Manual Stimulation: Dungeon Land (GameBoy)

You may remember Dungeon Land is the Japanese GameBoy title I bought because it featured "enemy flan."

Or you may remember it because it was Enix's maiden release for Nintendo's first handheld game system. It's even possible you remember its magnificently colorful cover art.

And if you don't remember Dungeon Land, or if this post is introducing you to it, that's cool, too.

Either way, uh, here's that old game's instruction manual!



You might think I'm disappointed that Dungeon Land's manual isn't as salmon-y as its outer box.

That was my initial reaction to it, I've got to admit, but now that I've had some time to reflect, I actually quite like the black-gray-yellow scheme its designers used instead.



That's hardly the only interesting or impressive aspect of this booklet, however. For example, it also features a good number of eye-catching illustrations--like the ones you see in this spread.



The second page above seemingly details the game's story, by the way. (As far as I can tell, the text at the top says something along the lines of "About Dungeon Land.")

I can't tell you what those details are, sadly, as I can't understand them.



I'm sure it creatively explains why this title is part board game and part role-playing game, though. Or at least I hope that's the case.



Because it includes RPG elements, Dungeon Land has its share of fantastic enemy characters. You can see some of them--including the flan baddie I mentioned earlier--in the right-hand page below.



Even more "monsters" are showcased across the next spread. I think these are some of the game's bosses, actually--though don't quote me on that.



Whatever they are, I love them. I'm not sure why they have three names, unfortunately. Or maybe the three words above their heads aren't names at all? Maybe they just explain their three "phases" or something like that?

As you probably can tell, I haven't played much of Dungeon Land to date. That's because role-playing board games aren't a whole lot of fun when you don't understand much of the text they throw at you.



To be honest, it probably wouldn't be much fun even if I did know what was going on at all times. Maybe it's just me, but I rarely enjoy tackling digital board games on my own.

Still, I'm glad I own a copy of Dungeon Land. Who knows, maybe someday I'll rope another human being into playing it with me. Or maybe I'll learn enough Japanese to find out it's a blast even when experienced alone.

See also: previous 'Manual Stimulation' posts about Burning Paper, Noobow, Painter Momopie, Peetan, and Snow Bros. Jr.

Nice Package! (Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun, GameBoy)

No one's ever going to accuse Dragon Quest publisher, Enix, of jumping on the GameBoy bandwagon.

After all, it took the company over three years to release its first GameBoy title--and even then it was a game, Dungeon Land, someone else developed.

It took another year-plus for the game highlighted in this post to see the light of day. Admittedly, Enix didn't make it either. (Bizarre factoid: Enix only ever published the two titles named here for the original GameBoy.)

So, who is responsible for the development of this appealingly unique puzzler? That would be Daft.

Don't feel bad if this is the first you're hearing of Daft. I was completely in the dark about the company before I started researching this write-up. (I always assumed Enix both developed and published this version of Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun.)



If you're any kind of "retro gamer," though, you've probably at least heard of one of Daft's other products, though--that being the quirky Super Famicom platformer, Hameln no Violin Hiki (aka Violinist of Hameln).

As for Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun, it's based on Ami Shibata's 1991 manga series of the same name. To be frank, I know nothing about said series and, as such, have no idea as to why the powers that be at Daft or Enix decided to translate the IP into a puzzle game for Nintendo's first portable game system.

What I do know: Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun is a fun little brain-teaser.

This is no Tetris or Puyo Puyo clone, however. In fact, I can't think of another puzzle game that plays anything like Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun.

Explaining how it works through words isn't an easy task, so check out this gameplay footage--or this footage--if you're curious to know more.

The good news: it only takes a few minutes of puttering around to figure out what you're supposed to do. After that, it's smooth sailing.

Another piece of good news: even people who don't know a lick of Japanese should find Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun both accessible and enjoyable.

With all of that out of the way, what do you think about the game's outer box, cartridge, and instruction manual, all of which are showcased throughout this post?

I especially like its colorful cover art. In fact, that's what initially drew me to the game--well, that and the Enix logo printed along its lower edge.

Have any of you played Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun? If so, what do you think of it? Even if you haven't played it, though, what do you think of the game's packaging?

See also: previous 'Nice Package!' posts about Bubble Ghost, Burning Paper, Noobow, Peetan, Penguin-kun Wars Vs., and Shippo de Bun

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.

What can I say, I've always been a sucker for games that feature 'enemy flan' ...

Which is kind of funny, as I can't stand flan (as a dessert) in real life. Give this squidgy custard some eyes, a mouth, a couple of limbs and stick the resulting character in a video game, though, and it'll grab my attention as quickly as any hot-fudge sundae ever has.

Is that why I picked up the copy of Dungeon Land, a Japan-only GameBoy title released back in 1992, that can be seen in the photos below recently?

You could say that, I guess, although I think a more accurate reading of the situation would be that I picked it up because of the adorable flan enemies as well as the rest of the cute-as-buttons creatures that fill this game's colorful box art.

