I don’t know if you worked out by the time you played all the ports, but if you press the button in mid-air it will halt your ascent, then if you tap the button it controls your descent. If you hold up he flies up higher. All this is essential for playing Bomb Jack effectively, but it’s not obvious if you just pick up and play.
i remember playing this game in a local arcade near my home with my older brother i was 7 or 8 yo, i forgot the name of this game for so many years, i miss those days thanks.
Christopher Sobieniak it's cool, we are all here for the same thing which is nostalgia. Even this vid with all the sounds reminds me of going to the arcade and playing games til like 5 in the morning at home during a summer with my family
Great game! Played it a bunch in the arcade back in the day. Bomb Jack and Rygar were the main reasons I bought Tecmo Classic Arcade for the original Xbox.
The Amstrad version holds a special place in my heart as it's the second video game I ever played. Also probably one of the better versions for children of my age at the time to get started with. Funny how I got into games; My first game was Space Invaders on the Atari 2600 which I didn't mind playing if the weather didn't allow us to go outside but I wasn't really that into it back then. Second was Bomb Jack which I immediately got better at than all the other children and it made me take an interest in games but I'd still rather play outside. A few years later we were pretty much snowed in for over a week and I got into Metroid. I lived for games after that winter.
My dad would call me dracular because I wouldn't play outside at times. My first computer was a Commodore Plus 4. We used it maybe twice a week. It was fun at the time.
I played a lot on Commodores and Amigas at my friends' houses but I never wanted any kind of computer myself despite the hundreds of disks of games I could get for next to nothing. Always preferred consoles for whatever reason and still do. I do feel nostalgic when I see those old games though.
Yeah, I'm planning on getting a SMS for my birthday this November. (I'm 16, still not too old for wish lists yet), and it does have some good games like Space Harrier and Alex Kidd, but no Bomb Jack?!?!?
I expect you already know about the SG-1000 rom with its header patched to play on Master System, right? Maybe I'll look into at least hacking a better set of colors in. I suspect altering the sprites would be difficult but possible with tools from smspower.org
So much musical copyright infringement with Bomb Jack, The Arcade used the ending theme to the Mrs Pepperpot anime and Lady Madonna from The Beatles, and the Commodore 64 version used Jean Michelle Jarre's Magnetic Fields Part 2.
Yep. Seems you could get away with a lot back then. I have to confess that I was kind of worried the video would be hit with a copyright strike. Luckily it wasn't.
Nah, chip tunes never get flagged, you're safe there. If you're worried about actual real music, slow the song down by 5%, you can barely notice the difference, but it throws off the bots.
Wait, did I heard a chiptune cover of Lady Madonna aside from the Magnetic Fields one? As a Scouser you must be really proud, Mark! (I'm a beatlemaniac, but, stilI, I have a soft spot for another band from the city: The Real Thing). Ah, and nobody asked me, but my fab Japanese band is the Yellow Magic Orchestra
Not many know , but there also was a port for Soviet ZX Spectrum console "Эльф" , called "Коля-Сапёр"(Eng: Nicholas the Minesweeper). It's almost identical to the normal Spectrum version with some minor changes.
@@RetroCore Sort of. But instead of just copying Speccy , they did some work , like putting into the form of NES-like console , and adapting it to 2'button(!) again NES-like gamepads. It was an export-oriented product , and there were plans to sell this console all round the world(Not only East Bloc countries). Before the fall of USSR , there was released 3(or 2. Honestly'im don't remember) carts , containing 4-5 games on each cart. Mostly of them were localized(and a bit reworked) ports of western games , including R-Type and Super Hang-On , but there also was a few original games like "Буратино"(Eng: "Buratino". A some sort of "Pinocchio" adaptation by A.Tolstoy). There also was a plan to release the follow-up console ,based on Amiga hardware , but it never was actually made into life. Also , fun fact: Due to some unknown circumstances , the name of the console "Эльф"("Elf") was misspelled as "Alf" in export variant. When the Union falled , the making of console were stopped , and the factory produced it become private(not state-owned) and ended up bankrupt. Sadly...
