I was reading the book "The ultimate history of Video Games", which is a very good read so far, but there is something that caught my attention and I'm not sure if it's accurate.
The book tells that "Super Mario Bros." was very popular on japanese arcades and so Nintendo decided to make a home version of it.
Quote: Super Mario Bros. did very well in Japanese arcades and attracted some attention to the failing U.S. arcade industry. By the end of the year, Nintendo engineers succeded in creating a home version of Super Mario Bros. for the Famicom. [...] Although the home version of Super MArio Bros. was not identical to the arcade game, it was en extremely close approximation.
Now, this is absolutely new to me and I didn't find any reference that confirms this. Clearly this is not refering to Playchoice-10, since AFAIK, Playchoice-10 was released after the Famicom and was in fact a Famicom with some added hardware.
Is this right?, is there a version of arcade Super Mario Bros which is different than the NES version?
> It's correct. You are looking for Vs. Super Mario Bros. It has a higher difficulty > level than the NES version.
Does it predate the Famicom version though? Gut check says "No", and English-language historical references are unclear. (PCBs are screen-printed 1985, screenshots say 1986...) franciscohs's claim is his source implies "Yes".
[EDIT] Uncited history.dat source says "Released in April 1986." So, No. Book is wrong, plus Wikipedia needs to be corrected, if true. (whence the source?)
I just remember the NES and arcade versions actually, not sure about Famicom, I was assuming it was the same as the NES one. Either way, Vs. arcade is a different from home ports and a more difficult version and worth checking out.
> I just remember the NES and arcade versions actually, not sure about Famicom
I think I'll send a factcheck email to the author of that book just to make him smile. I need to dig up my own copy and re-read that section first, though.
> I was > assuming it was the same as the NES one. Either way, Vs. arcade is a different from > home ports and a more difficult version and worth checking out.
Supposedly, though, there was an arcade Vs. version with copyright 1985, I've been chasing it for years and I could swear I played it at Chuck E. Cheese then, long before I could have dreamed about it in the home, though obviously it's fuzzy memories. history.dat and Wikipedia sometimes have their inaccuracies. So I wouldn't send any e-mails yet, unless you think the author has some connections we could use. ^-^
> Supposedly, though, there was an arcade Vs. version with copyright 1985, I've been > chasing it for years and I could swear I played it at Chuck E. Cheese then, long > before I could have dreamed about it in the home, though obviously it's fuzzy > memories. history.dat and Wikipedia sometimes have their inaccuracies. So I wouldn't > send any e-mails yet, unless you think the author has some connections we could use. > ^-^
Oh yeah, I think I vaguely remember you (or someone) ranting about the mythical "1985 version" and how it's even more different.
You were a late bloomer. I for sure played it at Chuck E. Cheese before anyone had the home version in the states according to my memory. My best friend at the time got it the first season it was out in the US which was a while before it became popular and hard to get (I still remember my dad's friends offering me double retail price around Christmas time for mine and this was around a year after my buddy got his - he likely got it Christmas '85). Even my friend getting it though was at least a few months after the Chuck incident, which I remember quite clearly. One of the skeeball terminals malfunctioned and kept releasing tickets which to me at the time was the same as money and I was basically in my own personal heaven until I tried cashing them in and finding out that some code is engraved on them when they come out of a terminal properly. It was still an amazing 5 minutes...
A number of reasons why both versions are still worth playing:
1. Some boards have eliminated ways of getting 1up's, not just referring to the turtle shell step technique, but kicking the shell and knocking out other enemies in its path while following it.
2. Some boards have '?' blocks that contain different than the NES console version.
3. Some boards are in a different order.
4. The NES version has a second quest, the arcade version doesn't.
5. All of the Bowser worlds ?-4 are more difficult (fun) to go through.
That's all I got for now.
Sam Miller
WIP: MAME: 825,400 Finished all worlds [250 coins=1up] Real Machine: 664,200 World 8-2 [250=1up]
Thanks for all the replies. Now I see it must be talking about the Vs. System, although I still find it strange that any other sources I found on the internet seem to suggest that the arcade version came after the NES/Famicom. On the other hand the book puts lots of emphasis on the success of NES on having a home version of the arcade hit.
> Supposedly, though, there was an arcade Vs. version with copyright 1985, I've been > chasing it for years and I could swear I played it at Chuck E. Cheese then, long > before I could have dreamed about it in the home, though obviously it's fuzzy > memories. history.dat and Wikipedia sometimes have their inaccuracies. So I wouldn't > send any e-mails yet, unless you think the author has some connections we could use. > ^-^
Hmmm, to my knowledge Chuck E Cheese didn't exist in 1985. Here in Texas, back in the day C E C was called Showbiz Pizza, and was the exact same thing as CeC, but was just there first.
I'm guessing it was just called CeC in other parts of the country.
> Hmmm, to my knowledge Chuck E Cheese didn't exist in 1985. Here in Texas, back in the > day C E C was called Showbiz Pizza, and was the exact same thing as CeC, but was just > there first.
