Mario RPG - SNES PAL - DID EVER EXISTED ??

[rarecube]

Ive been trying to find this game in pal for many years...

Top collectors in Europe have heard different romours that the game made in New Zealand in very limited numbers...

But i have never seen this game in 10 years of collecting, and im doubting it existence.

Ive contacted different Nintendo representitives around the world and apparently the game was very close to make it and its a possibilitie they cancle the orders in the last minute and some copies may exist. But they say , its just a maybe.

Im really confused, few people say theyve seen the cart but never complete...

Anyone has any information about it?
Just want to make my mind clear.

Thank you
Valeriano Cruz
Cruzway

[hydr0x]

no, it doesn't exist, afaik a German version was in dev, but never finished

about that New Zealand rumor? never heard of it, could be possible, but chances are very very very low

[Sam]

Being based in New Zealand myself I have never heard that rumour. I doubt we have ever had the facilities to make SNES games.

[v1rich]

a person named d4s might can make one for you. There may be other people as well.

[sharp]

No it has never been released in Europe for whatever stupid reason Nintendo had. Still it is a shame the game never came out, but I also don't get it why we never got the Final Fantasy games (except Mystic Quest if that one counts).

I never heard of test runs of Nintendo (first party) carts in the more recent years. I know Devil World on the Nes was almost only sold in Scandinavia. Oh and the Nintendo Pal version of Conkers Bad Fur Day which was also for Australia and New-Zealand (as the euro-version is from THQ).

[pragmatic insanester]

europe never got the snes final fantasies? poor bastards <3

[Aussie2B]

They didn't get the NES Final Fantasy either. No Final Fantasy until 7. o_O Except for Mystic Quest which didn't carry the Final Fantasy title in Europe.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

There's loads of games that Europe didn't get, but America did. The PS1 list goes on forever!!!

Unfortunately, Mario RPG was indeed one of those games which saw a US release, but never a European release. But that's SquareSoft for you - Only half their games ever make their way over the pond...

Just to indulge you - We (Europeans) never got: Final Fantasy Tactics
Parasite Eve
Chrono Cross
Threads Of Fate
Legend Of Mana
Einhander
Chocobo's Dungeon II

Amongst many many others past and present...

[Ruudos]

No, there's no PAL version. It would be kind of stupid too if they invested the money in making a PAL version and then only releasing it in New Zealand.

BTW, we also didn't get Chrono's Trigger and the first Lufia. Not to mention that we didn't get Final Fantasy, Crystalis, Dragon Warrior 1 to 4, and StarTropics II for NES.

[sharp]

No, there's no PAL version. It would be kind of stupid too if they invested the money in making a PAL version and then only releasing it in New Zealand.

BTW, we also didn't get Chrono's Trigger and the first Lufia. Not to mention that we didn't get Final Fantasy, Crystalis, Dragon Warrior 1 to 4, and StarTropics II for NES.

We didn't get any Dragon Warrior until now (maybe the GBC game mentioned in the list, but I never saw an actual Euro-copy, only imported ones, so I won't count it as it's harder to find then a US version here) :angry: At least as far as I know. I never saw any. I still don't get why we never got FF and we got Terranigma as exclusive.

[Simon_Belmont]

Dragon Warrior 1 for nes was released in Europe I think

[Ed Oscuro]

They didn't get the NES Final Fantasy either. No Final Fantasy until 7. o_O Except for Mystic Quest which didn't carry the Final Fantasy title in Europe.
And Adventure? Also, how about the Secret of Mana games?

[The_EniGma]

There's loads of games that Europe didn't get, but America did. The PS1 list goes on forever!!!

Unfortunately, Mario RPG was indeed one of those games which saw a US release, but never a European release. But that's SquareSoft for you - Only half their games ever make their way over the pond...

Just to indulge you - We (Europeans) never got: Final Fantasy Tactics
Parasite Eve
Chrono Cross
Threads Of Fate
Legend Of Mana
Einhander
Chocobo's Dungeon II

Amongst many many others past and present...

