Chrontendo Special 10th Episode!

Yes, it is here at last, the special 10th episode of Chrontendo! Except that it is not really that special. In fact, it is pretty much a standard episode. Sorry. But, it does feature 15 more Famicom games from August and September of 1986! What's in store this episode? The first game in a beloved franchise from Hudson, the Famicom debuts from SNK and Victor, a very odd FDS title, an early Square release, and perhaps the first genuine kusoge game for the system.

This Episode's top pick:

Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima/Adventure Island

















From Hudson we have this charming little side-scrolling platformer, which is actually an altered port of Sega's Wonder Boy. What's this?? A Sega game on the Famicom! How is this possible? Well, Wonder Boy was developed by a company called Escape/Westone who somehow retained rights to the game itself, even while Sega held the rights to the name "Wonder Boy" and all the characters. Thus, Hudson was able to release the game on the Famicom, courtesy of Escape, with redesigned character sprites. Oddly, Hudson based the new protagonist on real-life Hudson employee Toshiyuki Takahashi. For the US release, Adventure Island, the character name was changed to the inappropriate sounding "Master Higgins." Confusingly, both Wonder Boy and Adventure Island had several sequels, and Hudson continued to released altered ports of the Wonder Boy games while developing unreleated Adventure Island games. A very quick run-through of the Wonder Boy and Adventure Island series is given in Episode 10.

As for the game itself? It is pretty good, at least compared to other post-Mario platformers we've been seeing on the Famicom so far (see Super Pitfall and Musashi no Ken in this episode). While certainly derivative of Super Mario Bros, the game is charming, fun and the controls handle well. The major drawback is a certain degree of repetitiveness, as later levels are very similar to earlier ones. And like many games of this era, the end of level bosses are virtually identical. Overall, Adventure Island is quite a relief from the mediocre platformers being released for the Famicom.

More Cool Games:

Jajamaru no Daibouken

While no one's idea of a great game, the newest installment in this Jaleco series does incorporate some new ideas from Mario-style platformers. If nothing else, Jaleco has cranked these things out on a regular basis - Ninja Kun in May '85, Ninja Jajamaru Kun in November '85, and now Jajamaru no Daibouken in August '86 - allowing us a clear view of the development of the platformer genre. This game features longer, more horizontally orientated levels, and boss fights after each one. And of course, the giant toad is prominently featured in Jajamaru no Daibouken (even though I referred to it as a giant frog in the voiceover. Whoops!)

Mobile Suit Z-Gundam: Hot Scramble

















I swear that if I ever open my own greasy spoon diner, I'll have a breakfast special called the Hot Scramble. That just sounds like a delicious egg, cheese and sausage based breakfast. No such tasty treats are contained in this game, but you do get some decent cockpit-view shooting action, courtesy of Masanobu Endoh's Game Studios. That's right! A Bandai game not developed by Tose! Mark this day on your calender. I can only assume this game was a success in Japan, since it was followed about by about a thousand other Gundam games. I guess Chrontendo will have to tackle those eventually....

ASO/Alpha Mission and Super Xevious: Gamp no Nazo

Two shoot-em-ups for the price of one! Granted, neither of these are really "cool" games, but they are both somewhat notable. ASO (Armored Scrum Object) happens to be the first Famicom release from SNK and also contains a very unusual word in its title. I'm sure I can count the number of times I've seen the word "scrum" used on one hand. This game makes the serious mistake of giving the player a number of very cool sounding power-ups (Flame, Nuke, "Sheeld", etc...) and then severely limiting the usage of those weapons. Super Xevious is a console only sequel - still a very rare thing in 1986 - to Namco's hit arcade game Xevious. Somehow, Super Xevious manages to add a few updates to the Xevious formula (power-ups, actual levels) and still fall short of the original game.

Games which angry up the blood with their sheer awfulness:

Hokuto no Ken

















Hokuto no Ken!! Goddamn, this game pisses me off! Listening to my voiceover for this game, I realize I let Hokuto no Ken off way to easily. Really, the game is a bit insulting. Clearly, Toei was thinking that since it was based off a popular manga/anime (known as Fist of the North Star in the West), it would sell a certain number of copies regardless of how little effort was put into the game itself. And I'll be damned if developer Shoei System (aka Bears) didn't turn out one of the laziest games for the Famicom ever. Hokuto no Ken is one of the first examples on the Famicom of "kusoge"; that is, a shitty game. Kusoge hold a certain fascination for many Japanese gamers, and I will admit that when playing Hokuto no Ken, I find it hilariously awful for about the first minute. After that, the hatred starts to set in, and I curse Toei and Shoei System for ever releasing this thing. Seriously, it's like they came over to my house, left a steaming turd on my front porch, and then ran away.

