Difference between revisions of "Blog:Transformers: Mystery of Developer"

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<small>[[User:CRV|CRV]] ([[User talk:CRV|talk]]) 05:49, 1 December 2016 (CET) [[Blog:Transformers: Mystery of Developer|[permalink]]]</small>
 
<small>[[User:CRV|CRV]] ([[User talk:CRV|talk]]) 05:49, 1 December 2016 (CET) [[Blog:Transformers: Mystery of Developer|[permalink]]]</small>
  
The Transformers game ''Convoy no Nazo'' (''Mystery of Convoy'') is one of the most high-profile examples of "kusoge" on the Famicom due to its high difficulty and other gameplay quirks. The mystery is supposed to be what happened to Optimus Prime, but the bigger mystery, and the one that remains unsolved, is who developed this infamous game. Unfortunately, there's some conflicting information:
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The Transformers game ''Convoy no Nazo'', or ''Mystery of Convoy'', is one of the most high-profile examples of "kusoge" on the Famicom due to its high difficulty and other gameplay quirks. The mystery is supposed to be what happened to Optimus Prime, but the bigger mystery, and the one that remains unsolved, is who developed this infamous game. Unfortunately, there's some conflicting information:
  
*The company ISCO (pronounced as one word [isuko]) listed the game on its website. [http://web.archive.org/web/20130226151922/http://www.isco-inc.co.jp/Web_izen/game_frame1.htm] Sometimes I wonder if they meant the Famicom Disk System game ''Transformers: The Head Masters''. Note the similarities between it and the ISCO-planned ''Paris-Dakar Rally Special'' in these videos: [https://youtu.be/W1XeIN5yXkY?t=1m40s] [https://youtu.be/Xc5uB5GzV8I?t=8m48s]
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*The company ISCO (pronounced as one word [isuko]) listed the game on its website [http://web.archive.org/web/20130226151923fw_/http://www.isco-inc.co.jp/Web_izen/game_etc.htm], but could they have been referring to the Famicom Disk System game ''Transformers: The Headmasters''? Note the similarities between it and the [https://www.retromags.com/gallery/image/21748-paris-dakar-rally-special-japan/ ISCO-planned] ''Paris-Dakar Rally Special'' in these videos: [https://youtu.be/W1XeIN5yXkY?t=1m40s] [https://youtu.be/Xc5uB5GzV8I?t=8m48s]
  
::[[File:T.png|Transformers: The Head Masters]] [[File:P.png|Paris-Dakar Rally Special]]
 
  
*''Convoy no Nazo'' came up, to some small extent, in a [[Tose]] [[Tose (code comparisons)|code comparison]].
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::[[File:T.png|Transformers: The Headmasters]] [[File:P.png|Paris-Dakar Rally Special]]
  
*In [http://web.archive.org/web/20140828202915/http://animex.jp/?p=6210 a post written after ''Convoy no Nazo'''s release on Wii Virtual Console in Japan], a former game graphic designer alleged that the president of [[Locomotive]] was the game's programmer. Tose is based in Kyoto; Locomotive was based in Kyoto. It's not inconceivable that he worked for Tose before starting Locomotive. (The composer of ''StarTropics'' also allegedly worked part-time at Tose. The US copyright registration for ''StarTropics'' credits Locomotive with music, so we can infer that said composer worked for Locomotive.)
 
  
*A former [[Advance Communication]] employee rattled off "FC Transformers" in [https://twitter.com/adimatic/status/13531281282 a tweet about the company]. To me, neither ''Transformers'' game seems like an Advance Communication game, and ''Convoy no Nazo'' predates any of their games on our list.
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*''Convoy no Nazo'' popped up slightly in a [[Tose]] [[Tose (code comparisons)|code comparison]].
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*In [http://web.archive.org/web/20140828202915/http://animex.jp/?p=6210 a post written after ''Convoy no Nazo'''s release on Wii Virtual Console in Japan], a former game graphic designer alleged that the president of [[Locomotive]] was the game's programmer. Tose and Locomotive were based in Kyoto, so it's not inconceivable that he worked for Tose before starting Locomotive. (The sound designer on ''StarTropics'' allegedly once worked part-time at Tose. The US copyright registration for ''StarTropics'' credits Locomotive with music, so we can infer that said designer later worked for Locomotive.)
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*A former [[Advance Communication]] employee rattled off "FC Transformers" in [https://twitter.com/adimatic/status/13531281282 a tweet about the company], but neither ''Transformers'' game seems like an Advance Communication game, and ''Convoy no Nazo'' predates any of their other games.
  
  
 
{{#ev:youtube|uWjmkk5H9PE}}
 
{{#ev:youtube|uWjmkk5H9PE}}
  
''Credit to the creator/uploader of the videos above''
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<small>Video/World of Longplays</small>
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<small>Post updated November 30, 2018</small>

Latest revision as of 00:47, 1 December 2018

CRV (talk) 05:49, 1 December 2016 (CET) [permalink]

The Transformers game Convoy no Nazo, or Mystery of Convoy, is one of the most high-profile examples of "kusoge" on the Famicom due to its high difficulty and other gameplay quirks. The mystery is supposed to be what happened to Optimus Prime, but the bigger mystery, and the one that remains unsolved, is who developed this infamous game. Unfortunately, there's some conflicting information:

  • The company ISCO (pronounced as one word [isuko]) listed the game on its website [1], but could they have been referring to the Famicom Disk System game Transformers: The Headmasters? Note the similarities between it and the ISCO-planned Paris-Dakar Rally Special in these videos: [2] [3]


Transformers: The Headmasters Paris-Dakar Rally Special


  • In a post written after Convoy no Nazo's release on Wii Virtual Console in Japan, a former game graphic designer alleged that the president of Locomotive was the game's programmer. Tose and Locomotive were based in Kyoto, so it's not inconceivable that he worked for Tose before starting Locomotive. (The sound designer on StarTropics allegedly once worked part-time at Tose. The US copyright registration for StarTropics credits Locomotive with music, so we can infer that said designer later worked for Locomotive.)


Video/World of Longplays

Post updated November 30, 2018