Export

TT Fitter (c) 1981 Taito Corp.

Taito license of Centuri's "Round-Up [Cocktail model]"

- TECHNICAL -

[Cocktail-20 inch model]

Height : 25.5 inch. (650mm)
Width : 35.5 inch. (900mm)
Depth : 31,5 inch. (800mm)
Weight : 155 lbs (70Kg)

- TRIVIA -

Released in November 1981 in Japan.

- SOURCES -

Game's Flyer

Export

TT Fitter (c) 1981 Taito Corp.

Taito license of Centuri's "Round-Up [Cocktail model]"

- TECHNICAL -

[Cocktail-14 inch model]

Height : 25.5 inch. (650mm)
Width : 34 inch. (865mm)
Depth : 22.5 inch. (565mm)
Weight : 128 lbs (58Kg)

- TRIVIA -

Released in November 1981 in Japan.

- SOURCES -

Machine's picture.
Game's flyer.

Export

Fitter (c) 1981 Taito.

Taito license of Centuri's "Round-Up [Upright model]"

The object of the game is for the player to maneuver his white robot in 1 of 4 directions within a maze, capture a red character robot as they move about the maze, and race to the center to change the 9 white balls located there to red. The player may only change one white ball to red at a time after he has captured a red robot, and must evade 4 chaser monsters in the process. Bonus point may be earned when capturing the elusive 'red king' that appears on the screen. Capture him and momentarily immobilize the chasers, but do not come in contact with the yellow robots--or your much-needed red robots will be changed to white and force you to change strategy. Play is over when the chasers have captured all of the player's robots. But, should the player be successful in changing all of the balls in the center to red, the pattern clears and a different challenge is presented. A 3x3 or 4x4 tri-colored pattern will appear at the bottom of the screen and a slightly different tri-colored cube of corresponding size will appear at the center of the screen. The player may earn bonus points by moving the directional arrow and rearranging the colors of the cube at the center of the screen to match the sample pattern presented at the bottom of the screen. The player is given 90 seconds to rearrange the cube as many times as he can. Action returns to the maze whether you win or lose the cube challenge. All in all, an exciting and challenging game where patience and skill are required.

- TECHNICAL -

[Upright model]

Height : 69inch. (1755mm)
Width : 24.25inch. (615mm)
Depth : 26.5inch. (745mm)
Weight : 214 lbs (97Kg)

Main CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 3.072 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 2.5 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.536 Mhz)

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 1

- TRIVIA -

Released in November 1981 in Japan.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Ballyhoo (c) 1986 Infocom

Spurred by your natural curiosity, you stick around after the show in the big top, hoping to catch an after-hours performance. Perhaps you'll get a peek at an impromptu clown act, or watch the late-night feedings of the exotic animals you goggled at earlier. But life at the circus isn't glamorous after the audience has gone home: instead of flashy feats, you overhear a mysterious conversation: a little girl - the circus owner's daughter - has been kidnapped! Her father is too naive (or is he too pompously stupid?) to do more than hire an inept detective to find her. He remains blindly loyal to his overworked performers, but...could it be an inside job? The girl might be hidden somewhere on the circus grounds...and one of the performers might be her abductor!

So you do what anyone would do in these circumstances; set out to rescue the damsel in distress. The odds aren't in your favor; you - a spectator, a bystander, an outsider in a defensive close-knit community - trying to find a girl you've never met, in a place you know nothing about, among bizarre people who want nothing to do with you. Some would call you brave. Some would call you foolish. Every circus has its seedy underside. But few are as dangerous as this.

If you're familiar with Infocom's interactive fiction, you may not feel like reading this entire manual. However, you should at least look at the appendix of recognized verbs (on page 18); some of the verbs listed are found in all Infocom stories, while others are included especially for Ballyhoo.

- TECHNICAL -

GAME ID: IM4-CO4

- TRIVIA -

Ballyhoo was released in February 1986 in the USA.

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

1. Draw a map. It should include each location, the directions connecting it to adjoining locations, and any interesting objects there. Note there are 10 possible directions plus IN and OUT.

2. Examine all objects you come across. Most objects in the story that you can pick up are important for solving one or more of the puzzles you'll run into.

