Atelier Marie
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is a 1997
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
developed and published by Gust. The first entry in the ''
Atelier An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or vi ...
'' series, it originally released for the
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, then received ports and enhanced versions on other platforms. A remake for modern platforms, ''Atelier Marie Remake'', was released worldwide in 2023 by
Koei Tecmo is a Japanese video game, amusement and anime holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Koei and Tecmo. Koei Tecmo Holdings owns several companies, the biggest one of those being its flagship video game developer and publisher Koei Tecmo ...
. Following the efforts of alchemist-in-training Marie to pass an exam within five years, the gameplay focuses on exploring for materials to create alchemical recipes, and completing story missions and requests within the in-game time limit. ''Atelier Marie'' began development in 1996, with creator and designer Shinichi Yoshiike wanting a light-hearted fantasy. Artist Kohime Ohse created the character designs and in-game art. Reception of the game has been generally positive, with commentary focusing on its non-standard gameplay compared to other titles of its time. The remake saw praise for its art, but several noted its archaic elements. Following the success of ''Atelier Marie'', Gust developed several follow-up games including two sequels. The ''Atelier'' series would become one of Gust's flagship products.


Gameplay

''Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg'' is a
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
in which the player takes on the role of alchemist-in-training Marie, running an
alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
workshop over five in-game years. The world and environments are presented through 2D sprite environments and artwork. As Marie, the player works from their atelier workshop in the city of Salburg, where Marie combines ingredients to create items through
alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
. The resultant item is determined by what ingredients are used. Each synthesis increases Marie's fatigue metre, which increases the likelihood of a failure producing no item. Successful syntheses are recorded in a journal. Players typically cannot create using more than two attributes, with the one in-game exception being the
Philosopher's Stone The philosopher's stone is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver; it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder". Alchemists additionally believed that it could be used to mak ...
item. Using ingredients with opposing attributes requires a neutralizing agent. The game has a time limit, with major actions such as exploring beyond Salburg or synthesising in the atelier taking up a day of in-game time. Depending on the player's progress and actions, multiple endings can be unlocked. In Salburg, Marie can purchase and sell supplies, talk to
non-playable character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
s (NPCs) to receive quests or unlock new areas beyond Salburg, and hire adventurers to accompany her outside on expeditions. Outside the town, exploration is done by travelling to a location on the world map revealed through talking with NPCs, with exploration portrayed through static artwork and a menu where the current party can be checked, and exploration can be continued. Each day spent exploring yields randomised ingredients harvested or a random encounter with an enemy. Battles are turn-based, with the three party members including Marie positioned on a grid which determines their abilities. The party can attack, use magic skills, and equipped items. Winning a battle rewards resources and
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
s which raise character levels. Minigames also trigger when gathering certain materials or creating important items. The remake, while preserving the original's basic structure and time limit, features multiple gameplay changes. The world is presented from an angled 3D perspective with
visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...
-style cutscenes. The player guides Marie around the environments of Salburg and dungeon environments, with enemies represented by sprites on the map the player can engage by running into. There are additional quests, including instructional lessons from Marie's teacher. The remake also includes an "indefinite mode" which turns off the time limit, allowing the player to take their time while altering the story progression.


Synopsis

Marlone, known by her nickname Marie, is attending the prestigious Royal Academy of Magic in the city of Salburg. Despite her eagerness and genuine passion for alchemy, Marie is the worst student enrolled, continually failing her exams due to her clumsiness while synthesizing. Her instructor Ingrid allows Marie one final chance to graduate, gives her a workshop of her own in Salburg. The condition is that Marie must successfully synthesize a high-quality item within five years, or she will be held back from graduation. Over the five years, Marlone operates from her workshop, fulfilling requests for the people of Salburg. She also interacts with Schia Donnerstag, a close friend who is suffering from a prolonged illness. There are multiple endings; a bad ending where Marlone fails, and multiple endings where she passes Ingrid's test with varying levels of success, with further variations depending on her relationship with Schia.


