Yo! Noid
| Yo! Noid Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru |
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|---|---|
 North American cover art |
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| Developer(s) | Now Production [1] |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom[2] |
| Engine | modified Wagan Land/Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru engine |
| Platform(s) | NES |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | 2D action platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Media/distribution | 2-megabit cartridge |
Yo! Noid is a platform video game released in the United States for the NES by Capcom during November, 1990. It stars the Noid, the claymation mascot of Domino's Pizza in the late 1980s, going through fourteen different side-scrolling levels throughout various locations of New York City (including an 8-bit rendition of Central Park) to battle his evil duplicate, Mr. Green, for the public good, and for the massive pizza reward.[4] The game is a modified version of an earlier Japanese release called Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru.[5]
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
The Noid has no life meter, and loses a life by either making contact with an enemy or running out of time before completing a level. He's equipped with a short range yo-yo for offense, but can gather magic points by collecting scrolls and use them for screen-clearing special attacks or very rare power-ups, both kinds of which are found in large scrolls opened with the yo-yo. Extra lives are awarded for every 20,000 points scored. Most levels are traveled on foot, but one features a skateboard, two a gyrocopter, and a part of one level features the "Pizza Crusher," as seen on the "Avoid the Noid" commercials, and the front of the game box—a cross between a large weight and a pogo stick.
As was the case with many Capcom games based on cartoon characters, Yo! Noid had detailed cartoon graphics and sound effects for its time. The back cover of the instruction manual included a $1 off Domino's Pizza coupon.
[edit] Development
Yo! Noid is a localization of Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru (仮面の忍者 花丸, lit. "Masked Ninja Hanamaru"), a Family Computer game released by Capcom in Japan on March 16, 1990. Much of the presentation was changed. However, none of the game mechanics were changed. The localized game was released in the rest of the world as Yo! Noid. In the process, the game gained coherence in locations but lost it in plot and character design. Pizza-eating contests were originally card-based battles. Most of the game's music was re-used for Yo! Noid, though a few tunes were changed. A few new tracks were written for the latter to reflect a more American atmosphere. Before Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru got released, the Wagan Land engine was used as a base for the game itself. And Namcot (now Namco/Bandai) published the Wagan Land series while Capcom published Hanamaru and Yo! Noid.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "Now Production - GDRI". http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Now_Production.
- ^ "Publisher information". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/nes/action/kamennoninjahamaru/index.html. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- ^ a b "Release dates". GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/563485-yo-noid/data. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- ^ "Game summary". MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/game/yo-noid. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
- ^ http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BB%AE%E9%9D%A2%E3%81%AE%E5%BF%8D%E8%80%85_%E8%8A%B1%E4%B8%B8