The gameplay ideas here make a lot of sense to me when compared to other arcade games. Enemies that change at the bottom and turning them into coins are aspects that could addict me to this game for sure. Its worthy of playing soon.
My mate when I was little got a plus 4 for Christmas one year...I had an C64 and his Dad got it him after believing Commodores crap about it being the C64's successor....he never stopped going on about these plus 4 games that were coming soon that would prove how powerful it was...I had a year of that...him playing c16 games and moaning...he got a C64 the next Christmas.
hahha, oh man. I think that's how I ended up with a Plus 4. Some sales man in Comet (does that place even exist anymore?) told my dad it was a really powerful system and that the Plus 4 stood for four terms of excellence being business, Education, Entertainment and Flexibility. My poor dad fell for it about bought the system/. Still, I did enjoy it until it broke a year later. Our neighbours had an Amstrad CPC and the other had a Vic 20 :)
You know that you are supoposed to press UP and Jump and bombjack will fly to the top of the screen, and you can also tap jump for bombjack to hover and press down for him to go down quicker from a jump. Watching you control him without this was a bit painful for a Bombjack fan. Edit: Ah seems you finally worked it out on the Game Boy version.
I did not know that about pressing up and down to affect jumps. I wonder how many ports knew as much about this game as you, Sid? I was wondering how you get the bombs on the last stage. I hated watching him play this. There was no effort to collect them in order which is what the game really is. Otherwise, who can't collect a load of symbols whilst avoiding enemies, with controls as tight as that anyway. The main thing I noticed is there is no gliding here. Holding down jump will allow him to glide a bit. Some essential gameplay omissions here from Mark.
Yes, you're right. The CPC owners are very proud of our port of Bomb Jack xD. I enjoyed a lot on my childhood, and after that...Very surprised with the number and quality of the unnoficial ports. Does it mean that there is a legion of fans behind this game???? Sure...xD
I best you guys were happy with your Bomb Jack after having so many crappy Speccy ports or really slow unresponsive games. I have to admit that I was quite surprised by how good the CPC version was. The Atari 8 bit version is also impressive for the hardware but for me the MSX2 is just amazing.
Nice round up. I had the Spectrum, C64 and Amiga versions back in the day. I have to say the Spectrum version was the best of the 3. Even now emulated, the Speccy version is superior to play.
Im have just discovered a 2018 version of Bomb Jack unofficial port to the Amiga. Its not arcade perfect in any means, but much more playable. the port is named "bomb jack beer edition"
Loved this game! played a lot on arcades and even more on my beloved C64! it's very strange that there are no sequels or remakes of this game (besides Bomb Jack 2 which is not good)
The music on the loader of the C64 version is just one of the generic music packs included within Novaload, a commercial code supplement that acts as a tape loader; sold as early as 1984.
But it's not a generic music track. That is a track by Canadian electronic group, Trans X. The song is called Living on Video. It was a pretty popular hit back in the 80s.
I have a soft spot for the C64 version, because that's the one I used to play on my cousin's computer. But the Gameboy version does have quite a killer soundtrack! Also, the original arcade port is now available on Switch! I might check it out sometime.
One of those games, I saw in the magazines back at the days. With arcade pictures, I thought it looked fantastic. Saw and played the ports much later and didn't really like the gameplay. Though I must say, it's not bad. Just not for me ;) Can't remember the order I saw/played them, but I would say Spectrum (good port for Speccy), C64 (not so good) and ST (good again)... Now I must try 8-bit Atari remake, C64 remake and Amstrad versions :) I also always liked the Jarre-tune, though I don't listen that kind of music IRL... The music has been implanted to my brain, with a picture of this game ;) P.S. Fantastic video, Mark! I really don't like so much, those more obscure games, with only 2 or 3 versions ;) But of course, they need to be brought up too :)
Ithink Bomb Jack is an acquired taste. The floaty physics sure aren't for everyone. I do suggest trying the arcade original though to get a feel of how the game should be or even the MSX 2 version. I actually like the more obscure games mainly because to me they're not obscure :p I played those games a lot back in the day, hehe. But yeah, I know they're not to everyone's liking so I'll be also covering some of the more common games too. Next week will be a very common game :)
I grew up with the cpc 464 version and loved it also the sequel was quite good too. I believe the famicom version, mighty bombjack is a completely different game though, but still a goood game.
