Cotton (video game)
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| Cotton | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Success |
| Publisher(s) | Hudson Soft |
| Release date(s) | 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Not Rated (NR) |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, PC Engine, PlayStation (remixed version) |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| System requirements | Super CD-ROM2 unit (PC Engine version) |
| Input | Joypad |
Cotton is a series of shoot 'em up video games for a variety of systems that star a witch called Cotton riding a broom, in lieu of the usual spaceship, as the hero. Cotton is accompanied by a fairy called Silk and in later games, another witch called Apple and a talking hat called Needle. As well as the arcades, Cotton games have been released for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16, Super Nintendo, Sega Megadrive, Sega Saturn and Sega Dreamcast. Magical Pachinko Cotton for the PS2 also stars Cotton the witch but rather than being a shmup game, the game is a Pachinko slot style game.
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[edit] Story
The story of the Cotton games varies between games but usually revolves around the witch Cotton looking for a type of candy or sweet called a "Willow". In the first game, the world has been plunged into darkness and Cotton is the only one who can restore it. Not that she really cares about that, all she is interested in is getting the huge fairy Willow. Cotton is very childish and the amusing cut-scenes she stars in have endeared her to fans of Japanese anime.
[edit] Known versions
Below is a list of known versions of the game, their host platforms and notes.
- Cotton Was released as an arcade game, as well as PC engine super CD-ROM, Sharp X68000 and Turbografx. The Japanese PC engine CD-ROM includes fully spoken cut-scenes, whereas the US version just features text. The games full title is Cotton - Fantastic Night Dreams. This version was also ported later to the Neo Geo Pocket and also ported and updated for the PlayStation as Cotton Original. The arcade version was released in 1991 and ran on the Sega System 16B arcade platform.
- Cotton 100% Was released on the Super Famicom, and only in Japan. The game was released in 1994. This game is not a remix of the original but a completely new version with graphics and levels written specifically for the Super Famicom. The game also came with a free mini-audio CD which featured music inspired by the game.
- Panorama Cotton Was released on the Sega Mega Drive system, and only in Japan. The game was released in 1994. Panorama Cotton was something of a departure for the series as rather than being a horizontally scrolling shmup game, the game was a Space Harrier style pseudo 3D shooter. The game is one of the rarest titles on the Megadrive and can fetch very high prices at auction, especially with its commemorative tea cup (see below).
- Cotton 2 Was released both in the arcades and for the Sega Saturn home console. Regarded by many as the best Cotton game and one of the better shmup games on the Sega Saturn (a platform already noted for its excellent catalog of shmup titles). Cotton 2 introduced a two player mode and allowed the player to grab enemies and throw them back at other enemies. The arcade version of the game ran on Sega ST-V hardware.
- Cotton Boomerang Was also released both in the arcades and for the Sega Saturn home console. Cotton Boomerang is similar to Cotton 2 but with an increased difficulty level and the ability to switch characters between Cotton, Silk, Apple and Needle during game play.
- Rainbow Cotton Was released for the Sega Dreamcast and saw the series venture into 3D for the second time. The game featured bright crisp visuals and sound effects but disappointed fans of the series who were hoping for a continuation of the traditional Cotton formula.
- Magical Pachinko Cotton Was released on the PlayStation 2 games console. This is not really a game in the Cotton series; rather, it simply stars the characters from the games.
[edit] Fan Works
- Master Burner is a fan work for Microsoft Windows that combines Panorama Cotton with After Burner.
[edit] The Cotton Tea Cups
Amongst collectors of video game memorabilia the Cotton tea cups are some of the rarest pieces of collectible merchandise.
The Panorama Cotton tea cup is white with no handle and features a brown drawing of cotton on the cup, with the words "Panorama Cotton". To obtain the cup originally, it was necessary to purchase the game and send in a registration card, before being entered into a random draw. 300 are known to exist.
The Cotton Original tea cup was made to commemorate the release of Cotton Original on the PlayStation It is white with no handle and has a blue drawing of cotton and silk on the front, with the words "Fantastic Night Dreams Cotton Original" in the top left corner Its origins and the quantity made are currently unknown.
A Cotton 2 tea cup is also believed to be in circulation amongst collectors but its origin and quantity made are unknown.
