Super Mario Bros. 2 In Reverse: A Mishmash of Localization, Product Placement and Chocobo Too!
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- In 1992, a port of the Commodore 64 game Nebulus made it to Japan. Here’s how it all happened. (Chapter markers, production notes and more below...)
0:00 Muh Sponsers
0:18 Julius Cares!
0:26 GTV ID: Balls of Fun for Everyone!
0:35 Prologue: Super Mario Bros. 2 in Reverse
1:55 Act 1: Nebulus, Tower Toppler and Castelian
6:38 CM 1: Buy! Buy! Choco Ball!
6:56 Act 2: Choco Ball and Kyoro-Chan
16:04 CM 2: Colorball!
16:22 Act 3: Chocobo's Genesis
18:13 Cho Lucky Kue!!
This video originally started as three ideas. So you might noticed it looks almost like three videos put together. When I was gathering these topics, I was thinking about the few games that did go eastward. As well, I also found advertising in games quite interesting as I am sure you know if you've been around for a while. Also I thought the origins of Chocobo were amusing. As time went on and I researched more, I realized all three of these points would collide, and as such this video came about.
Episode Information
GTV 138 "Kyoro-Chans Nebulus Journey" Season 7 Episode 16
Original Airdate: October 7, 2022
Produced September 20-27, 2022
Recorded at Butsudan Studios and edited on my 14” MacBook M1 Pro! Edited and produced with Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, which my job paid for, but apparently, not for much longer. It’s ok I’ll just pay for it next year.
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Partial transcript
In the world of classic games there is a direct motion from Japan to the rest of the world, almost like a coastal trade wind. The games always seem to go in one direction: East to West. As you may know, many undergo a transformation along the way. Translation, obviously. Some get a major overhaul.
Hey, here’s something I bet you didn’t know! A Japanese game named Doki Doki Panic, became Super Mario Bros. 2? No, seriously!! That happened! Ok, ok. Well I can’t tell if you're laughing, rolling your eyes or both
Over the many years that GTV has been around, I often get questions, asking if the opposite has ever occurred. If somehow, a non-Japanese game has ever made its way to Japan.
The answer is yes! Though not many. Most, like Tetris or the Ultima games, had the rights negotiated, then a Japanese team built the game from scratch.
But there was at least one game in Japan that received the old switcheroo like our favorite game, Super Mario Bros 2.
Our story begins in 1987. That year a simple, cute game was released for various computers all across Europe. Nebulus. Created by John Phillips for Hewson Associates, the game involves a little green frog named Pogo climbing towers that have been built in his habitat, with the intent of bringing these towers down to restore the balance of nature. Nebulus features a novel and very impressive pseudo 3D rotating effect that built the basis of the game.
Pogo moves left and right, but is really moving in a circle, 360 degrees around the edge of each tower. Pogo can enter doors, which will take him to the other side of the tower, essentially moving through the center. There are objects blocking the way. Some can be taken out with a shot from pogo, while others can’t. If Pogo gets hit, he falls down to the nearest platform underneath, meaning if you land in a safe zone you can keep climbing back up. Only falling in the water costs a life. However there is a running clock, so Pogo must make it to the top before time runs out.
All of this creates an interesting blend of puzzle and action that is frustrating at first, but quickly becomes satisfying after the correct path and actions have been memorized.
When Pogo reaches the top, the tower comes tumbling down! Then it’s off to the next stage, traveling to the next tower via submarine, catching tasty shrimp snacks along the way which increase the timer on the next stage.
For 1987 the 3D effect was amazing. It’s not truly, “real” 3D nor is the tower an actual rotating object. It’s all just an optical illusion. In all, Nebulus was released for the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, Zed-X Spectrum and a few others across The United Kingdom and the many nations of Europe. - Hry
Q: How do you pause the game in Kyoro-chan Land for Family Computer and GameBoy?
B, for (taking a) Break, of course. The absolute most logical button. Start? That starts something!
(lol)
Ummm isn't start the answer? Not much buttons to choose from
B according to you. If I didn't miss something. It seem like cool game,especially for that time. Usually I was playing games on C64 and Amiga 500,600 but I'm not familiar with this. Is this me or a lot of japanise brands would make anime,games etc. Just watching your videos it was a lot games or anime disguise as ad for products.
P.S. Sorry for another off topic comment;so I've watched video about japanise comedian which was naked and locked for TV show year and half,20 years ago on TV. They call him Eggplant or something like that.
I knew some japanise shows were brutal but that one was really shocking.