OMG memories. I fondly remember when i was young and i went in all Milan's s bar and pubs, looking for this game. Simple but great gameplay and incredibile reply value. Are you back on "very" classic games? I'll wait for Arkanoid.
Retro Core Japan got lucky with its Vaus controller Arkanoid 2 had one the first's daisy-chained to for Vs. mode. Do imagine the controller for the MSX versions are rarer than the NES one (NES one with loose cart can easily average around $65+US).
The MSX version can be played using the keyboard though, if you don't have the controller. Just to let you know, in case of "My joystick doesn't work!" :D And it's very rare indeed.
I was very disappointed with the Amiga version as it was more than capable of an arcade perfect port (albeit with the obligatory up to jump). There was a fan made version called the Beer edition which does show what the Amiga could have done with the right coders and not relying on an ST port.
The Amiga had a new version recently (Bomb Jack Beer Edition) : ua-cam.com/video/JzHkw_qEr5g/v-deo.html also the C64 has / gets a new one (Bomb Jack DX) : ua-cam.com/video/n3AFJMYsfEI/v-deo.html
Yeah I wish there was. Mighty bomb jack just doesn't feel like a sequel, even with the original bomb jack levels thrown in at the end of every round. The arcade music is missing. That and Jack's sprite looks kind of off due to the fact each sprite can only have 3 colors. Because of that his skin looks pale AF, not the "Caucasian" skin tone he had in the original. That and he's smaller. They thankfully fixed that for his guest appearance in Tecmo Bowl.
No way, I made a Bomb Jack vid on the ZX Spectrum version the other day! UA-cam immediately flagged it as not suitable for all advertisers, I guess coz of the word 'Bomb' in the title :/
Funny thing is, Mark, the ST version can also output the music to a MIDI device via the built-in MIDI ports. Not sure which synths or devices sound best.
One of the real classics I just can't 'get' this one...it's the flap mechanic...it's hard work, on a cab it's not so bad but it wasn't designed for a pad.
MSX2 port by far and Java are the best. Japan had some nice home computers, MSX2 and then the Sharp X68000 and we had shoddily made games Bomb Jack should have been arcade perfect on the superior 16 bit hardware of the ST and Amiga.
Are cartridges of the Game Boy version rare? I think I've only ever seen the thing on pirated multicarts. That said, I have been addicted to its music since playing it lol
Had this on my Speccy was all right. How do you do the mobile Java stuff, emulated or actual hardware? if emulated how? This game does have some interesting history with its sequel which may or may not have been a Thundercats game.
Oh, I know all about the C64 2nd Bomb jack game. That was well a Thunder Cats license originally. For the mobile stuff I now use emulation although I do own two phone that can play the games but they only output composite video which looks nasty. The emulator is called Kemulator but there are others too such as Sj-Boy and MidpX
It was very common practice for the speccy to be the main system to program for with its code slightly being modified to run on the CPC and MSX. This is when many euro MSX games are crap because they're poor Speccy ports. Same when it came to the CPC. The CPC was more powerful than the speccy bug most developers never bothered with using the systems specs. It was much easier to port over the speccy version rather than writing a whole new game.
I know. These shows are released on a weekly basis so sometimes I need to get the footage ASAP. This normally ends up in me playing the games in the "wrong" way to save time.
The Speccy version is 48K only hence why the sound isn't that great. If a 128K version was made then the sound would be a lot better. Also, have you ever played the unofficial sequel Bomb Jack 2 that came out a few years later on the home computer systems? Apparently it was originally meant to have been a Thundercats game hence why on the C64 version, the in game music has the Thundercats theme tune. All they did was change the main character from Lion-O to Bomb Jack.
