Nightmare Busters--unreleased SNES game getting cart release

[Estebang]

Nightmare Busters is an unreleased (never even announced, as far as I know) SNES platformer by Nichibutsu with utterly gorgeous, CPS Capcom-like graphics. A nearly complete prototype cart was discovered some years ago, but its owner has never publicly released the ROM. However, Super Fighter Team are finally giving it a cart release with box and manual, limited to 600 units. It won't be shipped until 2013.

Preorders are open. At around $70, it won't be cheap, but that's chump change compared to some of the PCB purchases that pop up here regularly. And it's about what new SNES games went for back in the day, when adjusting for inflation.

The game doesn't look that amazing, but I might get this to own a piece of history. The ROM dump will probably never make it out there for years.

[drauch]

Wait...doesn't someone on this forum have an exact repro of this game with box? I know I've seen it somewhere...

[Estebang]

Yep, you're correct. That repro seems to be one-of-a-kind or at least extremely rare, though.

I should mention that the new release won't work on Super Famicoms, only US/PAL.

[sven666]

Yep, you're correct. That repro seems to be one-of-a-kind or at least extremely rare, though.

I should mention that the new release won't work on Super Famicoms, only US/PAL.

you see the repos quite frequently on ebay.. one just went for £49 but i cant seem to find the auction..

[Estebang]

I guess there was an earlier SFC repro release, then. This will be the first one for US/PAL systems.

[sven666]

no its available for pal and ntsc aswell.. the auction that just finished was an american cart.
i dont know who makes them tho, only ever seen them on ebay.

[Estebang]

Man, this game's history is a riddle wrapped in an enigma.

[Friendly]

Not really. A completed prototype existed, which was purchased on ebay by someone at ASSEmbler (iirc, they collected donations, and anyone who donated got the ROM). That's how it got into the wild 5 years ago. And since the ROM is readily available, people have been creating repros for years.

Super Fighter Team then went and officially licenced the game from Nichibutsu in order to produce "licensed" carts (of course not licensed by Nintendo). I wonder what's taking them so long? They announced this a year ago, and they want people to preorder now but wont ship until 2013? WTF.

[CIT]

SNES platformer by Nichibutsu

Actually it was developed by Arcade Zone in France. Same people who made Legend and Iron Commando.

IMO Nightmare Busters is the best of these three titles. Reminds me a lot of Ghouls N' Ghosts / 3 Wonders.

[Friendly]

The problem is that the game is really short and has little replay value. I assume that is why it wasn't released in the first place. Looks nice, though.

[Austin]

The music is lackluster, but the game looks like it could be quite a bit of fun for those that like simplistic, CPS1-style arcade games. It looks very reminiscent of the Midnight Wanders in Capcom's Three Wonders arcade game, and and that's hardly a bad thing. If I had the money I would pre-order it, but I think I will hold out for a ROM I can slap on the Everdrive.

[Skykid]

SNES platformer by Nichibutsu

Actually it was developed by Arcade Zone in France. Same people who made Legend and Iron Commando.

:cancels pre-order:

[Loris Biaggi]

A good new but... i already played it on my snes with powerpack months ago...

[mrsmiley381]

I usually appreciate classic console releases, but I can't say I'm a big fan of the theme or music. Maybe I'll change my mind about it. I also think my local game store back home has a repro of this.

Now if it had robots...

[Herr Schatten]

Wait, you play as a Leprechaun? Instant win!

[Estebang]

The problem is that the game is really short and has little replay value. I assume that is why it wasn't released in the first place. Looks nice, though.

Not to mention that the SNES was on its last legs in Western territories by 1995, and the industry was pushing to move away from traditional 2D platformers. Their previous game Iron Commando was only released in Japan.

I did not know the game was French; the presentation and mechanics could certainly pass as Japanese. But the repetitive, empty levels and mass amounts of collectibles betray its likely Amiga heritage. I'm significantly less interested in it now. Guess I'lll just try to track down the ROM, although none of the major sites have it.

Clearly Arcade Zone were huge Capcom fans--aside from Nightmare Busters looking like Midnight Wanderers, Iron Commando has sprites brazenly stolen from SFII and the Punisher beatemup, as well as Punisher's aerial grenade attack.

[CIT]

There is an (actually really interesting) interview with the Arcade Zone guys here: http://www.1up-games.com/snes/legend/in ... glish.html

And yes, in it they confirm that they were (are) huge Capcom fans.

I'm not a huge fan of their games, but considering it was just two people making them, I think it's pretty impressive.

[Skykid]

There is an (actually really interesting) interview with the Arcade Zone guys here: http://www.1up-games.com/snes/legend/in ... glish.html

And yes, in it they confirm that they were (are) huge Capcom fans.

I'm not a huge fan of their games, but considering it was just two people making them, I think it's pretty impressive.

Graphically, the games were impressive for such a small team, but the artist was clearly superior to the coder.
Iron Commando looks ok as a Cadillacs & Dinosaurs rip, but ten minutes play quickly belies its foulness as a game.

I haven't played NB's or Legend, but if they're as broken as IC I don't want to.

[Estebang]

Yep, Legend has sprites swiped from Knights of the Round and Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder. Kind of amazed they got away with this stuff. I wouldn't give the artist too much credit.