@@dorklymorkly3290 I think this has to do with that first handful of Famicom games only using the A button, the B was i guess maybe seen as an "extra" button still perhaps?
@@retrogamestudios6688 That's sort of why he's asking.
Most excellent video sir, The most bizarre British to Japanese game port has to be Monty on the Run for the Famicom Disk System, Jaleco bought the rights, then literally scrapped everything except the main character's name and the games song for the title screen :S
Also, Hewson had this to another of their properties, just in the US, the space shoot em up Uridium on the Commodore 64 was turned into The Last Starfighter on the NES in America, so a movie license this time! :D
Oh wow I had no idea! 🐥
The kue kue kue chocoballs song has been stuck in my head for two days now.... arghh.
Me too kue!🐥
A GTV upload & a friday!? Thanks for starting my weekend the best way possible!!
The best and only way kue!🐥
This was a tasty treat of a video! I never heard of the original game...or maybe never paid attention to it...at the time. But it's awesome to see the chocolate bird see it's own game. Thanks again my friend!!
I’m glad you liked it kue! 🐥
now I have a little more insight on those old commercials from 90s bootleg Gundam tapes I have. This was cool bit of history like always, Thanks!
Funny to think about how those things survive. Thanks for watching kue!🐥
another great video!
i feel somehow validated discovering that the final fantasy chocobos were heavily inspired by this chocolate bird mascot. i never understood the name chocobo, and my first thoughts when hearing that name was, "chocobo? are they related to chocolate somehow? why are they called that?" now everything makes sense.
Hey Starfries! Long time no see!! Thanks for liking the video. And now you can rest your head at night ne’er to wonder about such strangely named things kue!🐥
Well this story really did have a few twists and turns. Good video.
Thanks. Oh I see what you did… 🐥🐥🐥
i like how all your intros make fun of youtube tropes
Hey thanks! I’m thinking up a new format for that for next year.
I love how Japan even made a Kyoro-chan anime series. Two of the three times the US tried it, parental groups went absolutely nuts and they never made it into production. We almost had cartoon series based on Chester Cheetah and the Noid. The third one was based on the California Raisins, but that one at least squeaked by as a continuation of a couple stop motion cartoon specials and that raisins are somehow considered a health food.
I do remember the lore of how the California Raisins Easter special denied the Simpsons an Emmy win one year…
Glad to see a new video. U made my Friday....the best part is I already bought the beer
Day drinking! My fave!
@@dacatindahat8275 bars open help yoself
Drink up! 🍺
Awesome video!!! Back in the 80s and 90s, Japan had a lot to offer the west but the west didn't have much to offer Japan. I love the graphics on Gameboy Kyoro-chan!
In truth English music and movies were consumed heavily making up the difference and then some kue!🐥
Super Mario Bros 2 was a different game? This is the first time hearing of it! ;)
Maniac Mansion's graphical update for Japan is something I've always found interesting. That and the addition of a password system.
Hey did you know you can blow up the hamster in the microwave? Back in the old radio days in the 90s I had a friend who told that story on air nearly everyday 😂 thanks for watching kue!
That game actually looks incredibly impressive for the time.
And Chocobo Chocoball is really fun to say. Thanks for teaching me something new!
I first saw it on the 7800 and it was eye dropping! I don’t recall ever seeing an effect like that before. So the programmer/designer was really talented and onto something. Strange it seemed to die after this one game
@@GTV-Japan For sure. The closest thing I can think of that's similar is Butter Building in Kirby's Adventure.
Yes! I think so too
What a suprsing mix of western gaming, japanese gaming and japanese culture in one video xD
That’s what GTV is all about 🍫
Wow. I cannot believe that all these years they've been called Choco Ball (without the "ll") and it flew right under everyone's nose...
Excellent work as usual. Is Kyoro-chan also the source of the Pyoro character in WarioWare/Made In Wario? That character is a weird looking bird that does nothing but eat, too.
Some people keep saying that but I’ve never played Wario Ware but after looking it up it’s clear they are related
Was looking for somebody to mention Pyoro here in the comments! Yeah, I'd definitely say it's an affectionate parody of Kyoro-chan, for sure.
I think the name of castilian came from the old kingdom of castile in spain and his denonym. Great video camarada.
That might be true! One thing is every time I wrote Castelian it autocorrected to Castilian every single time. It’s a sign, kue!!🐥
Wow, that was actually interesting! First two third of the video I kept wondering what it has to do with Chocobo, since we were constantly talking about Chocoballs… now I know.🤪
It pays off to stay till the end kue!🐥🐥
Also Cornelius the Rooster is the mascot for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.