Dungeon Land was the very first GameBoy title published by the folks at Enix, by the way. Sadly, it's not an RPG. Rather, it's more of an RPG-themed board game. I was a bit disappointed when I figured that out, I have to admit, but I enjoyed it well enough once I got over that fact.

That said, it's not really the kind of game you should play all by your lonesome. I can't imagine I'm ever going to encounter other guys or gals who have a GameBoy system, a copy of this game and a link cable, though, so that's likely going to be the only way I'll experience this curiously obscure (outside its home country, at least) import.

Here (above) is a closer look at the adorable flan enemies I mentioned earlier--is it just me, or are they wielding cherries as weapons?--while the in-game version of the same baddie can be seen in the screenshot below (found on the back of Dungeon Land's box).

Going back to this title's gameplay, here's how things have proceeded when I've taken it out for a stroll, so to speak: first, each player (in my case, one was controlled by me and the other was controlled by the computer) takes turns clearing, one square at a time, a field full of question mark-themed tiles. A turn ends when a player encounters some sort of obstacle, like a bunch of rocks. Whichever character reaches the exit first is whisked away to a boss encounter that plays out much like it would in an old Zelda game.

If you think that sounds less than thrilling, well, I can't completely disagree with you. The boss battles I've experienced so far were a good amount of fun, though, so at least there's that. 

Also, I have to share that there are a lot of options to click through at the start of each game, so it's extremely possible I've only stumbled into one of Dungeon Land's many modes up to this point, with some others being more engaging than the one I've played.

Should that end up not being the case, though, I won't be all that miffed, as I paid just a few bucks for this particular acquisition and in my mind its packaging alone was worth the expenditure.

See also: 'Let's chat about (and check out a few photos of) two great Miyamoto-made GameBoy titles--Mogurānya and Donkey Kong'

Manual Stimulation: Door Door (Famicom)

Considering this game's outer packaging is about as colorful as it gets for Nintendo's Famicom, you might think its instruction manual is similarly vibrant, right?

Well, guess again. I have a feeling that has less to do with the powers that be at Enix being cheapskates, though, than it does with Door Door being the company's debut release for the system that North Americans know as the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Still, this adorable platformer-puzzler's manual is worth a look due to its smattering of precious illustrations.



No such drawings can be found on the manual's first few pages, unfortunately, although the cover image thankfully doesn't disappoint.





A black-and-white screenshot pops up on the sixth page, but I'm guessing most of you won't find that too thrilling. (Don't worry, I'm also not impressed.)



Finally! Here are the drawings for which we've been waiting, Are they the most amazing things ever? Not really, although I do think they're pretty darn cute.

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Door Door (Famicom)

If ever you've wondered why I started "collecting" Famicom games a few years ago, here's my answer:



The Famicom game shown in the photo above is Enix's Door Door, by the way--an adorable little puzzler-platformer that was released only in Japan all the way back in 1985.



In my humble opinion, Door Door may have the best packaging of any Famicom release. Not only is the cover art top notch, but each of the box's side flaps feature illustrations of the game's alien "baddies."



Oh, and the back of Door Door's box is pretty delicious, too, as you can see in the photo below. I'm not sure what the little aliens are saying in their speech bubbles, but I'm guess it's something precious.



Ah, you didn't think I'd fail to show you Door Door's cartridge, did you? Yes, it's cute, too. Are you surprised?

I don't know about you, but I really like its 1970s vibe, what with those bands of yellow and orange. Also, the game's protagonist, Chun (who later inspired the name of designer Koichi Nakamura's company, Chunsoft), makes a rather welcome appearance.



Now that I've seemingly got your attention about all things Door Door, keep your eyes on this space (or, rather, this blog) for a "Great Gaymathon" review of it in the coming weeks.

See also: Previous '12 games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers (Nintendo 64)

I picked up this copy of the game known to most North American's as Mischief Makers shortly after I brought my old Nintendo 64 system from my childhood home to my adult one earlier this year.

Why did I opt for the Japanese version of this Treasure-developed platformer rather than the US release? For me, it all boiled down to box art--as in, I much prefer the art that graces covers of import copies of the game, so that's what I bought.

You should expect to see some similarly strange pick-ups appear on this blog next year, by the way, as I've had my eye on import copies of Mario Story (aka the original Paper Mario) and Yoshi's Story for some time now, and I'm not sure how long I can hold out on buying them.

Anyway, back to the Japanese Nintendo 64 game at hand. Its box art is awesome, don't you think? Its instruction manual (a glimpse of which can be seen in the second photo, above) is pretty nice, too--which means, well, you know what it means.

By the way, a few more photos of Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers (including one of its cartridge) can be found on my Flickr photostream.

See also: Previous '12 games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Dragon Quest Monsters (GameBoy Color)

I know what at least a few of you are thinking right now: "Wait a second ... you bought a copy of Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland even though you don't understand Japanese?"

Yes, I did. There's more to the story, though, than me stupidly spending money on a game that's surely going to force me to consult a guide or an FAQ should I want to get through it.

