Interest

Virtual-On Game Designer Katoki Creates Hyouka Raiden

Hajime Katoki, the designer of Sega's Virtual-On robot fighting games, created a Hyou-ka-decorated Raiden Virtuaroid for the November issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype magazine. Katoki created the crossover illustration in honor of the video game's cameo in the 21st episode of the Hyou-ka mystery anime last month.

In the episode, the two main male characters Hōtarō and Satoshi play the actual game with the Virtuaroids Raiden and Viper II, respectively. In addition to Katoki's illustration, Newtype is posting messages from Hyou-ka head writer Shoji Gatoh and Virtual-On series producer Jūrō Watari on Wednesday.

Even though there has not been a major new Virtual-On game since 2003, the games have reappeared in Japanese pop culture from time to time. Last year, Katoki drew a variant of the Fei-Yen Virtuaroid in the image of another virtual twin-pony-tailed figure, Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku. Sega then went the opposite route and created a Hatsune Miku design in the image of Fei-Yen. Finally, Bandai created an action figure of "Composite Ver. Ka VR-014/HD Fei-Yen HD (Hatsune Miku version)."

[Via earl.box, Jam Guru]