Seaman

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Seaman
System(s): Sega Dreamcast
Publisher: DigiToys (Japan), Vivarium (Japan), Sega of America Dreamcast (US)
Developer: Vivarium
Licensor: Vivarium (US)
Peripherals supported: Dreamcast VGA Box, Visual Memory Unit, Dreamcast Microphone
Genre: Cohabitation Training Simulation/Doukyo-Gata Ikusei Simulation (同居型育成シミュレーション), Simulation
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1999-07-29 ¥6,800 (7,140)6,800e T-39402M JP (Special Package Ban) 1999-07-29 ¥7,800 (8,190)7,800e T-39401M US 2000-08-08 $49.9549.95 51048

Seaman, known as Seaman: Kindan no Pet (シーマン 〜禁断のペット〜) in Japan, is a Sega Dreamcast digital pet simulation game developed by Vivarium. First published in Japan by Vivarium themselves in July 1999, it was later localized in English and published in the United States by Sega in August 2000, featuring voice narration by renowned American actor Leonard Nimoy.

Like Christmas NiGHTS, the game received a special Christmas-themed version titled Christmas Seaman, a re-release in August 2001 titled Seaman: Kindan no Pet: 2001 Nen Taiouban with minor updated features (which served as the basis for the localized version), and a Japan-exclusive PlayStation 2 port in November 2001 titled Seaman: Kindan no Pet: Gaze Hakushi no Jikken Shima.

Gameplay

Seaman's face is that of Yoot Saito, the leading man behind Vivarium.

History

It debuted with the Dreamcast Microphone, which was bundled with the game. The game was not released in Europe (plans were once in place to release it there in 2001), though the Microphone accessory was (Planet Ring being the only game released in that region to be compatible with the peripheral).

Japanese consumers also had an option to buy a "Special Package" bundle, which as well as including the game and microphone, also included a clear VMU (as the game requires one to function).

120,000 copies of the game were sold in Japan in the first three weeks of sale.

Legacy

For a while after its release, Seaman was the best-selling Dreamcast game in Japan, beating Sonic Adventure and SoulCalibur. Famitsu sales charts compiled until early 2004 show it as the third highest-selling Dreamcast game of all-time in that region.

Sequels/updates Christmas Seaman and Seaman 2001 were released in Japan, and the game was also followed by a PlayStation 2 sequel, Seaman 2.

In May 2022, Japanese coffee brand Mt Rainier ran a promotional campaign where a customer could scan QR codes to access augmented reality scenes. One of the QR codes leads to an underwater scene featuring Seaman, with it also appearing on their webpage. It speaks in Japanese before swimming away.

Versions

Localised names

Also known as

Language	Localised Name	English Translation
English (US)	Seaman	Seaman
Japanese	シーマン 〜禁断のペット〜	Seaman: Kindan no Pet

Production credits

• Produced & Game Designed By: Yoot Saito
• Development Directed By: Satoshi Endo, Arka Roy
• Graphics Directed By: Atsushi Hotta
• Programings By: Kazuhiko Sugita, Tak Suzuki, Shigekazu Ito, Yoshito Hirose
• Graphics by: Tomomasa Ueda, Bujin Hirai, Nobuyuki Usuki, Koichi Okada
• Graphics by: Minoru Urano, Yoko Shibusawa, Yiting Fu, Cozzy Sumitomo, Makoto Iwanaga
• Narrations By: Toshiyuki Hosokawa
• Musics By: Trans Global Underground
• Developed by: Vivarium Inc
• Presented & Copyrights All Reserved By: Digitoys Co.,Ltd

See You In Seaman2001

Source:

In-game credits (JP)