Dude, this was absolutely amazing and entertaining, hahaha wow!! I love this channel!!
Kevin! Hey!! Thanks I’m glad you liked it. Others have said they’ve gotten hungry after watching so sorry if your out of reach of any candy kue!🐥
I was always under the assumption that Pyoro from the Wario ware series is a sort of spoof/inspired by Chocoball perhaps too, but never made the connection with Chocobo! One of the only other west to east reskins I can think of is a SNES Jetsons game that got transformed into Yōkai Buster: Ruka no Daibōken, though that was more than just a sprite swap really.
I had to look that up. But yes I would say pyoro is a loving homage 🐥
I got the feeling you got contacted by keeps :P great video still :D
Oh yeah they really help “support the channel”
@@GTV-Japan I think the Algorithm has detected that I'm in my mid-30s, as I've been getting a lot of adverts for Keeps and other hair loss prevention treatments on CZcams lately.
Everyone knows about Doki Doki Panic being turned into Super Mario 2 of course, although given that I grew up as a Sega Boy rather than a Nintendo Kid my preferred go-to example for that type of Westernisation was how "Magical Hat no Buttobi Tābo! Daibōken" was radically rebuilt into the cartoony Halloween game "Decap Attack" which would go on to have an astonishingly long life for a minor non-franchise game - it coincidentally resonated with a vein of British kids' spookiness like Count Duckula, Trap Door and Funnybones, and a Decap Attack strip ran in the UK Sonic the Comic for several years.
Anyway, enough tangential trivia and onto the video itself - I was most intrigued by 9:35 where you say that each year Japan's biggest band sings the Kue Song - is that now something of a modern Japanese tradition, never mind platinum record sales you're not taken seriously as an artist until you're in the Chocoball commercial? Who's doing it for 2022?
I am going to do a video about magical hat next year. I am watching the series right now actually! As for the top music of 2022. I have no idea who they are. I’m old!! 🐥
I like your introduction of the phrase "Image Character", it's new to me, but it instantly makes sense and gives some insight into how marketers in Japan approach developing a product without you needing to stop and explain it.
I often use a few wasei-eigo phrases. I like them! But if you’ve noticed I try purposely to use different terminology to sound a little bit different than other channels. I never say console or system. I always say tv game or hardware. Don’t say launch, say debut. Never say mascot always say image character. I think I made an exception when I talked about Yume Kojo because image was already in the script. Anyway I have a whole list of alternate words and a lot are the Japanese term that happens to be English. I always felt this way the bodies will sound a bit more original. Especially if like most videos it’s just a list of facts that have been done by someone else already or will be done in the future.
@@GTV-Japan Now that I'm thinking of it, I'm seeing a similarity between Skip and Pez, both candies that marketed themselves to adults using upscale packaging, but attracted kids instead, and the manufacturer just went along with it.
Hmm no ya got me thinking. That’s a good comparison
Your audio is either the perfect microphone for your voice or you've reached perfection in narration. Your voiceovers are superb and professional to the point of the CBS evening news. Extremely professional, Mark my words yours channels is going on its way to the big-time. I now fare you adieu.
Thanks I appreciate the kinds words then now and always! Maybe it will be big time. Maybe not. I’ll keep having fun and approach things like I always have regardless 🍺
@@GTV-Japan ahh the talk of a wise producer. Keep it up, cheers to you, off to bed with GTV in my phone's. My new favorite . See
It’s funny though because I’ve been doing paid voice, camera or editing work in a somewhat continuous capacity from 94 until 2013 then I considered myself “retired” but thanks to CZcams the streak continues!
@@GTV-Japan I've been a engineer for NBC Boston for 14 years now and all I did prior was voiceovers and editing and I hated it but engrained it in my soul so now it's like reading a book. Too easy to do and I now understand why You Tubers hate the editing. Imagine if they had to do it linear to edit hahwhah. Be good talk soon
I can’t imagine it because they can’t do it. Cutting out your uhms and ahhhs without any coverage is not editing. I can’t ever remember a time anyone let a jump cut get on air because it was so embarrassing. They wouldn’t know what to do with a jog wheel either.
I've literally never heard of Castelion/Nebulous until this video. It looks awesome!! Why have I been deprived of this for so long!
Too much Bonestorm perhaps?
@@GTV-Japan nah, it got old. I'm more into this cup and ball now
I loved Nebulus on the C64. It gave me the impression the machine was doing something it wasn't supposed to. Hewson was a solid company for the 8-bit micros. I had no idea about this Journey to the East. That Kyoro-Chan mascot looks quite cursed anyways.
