Is "Princess Tomato" any good?

[Veepa]

I remember back in my youth, flipping through some issues of Nintendo Power and seeing stuff about Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom. And I remember thinking "That game looks so interesting. I'm definitely going to play that game some day."

Well, it's been a good 10 years.. and I have yet to play the game. But I've always kept that feeling in me, that this game is going to be so great. I'd just be really heart-broken if I found out that this game was a pile of crap..

I don't want to emulate it, so I'm going to turn to eBay to try and find it. I enjoy games like Shadowgate, although admittedly I've never finished any.. And I've always assumed it was a bit like that.

So, ... How is the game?

[NESaholic]

I like the game and beat it some time back. Defenatly worth picking up, i like the oldschool manga like graphics of the game.

[Synergy]

All I remember from that game when I was a kid was getting lost, having a rock, paper, scissors battle with someone in a forest, and getting lost some more.

But I enjoyed it from what I remember, because I like Shadowgate too, and it's a bit like that in terms of going from one screen to the next, examining everything in each area, and finding out what item gets used where.

[Daria]

The game's excellent. There's a lot of humor to it, and a lot of groan inducing vegtable puns. But it's a lot of fun for a Shadowgate/Deja vu type game. A little difficult at times, but just the standard "so what do I do next?" sort of ambiguity. The dunegon crawling bits are... unique. And as already mentioned the battle system is played through a game of "rock, paper, scissors". The story's actually very good, and the chapters move quickly. The game will last you a couple nights worth of playing. You should definately try it out. It's one of my favorite NES games.

[Graham Mitchell]

It's a really good game, and I haven't played it in years. I rented it several times as a kid trying to get through it. If you like adventure/Snatcher-like games, Princess Tomato will satisfy you.

[rbudrick]

This game takes the record for my longest single gaming session. I rented the game, took it home, and sat there for 15 or 16 hours until I beat it. I think I got up to piss once and took a half hour to eat.

The game is awesome. I believe there were sequels on various systems in Japan. If you like Shadowgate, then Princess Tomato is going to be a favorite.

-Rob

[TheRedEye]

I believe there were sequels on various systems in Japan.

God, I wish. The ORIGINAL version of this game - a text-parser adventure - was released on a Japanese computer. Other than that, this is the only game in the series.

[evildead2099]

Great game. I prefer Deja Vu & The Uninvited, but you should definately check it out since you like point & click adventures.

[Li Wang]

There are two types of people in this world; those who like Princess Tomato and those who don't. You'll either love it or hate it.

God, I wish. The ORIGINAL version of this game - a text-parser adventure - was released on a Japanese computer. Other than that, this is the only game in the series.

Don't forget there are also a couple Japanese cell phone remakes of the game that seem pretty different from the original two versions.

By the way, did you ever try beating the PC88 version again? I went back a few months ago and at first tried to do it without cheating. I swear the game was either designed to be impossible without cheating or there was important information on commands in the instructions. There are parts where you would never guess what to do in a million years, especially as some Japanese gamer trying to play through a text adventure with English commands.

[rbudrick]

God, I wish. The ORIGINAL version of this game - a text-parser adventure - was released on a Japanese computer. Other than that, this is the only game in the series.

Well, I remember messing with a GBC rom of a PT game once...coulda sworn I even saw a Japanese website showing pics of the various versions and sequels. They weren't fc or nes, of course.

-Rob

[Nz17]

Much like yourselves, I well remember the name of "Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom" from the old magazines from back-in-the-day, and I have long meant to add this game to my collection. Alas, imagine the tears that formed in my heart when I saw the prices that this game now commands! According to Price Charting, Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom's price was stable for years, hovering at about $25 for a game-only copy. But somehow, the prices have skyrocketed! A cart-only copy now sells for $100 or more, and a complete copy sells for about $200! The game seems mighty charming, but my wallet cannot accept such high prices!

For a few years there was a frugal alternative - buying a $5 Virtual Console copy of Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom. However, that option is vanishing. $5 would get you a copy of the game on Wii, but afterward for some reason Nintendo / Hudson / (evil) Konami only released the game for the VC for 3DS and Wii U in Japan and nowhere else. Now you can't even buy Wii Points for the Wii Shop Channel any more, and next year you won't even be able to redeem any Wii Point you might still have. I'd gladly part with $5 - $10 for a copy of Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom for Wii, 3DS, or Wii U, but these companies won't even let me!

Must my only option be unauthorized emulation? Curse you, uncooperative companies!

[Niku-Sama]

Princess tomato is one of the games I picked up complete for only a few bucks years ago.
I don't mean to rub salt in the wounds here NZ but I haven't played it yet...

just keep at it and you'll find it at a wallet friendly price

[Nz17]

just keep at it and you'll find it at a wallet friendly price

But I don't want to play it in Japanese! ;-)

[Niku-Sama]

that's Sarada no Kuni no Tomato Hime.
I was talking about the real deal.


or maybe mod a nes/snes mini and play it on that?

[InsaneDavid]

Solution: Flashcart.

[Nz17]

While I appreciate your suggestions, and I am aware of these options, what I am seeking are official, sanctioned solutions, and it appears that I am out-of-luck in that regard. Thank you, however.

[Bratwurst]

Doesn't the Retron5 allow IPS patching? You could make a patch out of the US rom differences and play the significantly cheaper Famicom cart in English that way. Simply owning the original Japanese game gives you some gray flexibility to playing its English counterpart in a meriad of ways, as far as I'm concerned. The Fami cart is so cheap you could justify having English eproms burned and put in place of the original mask roms.

I used to own it. I sold off all of my US NES cartridges to consolidate into an Everdrive and haven't looked back- it doesn't make sense when individual carts become so valuable on the secondary market that you're juggling hundred dollar pieces of plastic.