Star Wars NES - The JVC and Namco versions

[figgler]

Been playing a good amount of Star Wars NES lately and I'm determined to finish it.

This is the JVC version of course. What I'd forgotten about was the mysterious Famicom version of Star Wars from Namco that never made it to North America.

I'm wondering though if anyone knows anything about that version, or has played it. The JVC game I'm playing, which is really quite good and challenging is largely a platforming shooter with some overhead stuff on Tatooine and at least one first person Falcon level so far.

How does the Japanese version play and stack up against ours? I wonder if it's the same concept and nearly the same (a la WonderBoy and Adventure Island), or if it's radically different and possibly worth importing.

And - how did this even happen? It's not often you find that a game based on an American movie was released in Japan first, and we got a completely different game some time later.

[NE146]

Yes! I have it!

 

This is actually sort of a funny story because I had the game really early on in like 1989/1990 or something for my famicom. (back home, it was always famicom first and NES came later). I just thought.. "ooh Star Wars!" and bought it. I ended up playing it only on and off..

 

Anyway, this was was of course the pre-internet days so I when I went to the states for college, eventually the U.S. Star Wars game came out and I noticed it was totally different! So over time I'd cruise around to Electronics Boutique and Software Etc. and would attempt to discuss my Star Wars game to them. I'd say stuff like "I have this Star Wars game for the Nintendo, but it's for the Japanese Nintendo. Anyway, it's totally different from the one that's being sold. Have you heard of it before"? They all thought I was a clueless idiot! They'd be all "Nah there is no Star Wars video game like that.. the one on the shelves is it" and "If there was another Star Wars game for the Nintendo it'd be well known". etc. Heck all I wanted to do was tell them about my cart, but I got treated like a dumbass Anyway, it's understandable to me as it was still a time when Japanese and U.S. gaming were worlds apart and somewhat oblivious to the other. Now, Jap fandom and videogame knowledge are all over the U.S. It wasn't always that way.

 

Anyway, (yeah I was more enthusiastic back then), I even wrote to EGM about it with a letter about "the unknown Nintendo Star Wars game". They didn't respond or publish it. Anyway, it made me think I had a really rare cart! 'Course it turns out it wasn't really the case. So goes it

 

Oh the game? I could never get very far in it. It is currently in my old bedroom in my Mom's house safe in a box. That's about all I have to say about that

[Atariboy2600]

Yes I too have it CIB and I did finish it and it was very fun in there own weird way if you wanted to know more infi on it go this this link http://www.duck-logic.com/zwei/games/starwars-j.htm

 

Youtube

[Atariboy2600]

Just in case you wanted to see how the game looks heres some images of the Star Wars Namco CIB.

 

 

 

[figgler]

Thanks guys for the stories and info.

The Youtube link was especially good since it shows a good few minutes of gameplay.

So yeah, this game looks very ridiculous as far as Star Wars accuracy goes, what with Vader morphing into stuff and whatnot. However, it also looks like a pretty good Japanese side scroller that would be lots of fun. Kind of neat to see Star Wars mashed up with crazy Japanese-isms.

Is that cart chromed over? That's too cool. I think I am going to have to look into importing this game somehow.

[NE146]

Thanks guys for the stories and info.

The Youtube link was especially good since it shows a good few minutes of gameplay.

 

Why look at a youtube vid for the gameplay? Heck, right here's the friggin rom. Go play it in an emulator or something

star_wars__namco___j_.zip

[Lord Helmet]

Interesting! I had no idea that there were 2 versions of Star Wars for the NES. Thanks for posting the ROM. I'll check it out this weekend.

[Trip_Cannon]

Awesome! I always knew Luke was a black haired jedi in a blonde hairs body!

[figgler]

Okay who's managed to beat Star Wars for NES (the JVC one)?

Talk about difficult. The level right after you defeat the dianoga in the trash compactor has me wishing death on the designers. Not to mention it takes half an evening to get to that point.

Luckily this is one of those games where skill and memorisation really pay off, and it's a fun action game that keeps me coming back. I just hope I don't have to kill somebody as a result of frustration.