Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams#Development and release

File:ARC Cotton 2 - Magical Night Dreams.png

{{see also|Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams#Gameplay}}

Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams is a scrolling shooter game similar to Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams. Players assume the role of young witch Cotton or her rival Appil, who alongside their companions, the fairy Silk and the hat Needle, travel across seven increasingly difficult stages through a magical dream-like world on a quest to defeat several monsters and retrieve the missing "Bluewater Willow" candy to Pumpkin Kingdom.{{cite magazine|last=Sasaoka|first=Jockey|title=攻略 - コットン2: コマンドショット & 投げ|magazine=Gamest|issue=202|publisher=Shinseisha|date=October 15, 1997|page=206|lang=ja}}{{cite magazine|last=Sasaoka|first=Jockey|title=攻略 - コットン2: 1 面|magazine=Gamest|issue=203|publisher=Shinseisha|date=October 30, 1997|pages=224–227|lang=ja}}{{cite magazine|last=Sasaoka|first=Jockey|title=攻略 - コットン2: 2 ～ 4 面|magazine=Gamest|issue=204|publisher=Shinseisha|date=November 15, 1997|pages=244–247|lang=ja}}{{cite magazine|last=Sasaoka|first=Jockey|title=攻略 - コットン2: 5 ～ 7 面 (LAST)|magazine=Gamest|issue=206|publisher=Shinseisha|date=November 30, 1997|pages=348–251|lang=ja}}{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/cotton-2-cotton-boomerang/|title=Cotton 2 / Cotton Boomerang|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|date=December 18, 2016|access-date=2021-01-20|archive-date=2021-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119172802/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/cotton-2-cotton-boomerang/|url-status=live}}

As with its predecessor, the players must blast various monsters and avoid being shot while collecting elemental crystal power-ups to enhance Cotton and Appli's firepower in a similar manner as Soldier Blade to unleash powerful magic spells on enemies.{{cite magazine|title=Arcade Express Vol.3: Cotton 2|magazine={{ill|Sega Saturn Magazine (Japan)|lt=Sega Saturn Magazine|ja|ゲーマガ#SEGA SATURN MAGAZINE}}|issue=70|publisher=SoftBank Creative|date=October 3, 1997|pages=232–233|lang=ja}}{{cite magazine|title=Sega Saturn Press!! - Coming Soon Soft: Cotton 2|magazine={{ill|Sega Saturn Magazine (Japan)|lt=Sega Saturn Magazine|ja|ゲーマガ#SEGA SATURN MAGAZINE}}|issue=73|publisher=SoftBank Creative|date=October 3, 1997|pages=144–145|lang=ja}} The color of these crystals can be changed by shooting them, which determines Cotton and Appli's primary weapon.{{cite magazine |title=Cotton 2|magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine|issue=28|publisher=Emap International Limited|date=February 1998|pages=44-45}} Deploying these crystals for a magic spell decreases the firepower of each character. The game incorporates some role-playing game elements as with the original Cotton, as players are able to level up their attack up to 5 levels, but excludes gameplay mechanics such as the charge attacks and fairy abilities.

New to Cotton 2 are the introduction of a lifebar for each character to sustain multiple enemy hits and fighting game elements. Players can perform "command" shots by executing a combination of directional and button-based commands to fire in multiple directions, as well as pick up enemies and their shots to throw them around to destroy other enemies by performing one of the "command" shots to seal them into an orb and pick trapped enemies to use them as shield. The orb behaves differently based on the currently equipped elemental magic. Keeping it on-screen and scoring chain combos is crucial to reach high scores, as it grant points by turning into a bubble depending on the number of defeated enemies after falling off-screen or hitting a strong enemy. Players can also shoot the orb to reveal health items.

Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams was first released in Japanese arcades in November 1997 by Tecmo, running on the ST-V board.{{cite book |last=Akagi |first=Masumi |url=https://archive.org/stream/ArcadeGameList1971-2005#page/n31/mode/1up |title=サクセス (Success) |date=13 October 2006 |work=アーケードTVゲームリスト 国内•海外編 (1971-2005) |publisher={{ill|Amusement News Agency|lt=Amusement News Agency|ja|アミューズメント通信社}} |isbn=978-4990251215 |edition=1st |pages=30 |language=ja}}{{Cite book |last=Success |url=http://archive.org/details/cotton-guardian-force-saturn-tribute-special-editon-booklet |title=Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute - Special Edition Booklet |last2=City Connection |date=2021-09-30}}

Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams was created by members at Success who previously worked on Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams, with Takato Yoshinari heading its development as producer.{{cite video game|title=Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams|developer=Success|publisher=Tecmo|date=1997|platform=Arcade|level=Staff}} Both Masahiro Fukuda and Masaru Hatsuyama returned as chief designer and programmers respectively. Artists Hiroyuki Hasegawa, Hitoshi Nishimura, Liu Xiangdong and Toshihisa Katsuki were responsible for character and monster designs, as well as backgrounds. The music was composed by Kenichi Hirata. Other companies such as Ken Production and Ishigaki Production also collaborated as production supporters.