Development

The plan for ''Atelier Marie'' was created by Shinichi Yoshiike. He was looking for a job in the game industry at the time, and was so eager to create a game that he was drafting the design document before he was hired by Gust. He was inspired by a class he took in university which covered historical alchemy. Beginning production in February 1996, the early plan was for a
tactical role-playing game Tactical role-playing game (abbreviated TRPG), also known as strategy role-playing game or (both abbreviated SRPG), is a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical (Turn-based tactics, turn-b ...
. Due to the growing number of RPGs on the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
, the concept of alchemy and synthesis was added to distinguish it from other titles at the time. While the game used a fantasy setting, Yoshiike kept the alchemy grounded by having mundane items being created. As he did not plan on doing a sequel, Yoshiike put everything he wanted to into ''Atelier Marie''. The narrative tone was inspired by Yoshiike's liking for children's fantasy and classic novels including ''
Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...
''. To contrast against other Japanese titles which had a chosen one figure as the lead character, a second-rate student was chosen as the lead protagonist, giving players a relatable goal. The lead was made a teenage girl to appeal to the female gaming and manga market, which had grown visibly with the popularity of
shōjo manga is an editorial category of Manga, Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent girls and young adult women. It is, along with Shōnen manga, manga (targeting adolescent boys), Seinen manga, manga (targeting young adult and adult men ...
. At Yoshiike's insistence, no romance elements were included. Marie and Schia's friendship was directly based on that between Anne and Diana from ''Anne of Green Gables''. The multiple endings were included by Yoshiike as an incentive for players to complete the game as fast as possible with high completion. The character designs and artwork were created by Kohime Ohse. Ohse was involved from an early stage, with Yoshiike wanting to create a game with her art from the outset. In response to Yoshiike's wish for a light-hearted "fluffy" game, Ohse's work on ''Atelier Marie'' used a light-hearted and "pastoral" look. The setting of Salburg was based on
Medieval Germany The concept of Germany as a distinct region in Central Europe can be traced to Julius Caesar, who referred to the unconquered area east of the Rhine as ''Germania'', thus distinguishing it from Gaul. The victory of the Cherusci, Germanic tribes ...
, with Ohse travelling to the region to study a castle which she replicated in a piece of cutscene art. Marlowe's design was inspired by European witches, with her final design being a version that showed her both as a classy figure and a drop-out. Once the art was completed, there were no redrafts, with the team getting a clearer vision for the gameplay and tone when they saw Ohse's art. The music was co-composed by Daisuke Achiwa and Toshiharu Yamanishi.


Release

''Atelier Marie'' was originally published by Gust for PlayStation on May 23, 1997. An expanded version for
Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it is the successor to the succes ...
, titled ''Atelier Marie Ver. 1.3'', was published by Imagineer's publishing label Imadio on December 11. An expanded PlayStation version, ''Atelier Marie Plus'', was published on June 4, 1998. Imagineer ported the game to
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
and released it on April 28, 2000. This version had network sharing capabilities until December of that year. A remake for the
Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
was developed and published by Kool Kidz on November 15, 2001. The version bundled ''Atelier Marie'' with a remake of its sequel ''Atelier Ellie''. The Dreamcast version released with a computer virus which would infect computers when the disc was used to access desktop features included on the disc. In response, Kool Kidz recalled the game and issued an apology to buyers. The remake bundle was released by Gust for
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
on October 27, 2005. The PS2 port received a fan translation in 2018. The ''Plus'' version was released for
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
and
Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...
on February 28, 2018, by then-series owners
Koei Tecmo is a Japanese video game, amusement and anime holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Koei and Tecmo. Koei Tecmo Holdings owns several companies, the biggest one of those being its flagship video game developer and publisher Koei Tecmo ...
. Until 2023, no version of ''Atelier Marie'' was released outside Japan.


''Atelier Marie Remake''

A high-definition remake, titled ''Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg'', was announced in February 2023 for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
,
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
,
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
, and Windows via
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
. The remake was based on the expanded ''Plus'' version with further gameplay additions alongside redone graphics. The remake was released worldwide by Koei Tecmo on July 13, 2023. A digital deluxe edition came with additional items and a translated port of the PS2 remake of ''Atelier Marie''. Following the increased popularity of the ''
Atelier An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or vi ...
'' series with the success of the ''Atelier Ryza'' trilogy, series producer Junzo Hosoi wanted to make the first game accessible to new players to celebrate the series' 25th anniversary. Production began in early 2022 as development was finishing on '' Atelier Sophie 2''. The game was made easier by adjusting gathering and battle statistics, and introduced new social events triggered during the five year time limit. An "Unlimited Mode" was added as an accommodation to newer players, who were used to the more lax time mechanics of later ''Atelier'' titles. The in-game character models were designed in a deformed miniature style, emulating the original in-game sprites. The character designs were redrawn by artist Benitama, and the music was arranged for the remake by
Kumi Tanioka is a Japanese composer and pianist. Born in Hiroshima, Japan, she graduated from Kobe University with a degree in musical performance, and began working as a video game composer in 1998. She joined video game developer and publisher Square tha ...
.