3. Save your place often. That way, if you mess up or get "killed," you won't have to start over from the beginning.

4. Read the story carefully. There are often clues in the descriptions of locations and objects. Even strange or dangerous actions may provide clues, and might prove to be more fun! You can always save your position first if you want. Here's a silly example:

>PUT THE SADDLE ON THE PONY
As you drop the heavy saddle onto the pony, the animal is crushed by the weight, and it falls down, legs splayed.

Here you have a clue that you should find either a lighter saddle or a sturdier horse.

5. Unlike other "adventure games" you may have played, there are many possible routes to the end of Ballyhoo. Some puzzles have more than one solution; other puzzles don't need to be solved at all. Sometimes you will have to solve one puzzle in order to obtain the item(s) or information you need to solve another puzzle.

6. You may find it helpful to go through Ballyhoo with another person. Different people may find different puzzles easy and can often complement each other.

7. If you really have difficulty, you can order a hint booklet and a complete map using the order form in your package. You don't need this booklet to enjoy the story, but it will make solving the puzzles easier.

8. Read the sample transcript ahead in the docs to get a feel for how Infocom's interactive fiction works.

9. You can word a command in many different ways. For example, if you wanted to pick up a yellow hoop, you could type in any of the following:

>GET HOOP
>TAKE THE HOOP
>PICK UP THE YELLOW HOOP

In fact, if the hoop is the only thing in sight that you can take, just typing TAKE would have been enough.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Re-release

Deluxe 4 U (c) 2000 ESD [Excellent Soft Design].

The same multigame as "Deluxe 5", but with Blackjack removed.

- TRIVIA -

Released in October 2000 in Korea.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROMs.

Redemption video game

Dyno Bop (c) 1990 Grand Products.

A fun little redemption game involving rolling balls at virtual targets.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU : (2x) M6809 (@ 2 Mhz), Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips : OKI6295 (@ 7.812 Khz), Yamaha YM2203 (@ 4 Mhz)

Screen orientation : Vertical
Video resolution : 240 x 256 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 256

Players : 1
Control : Trackball
Buttons : 3

- TRIVIA -

Software by Incredible Technologies, Inc.

The system actually uses an IR tracking device to map the paths of the balls up to the collection trough, and then depicts that path on screen. The same hardware is used in "Slick Shot", and "Super Strike Bowling", with different playfield and balls.

- STAFF -

Project Manager : David D. Thiel
Game Design : David D. Thiel
Game Audio : David D. Thiel
Programming : Pierre Maloka
Art : Stan Fukuoka

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.

Redemption video game

Double Cheese (c) 1993 HAR.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 14.31818 Mhz), M6809 (@ 1.25 Mhz)
Sound Chips : BSMT2000 (@ 24 Mhz)

Screen orientation : Vertical
Video resolution : 240 x 320 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette Colors : 65534

Players : 2
Control : trackball
Buttons : 4

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.

Medal video game

Dobou-Chan (c) 1996 Konami Co., Ltd.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROMs.

Pirate

Bubble Pong Pong (c) 1996 Top, Limited.

Bootleg of Alpha's "Miss Bubble II", which is a bootleg of Taito's "Bubble Bobble"

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Pirate

Block II (c) 1986 SPA Co.

Bootleg of Taito's "Arkanoid"

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Pirate

Barracuda (c) 1982 Coinex.

Bootleg of Namco's "Puck Man" / "Pac-Man"

- SOURCES -

Game's ROMs.

Pirate

Champion Italian PK (c) 199? SGS.

An Italian video slot game for amusement only (video game).

Bootleg of IGS' "Champion Poker"

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Pirate

Champion Italian Cup (c) 199? SGS.

An Italian video slot for amusement only (arcade video game).

Bootleg of IGS' "Champion Poker"

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Export

Champion Poker (c) 199? Tuning.

Tuning license of IGS' "Champion Poker"

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Re-release

Champion Golf (c) 1984 Nasco.

A golf game.

Re-release of Nasco's "Crowns Golf"

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU : (2x) Zilog Z80 (@ 3.072 Mhz)
Sound Chips : General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.536 Mhz)

Players : 2
Control : stick
Buttons : 6

- TRIVIA -

This game is a also known as "Crowns Golf".

- SERIES -

1. Champion Golf (1984)
2. Super Crowns Golf (19??)

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Mechanical Redemption Game

Connect 4 (c) 198? Dolbeck Systems.

Try to beat the machine to 4 in a row for a chance to win cash!

