Editing Zero Wing (section)

== Development ==
''Zero Wing'' was created by most of the same team that previously worked on several projects at Toaplan, with members of the development staff recounting its history through various Japanese publications. Toshiaki Ōta was at the helm as development chief and also served as [[Video game programmer|programmer]] alongside Hiroaki Furukawa and Tatsuya Uemura.<ref name="VGMDB">{{cite web|url=https://vgmdb.net/album/554|title=PCCB-00001 &#124; Zero Wing|work=vgmdb.net|publisher=VGMdb|access-date=2020-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520020705/https://vgmdb.net/album/554|archive-date=2020-05-20|url-status=live}} ([http://shmuplations.com/toaplanmusic/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022183049/http://shmuplations.com/toaplanmusic/|date=2019-10-22}}).</ref><ref name="ZWOS">{{cite video game|title=Zero Wing|developer=[[Toaplan]]|publisher=[[Sega]]|date=July 1992|platform=[[Sega Mega Drive]]|level=Zero Wing Original Staff}}</ref> Uemura also acted as [[Video game composer|composer]] along with Masahiro Yuge and Toshiaki Tomizawa.<ref name="VGMDB"/><ref name="ZWOS"/><ref name="PSGv10">{{cite magazine|last=Abeto|first=Kobatsu|title=東亜プランインタビュー|magazine=PSG|volume=10|publisher=F.S.G Club|date=September 1989|lang=ja}} ([http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-psg/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531193430/http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-psg/|date=2017-05-31}}).</ref><ref name="STGv4b">{{cite magazine|last1=Kiyoshi|first1=Tane|author2=hally (VORC)|last3=Yūsaku|first3=Yamamoto|title=東亜プラン特集 - 元・東亜プラン 開発者インタビュー: 弓削雅稔|magazine=Shooting Gameside|volume=4|publisher=Micro Magazine|date=3 February 2012|pages=41–48|lang=ja|isbn=978-4896373844}} ([http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-yuge1/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906023744/http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-yuge1/|date=2019-09-06}}).</ref> [[Video game artist|Artist]]s Miho Hayashi, Naoki Ogiwara and Shintarō Nakaoka created the artwork while Sanae Nitō and Yuko Tataka served as [[character designer]]s.<ref name="ZWOS"/><ref name="B!MD14">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/beep-megadrive-1990-11/page/n88/mode/1up|title=当世ゲーム業界 働く女性事情 - ワーキング・ガール: 田高祐子•二藤早苗 (東亜プラン) Character Designer|magazine=[[Gemaga|Beep! Mega Drive]]|issue=14|publisher=[[SB Creative|SoftBank Creative]]|date=November 1990|page=87|lang=ja}} ([http://shmuplations.com/womenofgamedesign/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121223355/http://shmuplations.com/womenofgamedesign/|date=2019-11-21}}).</ref>