On a related note, we will get to see one of the most mind-warplingly awful kusoge games in Episode 12.

Super Pitfall

Well, Pony Canyon went ahead and let Micronics develop a new entry in the beloved Activision series. Way to go, guys. From a purely technical standpoint, I suppose Super Pitfall is not that bad. However, this is a fine example of taking a perfectly acceptable idea way too far. While games such as Zelda and Metroid used the idea of hard-to-find secrets and hidden items to enhance replayability and reward resourceful players, Super Pitfall uses those concepts to completely kill the game. Super Pitfall is essentially a remake of Pitfall II - your goal is to find your niece, her pet Mountain Lion, and the Raj Diamond. But, in Super Pitfall, every item you need to complete your quest is invisible. That's right, all the keys, replacement ammunition, quest items and completely invisible and found by jumping while standing next to them. In one case, the entrance to the next level is accessed by jumping into a particular enemy! And there are no clues anywhere; it is simply jump, jump, jump until you just happen to uncover a necessary item. Unfortunately, this particular theory of game design - artificially extending a game's length by simply hiding key items - will continue to be a hallmark of bad games for the Famicom for some time.

Ghostbusters

While Ghostbusters was a popular, but not particularly good Activision game for US computers, this Famicom port is another matter entirely. The final level must go down as one of the worst levels ever in video game history. Your three Ghostbusters (Ernie Hudson's character is conspicuously absent from the game) must march up innumerable flights of stairs in order to meet the final boss, Gozer. However, this is accomplished by hitting the B button once for every step you wish to take. Thus, your characters move at an almost comically slow rate, while being attacked by impossible-to-avoid swarm of ghosts. Really, it is worth playing the game just to see how badly conceived this level is. I suppose this was the beginning of Activision's slow slide into irrelevance in the late 80s and early 90s, prior to their recent phenomenal turn-around.

Also this episode:

Musashi no Ken: So-so platformer from Taito based on (surprise!) a manga/anime series.
King's Knight: Baffingly weird vertical shooter with a fantasy theme from Square.
Koneko Monogatri: Based on the film released in the US as "Milo and Otis." A cute and simple platformer.
Space Hunter: Incredibly, a mere month after Metroid, Kemco released this game about a female "Space Hunter." Unlike Metroid, this game is not good.
Sky Kid: Port of Namco's Choplifter-like horizontal shooter.
Banana: First Famicom release from Victor. A decent puzzle game.
I am a Teacher - Super Mario no Sweater: What the hell? An instructional knitting disk for the FDS?

As always, Chrontendo Episode 10 may be downloaded or streamed from archive.org here.

Chrontendo Episode 9 Released

In our never ending quest to play every game released for the Famicom and NES home consoles, we present Chrontendo Episode 9.

It's another 15 games, this time from June through August, 1986. And you know what? We actually have a pretty decent selection of games this episode. An all time NES classic, Metroid is released for the FDS in August. Hudson and Konami also release a couple high quality titles. And there really aren't any absolutely terrible games this episode -- the worst I can say about Sqoon and Choplifter is that they are merely mediocre.

We are also seeing more and more original titles for the Famicom; only five titles this episode are ports of existing games. Namco checks in with three releases this time, including the rather ambitious Valkyrie no Bouken. Data East and Jaleco come off looking like slackers by comparison, with two uninspired arcade ports.

Of course, this shouldn't lure you into a false sense of security. The Famicom is not going to be all wine and roses from this point onward. FAR from it. In fact, Episode 10 will reveal a previously unknown world of gaming horror. And I cry tears of despair while thinking about some of the titles that will be unleashed on unsuspecting Japanese gamers during the 1986 holiday season....

