Hayao Miyazaki sure has a lot to answer for. One of the leading lights of Japanese animation for the past six decades, Miyazaki's body of work has entertained and influenced countless millions - Steven Spielberg and John Lasseter are both vocal fans - and the many unique worlds he has created have spawned countless tributes and imitations. 1986's Laputa: Castle in the Sky is one of the most significant Miyazaki productions, building on the theme of gigantic aerial battleships that he would tentatively explore in the 1970s anime series Future Boy Conan.
Laputa's plot wasn't solely concerned with these airborne behemoths, finding time for plenty of magic, robot guardians and one of the most exciting railway chases in the history of cinema, but they would provide ample inspiration for the likes of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi - who has stated that the airships in the series were influenced by Miyazaki - and fellow Japanese developer Yoshinori Satake, who, during his tenure at Tokyo-based studio Hot・B created what is possibly the most perfect unofficial homage to Laputa in the form of Koutetsu Teikoku - better known in the west as Steel Empire.
Released on the Sega Mega Drive at a time when scrolling shooters were available in abundance, Steel Empire's steampunk aesthetic allowed it to stand out from the crowd. Instead of piloting a traditionally sleek and futuristic fighter craft like R-Type's R-9a Arrowhead or Gradius' Vic Viper, players were offered the choice of a flimsy, canvas-winged plane or a plump, almost comical-looking zeppelin - the only combat craft available to the plucky but technologically savvy Republic of Silverhead. Rather than rallying against a sinister alien menace from beyond the stars, your enemy was the malevolent Motorhead Empire (the regions in the game were named after rock bands, in case it wasn't obvious) and its immense fleet of propeller-driven airships, armoured trains and other "alternative future" tech.
from Eurogamer.net http://ift.tt/1jnEr44
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