It makes sense when the games are so different in both story and mechanics. (And also if the fanbase is large enough.) If anything it makes me disappointed that there isn't a comparable set of fan translations for, say, the different versions of Popful Mail or Exile/XYZ. Also, PC-98 Policenauts really should have been favored for a translation over the Sega Saturn version...
The problem with doing a fan translation on PC-98 I discussed in my Policenauts video. It doesn't have a mode that has both text onscreen AND the voices at the same time, thus translating the PC-98 version would be a major project that would require serious reprogramming of the game rather than a simple text swap. The reason why the Saturn and PS1 versions have translations is because the text just needed to be replaced. (Not to undermine the huge amount of work both those translations also took, though, of course.) I would expect to sooner see a 3DO English patch for Policenauts than PC-98.
@@BasementBrothers I'm taking it that fan translations on the PC-98 are a generally difficult task compared to even 16-bit consoles? It makes me think of how the ROM hacking scene literally just gave up translating key Famicom Disk System games because the technical hurdles were just too severe. Really set back Famicom Detective Club for a while. I guess I could do with a 3DO translation. That is another system with a lot of interesting novelty Japan-only releases. The two that imprinted in my head as titles that should get some attention are that Wrestling game that actually somewhat simulates Kayfabe and the Wacky Races -based game with the FMV cartoons and the weird adventure game elements.
No, PC-98 translations are not particularly difficult. If anything, they generally tend to be a little easier to hack than console games actually. PC-98 Policenauts has a special reason why it can't be translated, as I explained above: The voices don't play simultaneously with the text in the original Japanese version of the game, so there's no easy way to subtitle it... unless you're OK with a silent English version of the game without the Japanese voices.
24:35 I would only add that, owing to the sampling, this game is proudly labeled "Magical Voice Role Playing Game." And the style of indicating stats without the use of numbers is officially called the "Fuzzy Parameter System" (ファジィ・パラメータ・システム). Two excellent phrases. ❤ Thank you for this one. And as always, I'm looking forward to the next. ❤
I've only ever played and beaten the PC Engine version, and despite not being a huge fan of dungeon crawlers, I loved it! The cute/funny/interesting characters and easy-to-use interface made it appealing enough for me to try, and soon enough I found myself hooked, and was unable to bring myself to abandon little Arle in that tower without helping her get all the way through it.
" _It's Satan!_ " Yeah that checks out. " _OH MY GOD IT'S A-ANOTHER ONE. IT'S ANOTHER SATANS. THERE'S TWO SATANS?! THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE..._ " :D
The FDS Puyo Puyo game was actually released through Famimaga Disk, btw, as the fifth volume of that series. Also I actually liked the MD Madou Monogatari I, so much, that I used Arle's status pic from that version in my pen storage can that I designed.
Ahhhh i want to hug you, I've been waiting for a video about Madou Monogatari so much, to me the puyo franchise was so much better when compile made them, even though I love the sega era, compile is where I feel at home.
Hi there. My wife recently passed away, and your joke about "the best game I ever played" was the first time I've been able to laugh since then. Thank you for that. I've always liked the idea of Madou Monogatari, but only got a little bit into the Genesis remake of the first game. It seems like a really charming series though, and the world would be a much better place if more people played Wizardry clones like this.
Big Puyo fan and really excited about you covering these!! They just did a huge porting job of pretty much all of them for pcs on Project EGG recently which is super cool!
@@EdmondDantes224 it was last year! the current puyo director at sega is actually willing to negotiate and help out compile with the series being separate more recently! theres a bunch of madou art in the art book which is really neat. I actually only learned of the Project EGG stuff from him retweeting news articles haha He's a chill dude trying his best under corporate overlords and demanding gacha players 😂 The Project EGG pages have Sega and D4(who bought compile's ips) copyrights on em. i personally had no idea compile was still releasing titles under Madou Monogatari tho! (tho no relation to the now sega owned side tho, definitely a full reboot)
Arle’s face at 6:17 cracks me up to no end. “Sorry, little girl, Magic Kindergarten takes no prisoners. It’s all very much pass-fail. Enjoy your time in the dungeon! … …. yes we’re responsible adults.” I played a bit of the pc engine and mega drive versions, I guess they’re fine in the sound department and you have the easy console setup
I've known Madou Monogatari for quite a while but I've never found that many reviews about these games. Thank you for reviewing this, and I've heard that the Saturn game is really good.
Nice, I was wondering if you were considering this one since the battle with Schezo is pretty infamous. Guess he doesn't have such a good head on his shoulders.
Thank you for covering this gem of a drpg series. As a Madou and Puyo fan, I greatly wish whatever compile heart is doing with Madou 4 was closer to the originals. Honestly, I was wondering when you'd cover these games.
hell yes finally a video on the PC 98 versions of these game. I am a huge puyo puyo fan so seeing these is great. I own the game gear versions of these games (sadly my game gear is getting repaired so I can't play 2 or 3 just yet). the first game is very fun and the game gear version is more similar to the MSX version in terms of graphics. it's nice to see this version in motion as for ages the only images I had access to was the ending to the first madou monogatari.
Sunday evening with Mr.Jakes discussing something I’ve never heard of? Can’t think of a better way to spend it. Also, where’s the “You boys be quiet down there” intro been?
I remember that years ago the only translated game in the series was the game gear port of the first game. Now a days it feels like almost all the ports of Madou Monogatari 1 are translated and that's awesome, Sadly the PC engine ports of 2 and 3 were canceled (apparently).
Man, always great when I get a notification that a new Basement Bros is uploaded on a Sunday evening. Days winding down and it’s the best way to chill.
