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Before I dive into this week's video, let me offer an apology about this month's video. Unfortunately, the latest NES Works Gaiden Epoch is taking a little longer to complete than I had anticipated, because the episode requires me to capture some footage in a completely new way that is giving me a bit of trouble. I'll have the episode up this weekend one way or another, however, and I hope it'll be worth it. It contains a great deal of historical context as well as a strong personal connection for me, so I want to make sure I get everything right! The December episode will show up on schedule at the usual time, sometime before the new year.

As for this video! Well. It's two games you've already seen on NES Works, although one of them has a different sprite for the protagonist. In the middle, however, was that rarest of treats at this point in the Famicom library: A game I'd never played before and found to be an absolute delight. Designed in the Black Box style by Hudson, it's one of those games that makes you a little mad that it never actually showed up here in a Black Box. It sure has a lot more going for it than Stack Up, that's for damn sure.

Finally, NES Works 1985 & ’86 hits Limited Run's shop tomorrow in both standard and deluxe formats. If you already own the original printings of 1985 and 1986, no need to worry—the only thing new in this edition is a Soccer article (which also appears in the 1987 book so that you don't need to double-dip) and some clean-up work on the box photos. If you don't have the original editions, though, it's a lovely book and I highly recommend it, though of course I am somewhat biased toward it. The fully assembled collector's editions of both 1985 & ’86 and 1987 should be arriving at the warehouse in the next couple of days, and once those are brought in I will kick off the process of mailing books to those what supported at the proper patron level at the proper time (you know who you are). Speaking of which, I'm hoping to lock down Segaiden Vol. I content and (mailings) next month....

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A pair of familiar American NES releases (more or less) bookend the real highlight of this episode: A charming little puzzle action game called Binary Land, which sees Hudson slipping back into early Famicom Pulse Line/NES Black Box mode and reminding us of the appeal of the console's formative works here in late 1985's era of tiresome jank. Speaking of jank, TOSE and Bandai kick things off with the middling Obake no Q•Tarou, which Americans will recognize as the middling Chubby Cherub. And then we have Bomberman, which I covered recently on NES Works 1988 but for which I somehow still found new details to discuss. Production notes: Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more! NES/Famicom footage captured from @Analogue Nt Mini; arcade footage captured from MiSTer with thanks to @MiSTer Addons. Video upscaled to 720 with @Micomsoft xRGB Mini Framemeister.

Comments

PT

I discovered Binary Land through Game Center CX, via one of the show's DVD challenges. It looked deeply charming there, though it also came with some dating advice from Arino you probably shouldn't follow.

Vinushika

I found out about Binary Land from its absolutely charming music, which then made me seek out the game and be delighted by its concept. It's too big brain for me to do more than a few levels, but I did love it to bits. I really appreciate your post-apocalyptic ramblings on Q-taro - at least it is still a more sensible thing than whatever ended up in the US as Chubby Cherub. I genuinely wonder how come Nintendo was so eager to shovel Bandai garbage at Americans, one of which was for a property nobody even had heard of on the other side and needed a retool, while you could easily have partnered with Hudson and send over Nuts & Milk or Binary Land. Either of these would have done at *least* as well as Clu Clu Land!