Chrontendo's Game of the Month:

Metroid

















Nintendo follows up Zelda and Nazo no Murasame with another big release for the FDS, this time from the minds of Gunpei Yokoi and Yoshio Sakamoto. Metroid takes the sidescrolling platformer and moves it in an entirely new direction. Rather than the linear world of Mario and Luigi, Metroid's Samus Aran travels through a vast array of tunnels, caverns and corridors extending in all directions. Your job is to navigate Samus through Metroid's labyrinthine network of enemy-filled passageways, hidden doors and dead ends. While Metroid isn't completely non-linear, you are free to explore as much as you'd like. In fact, backtracking through previously explored parts of the map in order to gain entry to newly accessible areas is a major part of the game.

Metroid certainly takes a page or two from Zelda. In order to get very far, you'll need to upgrade Samus' life bar and offensive capabilities. Fortunately, every power up you find is free for the taking; you won't find any cranky old men running expensive shops in Metroid.

While nothing in Metroid is completely new - the idea of a freely explorable underground world goes back at least as far as Activision's Pitfall II - everything comes together into a wonderfully playable experience. Every aspect of Metroid is high quality: the atmospheric graphics, the character design, Hip Tanaka's excellent music, the spot-on controls. Nintendo must have had a lot of faith in Metroid's universal appeal, since unlike Zelda, they released almost simultaneously in both Japan and the US.

Other notable games this episode:

Star Soldier

















Hudson begins its run of excellent shoot-em-ups with Star Soldier, the putative sequel to Kemco's mediocre Star Force. Unlike almost every shooter released on the Famicom so far, Star Soldier is lots of fun, with fast paced gameplay, loads of power ups, bizarre enemies, and even decent looking bosses.

Ganbare Goemon!

Konami releases in the first console title in it's long running Ganbare Goemon series. While not well known in the west, the Goemon games are quite successful in the Japan. This entry bears little resemblance to the later, weirder titles in the series, such as Legend of the Mystical Ninja, this is a well designed scrolling platformer with elements of exploration, hidden items, Zelda-esque shops, and even first-person mazes thrown in.

Gumshoe

While the game itself was not particularly memorable, this Nintendo release has the honor of being the first NES game to released in the US only. While the Famicom light gun was not particularly successful in Japan, the NES Zapper was one of the major selling points for the still new system in the US. Nintendo, feeling the need for more Zapper games, developed this game specifically for the US market. Data East was the only publisher to immediately follow Nintendo's example, and it wasn't really until late 1987 that the first wave of US only titles would arrive. Thus, the longstanding tradition of releasing mediocre titles in the US while numerous outstanding games remain released in Japan only begins here. Congratulations, Gumshoe.

Valkyrie no Bouken

















On that note, here is one Japan only title that we are lucky we didn't get. This Namco release is barely playable, but is notable as being the first really blatant Zelda clone. Well, perhaps that isn't completely fair. Valkyrie is an action RPG that borrows heavily from Zelda and Japanese RPGs such as Hydlide. But Namco did have the imagination required to steal elements from Ultima 3 that had not yet been used in any Japanese games. For example, the world of Valkyrie is broken down into multiple continents, and it is necessary to acquire a ship in order cross the ocean. Unfortunately, despite the creative thievery involved, Valkryie no Bouken still feels very primitive and unbalanced, and I lacked the patience to finish the game (despite having finished Hydlide!). Reportedly, it was a hit in Japan.

Makaimura

Known in the US as Ghost's 'n Goblins, this Famicom port was the first home version of Capcom's classic platformer to semi-accurately reproduce the arcade version. While Micronics' typically shoddy programming doesn't completely kill the game, Makaimura does fall a little short of your expectations. Despite the game's shortcomings, this would be one of the first third party releases for the NES in the US, hitting the shelves in November 1986.

Games which are, perhaps, not so good:

Sqoon

















I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something about this game I really dislike. On the surface, Sqoon is a typical horizontal shooter, albeit one with a sillier than average plot (Neptunians have melted the polar ice caps, completely submerging the surface of Earth under several hundred feet of water. Narikeen the pirate is called on the save the world with his bizarre little pink submarine. You do this by killing any aquatic lifeforms you encounter in the ocean and blowing up the Neptunians' underwater prisons). For some reason, the various elements in this game never quite come together into a playable experience. Irem would release R-Type to the arcades 13 months later, thus sending any lingering memories of Sqoon into oblivion.

Choplifter

Jaleco's port of the ancient US computer game. This game certainly has its fans. But for me, after having played Konami's near perfect conversion of Gradius for the Famicom, it is virtually impossible to go back to playing games like this.