I’ve only played the SNES reimagining, and really liked it a lot, especially since it wasn’t strictly a dungeon crawler. Kinda surprised there hasn’t been a compilation of sorts, even though Sega owns it all. And hey, Patreon requests? Someday, Sex 2, someday! (no not really)
Everyone loves FuFuFu. These games actually look like a nice bit of casual dungeon crawling fun, but some of the themes/moments are a tad bit grim lol.
Minor correction: Puyo Puyo features teen Arle, not kid Arle. An interesting tidbit from the PC-98 version is that the decision to make the graphics more mature was made simply because the developers thought that's what PC-98 users preferred. Unfortunately, this version being the most recognizable in the west caused a long-standing misconception that the Madou Monogatari series as a whole had a much darker tone compared to Puyo Puyo, when in reality they're more or less the same. Overall, I've always been interested in how part of this series' identity comes from having to deduce how much damage you've dealt or received instead of being given an exact value. Makes battles feel more natural, in a way. But I can also understand that this exact mechanic has made the language barrier even more of an issue before we got any fan translations.
Yes you are correct. I don't think she's supposed to be literally a little kid in Puyo Puyo. But she definitely looks... different on the PC-98 cover. "That's not Arle!" I was told by a casual Puyo Puyo player. Thanks for watching.
I think of the best parts about going back to games that were released in the 80s and 90s is that this is the first generation of video games. There is so much experimentation and risk taking, and there are no real rules that have been invented yet, per se. Video games were a child of the 80s and it's fun to go back to see those aesthetics play out now that we know how things turned out. In the first generation, a player could randomly lose a yellow orb, for no particular reason, and you weren't sure whether that was a bug in the game or whether the game was punishing you for doing something naughty. These days, rules exist as far as punishing players by removing items that they have and giving no explanation whatsoever about why it happened. Poorly designed game mechanics are at least better documented. In that first generation, it was the wild west and everyone was making it up as they went along.
Oh cool! I didn't know about the MM123 PC-98 translation hack. Looks like for once I might want to skip the spoiler section of a PC-98 Paradise video since I do want to play that myself.
The BEEP whine only really happens if the system doesn't have a bit of low pass filtering, which your A-Mate seems to be like. It also shouldn't be audible if played through an actual beeper, which older machines had. The G8XZU card on my Valuestar does apply a lowpass filter and there's no audible whine. FM audio can alternatively be fixed by updating the FPLAY driver to Puyo 2's version, but this only works up to a certain CPU speed: it's effective on my Pentium MMX 166 even when overclocked, but only partially on the K6-2 533 upgrade.
Wow, that's a lot of info! You're right! It sounds like the high pitched whistling is not there in the Project EGG version of the game. (Though it still sounds terrible to me. I'm not too interested in improving BEEP sound quality, to be honest.) I would have assumed Puyo 2's driver wouldn't work at all since it seems to use the 86's PCM for the voices (or that's what it says in the manual anyway). But that's really interesting that it works. Will definitely have to look into that if I ever do other Compile games that use the BEEP channel. Thanks.
@@BasementBrothers Compile separated audio related TSRs into multiple smaller ones. FPLAY and BPLAY handle music on FM cards and the beeper respectively, while BSAMP plays samples on BEEP (SSG in Madou ARS too). Puyo 2 introduced two more, one that plays music on OPL3 on Sound Blasters, and one for 86PCM sampling, though I think it also supports Sound Blaster DMA. I don't remember their names off the top of my head sadly.
it seems madou monogatari has been getting a little more attention on the western side these days! i wasn't expecting a whole video focused on 1-2-3. that's nice. nice video! i hope you cover ARS too, and help showcase it to more people! so far it doesn't have a fan translation asides the game gear port of A, but i heard the team behind the fan translation of 1-2-3 is gonna do one for ARS, i think...
Have the MSX2 version of this one CIB, but have yet to really play around with it much -- I should definitely remedy that, as everything about this game seems right up my alley! (Also, I can't get Try Out out of my head; it's such an incredible earworm!) I also own an R-18 dungeon crawler by Fairytale that was clearly heavily inspired by this game and seemingly does a rather nice job of aping everything it did well (including having really well-done cutscenes and great music!), but also adding naughty bits for those who are into that sort of thing -- it's called Mai Mai. I don't foresee you reviewing R-18 games on this show at any point, but if the spirit should ever move you to do so, it might be a good choice, as it also is multi-platform and has releases on both the PC-88 and PC-98. If nothing else, it might be worth checking out should you ever find yourself in the mood for more cutesy Madou Monogatari-style dungeon-crawler action (as long as you don't mind a little extra spice!). As with MM itself, I have yet to play through this one, but I hear tell from a number of friends of mine who have that it really is surprisingly quite good, and I can definitely believe it from the floor and a half or so that I played through as a sample (roughly the same as what I played through of MM at this point).
Now I knew where I heard Epson made PC-98 machines. They made the PCs for the Sodick machines you find everywhere in factories. they had 24khz monitors but I never put two and two together until now.
I ran a Sodick with a PC9801 UV installed in it. Looking at the maintenance manual, and the did use Epsons as well. The machine was made 1991 and assembled in Thailand.
Lots of elements in this game give me Megami Tensei vibes and it feels from watching this that this game is parodying them. These things include: *A boss that's a fly/flea represented by a speck on the screen *Final boss is literally the devil *Fighting a minotaur with a giant axe *Having to socket 3 gems to fight a boss at the end of the game *The extremely simplistic UI seems like a parody of the overly complex mechanics like moon phases
Hmm. Were those things even in the pre-1992 Megami Tensei games? I have to wonder if Madou Monogatari actually did all those things first in the 1990 MSX version of Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 (or even Episode 2 Carbuncle in 1989).
