Yo! Noid

Did You Know?

• The game opens with a news bulletin claiming Mr. Green, a green doppelgänger of The Noid, is causing chaos in New York City.
• A fan-made sequel titled Yo! Noid 2: Enter the Void was released as freeware on August 1, 2017.
• The game was featured on the Japanese TV show GameCenter CX.

Gameplay

The game uses a modified engine of Wagyan Land. The protagonist has no life meter and loses a life by contacting an enemy or running out of time. The Noid attacks with a yo-yo and can gather magic points by collecting scrolls, using them for screen-clearing special attacks or rare power-ups found in large scrolls opened with his weapon. Extra lives are awarded every 20,000 points. Most levels are on foot, with exceptions including a skateboard and an autogyro. Minigames include a "Pizza Crusher" level, and boss battles focus on pizza-eating contests.

Development

Capcom published both Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru and its American version, Yo! Noid. The original Japanese game, released in March 1990, used the Wagyan Land engine from Namco. For the American localization, Capcom partnered with Domino's Pizza to replace graphics, sound, and presentation with the Noid character, but kept all game mechanics unchanged. Most music was reused, though Capcom altered some tunes and added new tracks for an American feel. Yo! Noid launched worldwide in November 1990.