Ikachan Release Date?

Hi, everyone! I thought this would be a good place to ask this question. I'm trying to figure out the first release of Ikachan for a project I'm doing, but I can't seem to find a proper release date. I see various sites referring to its release date as 1999 (such as the tribute site), in one case more specifically as April 19, 1999. However, many other sites seem to claim its original release date as in the year 2000, sometimes specifically June 23, 2000. I was wondering if anyone could lead me to any direct evidence for one date or the other, and if I'm missing some incredibly obvious source, I apologize. Thanks!

 

In the version 1 download if you click on the readme (説明など.txt) it does say the game's release is on April 18, 1999. Straight from the Pixel himself.

 

Wow, thanks so much! You're right, it does say it's the release notice. People mistaking the date by once day I easily understand. But if that's the original Japanese release date than I wonder where a June 23rd of 2000 release date came from. Guess I'll see if I can find anything on that mistake.

Thanks again, and take care!

 

In the version 1 download if you click on the readme (説明など.txt) it does say the game's release is on April 18, 1999. Straight from the Pixel himself.

Huh, I never noticed that the readme file contains a date. The credits actually list the release date for 1.0 as April 19, so that's what I put on the TCRF page. Looking at the files now, it does appear they all have a "last modified" date of April 18 at latest (though that could be my Mac trying to compensate for differing time zones or something).

 

The credits actually list the release date for 1.0 as April 19, so that's what I put on the TCRF page.

Interesting, do you have this text verbatim? The date in the file, it’s actually just that, a date. It doesn’t have any wording attached to it. If the credits actually say something like, “Release April 19, 1999,” that I would say would be more definitive of a date.

 

Interesting, do you have this text verbatim? The date in the file, it’s actually just that, a date. It doesn’t have any wording attached to it. If the credits actually say something like, “Release April 19, 1999,” that I would say would be more definitive of a date.

Here are the readme contents in full (説明など.txt).

-------------------April 18 1999

ひとくちアクションアドベンチャー
　　　　「いかちゃん」

　　　By 開発室Ｐｉｘｅｌ

＜起動方法＞
Ikachan.exeをダブルクリックして下さい。

＜操作方法＞
○カーソル（←・→）：主人公の向き
○Ｚボタン　　　　　：噴射
○Ｓボタン　　　　　：アイテム画面

＜注意＞
セーブデータは「Ika.rec」です。
最初から始めると「Ika.rec」は上書きされます。

＜動作確認環境＞
ＣＰＵ　：１６６ＭＨｚ（Pentium）
ＶＲＡＭ：２ＭＢｙｔｅ
メモリ　：４８ＭＢｙｔｅ
ＰＣＭ形式が再生できるもの
Windows95
DirectX5

＜開発環境＞
動作確認環境のパソコン(VALUESTAR 166)
IDRAW2 MicrosoftDeveloperStdioStandard(Ver4)
PiyoPiyo ｻｳﾝﾄﾞﾚｺｰﾀﾞｰ

＜開発期間＞
一月＋α

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
このソフトはフリーソフトです。
開発者は実行中の事故には責任を持てません。
（制作に悪意が無いことはご理解ください）

感想や意見はこちら↓
Ｅメール：active@wombat.or.jp
ＵＲＬ：http://www.wombat.or.jp/active/

This is actually pretty interesting tho, cuz in the credits (Staff.ptx), they do say the release date was April 19, 1999, so maybe that was the planned date? Just so happened to release a day early.

Ｄｅｂｕｇ+
１９９９年　４月１０日　土曜日+
Ｒｅｌｅａｓｅ（Ｖｅｒ１）+
１９９９年　４月１９日　月曜日+

 

Ah, I should have been more clear: assuming DrippingYellow is referring to the in-game credits, is there a way to easily see those?

 

Ah, I should have been more clear: assuming DrippingYellow is referring to the in-game credits, is there a way to easily see those?

Here's the full credits, (I just opened it with Notepad++ and got it that way)

Spoiler: Ikachan (ver1) credits

+
＜＜＜　スタッフ　＞＞＞+
+
+
企画：+
+
　「　開発室Ｐｉｘｅｌ　」+
+
+
シナリオデザイン：+
+
　あまや　だいすけ+
　さいかい　ともひさ+
　かなり行き当たりバッタリ+
+
+
空間デザイン：+
+
　かおす+
　気持ち程度+
+
+
キャラクターデザイン：+
+
　Ｐｉｘｅｌドット絵部+
+
+
キャラクタードット+
+
　Ｐｉｘｅｌドット絵部+
　うらまつ　りょうじ+
　なかがみ　ごう+
+
+
背景パーツドット：+
+
　あまや　だいすけ+
　なかがみ　ごう+
+
+
プログラム：+
+
　あまや　だいすけ+
　ふくしま　たつや+
+
+
音楽：+
+
　「水の中で」+
　「いかちゃん」+
　「Ｑｕａｋｅ」+
　「雨に紛れて」+
　「ブリキの行進」+
+
　　　Ｂｙ+
+
　ＰｉｙｏＰｉｙｏ+
　Ｐｉｘｅｌ音楽部+
+
+
効果音：+
+
　あまや　だいすけ+
　たわ　たかし+
　その辺は常に適当+
+
+
シナリオモニタ+
+
　なかはら　まさはる+
　なかがみ　ごう+
　みやざわ　しゅうへい+
+
シナリオデバッガ+
+
　なかはら　ましゃはる+
　みやざわ　しゅうへい+
+
+
機材環境提供：+
+
　なかはら　まさはる+
　刀根山病院+
+
+
ファイルトリッカー+
+
　なかはら　まさはる+
+
+
テーマソング：+
+
　「ゴーゴーいかちゃん」+　　　
　　　　　ｂｙ+
　　　たわ　たかし+
+
+
　　　　↑没です+
+
+
スペシャルサンクス：+
+
　ＮＡＯ+
+
+
ひとくちアクションアドベンチャー+
+
　　　　「いかちゃん」+
+
Ｄｅｂｕｇ+
１９９９年　４月１０日　土曜日+
Ｒｅｌｅａｓｅ（Ｖｅｒ１）+
１９９９年　４月１９日　月曜日+
+
+
+
+
+
お疲れ様でした☆+
+
これにて開発室Ｐｉｘｅｌからの+
プレゼントを終了いたします。+
pf
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
s
end

Otherwise may as well just play the game and see it through there

 

Hmm… Seems like Pixel himself is indeed saying the game’s official release was the 19th, not the 18th, since the date with the 18th doesn’t get as specific as “Release (Ver1).” I guess this case is… resolved? Yeah, resolved.