July 29, 2022, Tokyo – Amata K.K., in collaboration with indie game creator Tatamibeya, is pleased to announce the winners of the NOSTALGIC TRAIN Screenshot Contest.
Winners of the Screenshot Contest to Commemorate the 4th Anniversary and the 1st Anniversary of the Release of NOSTALGIC TRAIN Announced.
NOSTALGIC TRAIN, launched on Steam by Japanese indie game creator Tatamibeya on June 13, 2018, was celebrated its fourth anniversary. The Nintendo Switch™ version of the game, which was ported by Amata, will also celebrate its first anniversary this August, and to celebrate, a screenshot contest was held across all platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 / PlayStation®5, and Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S.
We sincerely appreciate the many applications we received. Thank you very much.
NOSTALGIC TRAIN developer Tatamibeya, Amata Games representative Hiromichi Takahashi, and professional photographer and in-game photographer Yuichi Yokota judged the competition.
There were so many wonderful entries that we could not narrow it down to just the awards we had set. Therefore, we have decided to also award each judge’s favorite work, so the number of award-winning works has increased since the beginning of the contest.
On the special page announcing the award-winning works, we will also introduce the judges’ comments on the award-winning works. In addition to the award-winning works, the finalists’ works are also posted on this page.
Please take a look.
NOSTALGIC TRAIN Screenshot Contest Winners Announcement Special Page
Amata Games Official Web Site:https://amata.games/en/news/nt-sscontest-02/
Award-winning works
Best Award: nokAman
Prize: A reproduction of the winning work (A4 size) and PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Tatamibeya
The striking Rokujizo peeking out from the shadows of the trees, the water reflecting the sky, and the other elements like the composition and color correction, capture the world of NOSTALGIC TRAIN to a very high degree.
Judges’ comment: Yuichi Yokota
Among the many landscape shots we received, this one is very dramatic for the striking framing of the forest in the foreground and background, and the reflection of the waterfront in the center. This was our unanimous choice.
Judges’ comment: Hiromichi Takahashi
Its, composition with the Rokujizo silhouettes amid the shadows of the trees surrounding the perimeter, and the highlighted light in the center is very striking. NOSTALGIC TRAIN has many nostalgic and beautiful landscapes, and this piece reminds us once again of the beauty of these landscapes.
Steam Award: きち|KICHI
Prize: PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Yuichi Yokota
There were many works where the viewer is looking through the windows of the train, but this one in particular gave me a sense of realism, and reminded me more of a passenger’s line of sight.
Nintendo Switch Award: OGUROCK
Prize: PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Hiromichi Takahashi
There were other works taken on the railroad tracks, but this one stands out for its compositional balance between the vanishing point on the tracks and the approaching train.
PlayStation Award: まつすけ
Prize: PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Tatamibeya
The use of the silver window frame as a picture frame together with the gray tone of the whole piece left an impression on me.
Xbox Award: grfr360
Prize: PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Yuichi Yokota
Bamboo bushes and a Jizo statue at the end of the train’s line of sight. This image shows off the charms of the story.
Judges’ Special Award by Tatamibeya: 野網千尋
Prize: PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Tatamibeya
I was very happy that the author did his best to find a perspective that even the creators didn’t even notice when they were developing the game to produce this surprising shot. I would therefore like to award the Tatamibeya prize to this work with its unusual theme!
Judges’ Special Award by Yuichi Yokota: 増満勇響 HayatoMasumitsu
Prize: PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Yuichi Yokota
The main subject of this photograph is a flag of shaved ice, which is a “symbol” that evokes not only the atmosphere of the town but also the feeling of summer. This work stood out from the many entries that focused on nature or trains.
Judges’ Special Award by Hiromichi Takahashi: 映像音楽マニア
Prize: PayPal 3000JPY equivalent
Judges’ comment: Hiromichi Takahashi
A train at night, fading into sight amid the lights of the railroad crossing alarms and telephone poles. This image seems to capture even the humid summer night air, resulting in a striking shot.
NOSTALGIC TRAIN Screenshot Contest Overview
The Judges
Tatamibeya, Developer of NOSTALGIC TRAIN / Narrative & Environmental Artist
After studying Western History and Tanzanian Architectural Decoration at university, he worked as a 3D background artist in the video game industry. 2012 he left Japan to live in Czech Republic, USA Bay Area and Poland. He has worked on Cyberpunk 2077, Mafia 3, Malicious, etc. He has been developing games using UE4 under the name of Tatamibeya, and his work NOSTALGIC TRAIN was recommended by the 22nd Japan Media Arts Jury, and Far Away Train was nominated for the “INNOVATIVE OUTLAW AWARD” at BitSummit THE 8th BIT, which is given to innovative works in terms of technology and ideas.