@@BasementBrothers Yes, all of those are in Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei from 1987. The moon phases in particular are annoying because the game never tells you what they do.
I used to play 2 on an old 98DS2, I love the melodies, even though I only heard them through the speaker included with the computer, but to me it didn't sound bad at all.
Thank you so much for covering these games i had no idea existed. It's been fun watching all these videos. I enjoy your work and hope there are many more rpgs to cover!
I appreciate you making videos of your Japanese games. I'd never know that any of these existed otherwise. While I'll never play them, learning about them is quite enjoyable.
Hey, I just suggested this a couple videos ago! Coincidence or quick turnaround? I don't know but I'm not gonna question it! You are awesome as always. Was always confused if this was a single game titled "1-2-3" or if this was the first three entries in the series. Turns out, it's kinda both.
Thank you for the work done, I absolutely love this series that I discovered only a few years ago but I learned a lot of things thanks to this video. I finished the PC-Engine version and the first episode on PC-98, I am currently finishing the second. On the other hand, I never liked Puyo Puyo and after having them as enemies in Monogatari, I hate them even more.
Yeah, also in Puyo Puyo 2 for some consoles (like PS1) if you play the "通" mode (not the main arcade mode) Satan in his intro pulls off his clothes and reveals that underneath he is Santa. I couldn't stop laughing.
Epson has a habit of doing the whole "only other" thing. They were also the only other company to use the MCGA video standard in a PC other than IBM. They also made external ZIP drives, those Epson external ZIP drives are actually beige instead of purple so they actually match 90% of 80s and 90s PCs
I take it Compile never explained how Schezo could come back from being nothing more than a decapitated head, did they? I guess they just pretend the "more adult" elements of the PC-98 versions never happened.
That or it might be that he really dies in Madou Monogatari 2. The only other Madou Monogatari games he appears in are Madou Monogatari S (which is a prequel) and "Madou Monogatari: Tower of the Magician" (which isn't really clear about when it takes place I guess). Then again, if he can survive as just a head, then who's to say what he can't survive? :)
@@BasementBrothers The continuity in Madou Monogatari/Puyo Puyo games is pretty difficult to ascertain, especially when you mix in some of the Sega Saturn games, like "Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon" (Which gameplay wise is really closer to a Madou Monogatari as a roguelike) or the Sega Saturn "Madou Monogatari" that is more like a tradtiional FF-esque JRPG (Where Schezo dies again in a completely different context and tone.). The newer Sorcery Saga games also throw a monkey wrench in things as they were made with a new set of characters outside of Sega's post-Compile-buyout control of the legacy cast, who have been stuck in Puyo games with Sega-made OCs of which their theoretical appropriateness for a Madou Monogatari-style game dungeon crawler is a mixed bag. But I admit thinking about it that far ahead is definitely overthinking it. I just think it's weird that Compile's killed Schezo off TWICE and then he's just back for whatever the next game is like it never happened. I'm thinking they were doing the "They killed Kenny!" joke before South Park was a thing, there. I imagine if Compile kept going for a while longer there'd be at least one additional Schezo death in the story.
The Puyo Puyo games are not intended to share the same canon with Madou Monogatari, from what I understand. It was definitely originally envisioned as a silly puzzle game side-series to Madou Monogatari (though obviously it grew much bigger than that). But even the canon of Madou Monogatari I don't think is supposed to be taken very seriously. If you look at even the Super Famicom game, it can't possibly be the same canon as the PC-98 games... or even the Game Gear games. Probably best not to nerd out about it as much as I probably am right now.
If you're ever interested in more dungeon rpg-like games, Mai is a great game to check out. I really enjoyed my playthrough of the X68000 version which is essentially the PC-98 version with an upgraded soundtrack.
I had heard about this RPG as the origin of the puyo characters, but didn't know a lot more about it than that! so I appreciate the deep dive into this one. the exp/hp thing not being numbers seems like it'd be more annoying than useful? guess I'd have to play it to be sure.
Numbers are better for sure. The EXP is pretty easy to read, but having to pay attention to what she's saying in battle to tell (roughly) how much HP/MP she has left does indeed sort of suck.
I tried the Mega Drive version on a Genesis flash cart a while ago. It seemed interesting to me because it controls completely different from any rpg or dungeon crawler I know of. And I liked the music.
Correct, @EdmondDantes224. I didn't end up mentioning it in the video, but it shows which direction you are facing. In the PC-98 version you have to buy it at a shop in each episode before you can use it.
I've been wanting to check out Madou for some time though I was never sure if the MSX, PC-98 or GG versions were the best ones. It's a shame that the PCE and MD only ever got episode 1 as well (and for that matter, than only A was remade for the GG)
Apparently a few years ago Compile Heart was interested in making Madou Monogatari 4. I only know this because it was mentioned alongside what would become Touhou Spell Carnival (Touhou TRPG with real time bullet hell, people say it's sort of like Knights in the Nightmare but you can Graze through the projectiles at a cost of Action Points).
As soon as they're making Skeleton T without any tea ya can tell maybe the change in art style didn't feel right! Still seems like it kept a relatively lighthearted tone despite that, frostbite and melty faces.
As someone who only knows Arle from the Puyo Puyo series this first outing (and second and third) was... a lot! Making a six-year old bear witness to her friends and teacher melting and then have it all smiled and waved off because it was just an illusion, followed by Schezy getting actually killed without much fanfare and Satan being so much easier to tolerate when he's just in one game... it's a very peculiar experience. But I also didn't know this series is still ongoing- do the new games acknowledge Arle at all, or was the whole "Puyo"-era bought out by SEGA and thus theirs forever?