- TECHNICAL -

Designed around Barcrest's MPU4 hardware platform, the game itself is played out on a large light grid on the front of the machine.

Main CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 1.72 Mhz)
Sound Chips : General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1.72 Mhz)

Palette colors : 16

Players : 1
Buttons : 2

- TRIVIA -

One of the tunes played by the machine is 'We'll Meet Again', by Dame Vera Lynn.

- SCORING -

After winning, you must play the skill stop to actually win the prizes, this can be tricky, and often cheats.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

- SOURCES -

http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=crospuzl&search_id=

- SOURCES -

http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=brkball&search_id=

The Sky is Falling (c) 1981 Commodore, Ltd.

- TECHNICAL -

GAME ID: VIC-1911

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Avalanche (c) 1978 Atari.

Avalanche is a 2-D game of skill. You control a multi-storied platform with a spinner-knob. Your goal is to prevent the falling rocks from ever reaching the ground. There are six rows of rocks to deal with. You start with a 6-storied platform and you lose one platform per row of rocks cleared. You score points for those rocks you prevent from reaching the ground. Of course, the farther the row of rocks, the smaller and faster they become. Your ultimate goal is to get enough points so that you can continue your game should you lose your first one. Get your hard hat out and prepare to catch some rogue rocks.

- TECHNICAL -

Cabinet dimensions : 66'' (168cm) high x 26'' (66cm) wide x 27'' (68cm) deep. Monitor : 23'' B/W.

Game ID : 030574

Main CPU : MOS Technology M6502 (@ 756 Khz)
Sound Chips : Discrete circuitry.

Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 256 x 240 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette Colors : 2

Players: 2 (Alternatively)
Control: Rotating knob (LEFT and RIGHT)
Buttons: 1 (SERVE)

Avalanche shipped in a cool looking black and white cabinet. It has three-color painted sideart which shows a group of falling boulders. This title does not have a marquee, instead the monitor bezel extends all the way to the top of the cabinet (this game was seldom converted because of that). The monitor bezel is decorated with a brownish scene of dirt and rocks, and has a clear semi-circular are that shows the black and white monitor within. The game uses a set of color overlays to simulate color on the otherwise monochrome screen. The control panel is decorated with a brown overlay showing large cracks in the earth, and it has a single optical spinner mounted in the center, with buttons far off to each side.

- TRIVIA -

Released in April 1978.

1978 proved to be a pivotal year in the arcade industry. Atari was still the big name in arcade games, but that title would soon be threatened. A relatively unknown company out of Japan called Taito partnered up with the well known company Midway in the United States. The game that took the world by storm was called "Space Invaders". It proved to be such a huge success, quarter shortages were reported due to all the gameplay. This also meant that other arcades that came out during 1978 received significantly less patronage. Therefore, Avalanche didn't do very well at the arcades. Many of Atari's games from this period were based more on the skill of the player then anything else. Although Atari released many memorable arcade games after this period, times would never be the same. With the big videogame collapse during the early 80's coupled with poor management, Atari started a downward spiral it would never recover from.

This game was released in Italy by Sidam as "Cascade".

David Nelson of holds the official record for this game with 2,453 points on March 21, 2004.

- SCORING -

The score for each rock corresponds to its row number. Rows are numbered 1-6 starting from the lowest row and moving up. Therefore, the rocks values are :
Row 1 : 1 point
Row 2 : 2 points
Row 3 : 3 points
Row 4 : 4 points
Row 5 : 5 points
Row 6 : 6 points

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

* When you start the game, you will see six rows of rocks. Each row contains 32 rocks in it. At the bottom of the screen you will have your six-story platform to catch the falling rocks. Gameplay starts as soon as you press the SERVE button or after five seconds, whichever comes first. First, you must know how the game works so you can better play it :
1) You start with a six-story platform. Each time a row of 32 rocks is cleared (either by you catching it or it hits the ground), you lose one story and the remaining platform(s) become shorter.
2) Every two rows of rocks (64 rocks) become smaller then the previous two rows. In addition, they travel faster down toward your platform(s).
3) If you happen to clear out all six rows of rocks, the game will reload the top with more rocks. You will now start with a three-story platform. If you clear those rows, it will be a two-story platform. The final re-loading of rocks will give you a single platform to catch rocks with. You can only have a maximum of three rock refills (not counting the initial rocks at the beginning of the game).