The idea for the game design of Cotton 2 came about after the president of Success asked Masahiro Fukuda what he would like in a Cotton game, leading the development team to give the game a more action-focused design, with design elements that they all liked in video games at the time. In particular, the command shots and the throwing/catching system were inspired by Takashi Egawano's obsession with Virtua Fighter. Sol Divide was also a direct inspiration for the game. The choice to develop the arcade version on Sega's ST-V hardware was because it felt like a natural progression from Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams running on Sega's System 16 hardware, and to enable easy, arcade-perfect porting to the Sega Saturn. Masaru Hatsuyama's familiarity with the hardware was also a contributing factor to using Sega hardware. The decision to design the character of Appli Ki Pumpkin was made for the game's requirement to be played with a co-op aspect. When heard via word of mouth that Hideki Tamura, the character designer for Cotton, wanted the game's cutscenes to be manga-like, Masahiro Fukuda made a demo and it stuck later on. The backgrounds for the game were all large paintings, and were so large to the point where streaming had to be used to get it all in RAM. To import the backgrounds into the game, Liu Xiangdong scanned them all digitally, and edited them all with PhotoShop on a Mac. For the fifth stage of the game, where it references Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams via its stage layout and enemies, Kenichi Hirata made a melody for the stage based on that game soundtrack. However, he lost the source data he used for original game, so he had to recompose it all by ear, having to outsource some of it in the process.

The game's location test in Sega's Akihabara arcades did mostly well, even having developers pretend to be players to show other players how to play the game. However, there were quite a few people that wanted to play it as a shooter due to the previous Cotton game, and dismissed the new command shots because of it.

On December 4, 1997, Cotton 2 received a conversion for the Sega Saturn published by Success in Japan, featuring an exclusive "Saturn" mode and new control options.{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee3.html|title=セガサターン対応ソフトウェア（ライセンシー発売）- 1997年発売|encyclopedia=SEGA HARD Encyclopedia|publisher=Sega|date=2021|access-date=2021-01-20|lang=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320230533/https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee3.html|archive-date=2020-03-20|url-status=live}} Prior to launch, the Saturn version of Cotton 2 was unveiled at the September 1997 Tokyo Game Show just days after the game was released in arcades.{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/Sega_Saturn_Magazine_Issue_25_1997-11_EMAP_Images_GB#page/n11/mode/1up|title=New Game Round-up: The Best of the Rest|magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine|issue=25|publisher=Emap International Limited|date=November 1997|page=12}} On October 28, 1998, a Cotton 2-themed desktop accessories collection titled Cotton 2 Tenkomori was published by Success for Windows 95 and Windows 98 computers.{{cite web|url=https://www.suruga-ya.jp/product/detail/145004169|title=コットン2てんこもり (Windows)|website=Suruga-ya.jp|access-date=2021-01-21|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121021017/https://www.suruga-ya.jp/product/detail/145004169|archive-date=2021-01-21|url-status=live}}

A remixed arcade edition dubbed Cotton Boomerang: Magical Night Dreams was released in Japanese arcades by Tecmo in September 1998, running on the ST-V board as Cotton 2 featuring additional characters, new gameplay and scoring systems, as well as altered stage layouts and visuals. On October 8, 1998, Cotton Boomerang received a version for the Saturn published by Success in Japan, featuring an art gallery and the same new control options as the Cotton 2 port on Saturn.{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee4.html|title=セガサターン対応ソフトウェア（ライセンシー発売）- 1998・1999・2000年発売|encyclopedia=SEGA HARD Encyclopedia|publisher=Sega|date=2021|access-date=2021-01-20|lang=ja|archive-date=March 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320230605/https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee4.html|url-status=live}}