Yuichi Yokota, Professional Photographer / In-Game Photographer
Born in Koriyama City, Fukushima, Japan Prefecture in 1985, Yokota is a photographer living in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. He began working professionally in 2010. He specializes in bold yet delicate pictures that convey the scale of magnificent nature. He mainly photographs landscapes in Japan and abroad. In addition to taking photographs related to tourism promotion and regional development, he also writes articles and conducts PR projects on SNS and other web media. He won the first prize in the international photo contest “IPA 2016,” and his work has been featured in numerous international media. He contributes to the recognition and dissemination of in-game photography culture in Japan.
Hiromichi Takahashi, President, Amata K.K.
He has worked as a director and producer for 4 domestic game companies and 2 Korean game companies. He has experience developing games for a wide range of platforms, including arcades, consoles, PC online, mobile, and VR. Director for “Doko Demo Issyo” at Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., which was the recipient of numerous awards including the 1999 Multimedia Grand Prix Minister of International Trade and Industry Award and the fourth Japan Games Award. His VR Escape-the-Room game “Last Labyrinth,” released in 2019, also created a buzz with its unique VR experience and won numerous awards at games and VR events around the world. Currently, he is an active game developer, running a game development company and directing the VR Action-Adventure game “The Tale of Onogoro”.
About NOSTALGIC TRAIN
NOSTALGIC TRAIN is a mystical and melancholic first-person adventure/walking simulator set in the Japanese countryside, where you solve not only the mystery of the missing people of Natsugiri, but also that of “yourself”.
The game attracted a great deal of attention on Steam® through the Japanese indie game creator Tatamibeya in June 2018 for the quality of its beautifully recreated CGs of the nostalgic Japanese countryside. It was recommended by the 22nd Japan Media Arts Screening Committee of the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Also, the Nintendo Switch™ version of NOSTALGIC TRAIN, which was ported by Amata and released in August of this year, has been very well received.
It contains both a story mode, “Two fluctuations at journey’s end”, and a free mode, where you can explore the world of Natsugiri at your own pace. Relax and immerse yourself in a fantastical world full of tragic stories and beautiful nostalgic scenery.
Story
I was so dazzled that I could barely open my eyes. The singing of the cicadas and the humid air surrounded me. The air is filled with the faint smell of the sea breeze.
I’m sitting on a wooden bench in an old station building.
Where is this place? And… what am I doing here?
A nostalgic countryside.
A station marked “Natsugiri”.
A single-track railroad.
As if stepping out of the purest of white light, I woke up here, my memories gone. I could not find anyone in this strange place…
Screen Shot
Factsheet
Title: NOSTALGIC TRAIN
Genre: First-Person Adventure/Walking Simulator
Supported Hardware: PC, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Distributing Stores (Download only): Steam, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation™Store, Microsoft Store
Number of Players: 1
Online Play: No online play available
Languages: Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese
Price: 13.99USD~ (Including tax, Prices may differ across stores/regions)
Ratings: IARC 3+, ESRB E, CLASSIND Livre, USK 0, PEGI 3+, OFLC G, GRAC All
Developer: Tatamibeya (畳部屋)
Publisher: Tatamibeya, AMATA K.K.
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/801260/NOSTALGIC_TRAIN/
Amata Games Website: https://amata.games/en/game/nostalgic-train/
Copyright: ©2018 Tatamibeya All Rights Reserved.
About AMATA K.K.
Company Name: Amata K.K.
Representative: Hiromichi Takahashi, Company President and Representative Director
Address: Arma Building, Kita-Shinjuku 1-4-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-0074, JAPAN
Established: June 25, 2008
Business: Game Business & others
Official Website: https://amata.co.jp/en/
About Amata K.K.: Founded in Tokyo in 2008, Amata K.K. has helped develop smartphone titles for a wide variety of world-renowned Japanese game companies over the years. With many staff having over 20 years of game industry experience, Amata has become a trusted one-stop shop for planning, developing and operating games across a variety of platforms. While keeping the focus on game development, Amata has also begun to expand into VR, video, media and other forms of entertainment.
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