Manual Stimulation: Parasol Stars (PC Engine)

I've held off on publishing a "Manual Stimulation" post devoted to this popular single-screen platformer until now for one simple reason: it's nowhere near as impressive as it should be given how charming and colorful the on-screen action is.



Sadly, the cover of Parasol Stars' manual is both of those things (charming and colorful) and then some. All of that is washed away, though, as soon as you flip it open.



That said, I guess you could say the bubble-inspired header that tops every interior page of this PC Engine manual is a nice, although hardly stellar, addition to the proceedings.



Other aspects of its layout are similarly appealing, such as the scroll that shares the game's story and the stars that call attention to descriptions of its many stages.



Aside from the above, though, it seems kind of wrong for a manual like this one to feature black-and-white screenshots, don't you think?





It does feature a few illustrations, at least, although they pale in comparison to the ones found in similar Taito efforts, such as the manuals the company produced for some of its other arcade-to-PC-Engine ports like Don Doko Don, The New Zealand Story and Mizubaku Daibouken.

Five TurboGrafx-16 memories in honor of the system's 25th anniversary

I may not have the best memory in the world, but I'll probably never forget how I felt in the months, weeks and days leading up to the North American release of NEC's TurboGrafx-16, a games console that straddled the line between the 8-bit (think the Nintendo Entertainment System) and 16-bit (Sega's Genesis and the SNES) generations.

Specifically, I don't think I've ever been more excited about a system's launch than I was around Aug. 29, 1989, which is when the TurboGrafx-16 first hit store shelves on this side of the pond.

A lot of that "Turbo fervor" had been fanned, of course, by the magazine articles I'd read--over and over and over again--about this console's two-year-old Japanese counterpart, the PC Engine, and its extensive catalog of odd- and brilliant-looking games, including the handful that are mentioned below.

Sadly, and stupidly, after enjoying it for a good number of years, I sold my TurboGrafx-16 collection--which at one point included the base system, the pricey CD attachment, a TurboDuo and 30 or so games--via an ad in our city's main daily newspaper around the time of the Sega Saturn's Japanese release. (In fact, I used the money I made from this sale to buy an import Saturn--which I later sold to pay for a Dreamcast.)

Rather than dwell on that rather negative memory, though, I'd prefer to focus on a few positive ones, such as the following, on this, the 25th anniversary of the release of NEC's quirky and woefully under-appreciated (in this region, at least) console:

1. I'm one of about three people who enjoyed The Addams Family game--Don't get me wrong, even as a teen I knew this US-made (back when such a thing was considered the opposite of a good thing) action title was a turd, but I liked it all the same. I have a feeling some of that was due to my interest in the 1991 film this release was based on, but I also think it had something to do with this ICOM-developed game allowing users to explore the iconic Addams mansion and its grounds. That isn't going to be enough to make most folks fall in love with this often-iffy tie-in, of course, but it was more than enough for me at the time.

2. I bought my very first Japanese game (Detana!! TwinBee), along with my first converter cart, for this aesthetically challenged system--I can't remember the name of the retailer, sadly, but I know I had to place the order over the phone, and I had to borrow my parents' credit card to pay for it. Also, my mom had to help me modify the converter cart, as at first it didn't fit into the HuCard slot of my TurboGrafx-16 system. As for my memories of the game itself? Actually, it kind of bored me. Detana!! TwinBee isn't a bad shoot 'em up, of course, and it's grown on me in the ensuing years, but it's also nowhere near as thrilling as similar games like Parodius Da! or Coryoon.

3. I've always regretted not playing It Came From the Desert, J.B. Harold Murder Club and Magical Dinosaur Tour--Actually, I finally added the Japanese version of Murder Club to my collection late last year, but of course I've yet to play it. Still, at least it's a possibility at the moment. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I wish I'd played two TG-CD titles that have been heavily derided over the years? I'm not sure, to be honest. I think it's likely to be related to nostalgia, as all three of these games were released at a time when games featuring digitized video and the like were viewed as the future of the medium. It's clear now that view was a false one (to put it mildly), of course, but at the time some of these games were surprisingly appealing. Or at least they were to me.

4. The main reason I picked up the TurboGrafx-CD peripheral was for Monster Lair--Admittedly, by the time I finally wandered, awestruck and slack-jawed, into the local Toys "R" Us (man, those were the days) to pick up this mammoth add-on, Ys Book I & II had entered my consciousness as well, but that doesn't change the fact that Monster Lair is the game that pushed me to hand over $400 for it. Was it worth the price of admission? Well, no, not when you put it that way, but I never regretted either purchase, I'll tell you that much. Also, I still have a special place in my heart for this odd shmup-platformer hybrid and play it fairly regularly, so I'd say the original purchase more than served its purpose.

5. I didn't much care for Parasol Stars the first time I owned it--I'm guessing this may be the most shocking of all the TurboGrafx-16 memories I share in this post. After all, Parasol Stars now is one of my all-time favorite games (despite the fact that I think it pales in comparison to its predecessors, Rainbow Islands and Bubble Bobble). If memory serves, my parents bought this for me as a birthday or Christmas gift--without me asking for it, I should add. (Maybe they knew me better than I knew myself at that point?) I remember gamely giving it a go on a few occasions, but I also remember finding it a bit too precious and also not all that engaging. Thankfully, I've since come to my senses.

Do any of you have any TurboGrafx-16 memories you'd like to share? If so, please feel free to do so n the comments section below.

You say Bubble Bobble clone, I say Fairyland Story clone

Over the years, a lot of games--such as Chip Chan Kick!, Don Doko Don, Parasol Stars, Rod Land and Snow Bros.--have been called "Bubble Bobble clones." That's always struck me as a bit funny (despite the fact that I've often used the phrase myself--in this recent post about Pop'n Magic, for instance), as I think it would be a lot more accurate to call them clones of The Fairyland Story.

What, you've never heard of The Fairyland Story? No worries, here's a brief history of this not-quite-classic: Developed by Taito, it first hit the floors of the world's arcades--and bars and bowling alleys and whatnot--in 1985. The game's protagonist, a puny witch named Ptolemy, prances from castle-themed stage to castle-themed stage while transforming a cast of surprisingly cuddly enemies--including dragons, helmeted (and knife-wielding) pigs and wizards--into cakes with her trusty wand and then smooshing them to smithereens (often by pushing them off of ledges and onto unsuspecting baddies).

Getting back to why the above-mentioned games should be called clones of The Fairyland Story and not Bubble Bobble, there are three reasons for it, in my mind: 1) The Fairyland Story predates Bubble Bobble by a year, 2) the former clearly informed the development of the latter (a number of The Fairyland Story's power-ups, such as the fire cross and the earthquake book, also appear in Bubble Bobble) and 3) none of the titles listed in the opening paragraph of this post actually copied the mechanics of Taito's most classic of quarter-muchers.

So, does all of this mean that I'll stop describing games as "Bubble Bobble clones" and start calling them clones of The Fairyland Story instead? Probably not, but only because most folks have never heard of the earlier title. That said, I'll do my best to plop the phrase "Fairyland Story clone" into a post every now and then--you know, just to keep things honest.

Five favorites: Bubble Bobble clones

Is Fukio Mitsugi's Bubble Bobble the best single-screen platformer ever made? I believe so, but that doesn't mean it's the only example of the genre worth playing. Cases in point: each of the so-called "Bubble Bobble clones" (I'm not a huge fan of this phrase, by the way, despite the fact that I used it in the headline above--more on that in an upcoming post) below more than hold their own against the Taito-published arcade classic that possibly-maybe inspired them.

1. Chip Chan Kick! (PC-FX, 1996)--This particular clone is solely responsible for me wanting to add a PC-FX to my console collection. Why? Well, it's chock-full of the kind of charm and craziness that one expects from this genre, for starters. Surprisingly, I'm not all that enamored with the pig-tailed protagonists, but I do like the Puyo Puyo-esque blobs they chuck at baddies. (When one connects, the baddie in question becomes confused and can be finished off with a kick.) Everything else about this game is pretty par for the course (I mean that in a good way) except for its end-of-level bosses, many of which are huge and all of which take a lot of hits before raising a white flag.

2. Parasol Stars (PC Engine, 1991)--For the longest time, I thought this Taito-made title paled in comparison to its predecessors, Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands. Today, I'm not so sure about that stance--thanks to the strategic element that's added to the game via the creation and collection of its "miracle icons." Regardless, this one is special, with adorably crafted enemy sprites, color-splashed backdrops and a can't-get-it-out-of-your-head soundtrack. The only criticisms I can level at Parasol Stars: a few of its bosses could put up a better fight (I'm lookin' at you, Loch Ness Monster-ish leader of world three) and it would be nice if there were a way to jump down from platforms.

3. Pop'n Magic (PC Engine CD, 1992)--As I mentioned in this recent post, Pop'n Magic hasn't always been my cup of tea. In fact, I used to find it downright boring. After giving it a second chance, though, I discovered there's a lot to like about this title, which seems to turn to both Bubble Bobble and Parasol Stars for inspiration. (Pop'n Magic's blue-haired protagonist encases foes in bubbles and then tosses them at each other in order to get rid of them.) One thing this game has that its fellow clones don't: beautifully animated backdrops.

4. Rod Land (Arcade, 1990)--Don't worry, I didn't include this Jaleco-made game simply because of its "suggestive" title. Actually, that title is by far the worst thing about this quarter-muncher, if you ask me. The best things: the awww-inducing (get it?) enemies--including walking sharks and what appear to be bow-sporting leeches--and the main character's ability to bash them to kingdom come using her trusty rod-whip doohickey. Sure, Rod Land's backdrops are the stuff that yawns are made of and its soundtrack is a bit bromidic, but the rest of what's on display here is of the first order.

5. Zupapa! (Neo Geo, 2001)--Never heard of this one? No worries. It's a fairly obscure addition to the genre. It's also a very worthy addition to the genre, though, with flashy graphics and frenetic, toss-things-at-your-foes gameplay that calls to mind the first game mentioned in this post, Chip Chan Kick! Zupapa! sets itself apart from that title by giving its Zooks (the aforementioned, toss-able "things") a ton of personality. (Leave them alone and they'll start juggling or fall asleep; throw them around too much and they'll run away from you.) Also, touching an enemy that's been stunned by one or more Zooks creates an explosion that can take out other enemies--a tactic that's expertly employed during this delightful game's boss battles.

Honorable mentions: Don Doko Don (Arcade/PC Engine), The Fairyland Story (Arcade), Nightmare in the Dark (Neo Geo) and Wani Wani World (Mega Drive).

Bubble Bobble + Chack'n Pop + Parasol Stars = single-screen platformer perfection

Consider my mind blown.

What blew it, you ask? The video below, which showcases the "secret" levels in Parasol Stars that only can be accessed after meeting certain conditions (i.e., grabbing three star icons in world eight) before defeating the almost-final boss, who I believe answers to "Dark Shadow."



I didn't know about these extra stages until recently because, well, I've yet to beat this über-saccharine PC Engine game. I've made great strides toward doing just that in the last week, though, due in large part to discovering--finally!--how beneficial it can be to match the "miracle icons" that pop up in pretty much every level. (Before, I grabbed them willy-nilly.)

Anyway, back to why Parasol Star's bonus worlds blew me away (well, besides the fact that they exist): For starters, world nine pays homage to this game's forebear, Bubble Bobble--with stage 9-1's layout aping that of Bubble Bobble's first level. Along the same lines, world 10 harkens back to another of Taito's classic quarter-munchers, Chack'n Pop. (Unsurprisingly, stage 10-1 is a dead ringer for Chack'n Pop's opening salvo.)

Also partially responsible for blowing me away: The new background tunes--one bright and boppy, the other rather haunting--that accompany players through the aforementioned stages and the surprise appearance, at the business end of world nine, of Hyper Drunk.



Sadly, despite my improved Parasol Stars performance--I now routinely get to the sixth world before using up all of my continues, whereas I used to flame out in the third--I doubt I'll be racing through these extra levels anytime soon. Hell, at this point I'd be ecstatic if I could experience this game's "bad ending"--shown in the video above--which actually looks pretty darn good to these eyes. (Granted, I'm a sucker for end credits that spotlight a game's cast.)

Related aside: Those of you who are now as enamored with Parasol Stars as I am may enjoy watching this complete playthrough of the game many consider to be Taito's greatest PC Engine release.

Second Chances: Pop'n Magic

Just in case you didn't receive the memo: I'm a card-carrying member of the "Single-Screen Platformer Fan Club." (As I'm sure you can imagine, it's a fairly small club.)

The game that's chiefly responsible for me joining this club is Bubble Bobble, of course. (That game's second sequel, Parasol Stars, prompted me to sign up for a life-long membership.)

Anyway, I'm always on the lookout for good single-screen platformer in the Bubble Bobble mold as a result. Some of the ones I come across, like Don Doko Don and Rod Land, quickly become favorites, while others, like Snow Bros., are played a few times and then all but forgotten.

I used to include Pop'n Magic, made by Riot/Telenet and released for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM2 in 1992, in the latter category. I'm not entirely sure why, to tell you the truth, although I think it had something to do with the game's slightly generic (although wonderfully colorful) graphics, stilted animation and stiff controls.

After re-reading The Brothers Duomazov's write-up of the game last week, though, I decided to give it another chance. And you know what? I'm now really digging it.

Don't get me wrong: I still think the game's art style is a bit generic, but I find it kind of charming, too. (I especially like the blue blobs that appear throughout the first world and the surprisingly cute zombies that appear throughout the second.) Also, I still think the animation's a bit stilted and the controls are kind of stiff, but neither aspect is so off-putting that the game seems unplayable or unenjoyable.

Re-playing Pop'n Magic has helped me recognize and appreciate some of its other aspects, too--such as its backgrounds, all of which seem to feature some amount animation, and the strategic nature of its gameplay. (As in Bubble Bobble, the protagonist in this game encases enemies in bubbles. What sets Pop'n Magic apart, though, is that every enemy turns into a bubble of a different color, and to rid a stage of them you have to throw bubbles of different colors against each other.)

I also can't help but like how, when you throw one bubble against a number of others (as opposed to just one other bubble), candies and fruits and other power-ups pour from the broken bubbles like treats from a piñata.

Do I now hold Pop'n Magic in higher esteem than, say, Parasol Stars and Bubble Bobble? Not quite. I do consider it to be a top-shelf single-screen platformer, though, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the genre.

See also: Previous 'Second Chances' posts

You don't look a day over 20, PC Engine

One of the coolest consoles, if not the coolest console, to ever see the light of day, NEC's PC Engine, is celebrating its 24th birthday today.

For those of you who are a bit mathematically challenged, that means the sleek little system below was "born" on Oct. 30, 1987.

I'm sure I've told this story before, but in case I haven't: I've been interested in (some would say obsessed with) this console ever since I laid eyes on it in an early issue of either Electronic Gaming Monthly or GamePro magazine.

Although I acquired a TurboGrafx-16--the PC Engine's North American cousin--shortly after it was released, I didn't add a PC Engine to my collection until two years ago.

It should go without saying that the shockingly small system (it's about the size of three or four CD cases stacked on top of one another) is one of my most-treasured pieces of gaming paraphernalia.

Anyway, please join me in raising an imaginary glass of bubbly to the "little white wonder," as I like to call the PC Engine, for surviving its awkward teen years and for blossoming into the beautiful 24-year-old we know and love today.

Also, join me in playing a few of its most noteworthy games. Some of the ones I'm planning to spend time with this afternoon: Air Zonk (aka PC Denjin), Bomberman '94, Final Match Tennis and Parasol Stars.

Speaking of Tomohiro Nishikado ...

I didn't know until last night, when I wrote my review of Taito Legends 2 (read it here), that more than a decade after Tomohiro Nishikado designed Space Invaders he designed one of my all-time favorite PC Engine games, Parasol Stars.

That was a mind-blowing discovery to yours truly. After all, few, if any, of Nishikado's other noteworthy titles--like Chase HQ II: Special Criminal Investigation, Darius II and Darius Twin--could be described as bright or cheerful (two words that are practically plastered across the front of Parasol Stars' manual, below).



Of course, Nishikado also had a hand in creating the SNES RPG, Lufia & the Fortress of Doom (known as Estopolis Denki to Super Famicomers), so clearly the man wasn't against creating a colorful game or two.

See also: Other posts about Parasol Stars

The Parasol Stars have aligned

You may or may not know this (I'm pretty sure I've whined about it here a few times, but I may be wrong), but Taito's Parasol Stars has been on my "to buy" list for quite some time.

Well, it's not on it anymore. I recently found a cheap-ish copy of this rather precious PC Engine platformer on eBay and promptly snatched it up.

Here's a photo of this Bubble Bobble sequel's colorful front cover (sitting artfully atop the package in which it delivered, of course):

And here's a photo of the HuCard itself:

It's too bad this game has yet to appear on the Wii Virtual Console (or on the PlayStation Store's PC Engine Archives or the iPhone's PC Engine GameBox services), as it definitely deserves a wider audience.

Sometimes I wonder if Bub and Bob were gay

Not with each other, mind you. They were brothers, after all. (At least I think they were brothers. I mean, they're called "twins" on the Bubble Bobble Wikipedia page--and Wikipedia's never wrong, right?)

Anyway, why do I think they may have been gay? For starters, they were awfully clean-cut and doe-eyed while in human form (see Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars)--and, as everyone knows, being both of those things means you're gay with a capital "G." (Don't even get me started on the fact that they traipsed over rainbows in the first Bubble Bobble sequel and pranced around with parasols in the second.) And then there's the preciousness of their dragon form (depicted below by deviantartist beyx):



I know what a number of you are thinking: "But weren't Bub and Bob trying to save their girlfriends in Bubble Bobble?" What, you've never heard of beards? Don't forget that this supposed "let's save our girlfriends from some evil monsters" crusade took place during the early 1980s, when people weren't as cool as they are now (for the most part) with the whole gay thing.

Who knows, maybe the folks at Taito are working feverishly and secretively to finish up Bubble Bobble 4: Fabulous 4ever, in which Bub and Bob, fully "out" and once again in human form, will sport Caesar cuts (or maybe faux hawks), tight t-shirts and similarly snug jeans.

The 10 fruitiest games (of which I'm aware)

Here’s an admission you won’t come across on just any gaming blog: I love fruity games.

Now, when I say “fruity games,” I’m not talking about Captain Rainbow or Cho Aniki; I’m talking about games that are packed with so much actual fruit they should accompany every Edible Arrangements® order.

Anyway, I've played a good number of “fruity” games over the years, with the following being my favorites:

Animal Crossing--I wouldn't say shaking fruit out of trees is the highlight of this "life simulation" game--for me, that would be catching bugs, butterflies and fish--but it's certainly a hell of a lot of fun. (My favorite fruit in the game? The peach!)

Bubble Bobble--My favorite moment in this Fukio Mitsuji-designed quarter-muncher occurs when I defeat the last enemy and a giant piece of fruit (or some other food item) drops from the top of the screen. Why can't every level end this way?

Coryoon--This crazy PC Engine cute ‘em up would be well worth the price of admission even if fruit didn’t pop out of defeated enemies like they were the world’s healthiest piñatas (see screenshot above) thanks to its crisp, colorful graphics, cheerful music and tight controls. Plus, it stars a baby dragon!

Don Doko Don--Sure, this Taito-developed title has nothing on the fruity games that seemingly inspired it (namely Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands), but that hardly means it's bad. In fact, it's pretty darn good--especially if you like hammer-wielding dwarves.

Monster Lair--Is there anything more satisfying than coming across certain pieces of fruit in this game (above) and then shooting them until they erupt into even more pieces of fruit? OK, so I’m sure there are many more satisfying experiences in all of video game-dom, but I’m not sure there are in this particular title.

The New Zealand Story--I have to admit, the fruit in Taito’s cute-but-challenging platformer (see screenshot below) pales in comparison to its cool bosses, inflatable ducks and laser guns. Still, the apples, grapes and melons (no, not those kinds of melons) eradicated enemies leave behind serve to make this already sweet game even sweeter.

Pac-Man--The arcade classic that prompted my semi-obsession (is there such a thing?) with fruity games. Why does the titular Pac-Man collect fruit? I have no idea, although I imagine the answer to that question makes about as much sense as the answer to this one: "Why does he chase ghosts?"

Parasol Stars--Like its predecessors, Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands, Parasol Stars (below) throws more than just fruit at players; it throws jewelry, pastries and vegetables at them, too. Is that more enticing and exciting than the title’s frantic gameplay? Actually, sometimes it is.

Rainbow Islands--What does Rainbow Islands offer gamers that Parasol Stars doesn’t? Rainbows, for starters. Oh, and stars! That’s not to say it’s a prissy pushover--in fact, it packs quite a punch in terms of bosses, enemies and levels. Just think of the fruit--and treats and veggies--you collect along the way as sweet rewards for your troubles.

Yoshi's Story--I know this fruit-filled platformer gets a lot of hate (probably because it pales in comparison to its predecessor, the amazing Yoshi's Island), but I've always had a bit of a weakness for it--and its (admittedly saccharine) theme song.

Note: This post was adapted from one that originally appeared on my other gaming blog, iwasateenagepcenginefan.wordpress.com.

The wonderful world of Working Designs

So, I've spent the last few evenings flipping through my old TurboPlay magazines, and while doing so a number of Working Designs ads have caught my attention.

I thought I'd post three of them here, just in case some of you are TurboGrafx-16 (or Working Designs) fans, too.

This rather horrific ad was supposed to promote one of the system's rare RPG releases, Cosmic Fantasy 2:

The following ad, for Exile: Wicked Phenomenon, is a bit better, at least in my opinion.

There's little to complain about in this Parasol Stars ad--unless, of course, you hate parasols and rainbows and, er, anthropomorphic slot machines.

See also: 'PC Engine porn'