ROM of the Week

This is the first "ROM of the Week". It's taken directly from a conversation on AOL Instant Messager and I don't feel like formatting it right now, so this will have to do. I'll make it look better later. For now, just enjoy the humor. :p

InVerSeX: OK, for our first installment of the ROM of the Week, I've chosen a
Japanese NES game by the name of Moai Kun in which you play a.. a.. what
exactly IS our hero?
Tukka Y: A head with feet.
InVerSeX: Hmm...I thought he was like a cross between a puppy dog and one of
those Easter Island monolith things.
Tukka Y: It's like a side-scrolling "Adventures
of LoLo", which requires good timing and decent control. ;l
Tukka Y: Well, not side-scrolling, since the screen remains in place ;/
Tukka Y: Side-view. Moai is shown in profile and moves that way.
InVerSeX: platform
Tukka Y: K.
Tukka Y: Is that the term the pros use? OK, platform. ;>
InVerSeX: So anywayz, our hero, who is apparently named Mr. Moai, makes his
way through several challenging levels in search of.. well, since there's no intro
screen and no manual, we don't really know what he's searching for, but the goal
of each level is to get all of the ... um.. what the fuck is he try to rescue anywayz,
living JuJu Beans?
Tukka Y: They vaguely resemble Moai himself, but where Moai is appears rather
calm and composed, his "cousins" are crying uncontrollably.
InVerSeX: Wait... I just realized something... Moai looks a LOT like Q-Bert in a
high-tech sorta way.
Tukka Y: If Moai would only face us instead of giving us that profile all the time,
we could see if he had Q-bert's "hose nose", but since the crying Moai's don't have
one, I doubt he does. But then, the crying Moai's don't appear to have any noses.
InVerSeX: But from the side, he definitely has the long, thick nose... and those
pink things strongly resemble boogers.. I think that's it, he's on a quest to retrieve
all the boogers that he lost after a tremendous sneeze..
InVerSeX: So.. then what the hell is behind the door at the end of each level and
why does it only open if he has all the pink boogers?
Tukka Y: Well he has to rescue them all (obviously to put them back in his nose)
and it wouldn't make sense for him to proceed without being thorough and
clearing each stage of the distraught boogers.
Tukka Y: The real question is why there are a great number of enemies, including
what appear to be robots that spit out bats four at a time getting in his way.
InVerSeX: True.... and the booger thing would explain why this game was never
released in America..
InVerSeX: The enemies are obviously booger farmers, intent on start a snot farm
with our poor little Moai's mucus.
Tukka Y: Of course, what they didn't count on his that Moai has quite a potent
headbutt, which he can use to bash blocks, rocks, and the farmers.
InVerSeX: So the story seems to be that Q-Bert 2000 sneezed a tremendous sneeze
which covered the land with his boogers and now he's on a quest to save them all
from the booger farmers before they can ruin the island's economy with an excess
of mucus farms. He does so with a combination of wit, skill and a tremendous
headbutt.
Tukka Y: And you need to know how to make good use of all three of those if
you stand a prayer of getting anywhere in this game, as the levels are quite
challenging. Like I told InVerse here before... without NESticle's save state feature,
this game would be very frustrating.
InVerSeX: Might not be as frustrating as you think, you DO get an extra life for
each level you beat, but yes, it is definitely challenging.. there's also a password
feature, though in 20 levels, I've yet to get a password.
InVerSeX: It also might help to watch the demo screens that appear if you don't
immediately start playing. The few I've watched do show how to complete the
level.
Tukka Y: I'm on level 27 and also have yet to get password also. This is the sort of
game where on mistimed leap will cost you your life, starting in level one and it
remains that way until the end.
Tukka Y: That's true, I noticed that as well.
Tukka Y: Just like in LoLo, if you make a mistake that doesn't kill you but does
make it impossible to complete the stage successfully (or if you're stuck
somewhere), you can commit suicide by pressing Select. Good practice if you're
manic-depressive.
InVerSeX: So on an overall scale, using the categories Graphics/Sound: Play
Control: Challenge: & Fun: how would you rate the game? (feel free to include
editorial comments with the ratings) (scale = 1 - 5)
Tukka Y: The graphics are colorful and nice, though nothing "WOWing" and given
the limitations of the nes, I'd have to say Graphics: 3 (I haven't heard any of the
sounds yet, I have no speakers)... Challenge, I would have to give it a definate 5. It
is not so frustrating and impossible that it's just plain lame. It's a fun challenge.
And fun, I'd have to say a 4. It's one of the few NES games I play these games and
enjoy because the game is actually cool, where my judgement is not tainted by
nolstagia... it keeps you thinking, and when you discover the solution of a difficult
level, it's a great feeling.
InVerSeX: For the most part, I'd have to agree... the graphics are fitting and the
background music, for some reason, reminds me of Kid Niki (3) ... Challenge is
extremely hard but it's just a matter of thinking, no hidden secrets or impossible to
beat enemies, just logic... (5) ... It's an extremely addictive & fun game, which is
why it was chosen as the first ROM of the Week (4) .. overall I'd give it a (5), it's not
one of the greatest NES games ever made, but it's definitely an extremely fun &
challenging game worth the download and playtime.
InVerSeX: So any last comments before we end the first segment of ROM of the
Week?
Tukka Y: The 27th stage is hard.
Tukka Y: ;P
InVerSeX: Ok, so that ends ROM of the Week this week.. check back next week
when we review... well, some other game unless I'm too lazy to update.