* The maximum score you can get on each level is 687 points.

* When you are playing the game, only concentrate on catching the rocks with your bottom platform. If you have a multi-storied platform, you will catch a lot of the rocks before they even reach the bottom platform. Of course, in the later rows, this won't be the case.

* If you happen to get a miss, all the rocks that were falling will be placed back at the top (including the one you missed).

* Learn not to spin the control knob. This prevents you from losing control of where your platform is. Instead, learn how to turn it gently to where you need to go. There is enough time to move from side to side.

* Speaking of placement, always try to keep near the middle. That way you can react faster to where the rocks are falling instead of going all the way left or right all the time.

* Whenever you either clear a screen or get enough points for extended play, there is a couple of second delay while the board sets up.

- STAFF -

Designed & programmed by : Dennis Koble

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES:
Atari 2600 (1981) "Kaboom! [Model AG-010]"

* COMPUTERS:
Atari 400/800 (1980) "Avalanche [Model 10003]" by Dennis Koble
Vic 20 (1981) "The Sky is Falling [Model VIC-1911]"
Tandy Color Computer 2 (1981) "Popcorn [Model 26-3090]"

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.
F.A.Q. by Kevin Butler A.K.A. War Doc

Popcorn (c) 1981 Tandy Corp.

The object of this game is to use your paddles to catch as many of the falling popcorn kernels as possible, before they hit the bottom of the popper. You are awarded points for every kernel you catch. The more kernels you catch, the faster the remaining kernels will fall!

- TECHNICAL -

GAME ID: 26-3090

- SCORING -

There are five layers of kernels. Kernels in the bottom (white) row are worth 10 points each. Kernels in the second row are worth 20 points each, while those in the third row are worth 30 points each. Those in the fourth row are worth 40 points each, while those in the fifth row are worth 50 points each. There are sixteen kernels in each layer for a total of 80 kernels. If every kernel is caught, you will earn 2,400 points.

In the lower left corner of the playing screen, your score will be recorded for the current match in play. At the lower right corner of the screen the high score for the last skill level in play will be shown.

- STAFF -

by Steven R. Bjork

- SOURCES -

Game's disk.

Bronx (c) 1986 Unknown.

Bronx is a bootleg/hack of "Cycle Shooting" and "Violent Shooting". The game is much harder and Lives settings are different than in Cycle Shooting:
You start with less lives with default settings (2 instead of 3).
You can't get any extra life.
You start the game as if you had already sustained 8 'steps' of damage.
Furthermore, the game starts as if you had completed the 6 stages 8 times.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU : (2x) Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 2 Mhz), MSM5232 (@ 2 Mhz)

Players : 1
Control : lightgun
Buttons : 1

- TRIVIA -

Released in July 1986.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

- DESCRIPTION -

Violent Shooting (c) 1986 Taito.

- TECHNICAL -

Prom Stickers : A97

Main CPU : (2x) Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 2 Mhz), MSM5232 (@ 2 Mhz)

Players : 1
Buttons : 1

- TRIVIA -

Violent Shooting was released in July 1986 in Japan.

This game is known outside Japan as "Cycle Shooting".

A bootleg of this game is known as "Bronx".

Cycle Shooting (c) 1986 Taito.

- TECHNICAL -

Prom Stickers : A97

Main CPU : (2x) Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 2 Mhz), MSM5232 (@ 2 Mhz)

Players : 1
Buttons : 1

- TRIVIA -

Cycle Shooting was released in July 1986.

This game is known in Japan as "Violent Shooting".

A bootleg of this game is known as "Bronx".

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES:
NES [Unreleased Prototype]

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Oli-Boo-Chu (c) 1982 Irem.

A maze game where the power pellets are randomly spawning, but don't turn the ghosts/monsters blue... just points... you catch mice and chase them into mouse holes...(many points..) for shoving your face into the mouse hole for an extended time.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips : General Instrument AY8910 (@ 2 Mhz)

Screen orientation : Vertical
Video resolution : 240 x 256 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 32

Players : 2
Control : 4-way joystick

- TRIVIA -

Rare game released in January 1982.

This game is known in Japan as "Punching Kid".

- SCORING -

Pink mouse: 100 points.
Green mouse: 200 points.
Yellow mouse: 400 points.

- STAFF -

Developed by: GDI

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.

- DESCRIPTION -

Punching Kid © 1981 Irem.