I just love the cute aesthetics of Japanese games from that time. I'd like to imagine I would definitely have gotten this game if I had lived in Japan at the time.
Madou Monogatari feels so wrong without the original monsters / characters that got snagged by SEGA separately as part of the Puyo Puyo IP from the Madou Monogatari IP, snagged by D4 Enterprise... How could these two count as 2 separate IPs to be bought anyway!? Madou Monogatari doesn't mean much as a series without its characters outside of the old games and mechanics that Compile Heart doesn't reuse! I'm happy to see that Compile Heart managed to also get some license to use the Puyo Puyo characters especially Carbuncle. Though can't help it to feel that Fia is "Arle at home"...
I've heard of Puyo Puyo, but never this series. Given the lack of English versions, I guess that's not too shocking, but if they're still releasing new ones today, it kind of is! Really fascinating that there are so many games in this world that I never knew about.
They aren't. :( Their properties are owned by Sega, and there is sort of a separate "spiritual successor" brand called "Compile Heart", but Compile is definitely gone.
Interestingly, I've come across this idea that a lot of story developers in Japan look at Satan specifically as what might be considered an obstacle, or maybe it's something similar to a rite of passage as a kind of cultural accusation that one is not capable of passing the rite or a general call to judgment.
@@BasementBrothers I'm sad to hear that. I would go game hunting in Tokyo but then I would mostly search for Mega Drive which I guess had a larger circulation. Thanks for the reply. Love the videos.
Between this and Wizardry 7's PS2 port getting English patches, Japanese dungeon crawler fans are eating good. I would never have guessed Puyo Puyo got its origins as a dungeon crawler! That certainly explains the fantasy characters and monsters for its cast. Heck, in a way it helps cement the idea of a puzzle-fighter game (at least in setting lore) since the earliest days of puzzle games. The fact that the main character uses phrases to describe her current HP and MP levels reminds me a lot of an idea they had for Pokemon in its earliest stages of development. Not displaying numeric health or a health meter, but instead using phrases like "that hurt" or "that really hurt", etc. So, maybe they got the idea from Madou Monogatari? On that note, wonder if this helped inspire the original Phantasy Star and its own first-person dungeon crawling. Hmm. When did that one come out...? Speaking of RPG mechanics. I kinda like the idea of how one uses the Warp spell to access different parts of floors. It reminds me less of MALOR from Wizardry, and more like the Ladder Down / Up spells from classic Ultima. Though personally, I'm glad there's no chance of being obliterated by warping into solid stone, unlike in Wizardry... It amuses me how the main character just has the same happy expression, despite what she's saying in-game. "*punch birb* :D" and "screw you Satan :D" come to mind. Though I've gotta say, that gruesome illusion for the final battle of MM 1 sure had me going in the first half, not gonna lie. :x
"You know what that means!
Actually, you probably don't know what that means."
That joke genuinely made me laugh.
Flea just being a dot with an arrow pointing to him I always found to be a funny gag. I love the box art for these games.
Genuinely surprised that so many versions of this game have fan translations, that's always really nice to see.
It makes sense when the games are so different in both story and mechanics. (And also if the fanbase is large enough.)
If anything it makes me disappointed that there isn't a comparable set of fan translations for, say, the different versions of Popful Mail or Exile/XYZ. Also, PC-98 Policenauts really should have been favored for a translation over the Sega Saturn version...
The problem with doing a fan translation on PC-98 I discussed in my Policenauts video. It doesn't have a mode that has both text onscreen AND the voices at the same time, thus translating the PC-98 version would be a major project that would require serious reprogramming of the game rather than a simple text swap. The reason why the Saturn and PS1 versions have translations is because the text just needed to be replaced. (Not to undermine the huge amount of work both those translations also took, though, of course.) I would expect to sooner see a 3DO English patch for Policenauts than PC-98.
@@BasementBrothers I'm taking it that fan translations on the PC-98 are a generally difficult task compared to even 16-bit consoles? It makes me think of how the ROM hacking scene literally just gave up translating key Famicom Disk System games because the technical hurdles were just too severe. Really set back Famicom Detective Club for a while.
I guess I could do with a 3DO translation. That is another system with a lot of interesting novelty Japan-only releases. The two that imprinted in my head as titles that should get some attention are that Wrestling game that actually somewhat simulates Kayfabe and the Wacky Races -based game with the FMV cartoons and the weird adventure game elements.
No, PC-98 translations are not particularly difficult. If anything, they generally tend to be a little easier to hack than console games actually.
PC-98 Policenauts has a special reason why it can't be translated, as I explained above: The voices don't play simultaneously with the text in the original Japanese version of the game, so there's no easy way to subtitle it... unless you're OK with a silent English version of the game without the Japanese voices.
At this point I'm surprised if there's a mega drive or super famicom game that doesn't have a fan translation
24:35
I would only add that, owing to the sampling, this game is proudly labeled "Magical Voice Role Playing Game." And the style of indicating stats without the use of numbers is officially called the "Fuzzy Parameter System" (ファジィ・パラメータ・システム). Two excellent phrases. ❤
Thank you for this one. And as always, I'm looking forward to the next. ❤
Thanks for covering this! Game is an absolute blast, and so happy I had to opportunity to release a English Translation for it.
Thanks for all your hard work contributing to the English PC-98 fan community!
