The only problem I have with short instruction manuals: Sometimes they're stuffed full of delightful illustrations and other details, and sometimes they're as dull as dishwater.
Sadly, the manual produced for Sega's quirky, Mikhail Gorbachev-focused puzzler, Ganbare Gorby!, falls somewhere between those two extremes.
It certainly starts out promising enough, with the game's colorful cover art showing up once again to remind folks what's in store once they press "play." (If this is the first you've heard of Ganbare Gorby!, it means you'll be acting as the aforementioned former president of the Soviet Union as he alters the course of myriad conveyor belts in order to deliver food, medicine and portable game systems to comrades in need.)
Anyway, the manual's first few pages are as bright and bold as its cover. Also, one of them features a completely adorable drawing of good ol' Gorbachev. I wish I could tell you why he isn't also carrying a Game Gear (one of the items he delivers to the poor in this endearingly odd puzzler), but I can't.
After that, Ganbare Gorby's manual becomes a bit boring, to tell you the truth. At least the following pages feature a number of nice screenshots. (Please note the right-most one in the scan below, which shows a citizen grinning from ear to ear after successfully grabbing a piece of meat that wouldn't look out of place in a PC Genjin game.)
Things begin to perk up again around the manual's 12th page, thankfully. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how the items in the following scan either enhance or otherwise impinge the gameplay found in this import-only title, as it's been a while since I've spent time with it.
Things perk up even more on the next set of pages, the first pair of which showcase the people you're supposed to help while playing Ganbare Gorby! (The goal is to give the the items on the left--such as the meat-covered bone and the jar of medicine--as opposed to the rather ominous ones on the right.)
The pair of pages above, on the other hand, focus on the game's villains, who do their best to keep "Gorby" from assisting the poor. By the way, is it just me or is the guy situated all the way to the left farting?
Thanks to my complete lack of knowledge when it comes to the Japanese language, I once again can't tell you what's being discussed on this manual's last page. If I had to guess, though, I'd say that the boy and girl in the scan above either are sharing a few morsels of advice with attentive readers or reminding them how to properly care for their shiny new Ganbare Gorby! cartridge.
See also: 'Acquisition #142: Ganbare Gorby! (Game Gear)' as well as additional 'Manual Stimulation' posts
12 comments:
Super-cute! Fart-guy's the only villain not carrying anything, so that must be his weapon.
Awesome! You got all the cute old games right? xD
warp: Yeah, I think you're right. It's strange, though, that I'm pretty sure he's supposed to be the first villain you encounter in the game -- and I don't remember him ever farting on me!
Melody: I try my best :) Expect to see a few more manuals of cute old games shortly, by the way!
Farting as a weapon? Very Wario of him!
Ha! Yes, that's true, Justin :) Really, I'm going to have to play this one again, as I seriously don't remember any of the baddies farting on me...
i really cannot believe there are even two videogames starring a premier of the soviet union
huh, apparently by gorbachev's time it was just president of the soviet union. well.
themoreyouknow.jpeg
I wonder if there are more, sharc? I mean, I know of two, too, but maybe...
As for ol'' Gorby: Yeah, I think he was 'just' president of the Soviet Union in the end. Don't quote me on that, though. I'm certainly no expert on the subject!
no, i mean the office of premier ceased to exist and the head of state was called president from then on, though "from then on" was not exactly a long period of time. still, it's weird to think about the ussr adopting such an american term for literally anything.
oh, apparently it's because gorbachev himself proposed the creation of said office. perestroika in action!
re: cute videogame business, this: www.kickstarter.com/projects/1338986832/sealark-an-oceanic-adventure-game
Hooray, more Japanese GG splendidness :) Can't say I've played this one but it already looks enticing from the manual!
Ah, thanks for the mini-primer in Soviet history, sharc ;)
You're right, by the way, that changing the leader of the country's title to something as American as 'president' seems odd, although maybe at the time it made more sense? (I was too young at the time to remember this happening.)
BTW, thank you for turning me onto Sealark. It looks great! I think I may actually help fund it :)
Oh, and an interesting aside: It's being made by someone from my husband's hometown, Chillicothe, Ohio. I'm going to have to see if he knows who she is...
Hey there, Simon! Yes, more Japanese GG splendidness :) You know, the more I learn about the GG, the more I'm sad that it flopped. Some really good games were released for it! Too bad it had to run up against the GameBoy...
Anyway, yes, give this game a try sometime soon. It's definitely unique. Not something you'll play all the time, but good for when you've got 5-10 minutes to blow and want something fun to fill the gap :)
Post a Comment