T&E Soft's DAIVA: the crazy saga that wanted to reconcile all Japanese computers

In the small world of the Japanese video game of the 1980s, each machine had its clan. PC-8801, X1, FM-77AV, MSX, MSX2, Famicom, PC-9801 : everyone defended his support as if his life depended on it. And then T&E Soft, already known for the exceptional Hydrlide or the sublime Laydock, tried a completely crazy project: creating a great saga of science fiction spread over seven different games, each developed for a precise machine, with its own hero, its own point of view and its own technical specificities.

This series is DAIVA, or Active Simulation War DAIVA.

The idea was not to play a game and then convert it to the chain, as often happened. DAIVA wanted to take the problem backwards: each machine owner had to have "its" version, thought for its material, but all versions belonged to the same galactic war. In other words, no one had the whole story alone.

To understand the whole, you had to look at what was happening in others. For the time, it was quite captivated.

Galactic War in Seven Pieces

DAIVA A mix of space strategy, fleet management, tactical movements, ship battles and horizontal scrolling phases during planetary conquests. The term Active Simulation War was therefore not just there to look pretty on the box. The game wanted to mix the reflection of a space wargame with the direct action of a shooting game or futuristic platform.

The most original is its password system. Players could transfer some war data from one version to another, including ships. A player advanced on one machine could therefore help another player on another machine. Yasuo Yoshikawa, the creator of the project , explained that the objective was precisely to push players to communicate instead of tumbling to know which machine was best. For a 1986-1987 game, the idea was almost social before the hour.

Behind this ambition, there is also a rather harsh human history. Yoshikawa was director, screenwriter and main programmer on DAIVA. The development was so intense that he said he had almost lived in the office for several months, before he ended up hospitalized after a temporary loss of vision due to exhaustion.

We are in the kind of anecdote that recalls that some 8-bit projects were made with passion, but also clearly with health shots left on the table.

See the excellent interview of Yasuo Yshikawa on the website of Time Expension by John Szczepaniak

 

My discovery of DAIVA on MSX

For my part, DAIVA has long been some kind of Grail. After playing Laydock on MSX2, one of the great titles of T&E Soft on the machine, I was able to get at the time a pirate copy of DAIVA Story 5 : The Cup of Soma on MSX2.

The game was in Japanese, of course, but it was still possible to play it and understand the main mechanics because many orders were despite its origin in English. Strategy phases, fleet movements and fighting were fascinating. To me, it was a wonder.

 

I still see myself playing on my Sony HB-F700F, sometimes at two o'clock in the morning, completely captivated by this atmosphere of galactic war. What a foot. There was in DAIVA this rare mixture of science fiction, management, action and mystery.

Even without understanding the story in detail, it was felt that something bigger was happening than a simple spatial action game.

 

Lack of recognition in France

In France, on the other hand, the culture of the Japanese simulation game was clearly not at its peak, and the specialized press did not really measure the scale of the game. DAIVA. It must be said that the context did not help: only the MSX episodes could actually circulate at home, sometimes informally, and the other versions remained confined to Japanese machines that very few French players knew or owned. Except Laydock on MSX2, games T&E Soft have not benefited from a true official distribution in France. So, imagining that the same universe could be divided between PC-8801, FM-77AV, X1, MSX, MSX2, Famicom and PC-9801 was almost science fiction for the average French player of the time. There was a cultural, technical and commercial gap that the French press did not really have the means, or perhaps the desire, to cross.

In the Japanese press, DAIVA is not treated as a simple, somewhat obscure MSX2 game, but as a real strategic saga to understand. These pages of MSX・FAN show the gap in perception: great visual staging, detailed explanation of mechanics, progression patterns, tactical advice and recall of the multi-machine concept. In places where some French articles seem mainly to overfly the subject, Japanese treatment places DAIVA in its real ambition: a transversal project, conceived as a galactic war deployed on several media.

 

 

I then managed to find the MSX1 version, DAIVA Story 4: Asura, at MSX Video Center, in a somewhat informal purchase as could be done at the time. The store managed to import some Japanese games and sell them in Paris. I enjoyed it!

At the moment, I felt like I had the same game in less beautiful. Which was quite logical: I wasn't reading Japanese, and so I wasn't really aware that it was actually another episode, with a different story, but located in the same universe.