I've only ever played and beaten the PC Engine version, and despite not being a huge fan of dungeon crawlers, I loved it! The cute/funny/interesting characters and easy-to-use interface made it appealing enough for me to try, and soon enough I found myself hooked, and was unable to bring myself to abandon little Arle in that tower without helping her get all the way through it.
" _It's Satan!_ "
Yeah that checks out.
" _OH MY GOD IT'S A-ANOTHER ONE. IT'S ANOTHER SATANS. THERE'S TWO SATANS?! THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE..._ "
:D
Always thought that the Puyo Puyo games had an unusually in-depth backstory for a puzzle game.
The FDS Puyo Puyo game was actually released through Famimaga Disk, btw, as the fifth volume of that series. Also I actually liked the MD Madou Monogatari I, so much, that I used Arle's status pic from that version in my pen storage can that I designed.
Ahhhh i want to hug you, I've been waiting for a video about Madou Monogatari so much, to me the puyo franchise was so much better when compile made them, even though I love the sega era, compile is where I feel at home.
You've really bumped up the production rate of late, appreciate it 👍
Hi there. My wife recently passed away, and your joke about "the best game I ever played" was the first time I've been able to laugh since then. Thank you for that.
I've always liked the idea of Madou Monogatari, but only got a little bit into the Genesis remake of the first game. It seems like a really charming series though, and the world would be a much better place if more people played Wizardry clones like this.
That's a fun background of the Puyo Puyo games that I was unaware of as a casual fan of the puzzle games.
Big Puyo fan and really excited about you covering these!! They just did a huge porting job of pretty much all of them for pcs on Project EGG recently which is super cool!
That amazes me as I had heard there was some sort of rights dispute keeping these games from getting re-released.
@@EdmondDantes224 it was last year! the current puyo director at sega is actually willing to negotiate and help out compile with the series being separate more recently! theres a bunch of madou art in the art book which is really neat. I actually only learned of the Project EGG stuff from him retweeting news articles haha He's a chill dude trying his best under corporate overlords and demanding gacha players 😂 The Project EGG pages have Sega and D4(who bought compile's ips) copyrights on em.
i personally had no idea compile was still releasing titles under Madou Monogatari tho! (tho no relation to the now sega owned side tho, definitely a full reboot)
Arle’s face at 6:17 cracks me up to no end.
“Sorry, little girl, Magic Kindergarten takes no prisoners. It’s all very much pass-fail. Enjoy your time in the dungeon! … …. yes we’re responsible adults.”
I played a bit of the pc engine and mega drive versions, I guess they’re fine in the sound department and you have the easy console setup
I've known Madou Monogatari for quite a while but I've never found that many reviews about these games.
Thank you for reviewing this, and I've heard that the Saturn game is really good.
Nice, I was wondering if you were considering this one since the battle with Schezo is pretty infamous. Guess he doesn't have such a good head on his shoulders.
Thank you for covering this gem of a drpg series. As a Madou and Puyo fan, I greatly wish whatever compile heart is doing with Madou 4 was closer to the originals. Honestly, I was wondering when you'd cover these games.
hell yes finally a video on the PC 98 versions of these game. I am a huge puyo puyo fan so seeing these is great. I own the game gear versions of these games (sadly my game gear is getting repaired so I can't play 2 or 3 just yet). the first game is very fun and the game gear version is more similar to the MSX version in terms of graphics. it's nice to see this version in motion as for ages the only images I had access to was the ending to the first madou monogatari.
Loved the video. Hopefully the ARS episode will follow!! Love your content
You boys be quiet down there!
I wonder why he stopped doing that opening?
Huzzah! A new PC-98 paradise, perfect for a Sunday
I'd definitely watch a Disk Station series. Disk Station Discussion?
Lovely vid as usual! Especiallly with the historical value that puyo puyo has
Sunday evening with Mr.Jakes discussing something I’ve never heard of? Can’t think of a better way to spend it.
Also, where’s the “You boys be quiet down there” intro been?
A new basement brothers vid? On a series I've long been curious about? What a perfect end to my weekend :)
That packaging is totally gorgeous!! Also ur delivery @ 8:53 made me snort aloud alone in my kitchen lol
I remember that years ago the only translated game in the series was the game gear port of the first game. Now a days it feels like almost all the ports of Madou Monogatari 1 are translated and that's awesome, Sadly the PC engine ports of 2 and 3 were canceled (apparently).
Man, always great when I get a notification that a new Basement Bros is uploaded on a Sunday evening. Days winding down and it’s the best way to chill.
The Turbografx CD version of Madou 1 is so cute and polished, that's my favorite. But love to see any Madous covered in a vid, thank you!
I hear Mr Jakes and I upvote, it's as simple as that
"Would you like to have tea with me?"
"No, I would rather *kill and eat you!"*
You weren't kidding. That got real dark, real fast.
I've been waiting for this for a while. I love Puyo and was always mystified by the Madou series, so it feels good to see you cover it
I’ve only played the SNES reimagining, and really liked it a lot, especially since it wasn’t strictly a dungeon crawler. Kinda surprised there hasn’t been a compilation of sorts, even though Sega owns it all.
And hey, Patreon requests? Someday, Sex 2, someday!
(no not really)
I love dungeon crawlers and these games look like fun. I hope the Nintendo Switch starts adding PC-98 games to the store.
Wouldn't be surprised if Project EGG / EGG Console would release some down the line.
Not yet but we are getting a new Madou game soon
@@YuggeToo bad those aren’t in English.
Everyone loves FuFuFu. These games actually look like a nice bit of casual dungeon crawling fun, but some of the themes/moments are a tad bit grim lol.
I remember once hearing the name Satan means the adversary.
Thank you for covering.
SNES spinoff was my first intro Puyo Puyo, even before the Puyo puzzle games.
