Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The Great Gaymathon Review #56: Hello Kitty World (Famicom)


Game: Hello Kitty World
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Mario Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Character Soft
System: Famicom
Release date: 1992

According to this 2011 article by Wired's Chris Kohler, Hello Kitty World was made by the folks at Nintendo (under the guise of Mario Co., Ltd.--with Mario Co., Ltd. being a joint venture between the Kyoto-based gaming giant and an advertising company known as Dentsu). That makes sense on a number of levels. For starters, there's the fact that Hello Kitty World, at its heart, is a console-based re-skin of Nintendo's should-have-become-a-classic GameBoy title, Balloon Kid. Also, there's the fact that this game is as fun and polished as can be--qualities that I consider to be part and parcel of pretty much every game Nintendo's ever produced.

Beyond the fact that Hello Kitty World is a Nintendo-made title, though, why should you care about it--especially if you're normally averse to anything featuring the nauseatingly cute cat made famous by the folks at Sanrio? Let's go back to Balloon Kid, the GameBoy cart I mentioned earlier, shall we? If you've never played that 1990 release, imagine Balloon Fight's "Balloon Trip" mode turned into a multi-stage platformer. And if you've never played "Balloon Trip," well, imagine a platformer that scrolls from right to left and that features a protagonist who relies more on a pair of balloons for getting around than her own two feet.

Playing this game is as simple as can be: while on the ground (sans balloons), you can jump (with the A button) or inflate balloons (by pressing down on the d-pad). While in the air, you can control your flight by pressing left or right on the d-pad and by pressing the A button (which causes you to flap your arms and helps you gain altitude). Oh, and pressing the B button while in the air releases your balloons so you can scamper around on the ground (assuming there's any beneath you).

Although you'll spend most of your time hammering the A button while playing Hello Kitty World--so you can avoid pesky enemies and obstacles, of course--you won't want to forget about the B button, especially during the every-other-level boss fights, each of which are both easier and more enjoyable if you fly above and then dive bomb said baddies.

Given all of the above, I'm guessing all of you (or at least a few of you) are wondering if I prefer this cute and colorful console release to its portable predecessor. To be honest, I don't. I like the art style used in Balloon Kid more than the one used here, plus I'm pretty fond of Alice, the star of the GameBoy title, while I'm not much of a fan of ol' Hello Kitty. That said, both games are well worth playing, so feel free to go with whichever one superficially appeals to you most.


See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

10 comments:

Adam said...

I played it recently via emu, it was a decent adventure.

Bryan Ochalla said...

Hey there, Adam! That's great :) Have you played the GB game, by the way? Like I said in the review, I prefer it to this version. Just be warned that the scrolling in the GB game is kind of choppy and can be a bit off-putting.

Anyway, I really wish Nintendo would revisit this game -- either with a remake or a sequel. Maybe they could make Tingle the star of it? :)

Viewtiful_Justin said...

Remember when licensed games were actually not that bad? This sounds like something from that golden age.

Bryan Ochalla said...

Yes, Justin, you're right! That said, a *few* recent licensed games are OK. Also, some of the ones released "way back when" were shitty, too, so I guess licensed games have always been a bit of a toss-up.

Adam said...

Never played the GB balloon kid yet. Maybe when I get a 3DS

Bryan Ochalla said...

That's certainly an option, Adam! If you're not averse to playing GB games via emulation, you can play the colorized version of Balloon Kid (known as Balloon Fight GB) that was only released in Japan. Sadly, the version on the NA eShop is the black-and-white original, not this colorized version :|

Viewtiful_Justin said...

You're right. I forgot about some truly disappointing games I've played...

Bryan Ochalla said...

I wish I could share the names of a few crappy licensed games I played (and then forever avoided) during my youth, Justin, but I can't remember them right now! Maybe after the cold meds wear off...

Sean said...

LOL, I got interested in this game when you posted about it a few months back and I am embarassed to admit that I still haven`t gotten around to playing it. I love Balloon Fight so I MUST give this a go before you do another post about it:)

Bryan Ochalla said...

Ha! Yes, Sean, you'd better give it a go in some form or fashion before I post about it again :) I look forward to hearing what you think of it!