Five overlooked Famicom games you need to play as soon as possible

In my two previous "five overlooked games" posts, I focused on Japanese PlayStation and PC Engine titles. (Here's the PlayStation post, and here's the PC Engine post, in case you're interested.)

This one, of course, focuses on Famicom titles.

I know what some of you are thinking. Wait, there are overlooked Famicom titles? The system was released all the way back in 1983. How could any of its games be considered "hidden" gems? My reply: please consider the following.

Banana--This is one of those "don't judge it by its cover" games. And when I say cover, I'm not talking about Banana's box cover, which is the definition of cute. No, I'm talking about the screenshot above. Yes, this Victor Interactive Software-made and -published title (from 1986) is far from a looker, but I love its dynamic soundtrack and its action-puzzler gameplay, which is equal parts grin-inducing and brain-cramping. For more on why I'm such a big fan of Banana, read these previous posts of mine.

Door Door--Admittedly, this isn't an overlooked Famicom game in Japan. In fact, as far as I'm aware, it's actually considered a classic there. Elsewhere in the world, though, it's an unknown quantity at best. That's a shame, because aside from some unfortunate slowdown, Door Door is a real gem, with single-screen gameplay that recalls--without improperly aping--classics like BurgerTime and Wrecking Crew. Bonus: its protagonist and enemies are the most precious things you're going to come across this week, and likely this month--though its box art and instruction manual may have something to say about that.

Moai-kun--Many of the games Konami made and published during the 8-bit era are understandably regarded as classics today. Why isn't this one of them? I don't have a clue, although I wouldn't be surprised if its status as a Japan-only release has a little something to do with it. Still, it's 2016, and that sort of thing no longer really matters. So why do I think Moai-kun deserves a spot next to titles like Castlevania, Contra, Gradius, Goemon and Metal Gear? Because it stars a Moai figure, for starters. Also, its gameplay is like a sideview version of HAL Laboratory's Adventures of Lolo. And then there's the fact that Moai-kun's box art is among the best the Famicom has to offer.

Otocky--This Famicom Disc System game used to have a much lower profile than it does today. What prompted that uptick in interest? The release and embrace of Nintendo's Electroplankton for DS. Both games were conceived and designed by Japanese artist Toshio Iwai, and the popularity of the latter game prompted curiosity about the former. Which is great, as Otocky is a far more enjoyable--not to mention traditional--experience than Electroplankton, in my humble opinion. Of course, what else would you expect from a game that adds a smidgen of music-creation to the side-scrolling shmup genre? (By the way, if you own a console that accepts FDS discs, you owe it to yourself to buy a complete-in-box copy of Otocky. Its outer box, case and manual--all showcased in this old post of mine--are worth the price of admission alone.)

Warpman--If Bomberman and Robotron mated, not only would it be kind of kinky, but the product of their procreation would be this home port of an old Namco arcade game called Warp & Warp. That alone would be enough for me to recommend Warpman, but thankfully there's more to it than its bizarre sources of inspiration. Specifically, by offering up two different play styles, it keeps things feeling fresh despite its overall repetitiveness. Also, there's little denying Warpman's character sprites are almost overwhelmingly adorable. For more of my thoughts on this Famicom cart, check out my review.

Have you played any of these overlooked Famicom games? If so, share your opinions of them in the comments section below.

Also leave a comment if you think of any other often-ignored games that were made for Nintendo's first console.

The Great Gaymathon Review #62: Banana (Famicom)

Game: Banana

Genre: Puzzle

Developer: Victor Interactive Software

Publisher: Victor Interactive Software

System: Famicom

Release date: 1986

I have kind of a funny history (well, it's funny to me anyway) with Banana. For the longest time, I thought it and Takara's rather lackluster-looking platformer, Banana Prince, were one and the same. Then I came across (on Famicomblog) a photo of this game's packaging that made it clear the two titles were unique entities.

As for what prompted me to give this oddly named Famicom game a go: Well, the aforementioned packaging, which features an adorable mole wearing white gloves and what appears to be a pair of blue jeans, certainly got the proverbial ball rolling, but what kept it moving along was this YouTube video.