In hindsight, that's exactly what makes DAIVA So particular. On MSX, we had Story 4. On MSX2, we had Story 5. Two machines from the same family, two different games, two points of view in the same science fiction fresco. At the time, this subtlety was totally above the head. I saw above all the graphic difference between MSX1 and MSX2, and necessarily my heart was leaning towards the MSX2 version.

It was only later that I realized that DAIVA Also existed on other Japanese computers and consoles. J. had first had a glimpse of Japanese magazines purchased from JunkuIn Paris. I wasn't really reading Japanese, but I was looking at screenshots, box photos and presentation pages trying to reconstruct the puzzle. We did as we could, with the means of the time.

In the 2000s, with the arrival of auction sites and much easier access to the Japanese market, I started looking for other versions. Not necessarily to play it. At this point, it was something else. I wanted to gather all the pieces of this unlikely project, to find every episode, every jacket, every support. The thirst of the compulsive collector, I confess.

But that's also why DAIVA remains a series apart for me. It is not only a historical curiosity of T&E Soft. It is a memory of a MSX player, an open door to the Japanese game of the 80s, and a pretty crazy example of what a publisher could try at a time when each machine had its own identity.

 

The seven episodes of DAIVA

Before reviewing the seven episodes, one must keep one thing in mind: DAIVA is not a classic series with a first game, a sequel, then a linear conclusion. Each version tells a different fragment of the same galactic war, with its own protagonist, its own support and sometimes its own gameplay choices. The player MSX therefore did not live exactly the same story as the player MSX2, PC-8801, X1, FM-77AV, Famicom or PC-9801. It is precisely this broken construction, both ambitious and a bit crazy, that makes the saga so fascinating today.

 

Story 1: Flames of Vritra, PC-8801 mkII SR

The first chapter shows Rushana Patty ( Vertra and the loss of his planet. The version PC-8801 mkII SR bet on support FM and on an 8 color display with superimposed scrolling effects. It is one of the episodes that sets the general tone: dramatic space opera, interstellar war and atmosphere of great Japanese SF fresco.

 

Story 2: Memory in Durga, FM-77AV

Memory in Durga is the episode FM-77AV. Her hero, Amitabha (save chaos at the head of its fleet, while the scenario plays on separation, war and loss. The version FM-77AV benefits from the graphic qualities of the machine, including a more colorful display and a smoother material scrolling. It is typically the type of version that justifies the very principle of DAIVA Each machine has the right to an approach that exploits its forces.

 

Story 3: Trial of Nirvana, Sharp X1

On Sharp X1, Trial of Nirvana Next Amogha Siddhi A master attached to a battleship equipped with a biological computer called Nirvana. This version is distinguished by a full screen scrolling card and card support FM. We stay in the same war, but with another angle, another protagonist and another machine highlighted.

 

Story 4 : Asura

It is obviously the episode that speaks to us most directly on Universe MSX. DAIVA Story 4: Asura exit on MSX in 1987In cartridges MegaROM of the 256 KB.

The hero of this episode is Ratna Sambha ( Technically, it's a beautiful curiosity: T&E Soft sought to propose on MSX a version comparable to other microcomputers, despite the constraints of the machine. The presence of a cartridge MegaROM is important because we are not on a small, compressed production to "make a MSX version". It's a real saga chapter. The sound is therefore confined to the only PSG (3 votes) from the machine back then.

 

Story 5: The Cup of Soma, MSX2

DAIVA Story 5 : The Cup of Soma is the episode MSX2, also released in 1987. This time, we're on 3.5 inches double-sided diskette of 720 KB, with backup on disk. 64 Kb RAM, 128 Kb VRAM, son PSG and keyboard support.

The protagonist is Aksho Bhya Science related to Soma, a substance associated with body and life regeneration. The version MSX2 is naturally more visually comfortable than the version MSX1, with a richer interface and a more "high-end Japanese micro presentation". For a collector MSX, the duo Story 4 and Story 5 is particularly interesting, as the MSX and MSX2 do not simply receive the same adapted game: each has its own chapter.

 

Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia, Famicom

Imperial of Nirsartia is the episode Famicom, released December 1986. It is sometimes translated more literally by Throne of Nirsartia. T&E Soft did not publish it directly: the Famicom version was released at Toshiba-EMI. Yoshikawa explains that the Famicom imposed other constraints, which gave a more action-oriented episode, with a system more accessible than the micro versions.

The player embodies it Matari Shuvan In a chapter centered on the throne of Nirsartia. The Famicom version simplifies part of the simulation dimension to favour a more direct, more nervous approach, adapted to the console audience. Interesting particularity: The game offers four levels of difficulty, but only the games played at the highest level allow to generate the famous War Data, indispensable to participate fully in the exchange system between episodes.