[undamned]

people have been creating repros for years.

This. The repros like Almighty was selling have been on YAJ for a while and they look super pro.

The problem is that the game is really short and has little replay value.

Yeah, but the same could be said when you credit feed arcade shmups. It is really short, but in the few plays greg and I ran through last year on my Super Wildcard, it seemed to have a pretty high difficulty.
-ud

[Estebang]

Well, I managed to track down the ROM. Not a bad game, and I can't accuse it of being easy, but it completely lacks any kind of pacing or thoughtful level design. Bosses are easily defeated by spamming the bomb items and invincible dash. Levels are just long stretches of identical terrain with no landmarks and little variety. Enemies just charge at you in mindless hordes, instead of with the unique behavior and careful placement that characterizes Midnight Wanderers, the game Arcade Zone was obviously aping. It's even got the same "collect 100 items for a 1up" mechanic, only with dominoes instead of heart cards. The music is just some random notes. At least there's no stolen sprites, as far as I can tell.

Glad I didn't pay $70 for it! Now, have there been any repro carts of Starfox 2? That's something I would gladly shell out for, although the Super FX chip is probably holding them back.

[Ed Oscuro]

I will reserve judgment on this one unless somebody comes up with proof they ripped sprites for this game. If they did, SFT releasing it would be kind of like putting a hat on a horse. SFT didn't release the other two games (the ones reportedly guilty), though, and I would like to treat this game different. I'd still like to play it, at least. I would like the box not to be as fucked-up looking as the PAL style box release on one of the linked topics. The Japanese box somebody linked looked great, at least from a distance (nice composition for the title pic). If they actually did their work and didn't just rip from Capcom with this game, then I don't see why some money shouldn't go the way of Arcade Zone (previous misdeeds being bygones).

[Estebang]

As I mentioned, Nightmare Busters doesn't seem to have stolen sprites. It's just Arcade Zone's other games that do. I can whip up some side-by-side comparisons if you're not convinced.

[rancor]

I have nothing to say on this matter.

[Battlesmurf]

I was operating under the assumption that we weren't allowed to talk about repro carts here? If so- what part specifically can we talk or not talk about lol.

[Ed Oscuro]

As I mentioned, Nightmare Busters doesn't seem to have stolen sprites. It's just Arcade Zone's other games that do. I can whip up some side-by-side comparisons if you're not convinced.

Yeah, I don't think you have to prove a negative. It's the naysayers who should prove it does (and I believe you that it doesn't).

[sven666]

Now, have there been any repro carts of Starfox 2? That's something I would gladly shell out for, although the Super FX chip is probably holding them back.

theyre out there, repro-cart market has exploded (and i guess even had some time to quiet down).

other nice ones to keep a lookout for is the fanmade remake of Zelda Alttp and Super Metroid which both got proffessional looking releases with packaging and pamplets..

[CulDad78]

Starfox 2 / Seiken Densetsu 3 / Nightmare Busters are all available on Nintendoage.com

Mostly the guys on there make NES repros like Zelda Outlands or translations for Recca (yeah, I know, translation desperately needed) and Mother (Earthbound Zero).

NES games loose are typically $25-35 or CIB for $50-ish.
SNES games loose are typically $35-60 or CIB for $60-90

I got Starfox 2 (loose) for $45 off of racketboy.
I got Nightmare Busters (loose) for $45 off Nintendoage.
I got about a dozen Mario related Hacks and Homebrews off some other site.

Anyone charging over $50 loose / $75 CIB is stealing (moreso than you may already consider it).

[Battlesmurf]

Starfox 2 / Seiken Densetsu 3 / Nightmare Busters are all available on Nintendoage.com

Mostly the guys on there make NES repros like Zelda Outlands or translations for Recca (yeah, I know, translation desperately needed) and Mother (Earthbound Zero).

NES games loose are typically $25-35 or CIB for $50-ish.
SNES games loose are typically $35-60 or CIB for $60-90

I got Starfox 2 (loose) for $45 off of racketboy.
I got Nightmare Busters (loose) for $45 off Nintendoage.
I got about a dozen Mario related Hacks and Homebrews off some other site.

Anyone charging over $50 loose / $75 CIB is stealing (moreso than you may already consider it).

The only thing I might want to add- have you seen the amount of work in some of the SNES carts? There's a few in particular that cost quite a bit in parts- and are an absolute pain to put together. I'd never consider doing them myself- waaay too much hassle o.o

[Ghegs]

I was operating under the assumption that we weren't allowed to talk about repro carts here? If so- what part specifically can we talk or not talk about lol.

You can talk about repros just as you can talk about emulation, it's the providing links part that's an issue. With repros the line can be especially hard to draw, as sometimes the repros are just a plain rom-in-a-cart made without any permission or authorization from the company who actually owns the game in question. Selling or giving links to those is basically no different than linking to a rom site, which isn't allowed.

Other times, like with Nightmare Busters, the people behind it actually went and officially licensed the game from the original creators. So that's obviously fine. Just like how there was talk and even some sales of Blade Buster carts, which is a-okay since the game is freely and legally available.

So, yeah. Just try to exercise common sense here and keep things clean.