ФантаВижн: Алаудың түс жұмбағы

Fantavision''', (ファンタビジョン, Fantabijon'') sometimes stylized as FantaVision, is a puzzle video game developed by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 (PS2). The game's objective is to use a cursor to select three or more launched fireworks (called "flares") of the same color in a row and then to detonate them to increase the player's score. Used in conjunction with various power ups, the resulting explosions can ignite and chain together even more flares for additional points. Fantavision was created during Sony's transition from its original PlayStation (PS1) to its next generation console. The game was initially conceived by director Katsuyuki Kanetaka, inspired by the fireworks shows he witnessed in his youth. After successfully pitching the project to Sony, Fantavision was supervised by the company's first party development head Shuhei Yoshida and was completed by a small team in a short time frame. The graphics emphasize the PS2's ability to show particle effects. Fantavision was released in Japan on March 9, 2000, a few days after the PS2 itself. It was released the same day as the console in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand later that year with an added two player mode. An updated version with this mode titled was released in Japan in 2002, featuring revised cutscenes and design. Fantavision was then remade for Japanese mobile phones starting in 2003. Finally, the game was digitally re released on Sony's newer consoles via the PlayStation Network outside of Japan beginning in 2015. The game received a mostly above average critical response with reviewers generally praising its visual presentation, core gameplay, and multiplayer. However, many found fault with the length and replay value of its single player experience when compared to contemporary titles in the puzzle genre.

Fantavision is a real time puzzle game that relies on quick color matching and symbol recognition skills from the player. The game consists of a series of stages set in darkened, 3D environments where brightly colored fireworks called '"flares" are launched onto the screen and will hover for a period of time before disappearing. Using the DualShock 2's left analog stick, the player controls the direction of a guideline ray extending from a circular cursor that allows a flare along the ray to be "captured" with the controller's X button. The goal is to string together three or more flares of the same color and then detonate them by pressing the circle button, thus increasing the player's score. Different types of flares can be encountered including "peonies", which explode in a circular fashion; "willows", which have sparks that descend downward in dome shape; and "multiflares", which break apart into smaller pieces that can be detonated a second time. Flashing flares called "wilds" can also be used to directly chain together flares of different colors. Flares not detonated before they disappear are considered "missed" and cause a "Play Meter" at the bottom of the screen to decrease. If flares are continuously captured and detonated for a specific period of time while keeping this meter from depleting, the player eventually advances to the next stage. If the Play Meter fully empties, the game ends.

Fantavision was produced by Japan Studio, the first party developer for Sony Computer Entertainment during the transition period to the corporation's next generation console, the PS2. After completing Ape Escape for the PS1, Fantavision was one of a handful of projects supervised by former head of Japan Studio Shuhei Yoshida before he left Japan to become vice president of product development at Sony's North American division. Yoshida recalled that the game was essentially created by a team of just three to five people in a mere six months time. Fantavision was director Katsuyuki Kanetaka's first game project, the concept for which he had devised around 1995. He stated that he was inspired by the fireworks shows he saw at Lake Biwa in his youth. Kanetaka admitted to having no experience programming, but prototyped Fantavision on the computer application Klik & Play and refined the idea through much trial and error. With the PS1 technically incapable of displaying the sheer number of desired visual effects on screen simultaneously, the director felt the impending release of the PS2 was the right time to pitch the game. After witnessing more fireworks demonstrations for research, the game's creators were still not initially confident they could replicate the more complex portions of the shows as no technological precedent existed. All the pyrotechnics displayed are individually rendered as 3D polygons. Despite this, Yoshida claimed that both he and his team were "ridiculed" within the company for working on a seemingly small scale puzzle game during Sony's move to newer hardware. Fantavision was announced in late 1999 as part of the initial lineup of PS2 software. It was the only game developed internally by Sony to accompany the PS2's debut. Yoshida explained that this was because Sony did not want to rush a large number of its products and compete with the slew of high quality, third party support the console was receiving at the time.

Fantavision was first prominently featured as part of the February 2000 PlayStation Festival at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. Though initially slated to be released alongside the console in Japan on March 4, 2000, Fantavision was extremely delayed up until March 9. at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in May, at the Tokyo Big Sight as part of the main event of the 21st Century Dream Technology Exhibition from July into August and at Olympia London for the European Computer Trade Show in September. The game hit store shelves the same day as the PS2 in North America on October 26, 2000: An updated version titled Futari no Fantavision was released in Japan on July 4, 2002, and included a two player mode and a remixed soundtrack. The North American version of Fantavision was composed by Ashif Hakik. Jim Croft composed for the PAL versions. An associate of Croft had a connection with Sony, which informed them that new music was needed because the Japanese score might be perceived as "too weird" for European consumers. The Japanese soundtracks for Fantavision and Futari no Fantavision (also by Terada) were released on March 24, 2000, and August 5, 2002, respectively. A mobile phone remake of Fantavision was made available for two Japanese mobile phone services: J Sky on July 16, 2003, and EZweb on July 3, 2008.

Overall, Fantavision received a slightly above average response from critics. It holds a score of 72 out of 100 on the review aggregator Metacritic, corresponding to "mixed or average reviews". and was a runner up for the "Best Puzzle Game" of 2000 award for both GameSpot and Official U. S. PlayStation Magazine. During the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Fantavision for the "Console Innovation" award. The general presentation of Fantavision has been universally compared to the arcade game Missile Command by Atari. Opinions on the particle effects and environments in Fantavision were largely favorable. The colorful, simulated pyrotechnics enjoyed such descriptions as "mesmerizing", "pretty", "beautiful", "gorgeous", and "jaw dropping" by various media outlets. Eric Bratcher of Next Generation lauded, "The screen constantly erupts in blossoms of bright, overloaded color and even the backgrounds pack a visual punch as you move from Earth to outer space and beyond." In the years following the game's original release, the notion that the game started as a PS2 technology demonstration prior to becoming a full fledged game has persisted among numerous media outlets. The addition of multiplayer to the Western localizations of Fantavision was praised. Hill called this mode "hugely entertaining" while the staff of Edge declared that its inclusion "cements Fantavisions status as an addictive, creative, and excellent title". Media Create reported that the game had sold 165,437 units in Japan by mid June 2000. Sales quickly tapered off and totalled 173,048 copies in the region by the end of 2000. The commercial performance of Fantavision outside of Japan was poor. It was only the 15th best selling PS2 title during the console's launch in the United States per data from The NPD Group. GfK Chart Track reported that the game was the 13th best selling PS2 title during its release week in the United Kingdom at just 826 copies sold.