 

Story 7 : Light of Kali Yuga, PC-9801

It is also the most different episode in its structure: on PC-9801, the phases of planetary action disappear. The invasions remain present, with orbital bombardment and deployment of Driving Armor, but they are treated as a component of simulation rather than as a real playable action passage. The game design is also completely different.

 

Last chapter of the saga, Light of Kali Yuga arrives on PC-9801 to the end of 1987. This episode features Krishna Shark and presents itself as the conclusion of the great fresco DAIVA. More simulation oriented than other versions, it exploits the higher-end positioning of the PC-98 with a more strategic approach, denser, and less immediately action-oriented than the Famicom episode.

Story 7 also has the peculiarity of proposing a main scenario, Light of Kali Yuga, accompanied by several subscenarios inspired by the events of the other episodes. It is therefore almost a summary chapter, thought to gather the pieces of the puzzle and give a more global view of the galactic war imagined by T&E Soft.

Other important detail for collectors: DAIVA Story 7 existed in two physical editions on PC-9801, a version on diskettes 5 inches and a version on 3.5 inches diskettes. Same game, same final chapter, but two packagings adapted to different configurations PC-98 of the time. Of course, when we start collecting DAIVAThis kind of subtlety quickly becomes a new excuse to go back hunting.

 

DAIVA, T&E Soft's seven connected worlds

The promotional flyers of the time clearly show how much T&E Soft wanted to make DAIVA an out-of-standard project. The series is presented as "the seven worlds created by T&E Soft", with a strong central argument: the compatibility of data between all machines thanks to passwords. The player was therefore invited not only to buy his version, but to participate in a larger galactic war, distributed on PC-8801, FM-77AV, X1, MSX, MSX2, Famicom and PC-9801. The documents also highlight the five main game modes: fleet production, politics, tactical displacement, fleet combat and global combat. For 1986-1987, ambition was quite incredible.

Sur ces documents, les versions MSX et MSX2 sont clairement traitées comme deux épisodes à part entière : Story 4 pour le MSX, Story 5 pour le MSX2. Ce détail est important, car il montre que T&E Soft ne considérait pas le MSX comme un simple support secondaire. La machine avait son propre chapitre dans la fresque DAIVA, tandis que le MSX2 recevait un autre épisode, plus ambitieux visuellement.

 

 

Pourquoi DAIVA reste fascinant aujourd’hui ?

Soyons clairs : DAIVA n’est pas forcément la série la plus simple à prendre en main aujourd’hui. Les interfaces sont très japonaises, le rythme est particulier, et la barrière de la langue peut vite calmer les plus curieux. Même si les actions de base sont en anglais.

Mais historiquement, c’est une pièce à part. Peu de séries ont tenté un concept aussi ambitieux : sept supports, sept points de vue, une seule guerre, et un système de communication entre machines par mots de passe.

Pour les amateurs de MSX, DAIVA a une saveur particulière. Le MSX reçoit Story 4 en cartouche MegaROM, tandis que le MSX2 reçoit Story 5 sur disquette. Deux générations de la famille MSX, deux épisodes distincts, deux façons de montrer ce que la machine peut faire. Ce n’est pas juste une note de bas de page dans le catalogue T&E Soft : c’est l’un des exemples les plus atypiques de ce que les éditeurs japonais pouvaient oser à la fin des années 80.

La série a été regroupée plus tard dans DAIVA Chronicle en 2003, puis dans DAIVA Chronicle Re: en 2019 via Project EGG, avec les sept épisodes, des documents, des bonus et du matériel d’archive. C’est probablement la meilleure manière moderne de comprendre le projet dans son ensemble, même si le charme des versions originales, des jaquettes noires et des supports d’époque reste évidemment incomparable.

 

Le DAIVA online qui n’a jamais vu le jour

Comme si le concept de base n’était pas déjà assez ambitieux, un épisode en ligne de DAIVA aurait également été envisagé. Intitulé DAIVA: Dr. Amandora, il devait fonctionner sur le réseau THE LINKS of the Nihon Telenet et cibler les MSX and MSX2 équipés de 64 Ko de RAM. L’idée était délirante pour l’époque : jusqu’à huit joueurs connectés, chacun choisissant une planète de départ parmi seize, puis participant à une guerre galactique pilotée par un ordinateur hôte, avec des sessions programmées à l’avance.