- TRIVIA -

Released in January 1982 in Japan.

This game is known outside Japan as "Oli-Boo-Chu".

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Bally BASIC [Model 6004] (c) 1981 Astrovision, Inc.

- TRIVIA -

This updated version of the Bally BASIC cartridge is notably set apart from the original because it has a built-in 2000 baud interface that connects to a standard cassette recorder; there are also some additional commands added for the programmer. It's visually different from the original release as well. This cartridge was packaged with some Astrocade consoles (these consoles were designated as Arcade Plus). Astrocade, Inc. manufactured the later releases of this.

- STAFF -

Written by: Jay Fenton

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Bally BASIC (c) 1978 Bally Mfg. Co.

- TECHNICAL -

Game ID: 6002

- TRIVIA -

This first version of Bally BASIC did NOT include the 300 tape interface to save and load programs; the tape interface had to be purchased separately. This cartridge is often just referred to as BASIC.

- UPDATES -

Bally BASIC Demo:
This cartridge has a small (about 6") chain attached to the top-front. This cartridge was made in limited quantities and only distributed to dealers, as was also done with the Dealer Demo cartridge. This 8K cartridge (a rarity in the old days) is very hard to find. The first 4K is a crippled version of Bally BASIC that doesn't have access to the keypad or hand controllers- except #3: all the inputs are disabled. The remaining 4K of the cartridge is a program written in BASIC! This was in 1978, EIGHT YEARS before Basicarts appeared! This cartridge may have sometimes been accompanied by a 300 Baud Demo Interface. This cartridge might be #6003 (it fits there), but there is no proof of this part number assignment.

- STAFF -

Written by: Jay Fenton

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Balloon Fight (c) 1984 Nintendo.

Balloon Fight is a single/fixed screen action game and basically modeled on Williams's arcade game Joust originally released in 1982. The player takes control of a floating character equipped with a helmet and two balloons tied to his back, and the action buttons allow him to quickly flap his arms, and to fly like a bird and defy gravity. The goal of each stage is fairly simple - our atypical hero must fly around the screen and clear all the rival balloon fighters. As he hits them from above and pops their balloons, they slowly parachute to the ground and must be kicked into the water, and this before they even get a chance to inflate another balloon and burst into battle again. Once an enemy is defeated and sinks to his doom, a bubble slowly floats up and can be collected for points. Of course the player is not immune to enemy attacks, and if one of his balloon pops, then his ability to fly becomes greatly restricted, and one more hit sends him plunging into the water. And that's not all, storm clouds are dotted around each stage and start shooting lightning bolts if the player lingers too long in a single level. Furthermore, one of the most dangerous challenges of all is the large hungry fish that lives in the water - if the player (or an enemy) happens to fly too close to the bottom of the screen, the predatory fish will try to gobble them in one bite. Finally, a bonus stage awaits the player every three levels, in which he has to pop twenty balloons within a time limit for bonus points. The game includes a simultaneous two-player mode as well as a single-player game called 'Balloon Trip', in which the goal is to fly forward, avoid lightning bolts and collect balloons for points.

- TECHNICAL -

Cartridge ID: HVC-BF
BARCODE: 4 902370 832068

- TRIVIA -

Balloon Fight was released on January 22, 1985 in Japan (even if title screen says 1984) at a retail price of 4500 Yen.

Export releases:
[US] "Balloon Fight [Model NES-BF-USA]"
[EU] "Balloon Fight [Model NES-BF-EEC]"

Balloon Fight is based off of the game "Joust".

Nintendo also released a Game & Watch version of the same name, it is based on the NES version's Balloon Trip Mode. The protagonist of it is a Balloon Fighter, 'Balloon Man' (according to the manual). Unlike Balloon Fighters, Balloon Man uses a rocket suit instead of flapping his hands to elevate while holding balloons.

In "WarioWare - Smooth Moves" (Nintendo Wii), there is a minigame functioning as a 3-D version of the balloon trip in Balloon Fight.

Balloon Fighter and Flipper trophies are obtainable in "Super Smash Bros. Melee" (Nintendo GameCube), and the Flipper is also a usable item. The original background music for the Balloon trip in Balloon Fight can be heard in Melee's Icicle Mountain stage as alternate music.

The giant fish makes a cameo appearance in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" (Nintendo Wii). It appears on the Ice Climber-based stage, the Summit, in which it tries to attack the players from the sea.

A single-player game, in the Wii U game "Nintendo Land", (2012) called 'Balloon Trip Breeze', is a tribute to Balloon Fight.

- SERIES -

1. Balloon Fight [Model HVC-BF] (1984, Famicom)
2. Balloon Kid [Model DMG-BT-USA] (1990, Game Boy)
3. Balloon Fight GB [Model DMG-BBKJ-JPN] (2000, Game Boy Color)

- STAFF -

Music by: Hirokazu Tanaka

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES:
Supervision (1992)
Nintendo GameCube (2002) in "Animal Crossing [Model DOL-GAFE-USA]" as an unlockable Bonus game.
Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2002) E-Reader series
Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2004) "Famicom Mini: Balloon Fight [Model AGB-FBFJ-JPN]"
Nintendo DS (2007) "Tingle's Balloon Fight DS" Only in Japan available to the Platinum Club Nintendo members.
Nintendo Wii [Virtual Console] (2007)

* COMPUTERS:
NEC PC-8001 (1985), "Balloon Fight [Model TT-1022]"

* OTHERS:
Arcade (1985) "Vs. Balloon Fight"
Arcade [PlayChoice-10] (1986) "Balloon Fight [Model PCH1-R-BF]"
LCD Handheld game released by Nintendo (1986, Game&Watch - Crystal Screen) "Balloon Fight [Model BF-803]": the game is a port of the Balloon Trip Mode.
LCD Handheld game released by Nintendo (1988, Game&Watch - Wide Screen) "Balloon Fight [Model BF-107]": the game is a port of the Balloon Trip Mode.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.
Game's description by Laurent Kermel; http://www.videogameden.com

Balloon Fight (c) 1986 Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Balloon Man, a member of Sky Patrol, has been pursuing the pirate Oiram Repus. Balloon Man must navigate the deadly TripSky and collect the balloons, each carrying parts of the torn map to Oiram's secret lair. Balloon Man move from right-to-left collecting balloons and dodging sparks. The player must use the Eject button to keep Balloon Man afloat. When Balloon Man hits against the sparks or falls into the sea a miss is recorded. When the score is below 100 and the player score a miss, the game ends. After 25 balloons are collected, the player moves on to the next phase.

- TECHNICAL -

Model BF-803

- TRIVIA -

Released on November 19, 1986 in Japan.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROMs.

Balloon Buster (c) 1989 Blue Ribbon

Description from the Back cover:

Buster the Clown enjoys a good laugh and something that gets him chuckling is bursting balloons.

His latest challenge is to burst balloons in a set sequence. Unfortunately his colour blindness prevents him from getting a high score. He needs help... your help.

So don the red nose and join him in this hilarious balloon busting escapade!

- TECHNICAL -

Electron/BBC Dual tape.

GAME ID: 959
BARCODE: 5 012323 029595

Game Controls:
Z - Jump left
X - Jump right
SPACE - Turn left/right
RETURN - Press for power, release to fire
ESCAPE - Start again

- TRIVIA -

Retail price: £2.99

- STAFF -

By: Mike Williams

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Description from the Back cover:

Buster the Clown enjoys a good laugh and something that gets him chuckling is bursting balloons.

His latest challenge is to burst balloons in a set sequence. Unfortunately his colour blindness prevents him from getting a high score. He needs help... your help.

So don the red nose and join him in this hilarious balloon busting escapade!

- TECHNICAL -

Electron/BBC Dual tape.

GAME ID: 959
BARCODE: 5 012323 029595

Game Controls:
Z - Jump left
X - Jump right
SPACE - Turn left/right
RETURN - Press for power, release to fire
ESCAPE - Start again

- TRIVIA -

Retail price: £2.99

- STAFF -

By: Mike Williams

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Galactica - Batalha Espacial (c) 1979 Taito do Brazil.

A Brazilian Galaxian clone developed by Taito do Brasil. It features the same gameplay as Galaxian however the hardware is more similar to Space Invaders.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.

Ballblazer (c) 1987 Lucasfilm, Limited.

Ballblazer: the simplest, fastest, and most competitive sport in the known universe. It grew from dark roots in ancient space wars to become king of all games among every lifeform within range of Interstellar Ethercast. In exactly three minutes, Ballblazer can make you a hero -- or destroy a lifetime of dreams.