Reception

While ''Atelier Marie'' was not extensively promoted by Gust, the game was a commercial success. By the end of 1997, it had sold over 212,000 units in Japan. It was particularly popular among young women, and the series went on to become one of Gust's main properties. Both the PlayStation and Saturn versions earned scores of 30 points out of 40 from Japanese gaming magazine ''
Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...
''. In a later review of the ''Plus'' version, ''Famitsu'' noted the high degree of player freedom and the fun in collecting and creating items. In a retrospective review, Michael Baker of ''RPGamer'' praised its innovation at the time of release, but found its gameplay "average" and graphics underwhelming compared to other titles of its time. In an article on a later entry in the series, Eric L. Patterson of ''Play Magazine'' said the original game looked interesting, feeling that its unusual style and presentation kept it exclusive to Japan. The remake made a strong sales debut in Japan, recording sales of over 21,000 units across its PS5 and Switch versions and becoming the highest-selling new release for its launch week. The game saw generally positive reviews from critics. ''Famitsu'' praised the updates to its playability, but noted some archaic elements in its design and character writing that showed the game's original age. Paige Chamberlain of ''RPG Site'' felt the game was priced too high for its length and content, but enjoyed the game as a good modern version of the original game. ''Nintendo World Report'' Allyson Cygan disliked the redesigned minigames and felt the time limit would frustrate new players, but otherwise gave praise to the remake both for its revamped presentation and core gameplay. Mitch Vogel of ''
Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'' praised the graphical and audio presentation of the remake, praising its charm and calling it a "must-buy" for series fans. His main criticisms were its short length and simplistic alchemy system. ''RPGFan'' Des Miller noted the potential issues players might have with its older mechanics, and felt the combat and gathering systems were weak points, but otherwise praised the remake's updates. ''Hardcore Gamer'' Jeremy Peeples praised the remake for its revamped mechanics and presentation, calling it "a fantastic gateway game for anyone new to the ''Atelier'' games". Shaun Musgrave of ''
Touch Arcade ''TouchArcade'' (stylized as toucharcade) is a mobile games journalism website. It was launched in 2008 as a sister site of ''MacRumors'' by its founder Arnold Kim and Blake Patterson. ''TouchArcade'' also hosts a forum and a weekly podcast. I ...
'' called the game an enjoyable entry for series fans as it made the original game more accessible, but did not recommend it to first time players due to its older mechanics.


Legacy


Sequels

Following the success of ''Atelier Marie'', further titles were released within the Salburg continuity. The first, a direct sequel was released on December 17, 1998, for the PlayStation. ''Ellie'' follows trainee alchemist, who was cured of a disease by an experienced Marie, as she enters the same academy. ''Atelier Ellie'' was made quickly based on the success of the original, with Yoshiike focusing on refining the original mechanics rather than adding anything new. The game featured anime cutscenes created by Studio D-Volt. Isaemon Yamagata took over as character designer and illustrator, while Yamanishi and Achiwa returned as composers. ''Atelier Ellie'' earned a score of 33 points out of 40 from ''Famitsu'', and across 1998 and 1999 sold over 161,000 units. The third title, was released on June 21, 2001, for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
. The game is a prequel to the previous titles, following Lilie as she introduces alchemy to the kingdom of Salburg. After ''Ellie'', Yoshiike felt he had exhausted the series, but was encouraged to carry on by fan requests, using the new platform to experiment with new and expanded systems. Digimation created the game's animated cutscenes. Yamagata returned as character designer, while Yamanishi composed the music with Akira Tsuchiya. As with ''Ellie'', ''Lilie'' was given a score of 33/40 from ''Famitsu'', and sold over 90,000 units during its release year.


Spin-offs

Several spin-off using the Salburg setting were released during the 2000s. An
adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
sequel to ''Atelier Lilie'', ''Hermina and Culus: Atelier Lilie Another Story'', was released for PlayStation 2 on December 20, 2001. Two titles were published by Imagineer in January 2000, ''Atelier Marie GB'' and ''Atelier Ellie GB'' for the
Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
. Yamagata returned to create character designs. A spin-off for the
WonderSwan The is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. Developed in collaboration with Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory, it was the final piece of hardware Yokoi worked on before his death in 1997. Launched in March 1999 during the ...
, ''Marie & Ellie: Two People's Atelier'', was released on October 25, 2001. Developed by E3 Staff, the game follows Marie and Ellie collaborating on setting up an alchemy workshop. A follow-up to the WonderSwan title co-developed by Gust and
Banpresto (formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in the New Territories. Ba ...
, ''Marie, Ellie & Annis'', was released for the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
on January 24, 2003. Characters from the Salburg series were later featured in the 2019 spin-off title '' Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World''. Marie would be featured alongside other Gust series characters in the 2008 RPG '' Cross Edge'', developed by
Idea Factory is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher founded by former Data East employees in October 1994. A division of the company makes otome games under the name of Otomate (see Idea Factory#Otomate games, list below). An ...
.


Notes


References


External links

* * {{Atelier series 1997 video games Android (operating system) games M Dreamcast games Gust Corporation games IOS games Japan-exclusive video games Japanese role-playing video games Nintendo Switch games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation 2 games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation 5 games Sega Saturn games Single-player video games Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Windows games ja:アトリエシリーズ (ザールブルグ)#マリーのアトリエ 〜ザールブルグの錬金術士〜