Volleyball

Okay, this game isn't really bad. It's just that considering Nintendo's recent track record, I was hoping for better. Volleyball is merely an average sports title, co-developed with Pax Softnica. Presumably, this was rushed to the market in order to provide another game for the still-virtually-gameless Famicom Disc System.

Also this episode: A trio of good puzzle games, Babel no Tou, Solomon no Kagi, and Namida no Soukoban Special; the unspectacular shooter B-Wings; the unspectacular platformer Kanshakudama Nage Kantarou no Toukaidou; and the unspectacular run- around-and-hit-people-with-your-huge-fist game, Super Chinese.

Chrontendo Episode may be downloaded or viewed as a streaming video here.

Chrontendo Episode 8 Has Been Released!

Chrontendo soldiers onwards in its quest to play every Famicom/NES game ever made. By now we have reached April and May of 1986, and this episode features yet another historic moment, with the release of Dragon Quest by Enix on May 26th. While not particularly successful in the US, Dragon Quest would become one of the most popular franchises in Japan, almost single-handedly launching the Japanese RPG genre. While DQ is in some ways a flawed, uneven game, its importance to the Japanese gaming world cannot be overstated. This episode also includes a (very) brief history of RPGs prior to the release of DQ.

However, I also feel that the release of Dragon Quest is significant in another way. For the first year or so of its existence, the Famicom mostly played host to games that were either ports of arcade or computer titles, or very simple sports games. By the end of 1986, the Famicom will have been transformed into a very different beast. Many of the titles released for the Famicom in the future will belong to newer, more console-based genres, that didn't have an exact counterpart in the arcades or on computers. I'd say the Famicom established or popularized four console-based genres: Side-scrolling platformers, Zelda-esque action adventure games, Japanese text adventure games, and Japanese RPGs. The actual games that served as a model for these four genres are: Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken, and Dragon Quest. In other words the basic blueprint for the Famicom's existence has now been laid out. Expect to see those four formulas used over and over again for the next seven years.

This episodes most valuable game:

Dragon Quest

















Duh. What else could it be? While there had been several prior RPGs released in Japan for the PC-88 and MSX computers (Dragon Slayer, Black Onyx, Hydlide), it was DQ that really laid down the rules for Japanese RPGs. The basic gameplay and plot of DQ was derived from Richard Garriot's Ultima III: Exodus, yet DQ manages to feel completely different than existing American RPG video games. Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama and Chunsoft manage to create a game that would appeal to the typical Japanese anime fan, rather than the 16-sided die crowd. Their effort paid off: Dragon Quest would sell a million and a half copies, and future entries in the series would rack up even more impressive sales.

Super Mario Bros. 2

No, this is not THAT Super Mario Bros. 2. This is the original SMB 2, which is virtually a remake of the SMB with the difficulty ratcheted up a few notches. For some reason, Nintendo choose not to release this game in the West for several years, until it eventually made an appearance as "Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels" for the SNES.

Gradius

Konami bats one out of the park with this stellar port of their 1985 arcade classic. Konami seem to have ported this themselves rather than relying on an outside developer, as Capcom has been doing up to this point. The results are the best shoot-em-up for the Famicom released so far.

Nazo no Mursame Shiro

















Nintendo's overdue second game for the Famicom Disk System. While not in the same class as Zelda (and also not designed by Shigeru Miyamoto), Nazo no Murasame Shiro is a nice little action adventure title featuring a samurai. Imagine a more linear Zelda consisting of only the dungeons without the overworld.

Mighty Bomb Jack

Tecmo makes its first, unsteady steps towards platforming greatness with this unusual title. A Famicom-only sequel the the arcade's Bomb Jack, this title is a side-scrolling (and vertical-scrolling!) platformer that takes place inside a pyramid and is really the first decent SMB inspired game. Mighty Bomb Jack, like Tower of Druaga, is a little too difficult to be completely enjoyable, but it is a fine early effort from the folks who would later release Ninja Gaiden.

Bad, bad games:

Atlantis no Nazo

















Ugh. This hideous mess from Sunsoft resembles Pitfall meets SMB, plus controls that handle like an 18-wheeler on an icy mountain road. Amazingly, this was considered for an American release as Super Pitfall II. While that seems somehow appropriate, please be aware that this game is actually much worse that Super Pitfall (which will be covered in Chrontendo Episode 10, by the way!).

