Balloon Fight
| Balloon Fight | |
|---|---|
| Studio | Nintendo Research & Development 1 |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Senior Developer | Yoshio Sakamoto |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1984 |
| platform | Arcade , NES , PC-8801 , X1 , Sharp Zaurus , Game Boy Advance |
| genre | Jump 'n' run |
| Game mode | Single and two player modes |
| medium | Game module / DVD-ROM / download |
| language | English, Japanese |
Balloon Fight (バ ル ー ン フ ァ イ ト Barūn Faito ) is a video game developed by Nintendo and dating from 1985. The arcade version Vs. Balloon Fight was originally released in 1984 and the version for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released internationally in 1986. The mechanics of the game are very similar to those of the arcade game Joust from Williams Electronics .
Game principle and technology
The player controls an unnamed balloon fighter who is equipped with two balloons on his helmet. By repeatedly pressing the A button or holding down the B button, the character can be made to climb by flapping the arms. If a balloon should burst, the ascent is weakened and floating becomes more difficult. If both balloons burst, the player loses a life. Balloons can be burst by enemy balloon fighters, a fall into water, a lightning strike, or contact with a large fish.
There are two game modes. In the first mode, which is played with one or two players, the goal is to defeat all of the opposing balloon fighters on the screen. The second mode is called the Balloon Trip . In this mode, the player has to avoid the obstacles in a horizontal side-scroller level and collect points in the form of balloons. The original arcade version does not include the balloon trip mode. In addition, the levels in the arcade version are built in a vertical direction and the game mechanics have small differences compared to the home version.
One and two player modes
The goal is to eliminate all opponents on the screen. This mode can be played alone or cooperatively with a second player. Each player starts with three lives. The 3DS version also includes the download-play option, with which you can play with a friend on two 3DS systems.
The opposing balloon fighters float around the level and must be made to fall by the player by touching their balloons. Like the player, opponents can fall into the water or be eaten by a fish if they are too close to the surface of the water. Defeated opponents drop a transparent balloon, which gives extra points when picked up by the player. As the level progresses, the number of opponents and platforms increases.
A bonus level appears after every third level. In the bonus level, chimneys are placed on the lower edge, which generate balloons that rise into the air and burst at the upper edge. The aim of the player is to collect as many balloons as possible.
Balloon trip
This mode can only be played by one player. The player starts with only one life. The aim is to collect as many balloons as possible and avoid the lightning bolts. This mode ends as soon as the player is struck by lightning. At the end, the high score is displayed.
Portings, continuations and references
The home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was ported to the home computer NEC PC-8801 in October 1985 . Further ports are a version for the Sharp X1 in November 1985, for the Game Boy Advance as Balloon Fight-e and for the Nintendo e-Reader in the United States. In addition, Balloon Fight was released in May 2004 as part of the NES Mini Series in Japan. Balloon Fight can also be played in the Animal Crossing game for Nintendo GameCube .
Nintendo released a Game & Watch version based on the NES version. In this version the protagonist is called "Balloon Man". Instead of flapping his arms, Balloon Man uses a rocket suit to move himself through the air.
Balloon Kid is a sequel to Balloon Fight . The video game was released for the Game Boy on October 1990 in North America and on January 31, 1991 in Europe . The Balloon Kid was converted to a platform game, but still kept the same gameplay. The game was never released in Japan. Instead, a colored version with the title Hello Kitty World (published by Character soft) was published for the NES and a colored version with the title Ballon Fight GB for the Game Boy Color . These titles were only available in Japan.
In September 2001 the game was ported for the Sharp Zaurus .
In the video game Super Smash Bros. Melee it is possible to get the Balloon Fighter trophy. In addition, one can obtain Flipper trophies, which as a usable item in the game with the Bumper from Super Smash Bros. can be replaced. The Balloon Fighters were considered as a playable character in development, but the Ice Climbers were chosen . In the Icicle Mountain level you can set the original background music from the Balloon Trip mode of the game as alternative music. The big fish from Balloon Fight has a cameo in Super Smash Bros. Brawl . He appears in the Ice Climber world, where the fish tries to attack the players from the water. In addition, a newly mixed music version of the balloon trip mode can be selected in this level. Furthermore, stickers can be obtained from the Balloon Fighter and the opponent from the game Balloon Fight. The villager from Animal Crossing has the helmet of a balloon fighter in the game Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and can use it with special abilities. The 3DS version even has a stage based on the Balloon Fight game , including the original 8-bit graphics.
