Zanac – 2015 Developer Interview (Patreon)

http://shmuplations.com/zanac/

In this lengthy 2015 interview, Compile alum Takayuki “Jemini” Hirono discusses the making of their popular vertical STG Zanac, a game that made waves with its use of dynamic auto-adjusting difficulty, relatively wide variety of weapons, and high-speed scrolling. Zanac also cemented Compile’s long and fruitful association with shooting games.

For as much popularity and success as Zanac found on Nintendo hardware in particular, Compile was unable to produce an immediate sequel due to ownership disputes with the publisher; the eventual sequel, 2001’s Zanac x Zanac for the original PlayStation, ended up being Compile’s final STG and one largely developed by newcomers, many of whom would form the STG-focused studio Milestone upon Compile’s closure.