Umm.. didnt we get ff tactics on the GBA?

[Damon Plus]

Dragon Warrior wasn´t released on Europe.

[anagrama]

And Adventure? Also, how about the Secret of Mana games?

D'ya mean the GB FF Adventure? That did make it to Europe, as did Secret of Mana.
SoM was delayed though, and any interested PAL gamers I knew at the time had already imported the US version by the time they deigned us worthy in Europe!

[fishsandwich]

There's loads of games that Europe didn't get, but America did. The PS1 list goes on forever!!!



Ah, but the UK DID get more PS1 games than the States... several hundred more by my estimation. No doubt many of them are football (soccer) titles, but the UK got quite a few cool non-sports games that never made it over to the States.

@_@

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Tactics on the GBA is a totally different game as far as I know.

I was mainly refering to PS1 Square games in that previous post though.


We also didn't get other great games such as: Brave Fencer Musashi
Inuyasha
Beyond The Beyond
Brigandine - The Legend Of Forsena
Clock Tower II - The Struggle Within (Despite getting I & III)
Elemental Gearbolt
Eternal Eyes
Hoshiami - Ruining Blue Earth
Kartia - The World Of Fate
Lunar - Silver Star Story
Lunar II - Eternal Blue
Xenogears
Dragon Warrior Torneko
Tail Concerto
Monster Rancher II
Monster Rancher Battle Card Episode II
Tactics Ogre
Ogre Battle
Persona
Persona II
Rhapsody
Saiyuki - Journey West
Saga Frontier
Tales Of Destiny
Tales Of Destiny II
Thousand Arms
Wild Arms II (Despite getting I & III)
Valkyrie Profile
Vanguard Bandits

Need I go on? I said the list is endless - And that's just the great Ps1 games we missed out on - Just think how many classic Snes games we missed too!


And yes, we did get Secret Of Mana. As did FF Adventure on the GB (Along with the FF Legend trilogy too)

[Amy Rose]

BTW, we also didn't get Chrono's Trigger and the first Lufia. Not to mention that we didn't get Final Fantasy, Crystalis, Dragon Warrior 1 to 4, and StarTropics II for NES.
I'm not sure where you're from, but if the arse end of gaming (Australia) got Chrono Trigger and Lufia, then I'm sure you did too. :P

You Euros will NEVER understand how lucky you are until you visit this place. I'd estimate we get a quarter of the games you guys do released here. Hell, Electronics Boutique and Game Traders over in Perth import half their games from you guys!

[lendelin]

Uh, I didn't know that Europe missed out on such stellar RPGs for the SNES, and even for the PS1. Well, as a German I'm glad that I live in the US then.


No it has never been released in Europe for whatever stupid reason Nintendo had. Still it is a shame the game never came out, but I also don't get it why we never got the Final Fantasy games (except Mystic Quest if that one counts).


The reasons aren't stupid, they are purely economical.

At the end of the 80s and for a long time in the 90s first came the Japanese market, then the American market, and then Europe.

RPGs like Dragon Warrior and FF were smash hits in Japan; Nintendo released Dragon Warrior and FF in the US, but they didn't sell well (despite a big marketing push by N). RPGs were a true niche market back then. After the disappointing sales in the US for both games, N perceived a similar disaster in Europe.

Plus, neither Enix nor Square had American or European offices back then, so it all depended on N;

additionally, localization was neither cheap nor easy. Translations for text intensive games like RPGs in German and French were complicated and time consuming. Together with the expecatations of very moderate sales at best, releases weren't just profitable.

American gamers were lucky to get Dragon Warrior 2 to 4 for the NES considering their bad sales; and they didn't get all of the FF games as we know.

The European market was just too unimportant at the time to release such high risk games as console RPGs.

[lendelin]

And Adventure? Also, how about the Secret of Mana games?

