popular all these years later.
Dead or Alive
Arcade / PlayStation 1996
The game that helped revitalise a flagging
Tecmo, Team Ninja’s brawler was a slick and
exciting alternative to its competitors, with its
grappling moves being a welcome differentiator.
The series’ puerile dedication to jiggling bits of
anatomy has thankfully ebbed at least a bit in
more recent years, allowing the weightiness of
its combat to come to the fore.Ninja Gaiden
Xbox 2004
Some territories blanched at the
dismemberment and gore in Itagaki’s reboot,
but there was no denying that Ninja Gaiden
was a thrilling – and suitably tough – return
for the series. Some camera issues aside,
Ryu Hayabusa’s leap to the 3D hack-and-
slash format felt like a satisfying and
logical progression.
(^0809)
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