Minor correction: Puyo Puyo features teen Arle, not kid Arle.
An interesting tidbit from the PC-98 version is that the decision to make the graphics more mature was made simply because the developers thought that's what PC-98 users preferred. Unfortunately, this version being the most recognizable in the west caused a long-standing misconception that the Madou Monogatari series as a whole had a much darker tone compared to Puyo Puyo, when in reality they're more or less the same.
Overall, I've always been interested in how part of this series' identity comes from having to deduce how much damage you've dealt or received instead of being given an exact value. Makes battles feel more natural, in a way. But I can also understand that this exact mechanic has made the language barrier even more of an issue before we got any fan translations.
Yes you are correct. I don't think she's supposed to be literally a little kid in Puyo Puyo. But she definitely looks... different on the PC-98 cover. "That's not Arle!" I was told by a casual Puyo Puyo player. Thanks for watching.
Easily one of the best channels on yt. Keep it up gents
I think of the best parts about going back to games that were released in the 80s and 90s is that this is the first generation of video games. There is so much experimentation and risk taking, and there are no real rules that have been invented yet, per se. Video games were a child of the 80s and it's fun to go back to see those aesthetics play out now that we know how things turned out. In the first generation, a player could randomly lose a yellow orb, for no particular reason, and you weren't sure whether that was a bug in the game or whether the game was punishing you for doing something naughty. These days, rules exist as far as punishing players by removing items that they have and giving no explanation whatsoever about why it happened. Poorly designed game mechanics are at least better documented. In that first generation, it was the wild west and everyone was making it up as they went along.
Oh cool! I didn't know about the MM123 PC-98 translation hack. Looks like for once I might want to skip the spoiler section of a PC-98 Paradise video since I do want to play that myself.
Underground Lair from episode 2 is a banger
The BEEP whine only really happens if the system doesn't have a bit of low pass filtering, which your A-Mate seems to be like. It also shouldn't be audible if played through an actual beeper, which older machines had. The G8XZU card on my Valuestar does apply a lowpass filter and there's no audible whine. FM audio can alternatively be fixed by updating the FPLAY driver to Puyo 2's version, but this only works up to a certain CPU speed: it's effective on my Pentium MMX 166 even when overclocked, but only partially on the K6-2 533 upgrade.
Wow, that's a lot of info! You're right! It sounds like the high pitched whistling is not there in the Project EGG version of the game. (Though it still sounds terrible to me. I'm not too interested in improving BEEP sound quality, to be honest.)
I would have assumed Puyo 2's driver wouldn't work at all since it seems to use the 86's PCM for the voices (or that's what it says in the manual anyway). But that's really interesting that it works. Will definitely have to look into that if I ever do other Compile games that use the BEEP channel. Thanks.
@@BasementBrothers Compile separated audio related TSRs into multiple smaller ones. FPLAY and BPLAY handle music on FM cards and the beeper respectively, while BSAMP plays samples on BEEP (SSG in Madou ARS too). Puyo 2 introduced two more, one that plays music on OPL3 on Sound Blasters, and one for 86PCM sampling, though I think it also supports Sound Blaster DMA. I don't remember their names off the top of my head sadly.
Awesome! Guess when I do ARS I have SSG voices to look forward to.
it seems madou monogatari has been getting a little more attention on the western side these days! i wasn't expecting a whole video focused on 1-2-3. that's nice.
nice video! i hope you cover ARS too, and help showcase it to more people! so far it doesn't have a fan translation asides the game gear port of A, but i heard the team behind the fan translation of 1-2-3 is gonna do one for ARS, i think...
Have the MSX2 version of this one CIB, but have yet to really play around with it much -- I should definitely remedy that, as everything about this game seems right up my alley! (Also, I can't get Try Out out of my head; it's such an incredible earworm!)
I also own an R-18 dungeon crawler by Fairytale that was clearly heavily inspired by this game and seemingly does a rather nice job of aping everything it did well (including having really well-done cutscenes and great music!), but also adding naughty bits for those who are into that sort of thing -- it's called Mai Mai. I don't foresee you reviewing R-18 games on this show at any point, but if the spirit should ever move you to do so, it might be a good choice, as it also is multi-platform and has releases on both the PC-88 and PC-98. If nothing else, it might be worth checking out should you ever find yourself in the mood for more cutesy Madou Monogatari-style dungeon-crawler action (as long as you don't mind a little extra spice!). As with MM itself, I have yet to play through this one, but I hear tell from a number of friends of mine who have that it really is surprisingly quite good, and I can definitely believe it from the floor and a half or so that I played through as a sample (roughly the same as what I played through of MM at this point).
Now I knew where I heard Epson made PC-98 machines. They made the PCs for the Sodick machines you find everywhere in factories. they had 24khz monitors but I never put two and two together until now.
I ran a Sodick with a PC9801 UV installed in it. Looking at the maintenance manual, and the did use Epsons as well. The machine was made 1991 and assembled in Thailand.
Lots of elements in this game give me Megami Tensei vibes and it feels from watching this that this game is parodying them. These things include:
*A boss that's a fly/flea represented by a speck on the screen
*Final boss is literally the devil
*Fighting a minotaur with a giant axe
*Having to socket 3 gems to fight a boss at the end of the game
*The extremely simplistic UI seems like a parody of the overly complex mechanics like moon phases
Hmm. Were those things even in the pre-1992 Megami Tensei games? I have to wonder if Madou Monogatari actually did all those things first in the 1990 MSX version of Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 (or even Episode 2 Carbuncle in 1989).