You see, I came across this particular copy--and its wonderfully colorful cover art--of the original Dragon Quest Monsters while perusing eBay on a quiet Sunday morning this past May.

(OK, so I don't remember if it was a Sunday morning or if it even happened in May, but it did happen sometime early this year.)

Anyway, it caught my attention because it was selling for just one cent (plus a few bucks for shipping). "That's interesting," I thought. So, I placed a bid for, you guessed it, a single cent--with no expectation that I'd actually "win" the auction at that price (or at any price, to tell you the truth).

Of course I did win it, although I'm not exactly sure what to do with it now that I own it. Oh, well, the cover art isn't nice, don't you think? Also, its instruction manual may be a good candidate for a future installment of "Manual Stimulation."

One last thing before I hit "publish": Two additional (and more intriguing, if you ask me) photos of this acquisition can be found on my Flickr photostream, should any of you be interested in such things.

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

And now I'm (finally) going to play that copy of Dragon Quest that Darwin Yamamoto sent me

I doubt any of you remember this, but sometime last year--at least I think it was last year--I decided to play through Dragon Quest (actually, Dragon Warrior, the North American version of the game) for the first time since it was released back in 1989.

That playthrough didn't last long, mainly because I had no idea as to where I should go or what I should do. The last thing I remember doing involved wandering into a pitch-black cave and getting ambushed by a giant green dragon that slayed me in about two seconds.

Thanks Darwin Yamamoto's generosity--he bought me a copy of the Famicom version of Dragon Quest while visiting Japan recently, as detailed in this post--I've decided to give the game another try. Because I don't understand a word of Japanese and also because I don't want to recreate my last attempt at playing through this classic RPG, I recently picked up a copy of the strategy guide that Nintendo Power produced (and published) for this game shortly after its North American release.

The scan above is of said strategy guide's front cover, by the way. Because quite a few awesome (or at least interesting) illustrations can be found between its covers, I'm seriously considering featuring this Nintendo Power publication in a future edition of "Manual Stimulation," although I doubt I'll be able to include every single page.

Additional proof that Darwin Yamamoto is a pretty awesome dude

Remember how, in this post, I mentioned the photos that Darwin Yamamoto took of Tokyo's famous retro-games shop, Super Potato, during his recent trip to Japan?

Well, unbeknownst to me, Yamamoto used some of his hard-earned cash to buy me a game during one of his jaunts to the above-mentioned store.

Which one, you ask? Why, the first Dragon Quest game for the Famicom!

I've yet to free the cart from its tightly secured wrapping (I'm not sure why, but I want to leave it in this condition until I'm ready to play it), so please forgive the price tag and tape that can be seen in the following photos.

I've long desired a copy of this Enix-published RPG, by the way, and not just because I have fond memories of playing through the North American version with my brother as a kid. Another just-as-important reason for my Dragon Quest-focused lust: I absolutely adore the art that graces the cover of the Japanese release. (Here's a better look at said art, for those of you who are curious.)

Anyway, as you can see in the photos above, this particular cart is in pretty great shape. One thing I really like about it is that a previous owner made note of something on the cartridge's back label. I don't suppose any of you who know Japanese would be able to tell me what it says?

Oh, I almost forgot: Along with the copy of Dragon Quest, Yamamoto also sent me a rather slick pamphlet that details all of the wonderful games that are scheduled to be released (in Japan, of course) for the 3DS during the first three months of 2012.

I'm guessing all of the information contained within said booklet can be found elsewhere on the Internet, but I may scan it and post it here later this week or next anyway--just in case any of you are interested in it.

See also: 'Ain't nothin' like a stroll through Super Potato'

The Great Gaymathon Review #10: Rakugaki Showtime (PlayStation)

Game: Rakugaki Showtime

Genre: Fighting

System: PlayStation

Developer: Treasure

Publisher: Enix

Release date: 1999

On the one hand, I find this Treasure-developed (and Enix-published) title's graphics and premise delicious. On the other, I don't find its Poy Poy-esque gameplay nearly as appetizing. That's not to suggest that this extremely pricey game is bad, but it can be a bit boring--especially if it's played solo. (I've heard the multiplayer experience is much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, I've yet to play it that way.) Still, I can't help but boot it up now and then just so I can gaze at its charmingly rendered graphics--which resemble doodles that have been torn, rather haphazardly, from a child's scrapbook. That's hardly enough to earn it a hearty recommendation, though, is it--especially when you consider that used copies of this game commonly carry price tags of over $100? Given that, I'd only recommend picking it up if you're a total Treasure nut or if you're one of those freaks--or should I say lucky ducks--who regularly throws stacks of $100 bills into your fireplace to keep warm at night.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Speaking of the original Dragon Quest ...

If I were filthy rich, I'd whip out my Platinum AmEx card and use it to purchase a red Famicom Twin and the following, still-sealed copy of the original Dragon Quest. (Isn't that cover art awesome?)

Sure, I could save myself about $180 if I bought a used copy of said Famicom game (like this one) instead, but in this imaginary situation I'd be filthy rich, so who cares?