Uemura stated that ''Zero Wing'' originally started as a project not intended for commercial launch to train new recruits at Toaplan, handling training for new hires while using his work and engine from ''[[Hellfire (video game)|Hellfire]]'' before ultimately deciding with releasing the game to the market, which made it a more practical learning experience for the new developers.<ref name="VGMDB"/><ref name="TFf25v9">{{cite magazine|author1=Iona|author2=VHS|author3=K-HEX|title=東亜プラン FOREVER|magazine=Floor 25|volume=9|date=June 2009|pages=1–70|lang=ja}} ([https://www.gamengai.com/#/cmnt-info?id=2332 Translation] by Gamengai. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010170328/https://www.gamengai.com/#/cmnt-info?id=2332|date=2020-10-10}}).</ref><ref name="TSCb">{{cite web|url=https://sweeprecord.com/toaplan-shooting-toku/|title=東亜プラン シューティングクロニクル 特設ページ|work=SweepRecord|publisher=SuperSweep|date=27 October 2011|access-date=2020-05-19|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215231114/https://sweeprecord.com/toaplan-shooting-toku/|archive-date=2020-02-15|url-status=live}} ([http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-chronicleqa/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002072400/http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-chronicleqa/|date=2019-10-02}}).</ref><ref name="STGv4a">{{cite magazine|last1=Kiyoshi|first1=Tane|author2=hally (VORC)|last3=Yūsaku|first3=Yamamoto|title=東亜プラン特集 - 元・東亜プラン 開発者インタビュー: 上村建也|magazine=Shooting Gameside|volume=4|publisher=Micro Magazine|date=3 February 2012|pages=33–40|lang=ja|isbn=978-4896373844}} ([http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-uemura1/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906023755/http://shmuplations.com/toaplan-uemura1/|date=2019-09-06}}).</ref><ref name="DOG">{{cite web|last=Lambie|first=Ryan|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/games/58480/toaplan-the-rise-and-fall-of-japans-greatest-shooting-game-company|title=Toaplan: the rise and fall of Japan's greatest shooting game company|work=[[Den of Geek]]|publisher=[[Dennis Publishing]]|date=21 June 2018|access-date=2020-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621073806/http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/games/58480/toaplan-the-rise-and-fall-of-japans-greatest-shooting-game-company|archive-date=21 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Wireframe13">{{cite magazine|url=https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org/issues/13|title=Interface - Developer Profile / Toaplan|magazine=[[Raspberry Pi Foundation#Magazine|Wireframe]]|issue=13|publisher=[[Raspberry Pi Foundation]]|date=9 May 2019|pages=50–51}}</ref> Uemura, however, felt that both stage design and characters were "cobbled together", leading the game's world being "kind of a mess" and he also stated the project turned into a "[[battle royal]]e", as staff from both ''Hellfire'' and ''[[Truxton (video game)|Truxton]]'' were mixed with the new recruits.<ref name="VGMDB"/><ref name="TSCb"/> Sound also proved to be very divisive as Uemura, Yuge and Tomizawa wrote several songs for the game with their own individual styles, though Uemura claimed this was due to dividing the work, while Yuge stated he would go to rest and drink after being stuck when composing for the title during work hours.<ref name="VGMDB"/><ref name="PSGv10"/><ref name="STGv4b"/><ref name="TSCb"/> Due to being a training project, Uemura stated that the team had freedom to "just fool around" and several features were integrated into the title such as warps, which was taken from ''[[Slap Fight]]''.<ref name="TSCb"/> Uemura also revealed that the reason for enemies spawning suicide bullets during loops of higher difficulty was in response to hardware limitations regarding [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]s.<ref name="TSCb"/> Both the single-player and co-op versions were also planned from the beginning of development due to pressure to make two-player games at the time.<ref name="TSCb"/> The alien Pipiru was designed by Ogiwara, though Uemura claimed such character was not planned.<ref name="TSCb"/>

The [[Sega Genesis|Sega Mega Drive]] version of ''Zero Wing'' was created by the same staff from the original arcade release, with Uemura overseeing development in-house.<ref name="ZWOS"/><ref name="B!MD14"/><ref name="TFf25v9"/><ref name="STGv4a"/><ref name="BTGwMY">{{cite journal|title=Behind The Game with Masahiro Yuge: Zero Wing|journal=Toaplan Shooter's Collector's Edition|publisher=Retro-Bit|date=2020|pages=1–5}}</ref> Both Uemura and Tataka have stated that working with the Mega Drive proved to be difficult due to several restrictions imposed by the hardware.<ref name="B!MD14"/><ref name="STGv4a"/> According to both Uemura and Yuge, the poor English translation in the Mega Drive version was handled by a then-member of Toaplan in charge of export and overseas business, whose English was "really terrible".<ref name="STGv4b"/><ref name="OZwgTU">{{cite podcast|host1=Brian Mosley|host2=James Brunner|url=https://pixelatedaudio.com/out-zone/|title=Out Zone with guest Tatsuya Uemura – PA76|publisher=Pixelated Audio|date=March 2017|access-date=2019-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023230947/https://pixelatedaudio.com/out-zone/|archive-date=2019-10-23|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The Mega Drive port features arranged music by [[Noriyuki Iwadare]].<ref name="STGv4a"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Greening|first=Chris|url=https://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/iwadare/biography.shtml|title=Noriyuki Iwadare :: Biography|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|date=27 June 2009|access-date=2020-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915225631/https://www.squareenixmusic.com/composers/iwadare/biography.shtml|archive-date=2019-09-15|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[TurboGrafx-16#TurboGrafx-CD/CD-ROM²|PC Engine CD-ROM²]] version was outsourced by an "acquaintance" from defunct developer Orca, with Uemura handling sound.<ref name="TFf25v9"/>