@@BasementBrothers Yes, all of those are in Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei from 1987. The moon phases in particular are annoying because the game never tells you what they do.
Cool. TIL.
I used to play 2 on an old 98DS2, I love the melodies, even though I only heard them through the speaker included with the computer, but to me it didn't sound bad at all.
Thank you so much for covering these games i had no idea existed. It's been fun watching all these videos. I enjoy your work and hope there are many more rpgs to cover!
Thank you for making this video, I love Puyo Puyo! 👍
Have you ever thought about making a video on EVE Burst Error?
Yes, I have definitely thought about it. I own the game too!
@@BasementBrothersYou should! I've been curious about that game ever since I first listened to the soundtrack.
I appreciate you making videos of your Japanese games. I'd never know that any of these existed otherwise. While I'll never play them, learning about them is quite enjoyable.
There's also lots more madou monogatari on compile's Disk Station. A couple of those episodes were kino.
Hey, I just suggested this a couple videos ago! Coincidence or quick turnaround? I don't know but I'm not gonna question it! You are awesome as always.
Was always confused if this was a single game titled "1-2-3" or if this was the first three entries in the series. Turns out, it's kinda both.
It was a request from a patron. I gave some more detailed info at that during the final outro of the video... which I'm guessing most people skip.
@@BasementBrothers I made the comment before that was said and just didn't go back and correct it.
The music for theses games are so good.
Madou Monogatari needs to have a comeback!
Man, I really love your videos. Can't wait for the next one.
Thank you for the work done, I absolutely love this series that I discovered only a few years ago but I learned a lot of things thanks to this video. I finished the PC-Engine version and the first episode on PC-98, I am currently finishing the second. On the other hand, I never liked Puyo Puyo and after having them as enemies in Monogatari, I hate them even more.
Batankyuh to you too. I've played these last year on a gg emu. Had a fun time.
Also, Arle calling Satan "Santa" in puyopuyo made me crack.
Yeah, also in Puyo Puyo 2 for some consoles (like PS1) if you play the "通" mode (not the main arcade mode) Satan in his intro pulls off his clothes and reveals that underneath he is Santa. I couldn't stop laughing.
@@BasementBrothers Glorious.
My favorite PC-98 games! Some of the best art on the system imo
Epson has a habit of doing the whole "only other" thing. They were also the only other company to use the MCGA video standard in a PC other than IBM. They also made external ZIP drives, those Epson external ZIP drives are actually beige instead of purple so they actually match 90% of 80s and 90s PCs
Hell yes! What started it all! This video whips.
Puyo Puyo Tetris was one of the first games I played on my Switch back in 2017. Very addictive
I take it Compile never explained how Schezo could come back from being nothing more than a decapitated head, did they? I guess they just pretend the "more adult" elements of the PC-98 versions never happened.
That or it might be that he really dies in Madou Monogatari 2. The only other Madou Monogatari games he appears in are Madou Monogatari S (which is a prequel) and "Madou Monogatari: Tower of the Magician" (which isn't really clear about when it takes place I guess).
Then again, if he can survive as just a head, then who's to say what he can't survive? :)
@@BasementBrothers The continuity in Madou Monogatari/Puyo Puyo games is pretty difficult to ascertain, especially when you mix in some of the Sega Saturn games, like "Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon" (Which gameplay wise is really closer to a Madou Monogatari as a roguelike) or the Sega Saturn "Madou Monogatari" that is more like a tradtiional FF-esque JRPG (Where Schezo dies again in a completely different context and tone.). The newer Sorcery Saga games also throw a monkey wrench in things as they were made with a new set of characters outside of Sega's post-Compile-buyout control of the legacy cast, who have been stuck in Puyo games with Sega-made OCs of which their theoretical appropriateness for a Madou Monogatari-style game dungeon crawler is a mixed bag.
But I admit thinking about it that far ahead is definitely overthinking it. I just think it's weird that Compile's killed Schezo off TWICE and then he's just back for whatever the next game is like it never happened. I'm thinking they were doing the "They killed Kenny!" joke before South Park was a thing, there. I imagine if Compile kept going for a while longer there'd be at least one additional Schezo death in the story.
The Puyo Puyo games are not intended to share the same canon with Madou Monogatari, from what I understand. It was definitely originally envisioned as a silly puzzle game side-series to Madou Monogatari (though obviously it grew much bigger than that).
But even the canon of Madou Monogatari I don't think is supposed to be taken very seriously. If you look at even the Super Famicom game, it can't possibly be the same canon as the PC-98 games... or even the Game Gear games. Probably best not to nerd out about it as much as I probably am right now.
I love that werewolf enemy, he looks like she caught him while he was running laps.
Crazy that this series went on to crossover with Tetris lmao
This is fantastic! Great Stuff, as always!
That was excellent! I’ve got a copy on the Megadrive Mini, but I haven’t played it through yet. Looks like it’s time!
14:38 Good heavens
If you're ever interested in more dungeon rpg-like games, Mai is a great game to check out. I really enjoyed my playthrough of the X68000 version which is essentially the PC-98 version with an upgraded soundtrack.
The original Arle looks like the Western box art version of herself.
I had heard about this RPG as the origin of the puyo characters, but didn't know a lot more about it than that! so I appreciate the deep dive into this one. the exp/hp thing not being numbers seems like it'd be more annoying than useful? guess I'd have to play it to be sure.
Numbers are better for sure. The EXP is pretty easy to read, but having to pay attention to what she's saying in battle to tell (roughly) how much HP/MP she has left does indeed sort of suck.
I tried the Mega Drive version on a Genesis flash cart a while ago. It seemed interesting to me because it controls completely different from any rpg or dungeon crawler I know of. And I liked the music.
