Those who enjoy high-octane, challenging action games may remember the developer Treasure. Formed back in 1992 by Masato Maegawa, a former Konami employee, Treasure made itself known for games like Gunstar Heroes, Ikaruga, and Sin and Punishment. All served as incredibly imaginative action titles with a whole host of wacky ideas. But after 2014, the studio appeared to stop developing new projects entirely, instead opting to re-release its classic titles on modern platforms and gaming collections. Now that Treasure has reached its 30th anniversary, however, it seems that the studio aims to reverse this trend, as it has announced the development of an unknown gaming project.
Treasure made this announcement on its official Twitter account. Although the studio did not reveal any information regarding what this new game will look or play like, it did say that fans have “highly requested” the project. This will naturally lead to plenty of speculation among fans, who may suspect that the company will release a sequel to one of its established IPs.
The legacy of Treasure
The possibility of seeing a brand-new game from Treasure after all this time warrants plenty of excitement, as the studio’s signature style remains immensely compelling to this day. Many of Treasure’s games feature distinct gameplay hooks that separate them from most other titles, such as Ikaruga‘s polarity-shifting mechanic and Bangai-O‘s screen-filling super attacks.
Additionally, the studio’s games often include original one-off sequences that task players with utilizing the core mechanics in completely new, unexpected ways. Gunstar Heroes, for instance, features an entire level where players must navigate a deadly board game filled with boss encounters, obstacle courses, and other novel challenges. Meanwhile, Alien Soldier sees players facing off against a boss in complete darkness, where they can only see their opponent and its incoming attacks by firing their weapon to light up the room.
Go big or go home
You may have noticed that I have mentioned boss encounters a fair few times when describing Treasure’s games, and there is a good reason for that. Treasure has always placed a heavy emphasis on boss battles in its games, with certain ones like Alien Soldier focusing on them almost exclusively. Oftentimes, these boss encounters boast some of the most creative ideas found in its respective games, and they tend to serve as the highlights of each experience. Special mention goes to Seven Force, a multi-phase encounter from Gunstar Heroes that managed to reappear in some form in Alien Soldier, likely due to its popularity among fans of the company’s work.
According to the studio’s aforementioned Twitter account, Treasure plans to reveal its new title sometime this year. Treasure fans will undoubtedly wait eagerly for this announcement, but until then, players unfamiliar with the company can try out some of its games and see why its 30th anniversary is worth celebrating. Its games remain some of the most imaginative and satisfying action romps out there, and it is fortunate that the company seems to be returning in a big way. Hopefully, this announcement does not merely amount to yet another rerelease.
