The team behind the curious, ethereal, and one-of-a-kind PlayStation release Vib-Ribbon have spoken of the story behind the game's creation; the uphill battle to get such an abstract project greenlit, produced, and released; and the enduring legacy of not only the game itself, but the impact on the lives of the folks who crafted it.

This and other topics are discussed in a new, 8,000+ word Design Room feature Vib-Ribbon: An Oral History. The Subscribers-Only feature sees the site sit down with various members of developer NanaOn-Sha, including founder and PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura, coders John Belmonte and Anthony Carrico, along with Sony Project Manager Hidehito Kojima, Laugh & Peace vocalist Yoko Fujita, and then-Sony Computer Entertainment of America VP Shawn Layden.

For those yet to experience the title's unique gameplay, Vib-Ribbon sees a vector-based rabbit, Vibri, negotiate an ever-changing landscape, crafted directly from music pulled from the player's own CD collection. After inserting a CD into the PS1 and selecting a track, a "course" is built in real time, the terrain and topology reflecting the tempo, rhythm, and beat of the music. The player then guides Vibri through the course in a blend of platformer and rhythm-action gameplay.

Released in 1999, sporting an esoteric visual style and almost experimental design, Vib-Ribbon was difficult to market, not only to players, but to Sony itself, with the Design Room piece featuring anecdotes of the struggle to get NanaOn-Sha's vision in front of Sony's eyes, as well as the circumstances that caused Vib-Ribbon to take five whole years to receive a North American PS3 release - boosted by a community-led "Free Vibri" viral campaign and the eventual acquiescence of SCEE.

"I was very attached to that game, and having put so much energy into it, when Sony decided not to release it in the USA, that to me was some kind of psychic damage. I took it pretty hard." - John Belmonte

Upon release, and perhaps quite inevitably, Vib-Ribbon didn't exactly set the sales charts alight. Those who fell under its spell fell hard, still enjoying the title to this day. But, for some, the experimental style and stark vector visuals couldn't draw eyes from the pull of the era's glossier, more conservative releases.

The team notes that they were prepared for such a response, and that they only look back on the development process with fondness, proud of the risks taken and effort expended to bring Vibri to life - successfully charming a niche but wholly passionate audience.

I only dabbled with Vib-Ribbon briefly myself - at the time, video games were such an enormous part of every aspect of my life that I rarely got to play titles "for fun" - but I found Design Works' article a joy to read - a nostalgic reminder of those glorious days when PlayStation developers would... could push the envelope with their bosses, confident that if they could only get the vision realised, then it would find its intended audience. You aren't making art for the sales; sometimes you're making it for the medium itself.

To this day, the team clearly hold Vib-Ribbon (and its joyful protagonist) dear to their heart, and the experience of creating a true uniquity in the industry - at a time when that was possible even when working under corporate's largest umbrellas - formed key memories and experiences in their careers and lives.

"I loved everyone at NanaOn-Sha, and the Sony people... we had such a great time. We all love Vibri. It was a special project." - Anthony Carrico

As previously noted, Design Works Vib-Ribbon: An Oral History is a Subscriber-Only article, but I would suggest that fans of Vib-Ribbon, experimental-era PlayStation, or stories of outside-the-box game development give it a read.

Here's to you, Vibri. Keep stridin' for the stars.