I've been thinking it's been a while since I watch BB videos and lo and behold a new one Appeared 😂
IVE BEEN WANTING THIS FOREVER
The more i watch old box games, the more i am depressed how much we lost going full digital.
Much love for this series !
Anyone know what the blue gem in the center of the screen was for? It looked like it rotated and in some screens.
My guess would be its meant to be a compass.
Correct, @EdmondDantes224. I didn't end up mentioning it in the video, but it shows which direction you are facing. In the PC-98 version you have to buy it at a shop in each episode before you can use it.
You boys be marrying Satan down there?
love the old art covers.
I've been wanting to check out Madou for some time though I was never sure if the MSX, PC-98 or GG versions were the best ones. It's a shame that the PCE and MD only ever got episode 1 as well (and for that matter, than only A was remade for the GG)
Fantastic video...i wasnt aware of the game gear games :O
Apparently a few years ago Compile Heart was interested in making Madou Monogatari 4. I only know this because it was mentioned alongside what would become Touhou Spell Carnival (Touhou TRPG with real time bullet hell, people say it's sort of like Knights in the Nightmare but you can Graze through the projectiles at a cost of Action Points).
I'm awful at Puyo Puyo, so any way I can enjoy these characters without repeatedly failing on the same puzzle is fine by me!
Maybe "Enter" is cancel because it's actually the "Return" key...
As soon as they're making Skeleton T without any tea ya can tell maybe the change in art style didn't feel right! Still seems like it kept a relatively lighthearted tone despite that, frostbite and melty faces.
As someone who only knows Arle from the Puyo Puyo series this first outing (and second and third) was... a lot! Making a six-year old bear witness to her friends and teacher melting and then have it all smiled and waved off because it was just an illusion, followed by Schezy getting actually killed without much fanfare and Satan being so much easier to tolerate when he's just in one game... it's a very peculiar experience. But I also didn't know this series is still ongoing- do the new games acknowledge Arle at all, or was the whole "Puyo"-era bought out by SEGA and thus theirs forever?
I just love the cute aesthetics of Japanese games from that time. I'd like to imagine I would definitely have gotten this game if I had lived in Japan at the time.
Great video
Madou Monogatari feels so wrong without the original monsters / characters that got snagged by SEGA separately as part of the Puyo Puyo IP from the Madou Monogatari IP, snagged by D4 Enterprise... How could these two count as 2 separate IPs to be bought anyway!? Madou Monogatari doesn't mean much as a series without its characters outside of the old games and mechanics that Compile Heart doesn't reuse!
I'm happy to see that Compile Heart managed to also get some license to use the Puyo Puyo characters especially Carbuncle. Though can't help it to feel that Fia is "Arle at home"...
I've heard of Puyo Puyo, but never this series. Given the lack of English versions, I guess that's not too shocking, but if they're still releasing new ones today, it kind of is! Really fascinating that there are so many games in this world that I never knew about.
Another vote for disk station series
I thought Compile ain't no more. I wish Compile came out with a nice Golvellius 3 sequel.
They aren't. :( Their properties are owned by Sega, and there is sort of a separate "spiritual successor" brand called "Compile Heart", but Compile is definitely gone.
Oh, I've been really interested in playing it, but I didn't know the PC98 version had an English patch.
Since we are talking about compile, could you review the little tetris variation that could, also known as Flash Point?
Interestingly, I've come across this idea that a lot of story developers in Japan look at Satan specifically as what might be considered an obstacle, or maybe it's something similar to a rite of passage as a kind of cultural accusation that one is not capable of passing the rite or a general call to judgment.
Now I kinda hope you cover the Aleste series, if you haven't already.
When will we get a video of you game hunting? That would be amazing. Maybe combo it up with your favorite japanese fast food?
I seldom actually find anything worth buying in the wild anymore. PC-98 game hunting is pretty much all online.
@@BasementBrothers I'm sad to hear that. I would go game hunting in Tokyo but then I would mostly search for Mega Drive which I guess had a larger circulation. Thanks for the reply. Love the videos.
Between this and Wizardry 7's PS2 port getting English patches, Japanese dungeon crawler fans are eating good. I would never have guessed Puyo Puyo got its origins as a dungeon crawler! That certainly explains the fantasy characters and monsters for its cast. Heck, in a way it helps cement the idea of a puzzle-fighter game (at least in setting lore) since the earliest days of puzzle games.
The fact that the main character uses phrases to describe her current HP and MP levels reminds me a lot of an idea they had for Pokemon in its earliest stages of development. Not displaying numeric health or a health meter, but instead using phrases like "that hurt" or "that really hurt", etc. So, maybe they got the idea from Madou Monogatari?
On that note, wonder if this helped inspire the original Phantasy Star and its own first-person dungeon crawling. Hmm. When did that one come out...?
Speaking of RPG mechanics. I kinda like the idea of how one uses the Warp spell to access different parts of floors. It reminds me less of MALOR from Wizardry, and more like the Ladder Down / Up spells from classic Ultima. Though personally, I'm glad there's no chance of being obliterated by warping into solid stone, unlike in Wizardry...
It amuses me how the main character just has the same happy expression, despite what she's saying in-game. "*punch birb* :D" and "screw you Satan :D" come to mind.
Though I've gotta say, that gruesome illusion for the final battle of MM 1 sure had me going in the first half, not gonna lie. :x
Phantasy Star 1 is much older. 1987! And few games ever managed to make a 2D first-person dungeon crawler look as good.
@@BasementBrothers Duly noted! Either way, making a more accessible first-person dungeon is always welcome in JRPGs.