Omega 6: The Triangle Stars is a nostalgic nod to the golden age of gaming, crafted by none other than the esteemed Takaya Imamura. With a 32-year tenure as Nintendo’s art director, Imamura has profoundly shaped the gaming landscape. He’s the mastermind behind creations like F-Zero’s Captain Falcon, various Star Fox personas, and the unforgettable mask featured in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
After bidding farewell to decades at Nintendo, Imamura set his sights on a personal project—creating his manga, Omega 6, which was proudly launched in France. Riding the wave of creative freedom, he transformed this narrative into a 16-bit adventure game brimming with the same imaginative artistry that he poured into some of Nintendo’s most iconic designs. In a conversation with Game Rant, Imamura delved into his aspirations for the game and his innovative approach to crafting its planetary adventures.
In today’s gaming world, developers often strive for sprawling narratives that tackle deep philosophical themes, ethical quandaries, or mind-boggling plot twists. Storytelling has taken on a new complexity and weight, something Imamura consciously sidestepped. His vision for Omega 6: The Triangle Stars was to whisk gamers back to a time when things were simpler, crafting a game that feels as retro in spirit as it does in appearance. Imamura elaborates:
“This holds true for both the comic and the game. Nowadays, many games, comics, and movies delve into profound meanings and character arcs. Personally, though, I wanted to take a breather from that. The game carries that old-school look and vibe, which is very much what I’m about.”
“I hope that players come away with a strong sense of nostalgia—a throwback to their childhood, to a time when life was simpler. Those simple joys are what I aim to capture.”
That’s not to say Omega 6: The Triangle Stars doesn’t harbor compelling tales. The game is set in a universe where human lifespans have stretched to amazing lengths, and Earth is experiencing an influx of extraterrestrials that has begun displacing people. This migration triggers the creation of the Omega 6 starship, on a mission to find humanity a new frontier. Players join Thunder, Kyla, and their robot companion, Prop, on a treasure hunt across various planets, meeting an assortment of characters along their journey.
A true space adventure wouldn’t be complete without diverse worlds to explore, and Omega 6: The Triangle Stars certainly delivers. Imamura points out that implementing these various planets was a straightforward answer to needing environmental diversity. Sticking to just one planet felt monotonous, steering the team toward a fresh direction as development went along. Imamura shares:
“The concept behind these three planets is tied to making the game more interesting by providing diverse locations for players to explore. It’s all about introducing variety rather than having players visit repetitive settings.”
“To make this variety intuitive, we divided the game across three planets. Initially, it was one planet with several moons, but as we progressed, we thought the scale didn’t feel right. So we questioned, ‘What if these moons became full-fledged planets?’ That’s how ‘The Triangle Stars’ subtitle came about—it was a late addition.”
“In terms of the planets’ themes, they’re quite straightforward—a hot one, a cold one, and one filled with treasure hunters and dubious folks. The idea wasn’t to add intense depth but rather to make it easy for players to remember their surroundings, what events took place, and what kind of atmosphere they were engaging with.”
Maintaining its simplicity akin to a light-hearted Saturday morning cartoon, Omega 6: The Triangle Stars’ planets don’t strive for the deep cultural explorations seen in games like Mass Effect. Instead, they serve as a charming introduction to diverse settings, helping players easily identify their goals and rekindling that adventurous spirit we all remember fondly.
