RPG Maker

**RPG Maker** is known in Japan as **RPG Tsukūru** (RPGツクール?, sometimes romanized as RPG Tkool), first created in 1988 as *Mamirin*, although the creator still unknown or remain as anonymous; another program as *Dungeon Manjiro*, created by the Japanese group ASCII or MSX Magazine, then succeeded to more programs by Enterbrain and later among future Japanese companies.

## History

### 1988: First programs

The very first "**RPG Maker**" development approached in the late-1980s began exclusively in Japan, under the name **Mamarin**. It features minimalistic features such as monster encyclopedia, turn-based combat, and 8-bit system for a role-playing game much compared in an older PC programs and NES-developed Final Fantasy games. The software's developer name was unknown. It was released on 1988 through PC-8801 program, but not as much as commercially successful or failure during the silver age of computers and video games.

Another RPG Maker title under the name **Dungeon Manjiro**, developed by ASCII Corporation under the pseudonym MSX Magazine or K. Shikishima Tori. It features "first-person perspective" turn-based combat, much greatly different than the previous installment. It was released through MSX program.

1997: RPG Tsuki

### 2005: Columbine High School massacre but in "RPG Maker"?

*Main article: Super Columbine Massacre RPG!*
One of the fewest games made in an illegitimate program during the height of RPG Maker distribution piracy in the 2000s was the controversial 2005 game *Super Columbine Massacre RPG!*, developed by American college student Danny Ledonne. The game's premises drew recreation the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Columbine, Colorado as well as his inspiration to create a video game about Columbine by his own experience being bullied and the effect the shooting had on his life.

Ledonne had spent many years conceptualizing games, but never created one due to his lack of game design and programming knowledge. Instead, he is using an "illegitimate" version of ASCII's game development program RPG Maker 2000/2003 easily enough to develop at the time, which took approximately six months to complete. He initially published the game anonymously, releasing an artist's statement about the work after his identity was revealed. *Super Columbine Massacre* was released for free online and attracted little attention until 2006, when widespread media coverage and controversy fueled hundreds of thousands of downloads.

### 2006-2011: Freebird Games and To the Moon

#### Kan Gao

*Main article: Kan Gao*
A Chinese-Canadian game developer, originally known as a member of RPG Maker community, producing experimental games made in RPG Maker XP engine since the inaugural release. Gao's first project is *Quintessence - The Blighted Venom*.

#### To the Moon

*Main article: To the Moon*
One of the most anticipated projects for Freebird Games was *To the Moon*, a basis of his game inspired by his grandfather's last wish.

### 2012: Ib's success and its presentation of new genre as a "medium"

*Main article: Ib*
Except Freebird's To the Moon, *Ib* has been credited with helping popularize its engine's use in developing more story-driven and horror games than role-playing games.

### 2023: Andy and Leyley's internet scrunity

*Main article: The Coffin of Andy and Leyley*
## Trivia

* 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".
* Unbeknownst to the RPG Maker community, it is heavily or not implied Ledonne is actually using Don Miguel's (2000) or RPG Advocate's (2003) translation for his game.

## References

1. ↑ Dungeon Manjiro (1988, MSX2, MSX Magazine (JP)) | Generation MSX (generation-msx.nl)
2. ↑ How a student's hobby project spawned 2011's most moving game? | Eurogamer