In the game Series Wario Ware, Inc . Some 9 volt games are based on Balloon Fight . In WarioWare: Smooth Moves there is a mini-game that simulates a three-dimensional version of Balloon Fight . For the micro-game version you need a Wii Remote and for the 3D version you also need a nunchuk .
In the original demo of the prototype by Yoshi Touch & Go , the game is titled Yoshi's Balloon Trip . The music from Balloon Fight plays in touch mode in the game Tetris DS .
On April 12, 2007, Club Nintendo released Tingle's Balloon Fight for Nintendo DS , an exclusive game starring Tingle, a Nintendo character from The Legend of Zelda series . The game is a new version of the home version which includes the classic modes Balloon Fight and Balloon Trip. The levels are expanded to both screens, similar to the arcade version but with the levels of the home version. By completing certain tasks, you could unlock a gallery with conceptual illustrations.
The Balloon Fighter also appears in the game Super Mario Maker as an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume, which was released as part of an update.
Balloon Fight was re-released as part of Nintendo's Virtual Console . It was released on June 8, 2007 in Europe, then on July 16, 2007 in North America and on November 12, 2007 in Japan. In addition, Balloon Fight was published as part of the Nintendo 3DS ambassador program in September 2011.
In Nintendo Land there is an attraction called Balloon Trip Breeze, which is very reminiscent of the Balloon Trip from the original Balloon Fight.
The game was also released for the Wii U Virtual Console. As part of a promotion to mark the 30th anniversary of the NES release, Balloon Fight was available for $ 0.30 in North America between January 23, 2013 and February 23, 2013. Balloon Fight was the first title in Wii-U virtual console games. If Balloon Fight was purchased for the Wii Virtual Console, the transfer for the Wii U Virtual Console costs $ 1.00. The regular price after starting the Virtual Console service is $ 4.99.
List of series, ports and sequels
| Surname | Publication in Japan | Publication in the United States | Publication in Europe | genre | system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vs. Balloon Fight | 1984. | 1984. | Action | Arcade | |
| Balloon Fight | January 22, 1985 | August 1986 | December 15, 1986 | Action | NES / Famicom |
| Balloon Fight | October 1985 | Action | PC-88 | ||
| Balloon Fight | November 1985 | Action | Sharp X1 | ||
| Balloon Fight (Playchoice-10) | 1985 | Action | Arcade | ||
| Balloon Fight | 1986 | 1986 | Action | G&W | |
| Balloon kid | 5th October 1990 | January 13, 1990 | Action / Jump 'n' Run | GB | |
| Balloon Fight GB | July 31, 2000 | Action / Jump 'n' Run | GBC ( NP ) | ||
| Balloon Fight | October 2001 | Action | Sharp Zaurus | ||
| Balloon Fight-e | September 16, 2002 | Action | GBA ( e-reader ) | ||
| Famicom Mini Balloon Fight | May 21, 2004 | Action | GBA | ||
| Tingle's Balloon Fight | April 2007 | Action | DS | ||
| Balloon Fight | November 13, 2007 | July 16, 2007 | June 8, 2007 | Action | Wii Virtual Console |
| Balloon Fight | August 31, 2011 | August 31, 2011 | August 31, 2011 | Action | 3DS Virtual Console |
| Balloon Fight | January 23, 2013 | January 23, 2013 | January 23, 2013 | Action | Wii U Virtual Console |
reception
Web links
- Balloon Fight at MobyGames (English)
- Balloon Fight in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b "バ ル ー ン フ ァ イ ト ＧＢ ／ 開 発 者 イ ン タ ビ ビ ュ ー". In: ニ ン テ ン ド ウ オ ン ラ イ ン マ ガ ジ ン （No.24）. Nintendo, August 2000, accessed June 3, 2016 (jp).
- ↑ Balloon Fight (1987) Arcade release dates - MobyGames. In: MobyGames. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
- ↑ according to the manual ( Memento from October 11, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Balloon Kid. In: Nintendo. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
- ↑ By IGN Staff: Chibi Japan Weekly 3. In: IGN. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
- ↑ By Lucas M. Thomas: Smash It Up! - The "Leaked" Lists. In: IGN. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
- ↑ Balloon Fight Series | NinDB. In: www.nindb.net. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
- ↑ Official Site - Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. In: www.smashbros.com. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
- ↑ GameSpy: Tetris DS - Page 1. In: ds.gamespy.com. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
- ^ Tingle's Balloon Fight | Zelda In My Pocket. (No longer available online.) In: www.zeldainmypocket.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013 ; accessed on June 3, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ By Andrew Goldfarb: Wii U Virtual Console, OS Upgrades Announced. In: IGN. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