In September 2021, the Saturn versions of Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang were included alongside Guardian Force (1998) as part of the Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute compilation for Nintendo Switch, PC and PlayStation 4 with added features such as online rankings.{{cite news|last=Romano|first=Sal|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2021/04/cotton-guardian-force-saturn-tribute-announced-for-ps4-switch|title=Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute announced for PS4, Switch|work=Gematsu|date=April 24, 2021|access-date=2021-04-24|archive-date=2021-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424164108/https://www.gematsu.com/2021/04/cotton-guardian-force-saturn-tribute-announced-for-ps4-switch|url-status=live}}{{cite web|author=Yasushima|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/567/G056757/20210702042/|title=「コットン ガーディアンフォース サターントリビュート」のプロモーション映像が公開。収録3タイトルのプレイ映像や新機能を紹介|work=4Gamer.net|publisher=Aetas Inc.|date=July 2, 2021|access-date=2021-07-02|language=ja|archive-date=2021-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702052307/https://www.4gamer.net/games/567/G056757/20210702042/|url-status=live}} ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games later announced that the compilation would be launched in western regions under two editions, while Cotton 2 was published worldwide by City Connection as a separate digital release from the compilation for PS4 and Switch on September 30, 2021, marking the game's first international appearance.{{cite news|last=Romano|first=Sal|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2021/09/cotton-guardian-force-saturn-tribute-cotton-100-and-panorama-cotton-coming-west-in-2021|title=Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute, Cotton 100%, and Panorama Cotton coming west in 2021|work=Gematsu|date=September 21, 2021|access-date=2021-09-21}}{{cite news|last=Romano|first=Sal|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2021/09/cotton-2-cotton-boomerang-and-guardian-force-for-ps4-switch-launch-september-30-worldwide|title=Cotton 2, Cotton Boomerang, and Guardian Force for PS4, Switch launch September 30 worldwide|work=Gematsu|date=September 29, 2021|access-date=2021-09-29}} City Connection announced an incoming patch that addresses frame lag issues in the collection.{{cite web|last=Lane|first=Gavin|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/12/cotton-guardian-force-saturn-tribute-is-getting-an-update-to-improve-input-delay|title=Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute Is Getting An Update To "Improve Input Delay" — They cottoned on|work=Nintendo Life|publisher=Nlife Media|date=December 30, 2021|access-date=2022-01-15}} In 2022, City Connection revealed that the compilation will be ported to PC.{{cite web|last=Moyse|first=Chris|url=https://www.destructoid.com/cotton-guardian-force-saturn-tribute-pc-port-city-connection-trailer/|title=Cotton Sega Saturn classics will glide onto PC soon|work=Destructoid|publisher=Enthusiast Gaming|date=January 12, 2022|access-date=2022-01-15}}

{{Video game reviews

|Fam = (SS) 25/40{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/complete-weekly-famitsu-no.-469-1997-12-12-unmodified#page/n32/mode/1up|title=NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: COTTOn2 (セガサターン)|magazine=Famitsu|issue=469|publisher=ASCII Corporation|date=December 12, 1997|page=33|lang=ja}}
(Boomerang) 27/40{{cite magazine|title=NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: コットン ブーメラン (セガサターン)|magazine=Famitsu|issue=513|publisher=ASCII Corporation|date=October 16, 1998|lang=ja}}

|JP = (SS) 91%{{cite magazine|last=Hellot|first=Grégoire|url=https://archive.org/stream/joypad-magazine-071#page/n82/mode/1up|title=Zoom - Les Sorties (Japon): Cotton 2 (Sega Saturn)|magazine={{ill|Joypad (magazine)|lt=Joypad|fr|Joypad (magazine)}}|issue=70|publisher=Yellow Media|date=December 1997|page=85|lang=fr}}

|SGP = (SS) 4/5{{cite magazine|last=Kamikaze|first=Marcelo|url=https://archive.org/stream/SuperGamePower_Ano_04_No._047_1998-02_Nova_Cultural_BR_pt#page/n27/mode/1up|title=Saturn - Magical Night Dreams: Cotton 2|magazine={{ill|Super Game Power|lt=Super Game Power|pt|Supergamepower}}|issue=47|publisher={{ill|Nova Cultural|lt=Nova Cultural|pt|Editora Nova Cultural}}|date=February 1998|page=28|lang=pt}}
(Boomerang) 4/5{{cite magazine|last=Bros|first=Marjorie|url=https://archive.org/stream/SuperGamePower_Ano_05_No._058_1999-01_Nova_Cultural_BR_pt#page/n29/mode/1up|title=Saturn - Magical Night Dreams: Cotton Boomerang|magazine={{ill|Super Game Power|lt=Super Game Power|pt|Supergamepower}}|issue=58|publisher={{ill|Nova Cultural|lt=Nova Cultural|pt|Editora Nova Cultural}}|date=January 1999|page=30|lang=pt}}

|VGS = (Boomerang) 75%{{cite magazine|last=Schaedle|first=Wolfgang|title=Sega Saturn - Import: Magical Night Dreams: Cotton Boomerang|magazine={{ill|Video Games (German magazine)|lt=Video Games|de|Video Games}}|issue=85|publisher=Future-Verlag|date=December 1998|page=58|lang=de}}

|rev1 = Ação Games

|rev1Score = (SS) 8,0/10{{cite magazine|last=Marinoto|first=Ronny|url=https://archive.org/stream/acaogames147janeiro2000poster/A%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Games%20%23126%20%28Abril%201998%29#page/n37/mode/1up|title=Saturno: Cotton 2 - Detone tudo o que aparecer com uma bruxinha voadora|magazine=Ação Games|issue=126|publisher=Editora Azul|date=April 1998|page=38|lang=pt}}

