Pachislot Zero
Pachislot Zero (パチスロ零) is a Fatal Frame-themed slot machine created by YAMASA and Koei-Tecmo. It was announced in May 2021, and the machine debuted in Japan on 5 July 2021. Even as a subsidiary work created by a third party, it caused interest and speculation among fans of the main series, as it shows scenes from Fatal Frame with updated graphics, offering a tantalising glimpse of what a modern remake of Fatal Frame might look like if one were to be made.
Gameplay
Gameplay centres around the slot machine system. Rather than the player actively controlling the character, the story progresses in short pre-rendered video clips, and the player tries to match tiles in the reels in order to advance the scene, attack ghosts and unlock useful items like stronger film and herbal medicine.
New Material
Character Design Update
While Miku still wears her signature red necktie, her white shirt is now longer, reaching to the hem of her skirt. The sleeves have large buttoned cuffs, and the back of the jacket is split and stitched together with thread. Her hair clip is more textured and shiny than in previous games, and is also worn upside-down compared to the original Fatal Frame, as it was in Fatal Frame V.
It is also possible to unlock a new costume for Miku: a purple gothic lolita-style dress. Annotations from Koto Kurosawa on the costume image compare Miku to a magical girl fighting ghosts, and state that the ornate style is unexpected, as Miku wore ordinary clothes when Koto met her. Miku also has blue eyes when wearing this costume.
Story
The story appears to follow a simplified version of the plot of Fatal Frame, with several scenes in the trailers recognisable from the original game, although there also appear to be some new or extended scenes. Multiple ghosts from the original game also appear, including the Novelist Group, Himuro Family Master, Headless Priests and Blinded.
A bonus chapter features an exclusive new character, Koto Kurosawa, a reporter investigating Himuro Mansion, and there are cameo appearances from Japanese vtuber Nijikawa Laki. There is also a new minor ghost, Woman Sealed in Box.
Gameplay Elements
The guidebook mentions familiar gameplay elements such as films and health items, but video clips also portray gameplay elements from later games. For example, in some clips, Miku's clothes appear noticeably wet, a mechanic introduced in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. In another clip, Miku is seen reaching out to pick up an item and being interrupted by a ghost hand, a mechanic introduced in Fatal Frame IV and present in all Nintendo-era Fatal Frame games except Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir.
Endings
The Pachislot has multiple endings. The Normal Ending (recording) and Mafuyu Ending (recording) from the original Fatal Frame have been adapted, and there is also a new Premium Ending. In this ending, as in the Normal Ending, Mafuyu chooses to stay behind with Kirie, but we see a later scene with Koto Kurosawa in the Cherry Atrium, where the tree is now in full bloom. Koto reflects on what she has learned during her investigation, saying that she understands Miku's conflicted feelings now; rather than being unable to save Mafuyu, Miku chose to let him go, in spite of her own grief, because she loved the kindness that caused him to sympathise with Kirie. As Koto closes her notebook, Miku arrives behind her, and she and Koto smile at each other.
A high-quality video of the Premium Ending was posted on YouTube as an unlisted video by YAMASA, and the link was given as a reward for completing a customer survey about the game. The original video was deleted when the survey period ended, but a saved version can be viewed here.
Music
Pachislot Zero features an original soundtrack with two new themesongs: "Flash" and "Afterimage", performed by Japanese singer-songwriter naNami and produced by Takamitsu Shimazaki.
- 閃光 (Flash)
- 残像 (Afterimage)
- 周忌バトル 壱 (Battle music for Blinded, Former Rope Shrine Maiden and Long Hair Woman)
- 周忌バトル 弐 (Battle music for Crawling Girl, Headless Priests and Kirie)