The year is 3097, and the place is a null-gravity nexus mid-space in the binary star system of Kalaxon and Kalamar. Minutes from now, on the luminous surface of an artificial asteroid, the final round of the Interstellar Ballblazer Championship -- the greatest tournament of all time and space -- will begin, and history will be made. For the first time a creature from the planet Earth has battled through the countless qualifying rounds and eliminations, enduring and then triumphing, across vast parsecs, to win the right to compete for Earth's honor and the ultimate title any being can possess: Masterblazer.

The final round is about to begin and the competitor from Earth is YOU.

- TECHNICAL -

Model CX7815

- SCORING -

The official Interstellar Ballblazer Competition Handbook states the following about scoring:

"A player scores by blasting the Plasmorb between the Goalbeams. Goals made when the Goalbeams have disappeared behind the horizon (OTH Shots) score 3 points. Goals made closer to the Goalbeams score 2 points. Close-in goals score 1 point."

"The total score (the combined points of both players) cannot exceed 10 points for each game."

"A player scoring 10 consecutive points wins the game in a shut-out. Otherwise, the player with the most points (score circles filled in with a player's color) at the end of the game period wins. In the event of a tie the game goes into overtime and the next player to score wins."

"When all score circles are filled, a player can steal points by scoring more goals. For example, if Droid5 scores the first 9 points and the human scores the next 6 points, the human wins 6 to 4."

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

As you moved up through the elimination games you caught the attention of the famous Masterblazer Arboster Kipling. Arboster was so impressed with your steady nerves, timing, and devotion to the game he decided to personally supervise your advanced training. In the last training session before the Championship he gave you his most valuable tips:

"Listen kid, you're pretty good for a human. You've got a real shot at the title if you keep in mind a few little tricks."

"First, try to make your goals early in the game before the distance between the Goalbeams begins to shrink."

"Your OTH Shots will be more successful if you take aim and blast the ball just before the Goalbeams disappear over the horizon."

"Sometimes you might find yourself too close to the Electroboundary for a high-scoring OTH Shot. If you do, just blast yourself backwards and catch the ball on the rebound."

"To shake off an opponent who's tailing you closely for the ball, make sure the opponent's Rotofoil is directly behind you, then blast the Plasmorb. The force will send your opponent backwards and the ball ahead so you can get to it first."

"Here's a real classic -- the block. Simply position yourself between the Plasmorb and the Goalbeams. This will block all but the trickiest angle shots."

"I guess you're thanking me now for all the practice I put you through. Of course, you got the most out of every practice session by shooting at the Electroboundary just outside the Goalbeams. That way you got in a lot of shots without going through the whole goal-scoring sequence."

"And all those Droid demo games I made you watch gave you a chance to study technique, especially Plasmorb stealing. You've got it down now, getting in real close until the buzz of your opponent's Rotofoil is loudest and you have the power to blast the Plasmorb as far as possible. We pros call it 'maxing the buzz.'"

"Oh, and don't let the Rotosnaps disorient you. Listen for the snap when you rotate so you can keep your sense of direction."

"Let's see. Anything else? Oh yeah. Nobody ever scored any points by sitting still. Keep moving!"

"Well, I guess that's it. When it's all over I hope it's the other guy's Rotofoil I see spinning out in defeat. Go get 'em, kid."

- STAFF -

Ballblazer was created by the Lucasfilm Games Division

Project Leader: David Levine
Concept, design and programming: Peter Langston (Games Group Leader)
Design and programming: David Riordan, Garry Hare (Search and Design)
Contributions and support: Charlie Kellner, Gary Winnick, David Fox
Special thanks to: George Lucas

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Ballblazer (c) 1986 Atari Corporation.

Ballblazer: the simplest, fastest and most competitive sport in the known universe. It grew from dark roots in ancient space war to become king of all games among every lifeform within range of Interstellar ethercasting. In exactly three minutes, Ballblazer can make you a hero--or destroy a lifetime of dreams.