Showbiz and CEC existed simultaneously for several years and then CEC bought Showbiz and closed or converted the locations to CECs. They were similar concepts, but the characters were different and Showbiz's stage show (The Rock-a-fire Explosion) was way better
> > Hmmm, to my knowledge Chuck E Cheese didn't exist in 1985. Here in Texas, back in > the > > day C E C was called Showbiz Pizza, and was the exact same thing as CeC, but was > just > > there first. > > Showbiz and CEC existed simultaneously for several years and then CEC bought Showbiz > and closed or converted the locations to CECs. They were similar concepts, but the > characters were different and Showbiz's stage show (The Rock-a-fire Explosion) was > way better
>> Supposedly, though, there was an arcade Vs. version with copyright 1985, I've been >> chasing it for years and I could swear I played it at Chuck E. Cheese then, long >> before I could have dreamed about it in the home, though obviously it's fuzzy >> memories. history.dat and Wikipedia sometimes have their inaccuracies.
>Hmmm, to my knowledge Chuck E Cheese didn't exist in 1985. Here in Texas, back in the > day C E C was called Showbiz Pizza, and was the exact same thing as CeC, but was just > there first. I'm guessing it was just called CeC in other parts of the country.
Chuck E Cheese was before 1985. A Chuck E Cheese was operating over in Garden Grove, CA (Eastgate shopping center, in far NW corner) from about either fall 1981 / spring 1982 through about summer 1985 before closing doors at that location. I only went there a couple times while during high school years. It wasn't until after graduating from high school in 1983 and having own car then, I would go there maybe 2 or 3 times a week just to play Xevious from fall 1983 through about spring of the following year. I was a huge fan of Xevious at the time.
The first time I had ever heard of the name Chuck E Cheese was maybe around fall 1981 or spring 1982 when one of the fellow high school drummers had said the name "Vanguard"
I thought he was talking about DCI drum corps Santa Clara Vanguard when he mentioned the name because drum corps talk was also going on back then amongst a few of the high school drumline members.
There might be one or two Chuck E Cheese southland locations that I know of still operating. One was over in Long Beach iirc.
*o/t. gregf-mode/early 1980s nostalgia*
For me, early 1980s were memorable, but doing DCI (ie: similar to marching band, but better) stuff then compared to going to arcades from 1981 through 1983.
Touring with one of the drum corps in summer 1982 was awesome. Getting to travel and see Concord, CA Blue Devils perform at the 1982 DCI Championship in Montreal Olympic stadium was great. It was neat seeing what Montreal, Quebec was like back then.
Seeing Bridgemen (Bayonne, NJ) drum line, in 1982, perform their drum solo feature in person was an experience in seeing how good some of the drum lines were then. Carefully listen to the 1982 Bridgemen video clip in order to hear the Remo rototoms being played by snare drum line. Watching it in person is much more of an impact compared to watching it on television.
The 1983 Bridgemen were even much better than the 1982 group imo.
I was marching in the bass drum line in the 1982 Velvet Knights drum corps. That was the first year VK changed from a cadet marching style performance to something similar to Bridgemen marching show performance. iirc Velvet Knights jumped finishing in 50's spot in 1981 up to 20th place in 1982. The corps would eventually improve on its way to DCI finals two years later.
(See smallest size bass drum...maybe 22" size bass drum. That's me in action.)
And of course the hip routine that the VK drum majors would do during the 1982 season at all the awards presentations through the 1982 season when all the corps are on the field awaiting the score results. The Blue Devils drum majors pulled a memorable coup at the show....maybe the show up in Sacramento, CA during July 1982 iirc. It was memorable. I was way in the back line while on the field with 1982 VK corps. I couldn't see what happened then. Nice to have Youtube be able to host videos so now folks can see what is taking place rather than describing it.
