Terra Cresta 3D

3D is the second entry in the series to have no involvement with creator Shigeki Fujiwara, who several years prior departed from Nichibutsu to work on the Bomberman series for Hudson Soft. This left the company struggling to produce any successful action-oriented titles, shifting focus towards pornographic mahjong arcade games instead. Negatively received for its gameplay, level design, and inferiority to similar titles on the platform, though its graphics and soundtrack were praised by some. It is one of Nichibutsu's final games, as they ceased their video game operations in the early 2000s.

• Title — Terra Cresta 3D • Developer — Nichibutsu • Publisher — Nichibutsu • Director — Tacanoli Tanaca • Series — Cresta Series • Platforms — Sega Saturn • Released — August 8, 1997 • Genre — Scrolling shooter • Modes — Single-player

• Illustration — In-game screenshot Terra Cresta 3D is a vertical-scrolling shooter video game. Assuming the role of three different starships — the Winger, Gamma and Beta — the player is tasked with completing six stages by destroying enemies and avoiding collision with them and their projectiles. The Gamma gives the player a tailgun that can fire forwards and backwards, and the Beta doubles the firepower. These ships can be found by destroying small bases located throughout stages. By collecting small "F" icons from defeating enemies, the player can combine all three ships into one for increased power. Combining with one other ship gives the Winger a wave beam, and combining with two provides the Winger with heat-seeking lasers that automatically lock onto enemies. The player can also launch a powerful bomb in the form of a flaming phoenix that glides across the screen. Stages end with a boss that must be defeated to progress. By performing a button combination on the main menu, the player can access a cheat giving them 99 lives at the beginning of the game.

Terra Cresta 3D was released in Japan by Nichibutsu for the Sega Saturn on August 8, 1997. It is the second Terra Cresta game to not have any involvement with series creator Shigeki Fujiwara, as several years prior he left Nichibutsu to work on the Bomberman series for Hudson Soft. Described as "the heart and soul of the company" by Hardcore Gaming 101, his departure left Nichibutsu struggling to produce any successful action-oriented games, instead releasing a number of pornographic mahjong arcade titles throughout the late 1990s. Terra Cresta 3D is one of the company's last video games alongside titles such as Battle Round USA, as they suspended their operations in the early 2000s.