| Developer(s) | ASCII / Enterbrain / Agetec |
|---|---|
| Initial release | Mamirin, 1988 |
| Stable release | RPG Tsukūru VX Microsoft Windows / December 27, 2007 |
| Platform | PC-8801, MSX2, PC-9801, Super Famicom, Microsoft Windows, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS |
| Available in | Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English |
| Type | Game creation software |
| Website | http://www.enterbrain.com/ ENTERBRAIN, INC. http://tkool.jp/ Tsukūru web (Official website) http://www.agetec.com/ Agetec, Inc. |
RPG Maker, known in Japan as RPG Tsukūru (RPGツクール, sometimes romanized as RPG Tkool), is the name of an expansive series of programs for the development of role-playing games (RPGs), first created by the Japanese group ASCII, then succeeded by Enterbrain. The Japanese name, Tsukūru, is a pun mixing the Japanese word tsukuru (作る), which means "make" or "create", with tsūru (ツール), the Japanese transcription of the English word "tool".[1]
The RPG Maker series has been released primarily in Japan, with later versions also released in China, Taiwan, South Korea, North America, and Europe.[2]
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RPG Maker is a program that allows users to create their own role-playing video games. Most versions include a tile set based map editor, (tilesets are called chipsets in pre-XP versions), a simple scripting language for scripting events, and a battle editor. All versions include initial premade tilesets, characters, and events which can be used in creating new games. One feature of the PC Versions of RPG Maker programs is that a user can create new tilesets and characters, and add any new graphics he/she wants.
According to Enterbrain, RPG Tsukūru Dante 98, released on December 17, 1992, was the first game of the RPG Maker series,[3][4] although there were a few versions of RPG making software by ASCII preceding it. This, along with its follow-up RPG Tsukūru Dante 98 II, was made for NEC PC-9801, and games created with these programs can be played on a Windows computer with emulators called Dante for Windows and D2win, respectively.[5]
RPG Maker 95 was the first Microsoft Windows-based RPG Maker game. Despite being an early version, RPG Maker 95 has both a higher screen resolution, and higher sprite and tile resolution than the several following versions.
RPG Maker 2000 (also called RM2k) was the second release of RPG Maker for Microsoft Windows and is the most popular and used RPG Maker so far. While it is possible to do more with RM2k, it uses lower resolution sprites and tiles than RPG Maker 95. However, it does not have a noticeable limit of 'sprites'. Unlike RM95, which can only use one 'set', RM2k can use an unlimited number of sprite sheets with specific sizes for each type. The tilesets also have a similar non-limitation. However, because tiles must be entered into a database, there is a limit on tiles. This limit however is rarely a problem (normally 5000), and even when it is, an unofficial patch exists which can bump most limits much higher at the risk of potential game corruption.
RPG Maker 2003 (also referred to as RM2k3, and sometimes RM2k/3) is largely an improvement of RM2k. RM2k games can be ported to RM2k3 (but not back to RM2k, the conversion is permanent), and most resources are interchangeable. The main difference is the introduction of a side-view battle system similar to that found in Final Fantasy games on the Super Nintendo. This was the first version made by Enterbrain, which had previously been a part of ASCII.
RPG Maker XP (also referred to as RMXP) is the first RPG Maker which can use Ruby, making it the most powerful, programming-wise. However, many normal, simplified features present in RM2k(3) have been removed. Most of these features, however, have been programmed with Ruby, and distributed online. RMXP runs at 1024x768 resolution (though games made in it run at 640x480), while offering four times the playable area of its predecessors. Additionally, it allows greater user control over sprite size (there is no specific image size regulation for sprite sheets) and other aspects of game design. This more open-ended arrangement, coupled with the inclusion of the Ruby Game Scripting System (RGSS), makes RPG Maker XP more versatile than older versions in the series, at the cost of a steeper learning curve. Upon the release of Windows Vista, many users experienced compatibility problems, although the fix was relatively simple.. XP used a front-view non-sprite battle system that allowed for the use of Battle backgrounds (Battlebacks). Both characters and enemies had static battle sprites, and the interface was quite simple.
RPG Maker VX (also referred to as RMVX) is the latest RPG Maker version released by Enterbrain. Its official Japanese release date was Dec. 27 2007, and official release date in America was February 29, 2008. In this new maker, the interface is more user-friendly, allowing new users to create games with ease. The framerate was increased to 60 frames per second, providing much smoother animation in comparison to RMXP's often-choppy 40fps. The programming language Ruby is still implemented, and the game's default programming has been overhauled to allow more freedom to those scripting in new features. New editor and a new RTP are included, this time in a much simpler "blocky" style. The battle system is comparable to that of the Dragon Quest series or its predecessor RM2k, with a frontal view of the battlefield and detailed text descriptions of each action taken. One notable disadvantage from the previous version, however, is the lack of support for multiple tilesets when mapping, leaving the player with only a finite number of unique tiles with which to depict all the game's environments. Multiple player-made workarounds exist, but this remains a sore point among many RMVX users.
The first console RPG Maker, RPG Tsukūru Super Dante, debuted in 1995 for the Super Famicom, as a port of RPG Tsukūru Dante 98.[4] RPG Tsukūru Super Dante was later broadcast via the Super Famicom's Satellaview subunit. The first official English language release was a PlayStation version, simply called RPG Maker in the North American market. As of 2007, all North American versions of the console RPG Maker are published by Agetec.
