Hyperdimension Neptunia (超次元ゲイム ネプテューヌ) is a series of role-playing video games produced by Compile Heart and Idea Factory, which revolves around and parodies the real-life video gaming industry usually from a Japanese perspective along with parodies of other forms of Japanese otaku subcultures. The series has also branched off into a manga, light novel and anime media franchise series.
The series debuted in Japan on August 19, 2010, with the video game of the same name for the PlayStation 3, and received sequels: Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 (2011), Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (2012), and Megadimension Neptunia VII (2015) as the last of the main series, until the release of Neptunia Unlimited (2026). All previously released main games have been remade at least once (such as the first three as the "Re;Birth" trilogy) and since then multiple spin-offs and crossover games have also been released for various platforms.
An anime television series adaptation, titled Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation, aired in Japan between July and September 2013. An OVA, titled Nepu no Natsuyasumi, was released in July 2019. A second OVA, titled Nep Nep Darake no Festival, was released in October 2022, and third OVA, titled Hidamari no Little Purple, was released in April 2023.
Setting
Games within the series takes place in the world of Gamindustri (a pun on "game industry"), which is divided into four regions/nations, each ruled by one Goddess CPU: Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox. Each region is completely different from the others in appearance and atmosphere, with each representing a specific video game console. Lastation represents the PlayStation, Lowee represents the Wii, and Leanbox represents the Xbox, while Planeptune represents the cancelled Sega Neptune. In the beginning of the story, the four goddesses are fighting each other for "shares" in a war known as the Console War. Shares are the manifestation of the belief citizens put into their goddess, and without shares, a goddess dies. Because some of the games feature time and/or dimension travel there are slight differences in the settings for each title.
Development
Prior to Q3 2009, Compile Heart was conceptualising a new RPG project centred upon character designs by Tsunako, with the intention of collaborating with a partner company. This game was originally planned to feature three princess sisters and a protagonist. However, the partnership deal fell out, and as a result the project plans were redesigned and eventually became "Neptunia" close to the end of 2009 following the completion of Trinity Universe's development. During the early stages of the project, the characters Noire and Blanc were originally coloured red and blue respectively, however their colour schemes were changed to black and white so that they could better fit in with the new game setting and plot.[2]
The release of the first sequel to the original game, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, saw the introduction of a reworked game engine and the replacement of various components such as the battle system and dungeons, which were completely rebuilt from scratch. Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory later built on this, with the parts from mk2 which were considered "weak" by the developers removed and improved, eventually setting Victory as the foundation for the design of future titles within the series. Following Compile Heart's collaboration with David Production to produce the Neptunia television animation series, the developers were able to change their approach to direction and script-writing based on their experience with the anime development staff, which resulted in the changes to the narrative found in the Re;Birth games on PlayStation Vita.[2]
Release history
Hyperdimension Neptunia is the first game within the series, with the name originally derived from the scrapped Sega Neptune[3] which combined the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega 32X into one unit, originally scheduled for release in 1994 or 1995 before the project was dropped after the release of the Sega Saturn.
There are two sequels which have been released under the names Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 and Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory. Another game, titled Hyperdimension Neptunia PP (神次元アイドル ネプテューヌPP),[4] was released on June 20, 2013, for the PlayStation Vita in Japan and it was released in the west in June 2014 as Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection, developed by Compile Heart, Idea Factory and Tamsoft.
During a streamed interview at Tokyo Game Show 2013, Idea Factory and Compile Heart announced that Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation was under development.[5]
Games
Main series
Hyperdimension Neptunia (2010)
The game that introduced the series premise. Since its release, the game's story has always remained standalone in the isolated "Superdimension", never receiving a true sequel, as the games from mk2 onwards take place in a separate "Hyperdimension" universe with its own storylines, direct sequels and connected multiverses.
The game was remade as Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 released in 2013 with a modestly rewritten story and a combat system inspired more by Victory, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 Plus in 2018, and Neptunia re★Verse in 2020, which in itself is based on the first Re;Birth game.
Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 (2011)
The second game in the series and first to introduce the Hyperdimension timeline. It introduced gameplay mechanics, new characters, and lore reinterpretations of the previous ones, rebooting the storyline which has since became the mainline universe for the rest of the series. The game's plot tackles more about the major consequences of video game piracy, albeit presented in a black-and-white manner, while maintaining a slightly darker tone and serious storyline, albeit occasionally interjected with moe' tropes of its era.
Other media
Manga
A manga series based on the game titled Choujigen Game Neptune: Megami Tsuushin (超次元ゲイム ネプテューヌ ~めがみつうしん~) began serialisation in November 2010 within the Famitsu Comic Clear.
A manga series illustrated by Mikage Baku which complements the television animation, titled Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation – Hello New World (超次元ゲイム ネプテューヌ THE ANIMATION はろーにゅーわーるど), began serialisation within the June 2013 issue of Dengeki Maoh. A spin-off novel of the anime, titled Hyperdimension Neptunia TGS Hono no Futsukakan, was published by MF Bunko J and released May 25, 2013.[32][33]
Anime
An anime adaptation, Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation, was produced by David Production of Japan and directed by Masahiro Mukai.[34]
Reception
External links
References
- Ishaan. Hyperdimension Neptunia Orbits Over Europe In March Siliconera, November 16, 2010, retrieved November 14, 2010^
- 【電撃PS】8月19日で『ネプテューヌ』は5周年！ 開発チームがネプ誕生とこの5年のエピソードを振り返る Dengeki Online, August 19, 2015^
- Hyperdimension Neptunia's Creator Dreams of a Fighting Game