Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius
A Parodius shooter with voice commentary by Jōji Yanami.
Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius is a 1995 side-scrolling shooter for the Super Famicom, developed and published by Konami. Part of the Parodius series, it parodies shooters and Japanese culture, and includes narration by voice actor Jōji Yanami.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Konami
- Series
- Parodius
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Super Famicom
- Sega Saturn
- PlayStation
Facts from the source article.
Background and plot
Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius is the fourth game in the Parodius series, a spin-off of Konami's Gradius franchise known for parodying Gradius and Japanese culture. The plot is set in 1996, when Mr. Parodius, the octopus from Parodius (1990), calls upon his eldest son Takosuke to obtain a legendary takoyaki made only once every 128 years. Takosuke instead sends his brother Takohiko on the quest, noting he has other brothers should anything happen to Takohiko. Various characters either seek the takoyaki or follow someone who does.
Background and development
Game planner Sakurai described Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius as a side-story in the series, running alongside the original game, and intended it to be distinct from the arcade game Sexy Parodius (1996). While earlier Parodius titles parodied other shooters, this game also parodies Konami games such as Ganbare Goemon, Tokimeki Memorial (1994), TwinBee (1985), and a fast-food level based on Xexex (1991). Some characters from previous Parodius games, like Goemon and Michael the pig, are replaced by characters with similar move sets. On April 3, 1995, Konami's home video game development division was transferred to KCE Tokyo and KCE Osaka, with KCE Osaka focusing on Nintendo systems. The game uses the SA-1 chip, allowing it to run at three times the console's clock speed and include voice samples. It was part of Konami's Sound Response series, featuring recorded voice audio. Jōji Yanami provided humorous commentary, including pop culture references like the Fist of the North Star quote "Omae wa mou shindeiru."
Release and remakes
Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius was released for the Super Famicom in Japan on December 15, 1995. Kurt Kalata of Hardcore Gaming 101 noted the game arrived near the end of the 16-bit era, leading to ports on 32-bit systems. A Sega Saturn port released on December 13, 1996 added two-player simultaneous play, the ability to toss allies, bosses based on Taisen Puzzle-dama characters, and an Extra mode altering enemy formations. A PlayStation port followed on December 20, 1996, also adding two-player mode and an Accident mode with polygonal enemies. Both remakes feature rearranged music, a second female announcer voiced by Noriko Ohara, more fairies, and unlockable characters such as Kid Dracula. The game was included on a PlayStation Portable compilation on January 25, 2007, based on the PlayStation release, with multiplayer removed, difficulty adjustments, and some music changes, including replacing a Formula One theme and "That's The Way I Like It" with a remix of "Brilliant 2 U" from Dance Dance Revolution.
Reception
Several magazines praised the original Super Famicom release. Fun Generation and Super Play called it the definitive Parodius game for the system and the best of the series, though Super Play noted it had nothing innovative and recommended it to newcomers. Video Games magazine said the game stuttered more than its predecessor but was crazier, recommending it to fans while still favoring the original Parodius. Tim Weaver of Total! described the game as gorgeous and colorful with detailed sprites, while Fun Generation said it set a standard for 2D shooters. Hirokazu Hamamura of Famicom Tsūshin found the screen so flashy it was hard to concentrate, suggesting that was the game's style. Weaver called the music generally brilliant. Comparing the re-release, one Famicom Tsūshin reviewer said it lacked the original's impact, while Fun Generation called the improvements marginal but the game still the series' crowning conclusion. M! Games described it as a technically flawless update lacking innovation. Saturn Power felt the series and genre had overstayed, recommending it only to genre fans, and Saturn Fan said it was only for long-time Parodius or Konami fanatics.
More in Super Nintendo Entertainment System Game Library
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced