I bought this copy of the game through Jap-Sai.com, by the way. I mention that because, as you can see in the photos below (and on my Flickr photostream), it is in absolutely impeccable condition--something that can't always be said for the games I pick up off of eBay. As such, I'd highly recommend checking out the company's online store if you're ever looking to buy complete-in-box copies of old Japanese games.
Anyway, enough about the condition of this game's case and cartridge. How's the game itself? Although it's far from my favorite platformer, I greatly appreciate its quirkiness, its challenging nature and, of course, its cuter-than-a-box-of-kittens protagonist.
See also: Previous '12 Games of Christmas' posts
I have just gone from never having heard of this game to wanting it with every fiber of my being.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Brothers Duomazov's review, I'm so intrigued!
Awww I love that little kiwi, and the image looks much better on your HUcard than it does on my MD cart! *jealous rage*
ReplyDeleteJap-Sai are great, I've ordered a few oddball things from them and they arrived safely and in excellent condition (I do wish their site was a little easier to navigate though!).
You've never heard of New Zealand Story, Justin?!?! I mean it's not as popular as Bubble Bobble but still got plenty of ports and modern updates/rereleases.
ReplyDeleteIt was one of the games that came bundled with my Amiga ( http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/a500batman.html ), so it got a lot of play time until I could save up for more games :)
Hey there, Justin! Yes, you definitely should give it a try. It's definitely a cute and fun game. It's no cakewalk, though -- just to warn you!
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest playing the arcade version, by the way, over the PCE version if you're going to emulate. The PCE version is a good port graphically, but the music is pretty annoying.
Oh, and I think the arcade version is on one of the PS2 Taito compilations, if you have them.
Kimimi: Ah, I didn't know the MD cart art wasn't nice. The game itself is nice enough, though, right? I don't know if you know this, but the MD version has different stages than the arcade or PCE versions -- as far as I'm aware.
ReplyDeleteAs for Jap-Sai: I agree about their website. For the longest time I thought they had barely any stock. Now I know to just go to the "search" section, which brings up all of their current games. Also, they're open to looking for any games they don't have in stock! I know because I just asked them to look for a few for me :)
Coolpowers: Yes, this is a nice little Taito platformer, isn't it? I've never played or even seen the Amiga version, but I imagine it was quite nice! The PCE port, on the other hand, was nearly perfect, save for the audio -- which is tinny and pretty grating. Oh, well, you can't have everything! :P
ReplyDeleteThe MD cart uses the same illustration, but the white-on-white of the HUcard looks a lot cleaner than a sticker on a black MD cart! Not the end of the world though :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the level differences - I'm not very good at this one, so I tend to just pop it in every now and then to muck about with :)
I`m with Justin - never heard of it to wanting it really badly in 0.2 seconds.
ReplyDeleteI`ve never actually seen this one in stores (I`m pretty sure I would have remembered the title if I had), is it a rare one?
Kimimi: I have to admit that I haven't played the MD version enough to know all of the ways in which it differs from the PCE version, but I've read about them a number of times on line. Personally, I'm guessing they aren't a big deal unless you're a huge PCE or platformer fan.
ReplyDeleteSean: Oh, I can't imagine it's all that rare. It certainly can be bought cheaply enough via eBay here in the States, so I would imagine it's even cheaper in Japan? Anyway, I look forward to you finding it and playing it -- and then telling me what you think of it, of course :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Bryan and coolpowers! I'm as surprised as both of you that I've never heard of this game. Taito is a God, and I'm just sort of astounded that there's a game out there I didn't know about...
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to track down a used copy of either Taito collection at our local GameStop stores, Bryan. I'm still looking.
Oh, well, that sucks, Justin. (That you haven't been able to track down a used copy of Taito Legends 1 or 2 at your local GameStop.) In that case, I'd suggest emulating the arcade version on your computer. If you do that at some point, let me know what you think of the game, will you?
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