> >> Supposedly, though, there was an arcade Vs. version with copyright 1985, I've been > >> chasing it for years and I could swear I played it at Chuck E. Cheese then, long > >> before I could have dreamed about it in the home, though obviously it's fuzzy > >> memories. history.dat and Wikipedia sometimes have their inaccuracies. > > > > Hmmm, to my knowledge Chuck E Cheese didn't exist in 1985. Here in Texas, back in > the > > day C E C was called Showbiz Pizza, and was the exact same thing as CeC, but was > just > > there first. I'm guessing it was just called CeC in other parts of the country. > > Chuck E Cheese was before 1985. A Chuck E Cheese was operating over in Garden Grove, > CA (Eastgate shopping center, in far NW corner) from about either fall 1981 / spring > 1982 through about summer 1985 before closing doors at that location. I only went > there a couple times while during high school years. It wasn't until after graduating > from high school in 1983 and having own car then, I would go there maybe 2 or 3 times > a week just to play Xevious from fall 1983 through about spring of the following > year. I was a huge fan of Xevious at the time. > > The first time I had ever heard of the name Chuck E Cheese was maybe around fall > 1981 or spring 1982 when one of the fellow high school drummers had said the name > "Vanguard" > > > > > I thought he was talking about DCI drum corps Santa Clara Vanguard when he mentioned > the name because drum corps talk was also going on back then amongst a few of the > high school drumline members. > > There might be one or two Chuck E Cheese southland locations that I know of still > operating. One was over in Long Beach iirc. > > > *o/t. gregf-mode/early 1980s nostalgia* > > For me, early 1980s were memorable, but doing DCI (ie: similar to marching band, but > better) stuff then compared to going to arcades from 1981 through 1983. > > Touring with one of the drum corps in summer 1982 was awesome. Getting to travel and > see Concord, CA Blue Devils perform at the 1982 DCI Championship in Montreal Olympic > stadium was great. It was neat seeing what Montreal, Quebec was like back then. > > > > > Seeing Bridgemen (Bayonne, NJ) drum line, in 1982, perform their drum solo feature > in person was an experience in seeing how good some of the drum lines were then. > Carefully listen to the 1982 Bridgemen video clip in order to hear the Remo rototoms > being played by snare drum line. Watching it in person is much more of an impact > compared to watching it on television. > > > > > The 1983 Bridgemen were even much better than the 1982 group imo. > > > > I was marching in the bass drum line in the 1982 Velvet Knights drum corps. That was > the first year VK changed from a cadet marching style performance to something > similar to Bridgemen marching show performance. iirc Velvet Knights jumped finishing > in 50's spot in 1981 up to 20th place in 1982. The corps would eventually improve on > its way to DCI finals two years later. > > > (See smallest size bass drum...maybe 22" size bass drum. That's me in action.) > > > > > And of course the hip routine that the VK drum majors would do during the 1982 > season at all the awards presentations through the 1982 season when all the corps are > on the field awaiting the score results. The Blue Devils drum majors pulled a > memorable coup at the show....maybe the show up in Sacramento, CA during July 1982 > iirc. It was memorable. I was way in the back line while on the field with 1982 VK > corps. I couldn't see what happened then. Nice to have Youtube be able to host videos > so now folks can see what is taking place rather than describing it.
---
When did this turn into the Marching Band forums? xD
---
If you find some way to combine MAME and Marching Bands, this thread will be on topic somehow....
"Note to Noobs:
We are glad to help you but simply posting that something does not work is not going to lead to you getting help. The more information you can supply defining your problem, the less likely it will be that you will get smart-alec replies.
> When did this turn into the Marching Band forums? xD > > --- > > If you find some way to combine MAME and Marching Bands, this thread will be on topic > somehow....
First of all, it's hard to argue with a gregf thread derailment. His walks down memory lane are always interesting reading. XD (And to be fair, the thread was already getting derailed with talks of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz and the Rock-a-fire Explosion...
Secondly, I'm sure he will tie it in somehow, it's remarkable the talent he has.
>>When did this turn into the Marching Band forums? xD
---
The "o/t" part went a bit over, but too tempting to leave aside when first hearing someone mention SNK's Vanguard and mistaking that for SC Vanguard way back then when talking with high school friends (drummers) and one of them says "Vanguard" and didn't lead off with words like "arcade game" nor "Chuck E Cheese"....and then it made sense when seeing and trying Vanguard for first time....although I still preferred Namco's Bosconian until Xevious arrived in mid 1983.
>If you find some way to combine MAME and Marching Bands, this thread will be on topic > somehow....
Although I prefer 1970s or some of the 1980s arcade games, I like Konami's DrumMania.
...but would also think it would be neat if Konami could make a marching drum type of game where players would hook up a snare drum or tenor drum and do on-the-spot-sight-reading and try play notes as correctly as possible.
The problem is the game might take up too much space and if it ever did exist and roms/disc etc can be dumped......how could it be emulated in MAME. ;-)
That's my desperation NBA 3-point field goal attempt from half court to beat the shot clock buzzer for the night.
>> If you find some way to combine MAME and Marching Bands, this thread will be on topic >> somehow....
>First of all, it's hard to argue with a gregf thread derailment. His walks down memory > lane are always interesting reading. XD (And to be fair, the thread was already getting > derailed with talks of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz and the Rock-a-fire Explosion...
>Secondly, I'm sure he will tie it in somehow, it's remarkable the talent he has.
I am not sure if the NBA 3-point FG attempt made it in, but I tried. ;-)
*nuts: Suns Steve Nash being hurt in Suns-Mavs game. There goes Suns season.*
> > First of all, it's hard to argue with a gregf thread derailment. His walks down > memory lane are always interesting reading. XD
Actually anything gregf says automatically on topic because he IS Mario!
>(And to be fair, the thread was > already getting derailed with talks of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz and the > Rock-a-fire Explosion... >
Chuck-e-Cheese had a bunch of arcade machines in it and its founder was Nolan Bushnell who also founded Atari (and engineered Computer Space for Nutting Ass.) so its not FAR off topic...
> > If you find some way to combine MAME and Marching Bands, this thread will be on > topic > > somehow.... > > gregf is *always* on topic. Kinda like bacon.
Coherance of posts inversely proportional to Foster's consumption!!!
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