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US Version Credits

• Producer and Game Designer: Yoot Saito
• US Development Director: Arka Roy
• US Script Programming Team: Seppo Helava, Chris Craig, Alex Genadinik
• Narrator: Leonard Nimoy
• Casting and Recording: Webtone
• Localization Producers: Mari N. Schaal, Osamu Shibamiya
• Test Lead: Steve Peck
• Assistant Test Leads: Rick Ribble Jr., Bob Homan
• Music: Trans Global Underground (UK)
• Product Marketing: Stacey Kerr, John Golden
• Creative Services: Robert Schonfisch
• PR: Heather Hawkins
• Assistants to Mr. Seaman (Jellyvision, Inc.): Brian Chard, Kate Powers, Lina Chern, Amy Lippa, Shannon Miller, Mike Brumm, Steve Newman, Jeremy Hornik, Traci Todd
• Special Thanks: Buzzy's Recording, June Honma, Dylan Bromley, Klayton Vorlick, Toshiro Kezuka, Will Wright, Greg & Kim Weber, Liz Michaels, Jason Kuo, Hiroaki Ohmura, Jim Yamashita, Sandra Castagnola, Jin Shimazaki, Shinobu Toyoda

Manual Production Staff

• Translator/Writer/DTP: Monika Hudgins
• Supervisor: Kaoru Ichigozaki
• DTP Advisors: Yoshihiro Sakuta, Osamu Nakazato, Eiichi Ogawa

Japanese Version Original Staff

• Producer and Game Designer: Yoot Saito
• System Designer: Aka Roy
• Director: Satoshi Endo
• Art Director: Atsushi Hotta
• Programmers: Kazuhiko Sugita, Takahisa Suzuki, Shigekazu Ito, Yoshito Hirose
• Sound: Tsuneo Kaneda
• Graphic Artists: Makoto Iwanagawa, Tomomasa Ueda, Nobuyuki Usuki, Minoru Urano, Koichi Okada, Yoko Shibusawa, Bujin Hirai, Yiting Fu, Cozzy Sumitomo
• Assistant Programmers: Ryo Takeishi, Makoto Fukuichi, Tomomi Hiramatsu

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

"WIFFLE" is a registered trademark of The Wiffle Ball, Inc. and is used with permission.

Source:

US manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Seaman/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Famitsu (JP) #555: "1999-08-06" (1999-07-23)
also published in:

• Dreamcast Magazine (JP) #1999-24: "1999-24 (1999-08-06)" (1999-07-23)

Print advert in Dreamcast Magazine (JP) #1999-25: "1999-25 (1999-08-13,20)" (1999-07-30)

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #132: "July 2000" (2000-06-06)
also published in:

• GamePro (US) #143: "August 2000" (2000-0x-xx)
• Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #134: "September 2000" (2000-08-08)

Print advert in Next Level (AR) #20: "Septiembre 2000" (2000-xx-xx)

Artwork

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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Ação Games (BR) 60 DC-UK (UK) NTSC-U 80 Dreamcast Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 73 Dreamcast Magazine (UK) NTSC-U 84 Dorimaga (JP) NTSC-J 84 Edge (UK) NTSC-U 60 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 80 Entsiklopediya igr dlya Dreamcast (RU) 91 Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J 73 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 70 Gamers' Republic (US) NTSC-U 83 Next Generation (US) NTSC-U 75 Power Unlimited (NL) 90 Strana Igr (RU) 100 Video Games (DE) NTSC-U 80

	79
Based on 15 reviews

Seaman

Dreamcast, JP
Cover
Disc

Dreamcast, JP (Special Package)
Cover

Dreamcast, US
Cover
Disc Manual Jewel Case Inlay

Technical information

Main article: Seaman/Technical information.

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
✔	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	1,193,124,912	2000-06-09	GD-ROM (US)	51048 V1.001
?	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1	1,189,846,224	1999-08-02	GD-ROM (JP)	T-39401M V2.000
?	CRC32 MD5 SHA-1		2000-05-08	GD-R				Page

External links

• Sega of America webpage: Dreamcast
• Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): Dreamcast

References

Seaman
	Main page | Development | Magazine articles | Reception Books: Seaman Ikusei Shien Kit (2000) Prototypes: 2000-05-08