Each Windows version of RPG Maker has been, in some form, distributed illegally through the internet.[6] RPG Maker 95, as well as translation patches for the Super Nintendo titles RPG Maker Super Dante and RPG Maker 2, were translated and distributed by a group called KanjiHack. In 1999, KanjiHack closed upon receiving a cease-and-desist e-mail from ASCII's lawyers. RPG Maker 95 was re-released with a more complete translation under the name "RPG Maker 95+" by a Russian programmer, under the alias of Don Miguel,[7] who later translated and released RPG Maker 2000. Later versions, RPG Maker 2003, and RPG Maker XP, were similarly translated and distributed by a programmer under the alias of RPG Advocate. RPG Advocate took the translated versions and patches off his website and later promoted the full English version of RPG Maker XP. Both of the translations are still in circulation.
RPG Maker has been successfully used by the following independent game development companies for making RPGs, distributed by companies such as Big Fish Games, IGN Entertainment and GamersGate:
As of 2005, RPG Maker games as a whole had been sold about 2 million copies worldwide.[3]
Also, RPG Maker has been used in studies involving students learning mathematics[8] and programming[9] through the creation of role-playing games.
| Title | Platform | Region | Release Date | Developer | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mamirin | PC-8801 | Japan | 1988 | ASCII | |
| Dungeon Manjirou[10] | MSX2 | Japan | 1988 | ASCII | |
| RPG Construction Tool: Dante[11] | MSX2 | Japan | Feb. 8, 1990 | ASCII | |
| Dante 2[12] | MSX2 | Japan | Feb. 8, 1992 | ASCII | |
| Chimes Quest[13] | PC-9801 | Japan | 1992 | ASCII | |
| RPG Tsukūru Dante 98[4] | PC-9801 | Japan | Dec. 19, 1992 | ASCII | |
| Dungeon RPG Tsukūru Dan-Dan Dungeon[14] | PC-9801 | Japan | Apr. 28, 1994 | ASCII | |
| RPG Tsukūru: Super Dante | Super Famicom | Japan | Mar. 31, 1995 | Kuusou Kagaku | ASCII |
| RPG Tsukūru - Super Dante | Satellaview | Japan | Apr. 4, 1996 | Kuusou Kagaku | ASCII |
| RPG Tsukūru Dante 98 II[4] | PC-9801 | Japan | Jul. 14, 1996 | ASCII | |
| RPG Tsukūru 2 | Super Famicom | Japan | Jan. 31, 1996 | Kuusou Kagaku | ASCII |
| RPG Tsukūru 2 | Satellaview | Japan | Apr. 22, 1996 | Kuusou Kagaku | ASCII |
| RPG Tsukūru 95 | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Mar. 28, 1997 | ASCII | |
| RPG Tsukūru 95 Value! | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Nov. 21, 2001 | Enterbrain | |
| Simulation RPG Tsukūru | Sega Saturn, PlayStation | Japan | Sep. 17, 1998 | Pegasus Japan | ASCII |
| Enterbrain Collection: Simulation RPG Tsukūru | PlayStation | Japan | Nov. 29, 2001 | Pegasus Japan | Enterbrain |
| Simulation RPG Tsukūru 95 | Microsoft Windows | Japan | May. 29, 1998 | ASCII | |
| Simulation RPG Tsukūru 95 Value! | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Nov. 21, 2001 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru 3 | PlayStation | Japan | Nov. 27, 1997 | Kuusou Kagaku | ASCII |
| PlayStation the Best: RPG Tsukūru 3 | PlayStation | Japan | Nov. 19, 1998 | Kuusou Kageku | ASCII |
| RPG Maker | PlayStation | USA | Sep. 18, 2000 | Kuusou Kageku | Agetec |
| RPG Tsukūru GB | Game Boy Color | Japan | Mar. 17, 2000 | Kuusou Kagaku | ASCII |
| RPG Tsukūru 2000 | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Apr. 5, 2000 | ASCII | |
| RPG Tsukūru 2000 Value! | Microsoft Windows | Japan | May. 14, 2003 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru 4 | PlayStation | Japan | Dec. 7, 2000 | Agenda[15] | Enterbrain |
| Uchūjin Tanaka Tarou de RPG Tsukūru GB 2 | Game Boy Color | Japan | Jul. 20, 2001 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru 5 | PlayStation 2 | Japan | Aug. 8, 2002 | Kuusou Kagaku | Enterbrain |
| RPG Maker 2 | PlayStation 2 | USA | Oct. 28, 2003 | Kuusou Kagaku | Agetec |
| RPG Tsukūru 2003 | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Dec. 18, 2002 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru α[16] | Microsoft Windows/Cellphone | Japan | Dec. 18, 2002 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru Advance | Game Boy Advance | Japan | Apr. 25, 2003 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru XP | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Jul. 22, 2004 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Maker XP | Microsoft Windows | Worldwide | Sept. 16, 2005 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru | PlayStation 2 | Japan | Dec. 16, 2004 | Run Time | Enterbrain |
| RPG Maker 3 | PlayStation 2 | USA | Sept. 21, 2005 | Run Time | Agetec |
| RPG Tsukūru for Mobile | Mobile | Japan | Apr. 17, 2006 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru VX | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Dec. 27, 2007 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Maker VX | Microsoft Windows | Worldwide | Feb. 29, 2008 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru DS[17] | Nintendo DS | Japan | Mar. 11, 2010 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Maker VX Ace | Microsoft Windows | Japan | Dec. 15, 2011 | Enterbrain | |
| RPG Tsukūru Plus | Nintendo DS | Japan | Dec. 15, 2011 | Enterbrain |
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