Admittedly, said video makes Banana look more than a little rough, but that's rarely deterred me in the past. Also, I'm one of those weirdos who actually likes the aesthetics of severely retro games.

Anyway, it wasn't just the colorfully chunky graphics that attracted me to Victor Interactive Software's maiden Famicom release. I also liked the looks of its gameplay, which at first called to mind such classics as Adventures of Lolo, Dig Dug, Magical Puzzle Popils and Wrecking Crew.

In the end, those comparisons aren't completely apt. A better one, I quickly came to learn, would be to compare it to First Star Software's Boulder Dash. That 1984 release is a cakewalk compared to Banana, though, thanks to the latter's devilish, "you'd better make the right moves in the right order--or else!" mentality.

Speaking of which, you'd probably like an explanation of how this pixelated puzzler plays, wouldn't you? The gist: You control the strangely dressed mole I mentioned earlier. He's plopped into each stage for some reason or other (sorry, I don't know the game's backstory--assuming there is one) and is tasked with gathering all of the fruit that's been deposited throughout each level (again, for some reason or another), retrieving the blue-haired lady mole who seems to be his girlfriend or wife and then somehow making it to the exit door.

That's harder than it sounds, of course, thanks in large part to the game's sense of gravity--which means that whenever you dig or fall or otherwise move in a downward direction, the only way you can move up again is to find a ladder and climb it. And if you can't? Hit the reset button and start over, because you basically got yourself stuck.

Oh, and most stages include boulders that, should you walk beneath them (and you will), fall into your path and make life even more challenging for you and your mole-y friends.

The good news among all of this doom and gloom: Banana is a lot of fun despite its sometimes brain-melting difficulty. Partially responsible for that are the game's cheerful (if basic) visuals, although the appealingly blippy background music, which calls to mind both Donkey Kong and Mario Bros., deserves a quite a bit of credit, too.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Manual Stimulation: Banana (Famicom)

I've got two things to say about Banana's instruction manual: 1) I appreciate that its creators made sure it's an appropriate shade of yellow, and 2) it has absolutely nothing on this Famicom game's appealingly kaleidoscopic box art.

That first point is clear right from the start, of course, but it takes a few pages for the second point to sink in. Sadly, Banana's instruction manual is just a few pages long, so by the time you've come to terms with how boring it is, you're already at its end.

All that said, I decided to share these scans of Banana's manual anyway because so little information about this quirky puzzler, produced by the folks at Victor Interactive, can be found on the Internet these days. 

As you can see, Banana's manual begins rather, well, boringly. I have to admit, though, that I'm more than a bit curious as to what's said in the quote that fills the white box on the left-hand page. 

The next few pages of Banana's manual are similarly yawn-inducing. Granted, the huge majority of instruction manuals produced during the early part of the Famicom era were yawn-inducing, so I won't be too hard on the people who made this one.

Even more evidence that I have awesome readers

Two weekends ago, while PAX Prime was in full swing, a Twitter user who calls himself Viceroy Fizzlebottom aimed a tweet at me that said, "I saw boxed copies of Door Door and Banana at the Pink Gorilla PAX booth and thought of you!"

After asking ol' Fizzlebottom (who leaves comments here now and then under the name Kaze) how much the copy of Banana was going for, he replied that it was "around $30" and then rather preciently added, "Would you like me to snag it for you if it's still there tomorrow?"

Because I'm a firm believer that you can't own too many copies of this charming, Famicom-based puzzler, I told Fizzlebottom/Kaze something along the lines of, "Yes, please--if it includes the game's instruction manual and if the whole package is, indeed, $30 or less." (OK, so my actual response was closer to "YES!!!!!")

So, how does this tale end? With me obtaining a complete-in-box copy of Victor Interactive's Banana (which does include its manual, thank you very much) for just $14.99. And, I have to say, what a gorgeous box it is--even if it does show a bit of wear and tear.





I especially like the adorable illustrations that appear on the box's flaps (see the pair of photos below for evidence).





Although I've already thanked Fizzlebottom/Kaze a number times for thinking of me while waltzing through Pink Gorilla's PAX Prime booth, I'm going to do so again here because, well, I think he deserves as much praise as I can heap upon him at the moment.

Thank you, Kaze!

See also: 'Additional proof that I have awesome readers,' 'Additional proof that Kimimi (of Kimimi's Blog) is an awesome chick' and 'Additional proof that Darwin Yamamoto is a pretty awesome dude'

Acquisition #141: Banana (Famicom)

Those of you who've already listened to the second episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever likely heard me mention this game during the "Cheerleading" segment. You also likely heard me say that I recently picked up a copy of this 1986 release, published by Victor Interactive.

Well, our friendly neighborhood mailman delivered the copy in question a few days ago, so I thought I'd snap and share a couple of photos of it (one of which can be seen below) and also strike up a bit of a conversation about this little-known--to non-Japanese audiences, at least--Famicom title.

As I said during the podcast, Banana's closest competitor in terms of gameplay is First Star Software's Boulder Dash, which tasks players with digging through caves, collecting gems and reaching exits while avoiding various dangerous creatures as well as obstacles like falling rocks.



Even that comparison is a bit of a stretch, though, since Boulder Dash is more action-oriented, while Banana is more of a puzzler.

As for why that is: In Banana, players also have to work their way to each level's exit, but here they're often forced to hash out their start-to-finish paths before they ever--or, rather, the game's anthropomorphic mole of a protagonist--take a step due to the sense of gravity that prevents them from moving upward unless they're near a ladder. In addition, a level can't be completed until every scattered piece of food (yes, including bananas) has been gathered and Mr. Mole's busty, bedressed wife has been retrieved and escorted to the aforementioned exit.

Should that description not make a lick of sense to you, take a look at this gameplay video, which, beginning at the 25-second mark, walks through Banana's first six stages.

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

The second Nichiest Podcast Ever is now available for your listening pleasure

Well, folks, it's that time of the month again. No, not the time of the month when I contemplate dropping even more of my hard-earned cash on yet another Famicom, PC Engine or WonderSwan game despite the fact that I need one like I need an additional hole in the head. Rather, it's the time of the month when The Nichiest Podcast Ever coyly shows its face and charmingly clues listeners into the existence of all sorts of old and new games and systems that are the opposite of "mass market" and, thus, have been largely overlooked.

Among the games discussed during The Nichiest Podcast Ever's second trip to the rodeo, so to speak: Banana (Famicom), BlazBlue (arcade/PS3), Rainbow Moon (PS3), Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure (3DS), Sound Shapes (PS3/Vita), Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (360/PS3/WiiU) and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS).

A few additional niche-y games are discussed during the "Nichiest of Them All" segment, but you'll have to listen to the podcast to find out which ones.

Should you actually take the time to listen to our latest podcast, would you be so kind as to let us know your thoughts? You can do so by leaving a comment below, by leaving a comment on The Nichiest Podcast Ever's morning radio page or by tweeting me, Anne or shidoshi.

See also: 'Another (hopefully entertaining) episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever is in the can' and 'Introducing: The Nichiest Podcast Ever!'

Another (hopefully entertaining) episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever is in the can

Two nights ago, apricotsushi, shidoshi and I pulled on our favorite gaming t-shirts, had our significant others make us a couple of stiff drinks and then whipped out another episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever.

What did us game-obsessed lushes (OK, so that's just me) talk about during our two-hour recording session? Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that.

For those of you who prefer specifics: We discussed the trio of new, LGBT-friendly characters that will appear in the next BlazBlue title; the swimsuit DLC that will be made available for Tekken Tag Tournament 2's male, female and even animal characters; and the controversy currently swirling around the LGBT-focused game convention, GaymerCon.

We also chatted about an old Famicom game, Banana, plus newer games like Rainbow Moon (PS3), Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure (3DS), Sound Shapes (PS3/Vita) and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS). Oh, and the 3DS XL--which, admittedly, isn't all that niche-y but, hey, this is our podcast and we'll talk about whatever we want to talk about!

I'm not entirely sure when the finished product will be made available to the masses, but I'm guessing it'll hit the Interwebs sometime next week or so.

In the meantime, feel free to take in the aural bliss that is The Nichiest Podcast Ever's first program.