D'ya mean the GB FF Adventure? That did make it to Europe, as did Secret of Mana.
SoM was delayed though, and any interested PAL gamers I knew at the time had already imported the US version by the time they deigned us worthy in Europe!

Yep, Mana was sold In Europe. In Germany it was sold in a big box with an official Nintendo guide (like Earthbound in the US) whereas the only Mana guide in the US is the early Prima guide in black and white.

I still have Mana in all its overboxed glory well stored in Germany.

[anagrama]

BTW, we also didn't get Chrono's Trigger and the first Lufia. Not to mention that we didn't get Final Fantasy, Crystalis, Dragon Warrior 1 to 4, and StarTropics II for NES.
I'm not sure where you're from, but if the arse end of gaming (Australia) got Chrono Trigger and Lufia, then I'm sure you did too. :P


Australia got SNES Chrono Trigger? :hmm:

[anagrama]

The European market was just too unimportant at the time to release such high risk games as console RPGs.

I'd disagree with that - even back in the 16-bit days, the European market wasn't *that* much smaller than the US market .
The largest factor that prevented all these RPGs getting a PAL release was the fact that they would need to be translated into 4 or 5 languages, and it simply wasn't worth spending all that time on them from an economic standpoint.

[yok-dfa]

Just to indulge you - We (Europeans) never got: ...
Einhander
...

You are talking about PS1 games right? I am pretty sure i've seen a PAL copy of that. I even doubted if i should buy it since i heard good stories about the game, but it was pretty expensive (around €50) so i left it in the shop.

[AtariBuff]

if you find a PlayStation 1 PAL Einhander for €50 again please take one for me.

[yok-dfa]

if you find a PlayStation 1 PAL Einhander for €50 again please take one for me.

Ok, i'll check if they still have it (i saw it a few weeks ago)

Cheers,
Raymond

[KJN]

As mentioned the "Final Fantasy" name was dropped from the european releases so FFAdventure for GB was called Mystic Quest and FFMQ for SNES was called Mystic Quest Legend. And they weren't released in all of Europe. The SNES Mystic Quest or Terranigma for that matter wasn't released in Scandinavia for example. I remember magazines here used to write that ok so rpg X didn't make it over here but this rpg Y and now we are finally going to get an RPG release, yet every time they vanished from the release lists.

Basically if you like RPGs and live in europe importing is esential, personally I never buy a consol unless there is a way of playing imports on it.

As for the European market, home computers (C64, Amiga, Spectrum, Atari ST, Amstrad, etc) was also alot more popular over here compared to consols than in the US.

[garyfoo182]

I cant remember who said it but Tail Concerto did get a EUROPEAN release on the PAL PS1 BUT...and this is a BIG BUTT.

It was only a FRENCH release!!! Why i have no idea but check ebay.fr or whatever and check the current and completed items and you're sure to find one. Its on my wants list, just for completeness

ZAG

[hydr0x]

BTW, we also didn't get Chrono's Trigger and the first Lufia. Not to mention that we didn't get Final Fantasy, Crystalis, Dragon Warrior 1 to 4, and StarTropics II for NES.
I'm not sure where you're from, but if the arse end of gaming (Australia) got Chrono Trigger and Lufia, then I'm sure you did too. :P


Australia got SNES Chrono Trigger? :hmm:#

yeah seriously WHAT THE FUCK???

and Amy, you're mixing up Lufia I and II, the game called Lufia in Europe and Australia was "Lufia II" in the US ;)

[AtariBuff]

I cant remember who said it but Tail Concerto did get a EUROPEAN release on the PAL PS1 BUT...and this is a BIG BUTT.