Le plus étonnant reste la présence prévue d’une fenêtre de discussion entre joueurs. En clair, T&E Soft et ses partenaires imaginaient déjà une sorte de simulation stratégique multijoueur en ligne sur micro japonais, bien avant que ce genre d’expérience ne devienne courant. Le projet n’a malheureusement jamais abouti, mais il confirme une chose : DAIVA n’était pas seulement une série originale, c’était un laboratoire d’idées.

 

Article consacré à DAIVA Dr. Amandora dans MSX-FAN / MSX Exclusive Communication, décembre 1987. Le jeu y est présenté comme un “Network Simulation War” compatible MSX/MSX2, pensé pour le réseau THE LINKS de Nihon Telenet. Malgré ces captures et cette communication avancée, le projet sera finalement annulé.

Les captures publiées dans MSX-FAN laissent penser que le projet était déjà assez avancé pour être présenté à la presse. Mais aucune version jouable connue ne semble avoir refait surface à ce jour. Le seul élément commercial associé à Dr. Amandora reste le package THE LINKS, vendu avec le modem NT-190, mais sans la ROM du jeu.

 

Références et liens utiles utilisés pour la rédaction de l’article :

Interview de Yasuo Yoshikawa sur Time Extension
Article très complet de John Szczepaniak consacré à DAIVA, avec une interview de Yasuo Yoshikawa, créateur de la série. Source majeure pour comprendre l’intention du projet, le développement parallèle sur plusieurs machines, le système de mots de passe inter-versions et les conditions de production particulièrement difficiles.

Page japonaise DAIVA sur Wikipedia
Utile pour recouper les titres japonais, les supports, les dates de sortie, les protagonistes, les spécificités de chaque épisode, les informations sur DAIVA Dr. Amandora et les références mythologiques utilisées par la série.

DAIVA Chronicle Re: sur Project EGG / Amusement Center
Page consacrée à la compilation moderne regroupant les épisodes de DAIVA. Intéressante pour les résumés des différents chapitres, les supports concernés et la remise en contexte de la saga.

DAIVA Story 4 : Asura’s Bloodfeud sur Generation MSX
Fiche de la version MSX, avec les informations de support, éditeur, format, prix d’époque, configuration requise et références de publication.

DAIVA Story 5 : The Cup of Soma sur Generation MSX
Fiche de la version MSX2, avec les informations de support, disquette 3,5 pouces, configuration requise, prix d’époque et références de publication.

DAIVA Dr. Amandora sur Generation MSX
Fiche consacrée au projet en ligne prévu pour MSX/MSX2 via THE LINKS. Le jeu est resté inédit, mais cette page permet de documenter son existence et son lien avec le modem NT-190 LINKS.

MSX-FAN / MSX Exclusive Communication, décembre 1987
Document très intéressant pour illustrer DAIVA Dr. Amandora. Les pages consacrées au projet montrent le logo “Network Simulation War DAIVA”, des captures d’interface et des explications sur le fonctionnement prévu du jeu en réseau.

DAIVA Story 7 sur PC-9801, page de Gyusyabu
Page japonaise utile pour documenter DAIVA Story 7 : Light of Kali Yuga sur PC-9801, notamment son approche plus orientée simulation et ses différences avec les autres versions.

Article japonais sur DAIVA et les différences entre versions
Page de souvenir / analyse mentionnant notamment les différences de structure entre les épisodes, avec une remarque intéressante sur la disparition de l’action dans la version PC-9801.

Communiqué D4 Enterprise / Project EGG sur DAIVA Story 7
Communiqué lié à la ressortie de DAIVA Story 7 sur Project EGG, utile pour confirmer la structure plus stratégique de l’épisode PC-9801.

Micro News n°24, septembre 1989
Test français de DAIVA Story 5 : The Cup of Soma sur MSX, page 38. Intéressant surtout pour mesurer l’écart entre la réception française du jeu et l’ambition réelle de la saga au Japon.

Documents d’époque Technopolis, novembre 1987
Deux pages de Technopolis n°64 ont été utilisées pour compléter l’article : une astuce de modification de sauvegarde pour DAIVA Story 5 sur MSX2, et une méthode de “victoire complète” pour DAIVA, valable pour toutes les versions sauf Famicom. Ces documents montrent à quel point la presse japonaise traitait DAIVA comme un jeu complexe, technique et réellement stratégique.