I know! How did they do that? It’s amazing. Thanks for coming by again kue!
This was super interesting
Thank you kue!🐥
If you're gonna ram a random character into a pre-existing game for a cheap cash in, you do it to Crazy Castle, like God intended.
This is sound advice Mike!
Have you heard of Miracle Hoppers, it's a makeover of Pandemonium! by Toys for Bob and I remember Guru Larry talked about it. Western games in Japan is such a fascinating topic.
Yup, was about to post this.
I have now kue! 🐥
It is pretty fascinating but I’d say most “yo-ge” is often dismissed in Japan
Great Video as Always
I first remember hearing about Kyoro-Chan on the Gaming Historian's Video about Birds in Videogames and how he was the Inspiration for Chocobo in the Final Fantasy Series. Also did you know that Kyoro-Chan also had his very own Anime Series ????
Yeah I know of the anime but did include it because it sent the video off track. The ending tema was great!
Great video as usual
Thanks Niklas🐥
Damn now o want to try some chocobo chocolate
It’s pretty good I’ve heard!
I love how the in-game chocobos don't look anything like Yoshitako Amano's concept art and despite the games adopting the feathered yellow look, he kept his pink, bald, hairless version and used it in all of the future games' concept art.
Oh I never thought about that. Pretty funny! Kweh!
I knew it. When I first saw those human heads on bird bodies, I instantly thought Final fantasy. I don't know why. Maybe I might have seen something in Egm or psm magazine back in the 90s.
That’s probably true! A few of those back pages often were what’s going on Japan and famitsu would also have a what’s going on in America page too. Oh yeah and no reactions or red circles arrows or muh cuck face! Yes the good old days were exactly just that! Anyway I often look thru old mags so if it ever pops up I’ll tell ya
16:23 ahhh white mage! my weakness~
She had the best kart in Chocobo Racing kue!
Japan looks more appealing every day
- nice people
- delicious food
- onsen
- anime and manga culture
- Matcha is cheaper
- Chocobo
Yeah! If only the government didn’t tax us to death…
Lol, candy coated, 'chocolized' peanuts aren't exactly gourmet fare, though... probably just 'cocoa containing fat matter', too, and not real chocolate.
I am not surprised that skip failed.
"Here you go, m&ms in a box."
"But they're just M&Ms"
"yeah but for adullllltttts! cuz box!"
"kekkou desu"
Still a great place though and I'd love to live there too, but XD I'm just amused at delicious food in the context of 'choco balls'
Failure is the first step to success!
@@GTV-Japan I am used from living in Germany. But who knows. I heard Japanese houses have rooms that are insanely small.
Yes tats true. Naturally fitting 128 million people on an island that also 90% mountains creates lack of space but there are tax breaks for smaller houses. I don’t know the average size in Germany but 150 m2 2 floors new costs about 32,000,000 yen now. About 400,000 euro??
Dude you're almost up to 50k subs!! It seems just like yesterday you hit 25k
That is quite a long day! But yeah, soon it'll be 50 then onto 100 I hope! I appreciate all the support so far!
@@GTV-Japan absolutely! You deserve it! And it's still the 90s right?
I am the man from 1996!
I used to play this on my cousin's C64. Also DOS. Never forget Nebulous.
Never! Kue!
Nebulous : what kind of sorcery is this ?!
scary black magic!
Kyorochan Chocoballs ^-^
wow I had no idea about this one! I played a bit of the gameboy one off a flashcart I picked up off amazon, tbh I wasn't feeling it with the gameplay. But neat to see the Japanese candy mascot in the game like that I mean it kinda works?!
Yeah it fits but such an odd choice. Oh well at least the candy never changes kue!🐥
The PSX game is quite good for what’s basically a commercial.
I like it very much kue!🐥
Kweh, kweh, kweh, kweh!! Chocoboooooru!!
Choco boooruuuuuuu 🐥
This was an interesting video. I read about nebulas in retro gamer, and I don't think that a Japanese localization was mentioned. Good find mate, hope all is going well!
That's good to hear. I liked the magazine when it was new, but unfortunately I have no means to read it over here. There is the website, but I guess that has only select articles. Take care kue!
I love these stories, and I find it incredible that after so many years, having seen a lot of material about Final fantasy, I had never heard the origin of the name "chocobo", I always learn cool things on your channel.