|rev2 = Saturn Fan

|rev2Score = (SS) 6.6/10{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/saturn-fan-1997-no.-23-12-12#page/194/mode/1up|title=Now On Sale Saturn Soft Impression!! - COTTOn2|magazine={{ill|Saturn Fan|lt=Saturn Fan|ja|ドリームキャストFAN}}|issue=23|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|date=December 12, 1997|page=194|lang=ja}}
(Boomerang) 21/30{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/saturn-fan-1998-no.-19-10-23#page/152/mode/1up|title=Now On Sale Saturn Soft Impression!! - コットン•ブーメラン|magazine={{ill|Saturn Fan|lt=Saturn Fan|ja|ドリームキャストFAN}}|issue=19|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|date=October 23, 1998|page=152|lang=ja}}

|rev3 = Sega Saturn Magazine

|rev3Score = (SS) 7.00/10{{cite magazine|title=Weekly Sega Saturn Soft Review - COTTOn2|magazine={{ill|Sega Saturn Magazine (Japan)|lt=Sega Saturn Magazine|ja|ゲーマガ#SEGA SATURN MAGAZINE}}|issue=79|publisher=SoftBank Creative|date=December 12, 1997|page=212|lang=ja}}
(Boomerang) 7.0/10{{cite magazine|title=Weekly Sega Saturn Soft Review - コットン ブーメラン|magazine={{ill|Sega Saturn Magazine (Japan)|lt=Sega Saturn Magazine|ja|ゲーマガ#SEGA SATURN MAGAZINE}}|issue=113|publisher=SoftBank Creative|date=October 10, 1998|page=191|lang=ja}}

}}

Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams, as well as Cotton Boomerang: Magical Night Dreams, were met with positive reception from critics since their release on Sega Saturn. According to Famitsu, the Saturn conversion of Cotton 2 sold over 8,907 copies in its first week on the market.{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|title=Game Search|website=Game Data Library|access-date=2021-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424035430/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|archive-date=2019-04-24|url-status=live}} Readers of the Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine voted to give the Saturn versions of both Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang scores of a 8.6363 and 8.2857 out of 10, ranking at the number 180 and 301 spots respectively, indicating a large popular following.{{cite book|author=Dreamcast Magazine|author-link=:ja:ゲーマガ#Dreamcast Magazine|url=https://segaretro.org/images/a/a3/SnGwSISDRZK_Book_JP.pdf|title=セガサターン (Sega Saturn Magazine): 読者レース Final|work=サターンのゲームは世界いちぃぃぃ! ~サタマガ読者レース全記録~|publisher=SoftBank Publishing|date=March 2000|pages=8–15|language=ja|isbn=978-4-79731173-0|access-date=2021-01-20|archive-date=2018-10-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030044108/https://segaretro.org/images/a/a3/SnGwSISDRZK_Book_JP.pdf|url-status=live}}

During its showing at the 1997 Tokyo Game Show, the European Sega Saturn Magazine regarded the Saturn version of Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams as a "High quality arcade conversion of a very polished two-player action shoot 'em up." Ação Games{{'}}s Ronny Marinoto reviewed the Saturn version of Cotton 2 and praised the colorful visuals, fast gameplay and audio, while regarding its challenge as interesting and fun. German magazine Fun Generation regarded the Saturn port of the game as playable and commended its co-op mode, stating that it adds "additional appeal to present the game as a party gag."{{cite magazine|title=Nippon-Corner: Cotton 2 (Saturn/Success)|magazine=Fun Generation|issue=26|publisher={{ill|CyPress|lt=CyPress|de|CyPress}}|date=March 1998|page=78|lang=de}}

Super Game Power{{'}}s Marcelo Kamikaze and Marjorie Bros also reviewed the Saturn ports of both Cotton 2 and Cotton Boomerang respectively and gave positive remarks to its audiovisual presentation, controls, fun factor and originality. Video Games{{'}}s Wolfgang Schaedle reviewed the Saturn release of Cotton Boomerang as well, highlighting the precise controls and 2D graphics, stating that "Action fans who like an uncomplicated shooting game principle are well served with Cotton Boomerang."

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{Portal|1990s|Japan|Video games}}

• [https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7413 Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams] at Killer List of Videogames
• [https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=11657 Cotton Boomerang: Magical Night Dreams] at Killer List of Videogames

{{Cotton}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotton 2: Magical Night Dreams}}

Category:1997 video games

Category:Arcade video games

Category:Cooperative video games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Nintendo Switch games

Category:PlayStation 4 games

Category:Sega Saturn games

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Category:Scrolling shooters

Category:Success (company) games

Category:Video games about witchcraft

Category:Video games developed in Japan

Category:Video games featuring female protagonists

Category:Cotton (series)