Omega 6: The Triangle Stars is a nostalgic throwback to the classic days of adventure gaming, crafted by the renowned Takaya Imamura. With 32 years as Nintendo’s art director under his belt, Imamura’s artistic influence in the gaming world is undeniable. His legacy at Nintendo includes iconic creations like F-Zero’s Captain Falcon, the cast of Star Fox, and the unforgettable mask from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
Following his impressive career, Imamura branched out to realize a personal dream—creating the manga Omega 6, which has already found its way to readers in France. Riding the wave of this newfound independence, Imamura has since turned Omega 6 into a charming 16-bit adventure game, fueled by the same creativity that defined his Nintendo projects. In a chat with Game Rant, Imamura shared insights into his creative vision and how the game invites players to explore a diverse array of planets.
### Omega 6: The Triangle Star is Set Apart, Not Competing with Baldur’s Gate
In today’s world, a lot of games attempt to weave intricate narratives, often diving into weighty philosophical themes, complex moral choices, or unexpected plot twists. The storytelling in video games has evolved to a remarkable level of sophistication, a trend that Imamura has intentionally sidestepped. Rather than delving into this complexity, he chose for Omega 6: The Triangle Stars to be a heartfelt nod to the simpler, old-school days of gaming. Imamura articulates:
> “This philosophy guides both the comic and the game. Over the years, we’ve seen games, comics, and movies dive deep into character complexities and meanings. Personally, I felt the need to step back a bit. With its retro look and feel, that’s where my interests lie.
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> More than anything, I hope players walk away with a sense of nostalgia—back to their childhood, a time when life was less complicated. It’s all about those simple joys.”
This isn’t to say Omega 6 lacks a compelling storyline. It unfolds in a universe where humans have achieved impressively long lifespans. However, the surge of extraterrestrial visitors has started to push humans out, prompting the launch of the Omega 6 starship in search of a new home for humanity. Against this backdrop, players travel with Thunder, Kyla, and their robotic companion Prop on a journey laden with treasure hunting and encounters across the variegated planets.
### Omega 6: The Triangle Stars Excels in Planetary Diversity
Any captivating space adventure needs a variety of worlds to explore, and Omega 6: The Triangle Stars is no exception. Imamura explains that adding these planets was a practical way to address the need for environmental diversity throughout the game. Simply put, exploring a single planet can quickly become monotonous, which nudged the developers to modify their initial plans. Imamura shares:
> “The three planets emerged from a desire to engage players by providing diverse locations within the game. It’s about introducing variety rather than leading players through the same settings repeatedly.
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> We wanted this variety to be easily understood, so breaking the game into three planets was the logical move. Initially, it was just one planet with satellites, but as we approached completion, we realized it wasn’t ideal in terms of scale. That’s when we thought, ‘What if these moons were planets?’ That’s how The Triangle Stars subtitle came into play—it was quite a last-minute addition.
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> The themes of the planets are straightforward: one is hot, another cold, and one is riddled with treasure hunters and shady characters. The aim wasn’t to provide deep explorations but rather to make it easy for players to remember where they are, what happened, and what they can expect to find.”
In keeping with its simpler roots, akin to a fun Saturday morning cartoon, Omega 6: The Triangle Stars doesn’t delve deeply into complex cultures as seen in games like Mass Effect. Instead, it emphasizes offering a playful mix of environments that help guide players without complicating their sense of adventure, honoring those cherished memories of gaming from the past.