Bird Week

You might be able to make an interesting game based on this idea: you are a mother bird feeding her chicks and avoiding predators. Regrettably, Bird Week is not an interesting game, but rather one that feels short on inspiration and detail. A dull, repetitive action game.

Addtionally, Episode 8 contains several games which are definitely not good, but not bad enough to actually hate: Gegege no Kitaro, Argus, and Tag Team Pro Wrestling.

Also this episode: Kage no Densetsu, Seicross, Spy VS Spy, Dig Dug II, and Sansuu 1,2 & 3 Toshi: Keisan Game.

Chrontendo Episode 8 is available to download or stream here.

Chrontendo Episode 7 Available to Download!

Yes, Yes, y'all! The latest episode of Chrontendo is now available to download at archive.org! Aside from being right on schedule, episode 7 covers the debut of the Famicom Disk System, as well the introduction of one of Nintendo's biggest franchises.

For those not familiar with the FDS, it was a Japan only add-on to the Famicom that plugged into the cartridge slot. It allowed you to play games on Nintendo's proprietary 3" disks. These disks offered more space that cartridges at that time, allowing for larger games. Furthermore, data could be written onto the disks, allowing for game progress to be saved -- very helpful for long games such as Zelda. FDS disks were also much cheaper to manufacture and were sold at a lower retail price. Nintendo released their own titles almost exclusively on the disk format over the next few years in Japan, as the system was quite popular over there. Rather strange, considering how they obstinately struck to cartridges through the 90s.

Our most valuable game this episode:

Zelda no Densetsu: The Hyrule Fantasy

















The debut game for the FDS was none other than Legend of Zelda. This game probably needs no introduction as it became one of the biggest selling titles on the Famicom and NES, and revolutionized console gaming just as profoundly as Super Mario Bros. In this episode, I examine the roots of Zelda and discuss the innovations this game made. Needless to say, in the next few months of 1986, concepts from Zelda will start appearing in other games. These include non-linearity; the overworld/dungeon division of the in-game world; shops in which power-ups and other helpful items may be purchased; NPCs who give you cryptic "hints"; and a structure of gameplay in which apparently unsurmountable obstacles may be overcome by finding certain items or performing certain actions.

Other interesting games:

Bomberman - The first game in Hudson's long running series. Actually a port of an MSX game, the Famicom release of Bomberman added the now-familiar robot design of the title character, as well as a lot of special abilities not found in the MSX original. While not as fantastic as the later games in the series, Bomberman is a good start.

















Hydlide Special -- The first Japanese RPG, a port of a 1985 MSX game. While some folks refer to Black Onyx as the first Japanese RPG, that game was designed by an American, and was intended to closely mimic the style of such games as Wizardry. Hydlide took Ultima 3, simplified the gameplay, improved the graphics, removed many of the RPG-ish elements, such as character classes and most of the stats, and made all the characters looks short and stubby. Hydlide is virtually unplayalbe by today's standards, and was eclipsed by the superior and enormously popular Dragon Quest, but it was the first of its kind.

Goonies -- Great platformer of the "run, jump and climb ladders" variety, published by Konami. This game was never released in the US, and is not nearly as well known as its sequel. Still, it is one of the best games of its kind to come out on the Famicom so far.

Twin Bee -- Very decent port of Konami's classic cute-em-up. While later games in the series were more entertaining, Twin Bee is one of the first shooters released for the Famicom that did not suck.

MagMax -- Another decent shoot-em-up, similar to Terra Cresta in its system for collecting parts to improve your ship.

The Hall of Shame:

Baltron -- An utterly pointless Defender clone. The first game from Toei Animation, and a portent of future horrible games from animation, toy and music companies.

Son Son -- Not a bad arcade game, but a terrible conversion, courtesy of Micronics. The amount of flicker in this game is truly seizure inducing.

















Ninja Hatori Kun -- While this game is not a disaster along the lines of Dough Boy or Kinnikuman, it is a hastily designed anime tie-in from Hudson Soft. It's a shame to see Hudson release such mediocre product as this.

Also covered this episode: Lot Lot, Exed Exes, Circus Charlie, Gyrodine, Penguin Kun Wars, and Binary Land.

Chrontendo Episode 7 may be downloaded or streamed here.