Before I begin, I'd like to give a shout-out to Claude who has been running Bungie.org since 1999, Harry who runs the subdomain Oni Central since 1999, and Alloc who runs oni2.net since 2005. These fan sites have been up for such a long time, I wanted to give a big thank you!
(Credit to Lorraine from the Oni community for the pictures used in the banner, I was able to put something together for the 20th Anniversary)
20 years! Has it been 20 years already!? Please join me, as myself and the Oni community, celebrate this momentous occasion!
Released for the PC back in January 26, 2001 for EU and January 28(29), 2001 for NA. It was created by the team over at Bungie West. Oni played a big part of my childhood growing up. I remember my parents taking me to the local Walmart Super-center and I'd always go visit the electronics section to play the latest games on their kiosks. The computer aisle was pretty hidden at the time, away from the console gaming area and when I discovered it, I started visiting the little tucked away aisle often since I found it to be very mysterious.
It was there that I discovered Oni.
When I first saw the box it blew me away; it was this big holographic box that shined under the stores fluorescent lights. This was the coolest thing I ever saw, it really drew me in! Of course, I couldn't get my hands on the game at the time which really bummed me out. I was just a kid still in middle school with no money in my pocket but every time I came back to that computer aisle it was always there as if it were waiting for me to buy it. Months flew by...
...and I did. I saved up my birthday money and bought it.
My parents owned a Compaq computer with Windows 2000/Millennium and to my surprise Oni ran on it like a dream. This was when I discovered our computer could run games like this which led to a lot of great memories with games like Battlezone II, Heavy Gear, Speed Busters, Global Operations, and most importantly, Oni.
You play as Konoko, a TCTF operative, in a dystopian world so polluted that most of the Earth is uninhabitable. The small human population that remains rely on Atmospheric Conversion Centers (air purifying plants) to keep them alive. The TCTF are tasked with putting a stop to the Syndicate who wants to destroy these air purifying plants. While fighting the Syndicate, Konoko realizes that the TCTF is holding her past a secret which causes her to go rogue and on a quest of self discovery.
I'd always wake up an hour or two before school (As early as 5am) to get in some game time; saving TCTF officers, beating up Syndicate goons, and cracking some bones in the process. I did this for years so I was a sleep deprived kid back then...but I was having a hell of a good time. Whether I was going through the early stages of the game like Airport and trying to save as many civilians as I could, going through TCTF HQ and helping out the TCTF officers fend off against the invading Syndicate forces, running around in Rooftops and jump kicking enemies off the ledge to their doom, playing as one of the games many NPC's and trying to save Shinatama for the umpteenth time.
It was an absolute blast every time...and now here I am. Twenty years later, I'm 31 now, and it really boggles my mind that I still play Oni.
Again, it's thanks to the Oni community for creating the Anniversary Edition that has allowed me to play this game on a modern computer. Without them I wouldn't be able to play this again.
It was great going through Oni again in 2020. It brought back a lot of fun memories but I was also able to have new experiences with all the great mods people in the community have put out over the years. Even now, the community continues to work in the shadows on new things. No, I don't have anything to show, it's just nice to know that people are still making mods for the game 20 years later. You know, it's really rare for a game to have such long lasting, dedicated fans.
You really won't find a game like this again.
I know people who formed a negative opinion on Oni most likely played the PS2 version. It's known amongst the Oni community for not being a good port. The ideal way to play this game is on PC; it was made for PC first and foremost. I highly recommend trying to get your hands on a PC copy if you can. However, if the PS2 port is the only way you can play it then that's ok!
If you have some time to spare and want to show your support, please stop by the Oni page on GOG and put in a vote! The dream is that one day, Oni can be re-released and bought from GOG or other storefronts. Every vote helps!
Oni - GOG.com
Download the best games on Windows & Mac. A vast selection of titles, DRM-free, with free goodies, and lots of pure customer love.
The Oni community has a very fascinating history surrounding it. If you'd like to know more about Oni, the Oni community, or its modding scene, then visit the links below. Iritscen, also known as "The Oni Historian", documented them here:
History of the Oni community - OniGalore
History of Oni modding - OniGalore
With all this said, I plan to continue to play Oni for many years to come. There are still mods out there I have yet to try! I've put together some avatars down below and some celebratory screenshots, please enjoy!
HERE'S TO ANOTHER 20 YEARS!
Avatars:
(Shout-out to Lorraine and Alex Okita from the Oni community, I was able to put these avatars together as well!)
Celebratory screenshots for the 20th Anniversary:
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