It was only a FRENCH release!!! Why i have no idea but check ebay.fr or whatever and check the current and completed items and you're sure to find one. Its on my wants list, just for completeness

ZAG that's 100% correct - please guys consult the online databases more often - it says so there in big letters that it's only a french PS1 exclusive. I have it already BTW :D

[hydr0x]

ok, Chrono Trigger :hmm:

http://www.gametraders.com.au/messageboard/viewtopic.php?p=6403&sid=4c360fe48e6db94ff0f0ae9646cf8a58

[lendelin]

The European market was just too unimportant at the time to release such high risk games as console RPGs.

I'd disagree with that - even back in the 16-bit days, the European market wasn't *that* much smaller than the US market .
The largest factor that prevented all these RPGs getting a PAL release was the fact that they would need to be translated into 4 or 5 languages, and it simply wasn't worth spending all that time on them from an economic standpoint.

I made statements going even FURTHER back to the pre-SNES times (damn, I was an adult back then, and talking about 'those times' with youngens makes me feel like Grandpa Simpson. :) ...and don't give me a Nelson HA HA now)

As I said, of course translating into four different languages for one market was and still is a major obstacle; in particular because translations for 8bit-games from Japanese was a tedious process for space reasons alone.

But this obstacle can be overcome more easily

1) if the expected sales are moderate to high; and this wasn't just the case. After the disappointing performance of first rate games like Dragon Warrior and FF in America, the agreed upon opinion was just that these games don't have a 'western' appeal;

2) if the installed hardware base is there. Now, I admit that my statement about the less important European market is based on numbers (which I can't recall) back in the days and personal, impressionistic anecdotes from Germany (don't know about Great Brittain). (which is a sophisticated way of saying I'm talking out of my ass)

It would be interesting to know how many NES/SNES systems were sold in Europe altogether and/or in specific countries in total numbers and per capita/household. (Maybe one of you European guys have these numbers?); but I'm convinced it didn't even come close to the US, BECAUSE...

***PERSONAL ANECDOTE ALERT BY GRANDPA SIMPSON***

...in 1989 I got seriously into gaming in the US with the NES. In January/February 1990 I was back in Germany for 4 weeks, and I talked my older brother into buying a NES. I had a difficult time finding one.

Germany was about two, three years behind the US. Nintendo wasn't a household name yet. In Freiburg I was in a big toystore and asked about games.

The salesguy said "Yeah, I remember, there is something downstairs...Nin...Nin..Nindux I think." They had downstairs, almost hidden, a NES sitting there, no display, with around 15 games (I remember SMB2). Electronic stores didn't carry the NES at all.

I was lucky to find a big department store near Baden-Baden where I come from with a good selection of games for the NES and SMS in the toy department. It was an exception. The sales person (who got me acquainted with a N representatitive from a VERY small N office in Germany and who modded personally my NES so I could play US games and Pal games) was a game fanatic and had a hard time to convince the department head to offer videogames. (He is now the general manager for the entire store with 500 employees, we are still in contact)

In 1991 the NES and then later the SNES took off, I saw commercials for N on German TV in 1992. At the end of the 80s, beginning 90s N wasn't just so well-known as it was already in America.

***END of Anecdote***

No doubt, translation is a big obstacle; but if the expected sales figures are low after disappointing sales even in the US with a much higher installed hardware base, Europe wasn't considered seriously for RPGs. Additionally, it didn't help that in 1994 Nintendo had a 50/50 marketshare with Sega in Europe, which certainly cut down their installed hardware base.

RPGs weren't successful, and after FF and Dragon Warrior there was not a lot of expectation that the sequels will sell well. Nintendo Power pushed big-time the two games for seven, eight months and wasn't successful; FF II for the SNES was covered by NP as one game among many others, nothing special. A ten-page coverage in one issue (#30), no guide, no maps, no nothing. Console-RPGs had a hard time to become established even in the US.

And even today, although RPGs are an established genre and we get in great and varied RPGs in the US, they aren't big sellers. The best-selling RPGs don't even come close to the best-selling sports games, racers and FPSs.

Sorry for this long post, I just HAD to tell my little Nintendo stories. :)