The year is 3097, and the place is a null-gravity nexus mid-space in the binary star system Kalaxon and Kalamar. Moments from now, on the luminous surface of an artificial asteroid, the final round of the Interstellar Ballblazer Championship--the greatest tournament of all time and space--will begin, and history will be made. For the first time, a creature from the planet Earth has battled through the countless qualifying rounds and eliminations, enduring and then triumphing, across vast parsecs, to win the right to compete for the honor of his planet, and the ultimate title any being can possess: Masterblazer

- TECHNICAL -

Model CX5255

- STAFF -

Ballblazer was created by the Lucasfilm Computer Division Games Group. David Levine created the concept, directed the project, and designed and implemented the screen graphics, physical dynamics, control structures, and mainline program. Peter Langston, the Games Group Leader, designed and implemented the sound effects and practice Droid intelligence, composed and programmed the music, and helped devise the game-play mechanisms and strategy. David Riordan and Garry Hare of Search and Design contributed game design elements and game rules. Charlie Kellner helped conceptualize game dynamics. Ideas and support were provided by other members of the Games Group: David Fox provided aesthetic support and Gary Winnick contributed to the Rotofoil design.

Staff: David Riordan, David Levine, Garry Hare, Peter Langston
Ideas and support: David Fox, Gary Winnick
Special thanks to: George Lucas

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

Ball (c) 1980 Nintendo Co., Ltd.

The player tosses three balls in the air. As the balls fall, the player must catch and toss them up again. One point is earned for each successful catch. A dropped ball will display a broken ball and end the game. The object is to continuously catch the balls that fall and throw them back up, as in juggling.

- TECHNICAL -

Model AC-01

- TRIVIA -

Ball was released on April 28, 1980 in Japan. It was the first Game & Watch game by Nintendo.

Though Ball was not the most successful game in the franchise, it is perhaps the most important. Ball has been a failure, the future of the franchise and conceivably the company's video game business would have possibly been less likely to survive.

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES:
Game Boy Color (1997), "Game Boy Gallery" by Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Game Boy Color (1998), "Game & Watch Gallery 2 [Model DMG-AGLE-USA]" by Nintendo of America, Inc.

- SOURCES -

Game's picture.
Game's ROMs.

爆笑! スターものまね四天王 (c) 1990 Pack-In-Video Company, Limited.
(Bakushou! Star Monomane Shitennou)

- TECHNICAL -

Game ID: PAC-8M
BARCODE: 4 988110 900112

- TRIVIA -

Bakushou! Star Monomane Shitennou was released on September 14, 1990 in Japan.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

爆笑！愛の劇場 (c) 1990 Coconuts Japan
(Bakushou! Ai no Gekijoh)

- TECHNICAL -

GAME ID: CDS-IA
BARCODE: 4 953507 901218

- TRIVIA -

Bakushou! Ai no Gekijoh was released on December 29, 1990 in Japan.

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

爆笑!!人生劇場2 (c) 1991 Taito Corporation.
(Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 2)

- TECHNICAL -

GAME ID: TFC-BJ2-5900
BARCODE: 4 988611 900260

- TRIVIA -

Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 2 was released on March 22, 1991 in Japan.

This is the 35th title made by Taito for the Famicom.

- SERIES -

1. Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh [Model TFC-BZG-5900] (1989)
2. Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 2 [Model TFC-BJ2-5900] (1991)
3. Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 3 [Model TFC-BJIII-6400] (1991)

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.

爆笑!!人生劇場3 (c) 1991 Taito Corp.
(Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 3)

- TECHNICAL -

GAME ID: TFC-BJIII-6400
BARCODE: 4 988611 910184

- TRIVIA -

Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 3 was released on December 20, 1991 in Japan.

This is the 40th title made by Taito for the Famicom.

- SERIES -

1. Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh [Model TFC-BZG-5900] (1989)
2. Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 2 [Model TFC-BJ2-5900] (1991)
3. Bakushou!! Jinsei Gekijoh 3 [Model TFC-BJIII-6400] (1991)

- STAFF -

Planning: Shinji Nakata, Kyoko Kurosawa
Program: Masaru Mizuno
Program Assistance: Seiichi Tajima, Tomokazu Sato
Graphic: Takeshi Narita
Title Design: Seiichi Tajima, Motoharu Kato, Tiger Kato
Composition: Kenichi Kamio
Sound Effects: Kiyoshi Kusatsu
Special Thanks: Gyoppii Kanno, Zonbizaru Kuroki, Mami Ohara, Sudara Ito, Slate Kiyoshi, Sister Takahashi, Ennyu Koji, Ogata Sense, Kanji Narita, Karasawa Kyodai, Eichi Mizuno Kenji, Grip-san

- SOURCES -

Game's ROM.