I have a Japanese contact now!

[Dire 51]

Hey everyone. Just making one of my infrequent, once-every-four-months-or-so appearances...

Recently, I got something I always wanted - a contact in Japan! He's agreed to do game swaps with me, and a short while ago I got my first package from him. Inside I found the following that I had requested...

Famicom:
Crisis Force (cib)
Getsu Fuu Ma Den (cib w/ ltd ed phone card!)
The Goonies (cib)
Salamander (box, no instructions)
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (cart only)
Kujaku Ou (cart only)

He also included the following, even though I didn't ask for any of this stuff:

Famicom:
Gradius AC (a ROM hack of the original NES Gradius made to look more like the original arcade game - I don't know how he did it, but he made an actual cart out of it)
Sankugoshi II (I think that's the title - it's another Koei historical sim)

PCE:
Tokimeki Memorial (complete)
Ys Books I & II (CDR)
Ys III (CDR)
NEXZR (CDR - and now that I've played it, I want the original!)
Spriggan (CDR - ditto)

Saturn:
Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You (no instructions, but complete otherwise)
A Power Memory cart

5 VHS tapes showing the performance of (acording to my contact) Japan's greatest Gradius player, Mr. Mezon.

I have to admit, that was awfully nice of him to include all that extra stuff. I've sent him his package in return, and after that I should be getting (among other things) Akumajo Dracula Special: Boku Dracula-kun and all four PC Engine Valis games (excluding the Visual Collection).

I was wondering - has anyone here ever played Getsu Fuu Ma Den? The language barrier prevents full understanding of the game, and I'm looking for a few tips on it.

[hydr0x]

awesome, that's something i've also been looking for, a japanese contact, but as i don't have any money/trades right now i do not search for one, but i will someday

[Dire 51]

It took me almost five years, but my patience paid off...

[Bratwurst]

Just curious, but what is this fellow interested in? Certainly not looking to steal your contact away from you but I'm intrigued as to what might interest someone in Japan when it comes to North American (and other countries') goods.

[Dire 51]

Bratwurst - My contact is interested in NES stuff, mostly games that never were released in Japan, plus American versions of popular titles.

[Ed Oscuro]

My contact likes Transformers. He grew up here in the early 1980s, obviously. Well, I'd call him more of a friend since I don't ask him to get stuff anymore--he's busy, I'm busy, working 40 hours a week sucks. If anything, I'd just get a contact who could translate messages for something like Yahoo Auctions Japan or something, instead of ask them to actually buy and send things themselves.

[Dire 51]

I'm sure as time goes on our frequency of swaps will die down. As it is, he's planning on coming to the U.S. in a few months, and I've already told him I'd be happy to show him around (he's never been here before). I could see us remaining friends after the game trading stops...

[ArnoldRimmer83]

I was wondering - has anyone here ever played Getsu Fuu Ma Den? The language barrier prevents full understanding of the game, and I'm looking for a few tips on it.

There is a walkthrough for the game on Gamefaqs. Also a translation patch was made for the rom a few years back.

That's a nice haul you got from that guy. A lot of those Famicom games are ones I'm trying to find myself. Particularly Goonies and Salamander. You're probably already aware of this, but Salamander actually has credits and pictures in it's ending, as opposed to the really cheap ripoff ending used in the US version. Beat the game without continuing for an interesting suprise.

[Ed Oscuro]

Huh, Getsufuu Maden has a limited edition phone card? Well, mine came without the manual (just box, cartridge and the plastic tray). Now that is supposed to be one of the more rare Famicom games.

[Dire 51]

That's a nice haul you got from that guy. A lot of those Famicom games are ones I'm trying to find myself. Particularly Goonies and Salamander. You're probably already aware of this, but Salamander actually has credits and pictures in it's ending, as opposed to the really cheap ripoff ending used in the US version. Beat the game without continuing for an interesting suprise.

I knew about the credits and the pics, but I wasn't aware of this nice surprise you mentioned...

Ed - yep, there was a limited edition phone card stuck in the instruction manual showing Fuuma cleaving a minotaur in half. It's a very cool pic.

[Ed Oscuro]

Would it look anything like what's on the front cover (I don't know what that thing was, but it's not a Minotaur)?

Oh, and here's a fun fact: In the Super Castlevania 4 prerelease advertisement (first item on http://www.classicgaming.com/castlevania/media.htm) the digging monster appears to be a reappearance of a similar monster from Getfusuu Maden, according to Eric Roman. He has some comparison pics up at his page...as a matter of fact, let me find it...

(after asking Eric himself, I found the page)

http://dctp.iodized.net/whatthe22k.html

Anyways, here's the resemblance:

SCV4
http://dctp.iodized.net/screensnaps/cobross.gif
to
Getsufuu Maden
http://dctp.iodized.net/screensnaps/gmsnake.gif

With my first image posts ever to this forum, I conclude this session of "Fun Facts."

[Dire 51]

No... I'm pretty sure the front cover has Fuuma slashing some kind of bug and one of those floating demon heads. If I could scan the card and post it on one of my sites, I would.

Regarding Eric's page... yes, I have seen that (and fought that thing in the game). In fact, it was that pic on DCTP that got me interested in Getsu Fuu Ma Den to begin with. It would have been interesting if they'd left that monster in SCV4...

[Ed Oscuro]

It would've been a very interesting monster, and I'm not sure exactly why he was taken out. Ton a rok's death ALWAYS sends me into hysterics; the dancing spectres seem included only to capitalize on the Mode 7 capabilities of the Super Famicom. Perhaps it wasn't a strong enough design for the game, not big enough, etc. If nothing else, its appearance is yet more proof that Konami's staff was committed to bringing back characters that the fans had grown attached to (and themselves as well).

[Dire 51]

...or they may have turned it into Medusa. It looks to be about the right size for her.

Or not. We may never know. ~shrug~

[rbudrick]

So tell me about this Gradius video!!
How good is he? I mean, many people can beat Gradius on one life, ya know?
-Rob

[Dire 51]

I wish I could tell you how good he is... unfortunately my VCR is on the fritz, and I haven't been able to watch them yet. Oh, and it's not just Gradius 1... four out of the five tapes are dedicated to Gradius II.

[Ed Oscuro]

...or they may have turned it into Medusa. It looks to be about the right size for her.

Actually, it does. Thank god for Mr. P's CV Realm:

http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/CVPics/Medusa.gif

The underbelly only shows a little bit of the scaly sections, though. (I'm not sure if there were differences between the Japanese and American versions of Medusa; she's bare chested in the Japanese release and I believe this is the US one as well. Usually Mr. P posts differences between creatures as well, or at least he did for Castlevania 3).

The concept is partly there -- big snake thing, mostly -- but the sprite seems completely different, though the pose is similar. To be fair, though, it's a generic pose.

[Dire 51]

If I recall correctly, Medusa was bare chested in the U.S. release. I can see how they transmogrified the snake thing to her...