NES Works #104: Bomberman / Robowarrior / Othello

NES Works #104: Bomberman / Robowarrior / Othello

Author: Jeremy Parish March 13, 2023 Duration: 18:11

A lot of shenanigans happening with the NES timeline here at the end of 1988, a situation that I'll explore more next episode. For now, it's worth noting that this episode brings us:

  1. Two games that may or may not have actually debuted in the U.S. in December 1988, and
  2. Two games from the same franchise, possibly released simultaneously by different publishers. 

Bomberman and RoboWarrior don't share much branding in common in the West, but both hail from the same germ of inspiration. 

RoboWarrior, AKA Bomber King, would branch off briefly to become its own thing under the auspices of developer Aicom, who kind of Hudsoned Hudson here by creating a variant of that company's franchise and then claiming it as their own. Sort of. Except that outside of Japan it was reskinned into someone else's thing. It's complicated. Othello, however, is not complicated. 

This is the fourth time this channel has looked at an Othello game. You know the drill. 

Production note: NES footage captured from  @analogueinc  Mini. Arcade footage captured from MiSTer FPGA cores; special thanks to  @MiSTerAddons . Video upscaled to 720 with XRGB Mini Framemeister.

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Jeremy Parish's Video Works by Jeremy Parish is a curated collection of his long-running projects diving deep into the history and design of classic video games. Rather than a single focused series, this podcast serves as an archive and hub for several distinct endeavors. You'll find episodes from Game Boy World, which meticulously documents every pre-Game Boy Advance handheld title in chronological order, offering a unique historical perspective. Another strand explores the interconnected world of "Metroidvania" games, analyzing the design principles that define this beloved subgenre. The Anatomy of Games segments provide thorough, thoughtful critiques of classic game design, breaking down what makes these titles endure. Each episode, whether originally audio or adapted from video content, carries Parish's knowledgeable and considered commentary. This podcast is for anyone with an appreciation for gaming's foundations, presented not as dry history but as an engaging exploration of the artistry and innovation that shaped the medium. Tune in for a consistently insightful look at the pixels and philosophies behind the games you might have played-or always meant to.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Video Works by Jeremy Parish
Podcast Episodes
NES Works Gaiden #036: Robot Block / Geimos / 10-Yard Fight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Although the three games featured in this week's episode have already appeared in the vanilla iteration of NES Works, I promise that there's merit in revisiting them. All three titles—Nintendo's Wrecking Crew, Konami's H…
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Segaiden #029: SG-1000 in Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Our shared journey through the SG-1000 library has been illuminating, and in this episode I attempt to encapsulate much of what has been covered here over the past year. This episode isn't simply a recap and recontextual…
Segaiden #028: Loretta No Shouzou & The Black Onyx [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:13
In this episode, we look at the SG-1000's 1987 release lineup in its entirety... and, with those two games, we also wrap up the SG-1000 library as a whole. That's it! Go home! From now on, it's just Master System and bey…
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Duration: 16:00
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NES Works #087: Hudson's Adventure Island & Milon's Secret Castle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:04
Famicom mainstay Hudson finally makes its American debut this week with two sizable hits from Japan. First, Adventure Island brings a little taste of Sega to NES by converting Wonder Boy with a thinly veiled graphical ov…