Kyoro's game that plagiarizes Yoshi's Island has reminded me of a Kellogg promotional PC game, which was a rip-off of Donkey Kong Country, but in which you played Tony The Tiger, it seems that candy companies had a predilection for the top platforms of Supernintendo
I’ll have to look that up. A Tony the Tiger game sounds hilarious
@@GTV-Japan I've done a quick search, and just by looking at the intro you can see how they copy even the argument of the first Donkey Kong country XD czcams.com/video/qei0tOpCyJw/video.html
KURE KURE KURE CHOCO BAAAAARUUU
クレ？違うよ！
ガオガオ チョ～チョコボ～ル クオッ
Yeah that rules ultra Mario 2 is a port of dokidoki panic
Oh yeah! 🍒
Tetris did not originate in “the west” and certainly not in the US.
It did not come from Japan. Maybe I should have said foreign. Oh well.
Didn't the Wario Ware games have a bird character with a very similar name in them?
Yes it did. Pyoro
9:09 When you have a pet in the fridge accidentally left there to be freezed:
Yes. Certainly.
There's a similar rotation effect in Castlevania Bloodlines. Was it inspired by Nebulus?
It's also in Mickey Mania!
I would say so!
@@Larry Treasure did it in Dynamite Headdy, too!
Is Pogo really supposed to be a frog? Because he barely looks like one.
He does resemble a green pig but on the c64 box art he is a very realistic looking frog 🐸
Interesting video. I had vaguely heard something about this. I wondered since you know the game scene in Japan whether there's any love for or awareness of Commodore Amiga and ZX Spectrum games there? Or is Japan more ignorant of gaming history than North America.
Since they weren’t sold in Japan in any significant number, if at all, there’s no reason to expect them to revere it, let alone know it exists. Sure it may be chronicled in a book somewhere but that would be just one name out of a thousand
@@GTV-Japan So they're ignorant of those systems. Yikes, so it's not just North America that needs to educate themselves about video game/computer history. 😆
Yea. Certainly
@@GTV-Japan Thank you for informing me.
I have the strangest craving for chocolate now... :/
Sorry I got you so hungry kue!🐥
Do you happen to remember which magazine/issue that Famicom Castelian preview appeared in? The change must have been pretty last minute, as the so called "gigaleak" had a finalized ROM of GB Castelian intended for Japan, starring the very same knight character!
It wasn’t a magazine so much as a supplement or brochure from spaceworld 1991. I always try to list scans with the name and date as best I can.
What's the deal with the name "Chappy-chan" for various animal mascot chara? I've been studying Japanese since 1993, and even my first textbook had a dog whose name was Chappy-chan, belonging to Hanako and Yuko, the "stars" of the manga in each chapter. Ever since then, I've seen everything from dogs to squirrels to the "big chap" Alien in the eponymous movie, called that.
I don’t really know for sure but it’s probably recognizable and sounds cool!
Kue is volitional? Looks more like imperative to me... ganbare! ganbarou~, hashire, hashirou.
If that's a messup, then I don't *really* blame you. I always disliked the fancy names for words, like plusquamperfect and stuff.
(Edit: I messed up too! but its fixed now)
The re ending is more like saying can. Tabereraru. Taberou. I guess kue just sounds better 🐥🐥🐥
I believe ku-e is the imperative form of kuu. The volition would be ku-ou
Doh.
Pkeeps lmao. Sorry of topic
I've thought snake oil hair products are thing of past. Shaved head is popular for 25 years,and implants exist if people really want hair.
Well you know us CZcamsrs, we’ll shill anything!!
No mention of Pyoro from WarioWare?
I don’t even know that that is!
@@GTV-Japan In Nintendo's *Wario Ware* franchise, which is largely a collection of minigames, an ongoing characer that's been repeatedly appearing in his own series of in-universe games is a red bird named *Pyoro* who bears a strong resemblance to Kyoro-chan. The character has appeared in every game, from the Gameboy Advance to the Nintendo Switch, and has drawn large inspiration from Kyoro-chan. Should take a look at it sometime!
Oh. Yeah. See, there’s a big memory hole with me and Nintendo starting around 1993. If I ever have time I’ll try to check it out
Is that the inspiration for Angry Birds?
Uh. It could be!
Super Mario bros 2 backwards?
Just jump off wart’s castle!
*you did not have too cut me o-*
Instead of the Dream Machine it would be the Dream Disposal
Israel flag? Yikes. 😔
What’s wrong with Israel? It’s the holy land!
Antisemitic racist. Yikes!
Literally willing to go against God’s chosen? Yikes.
The PSX game looks decent. Cool Spot vs Kyoro-chan! Who had the better game series and which one tastes better?!
Kyoro all the way!