Why do you compare these versions without playing them proper? Go for the 50 000 bonus for all levels and you have very good game. I used to play the arcade and Amstrad version. Loved them both. Spectrum users love their version too
I don't need to play every version of the game to completion to know how it looks, sounds and feels. Since these videos are made within the 2 hours I have spare each night after work, it's not possible to spend more than 40 to 50 minutes on each port. I have played the Arcade original extensively over the last 30 years however. This let's me know how the game should feel and handle in the Ports..
Retro Core ok then, are you able to get a 50 000 bonus on the C64 version? I don't think so as some of the screen layout is to cramped, you can't get through without accidentally picking up bombs that you don't want to pickup in that version
@@RetroCore yeah lmao, what a fokin irony the home ports shouldve performed better since they had better specs overall but it all just comes down to developing skills, them makers of gameboy and even nokia java are real skilled, as if they had decades of experience.
Just to let you know, there's also an unoficial port of Bombjack for the MSX 1, I even know the guy who ported it. It's just a straight port from the SG-1000 (hardware of both are nearly identical), but with music sounding a lot worse because the guy probably fucked up the music conversion (the PSG is the only different thing in both machines). And like you said, once again the Amiga version is knackered by being a crappy Atari ST port. There's no reason for the Amiga version to not be pixel-perfect.
Also, it's a shame Kralizec stopped doing MSX games. All their work on MSX was *awesome* and it was very kind of them to let people download their games for free after they stopped doing MSX bussiness.
You realise you get a bonus for each consecutive lit bomb in a row, not only when collecting them all in order. So you really should try to collect them in order. That is the main aim of the game. Otherwise it's easy. A lit bomb is worth 200 and unlit 100 points. I wonder if they paid the Beatles for Lady Madonna?
Because it's not a port. That is an emulation of the Arcade rom. As a rule, emulated version are never included as they are not Ports. This also included every virtual console game and 99% of compilation sets.
When i first see the character i thought its another shooter, but after read the game title bomberman rip off ?, surprisingly its new game with more advance gameplay from pac-man, why i say pac-man well the objective is collect(eat) something and then there some power up to beat(eat) your enemies but with more free control and minimun wall
i have a rather legit hateed of this character... i’ve completed a lot of the hard big name nes games, all the castlevania, megaman and ninja gaiden games. but mighty bomb jack...that is the only nes game i never finished. ...at least arino-san managed to finally finish it in that game center cx event
Ah, Mighty Bomb Jack is harder than this game. I've never played the NES version but have played other versions and yeah, I'm not surprised you've not had the luck to complete it.
I love the videos but you have no idea how to play this game you are supposed to try and get all the lit bombs in sequence making it even more harder than you thought
In every video you slag the amiga off. The game could run arcade perfect and you would find an issue. I bet you always wanted an amiga but only got a St.
I see you are an Amiga fan. Only Amiga fans ever complain. Anyway, both the Amiga and ST suck compared to consoles and the Japanese computers of the time. As for what I had, well, never had an Amiga or ST. Never wanted either of them. But I did get to play in the Amiga a lot since my friend had one. We had a lot of fun playing games that were not Arcade ports. It really is funny. I slag the ST and ZX Spectrum a lot too but nobody ever complains because they understand the points being made. Amiga fans on the other hand always get upset. It's as if they have something to prove. 🙄
@@RetroCore of course I am going to defend the amiga. I grew up on it. I support Liverpool so if someone slags them off I defend them to. It's nothing personal but you seem to have a dig constantly at the amiga. Guess it's just nostalgia for me. I absolutely love your channel though.
Fair enough and I do apologise for the rant. But do try to keep in mind that I have never actually said the Amiga is a crap system. It's the games I'm sagging, not the hardware. It's just a sad fact that most Arcade ports on the Amiga are awful or faulted in a way they shouldn't be because the hardware is more than capable in most cases. Games like SnowBros are proof that when in the right hands, Amiga Arcade ports can be great. Water Brothers? (I can't remember the English name) is another great example. Thanks for watching the channel, I do appreciate that. The next video in the BOTP series has a game which sucks on all platforms. Yep, it's a really bad game.
The constant and unnecessary crappy sound effects really spoil the ZX and CPC port. They should have been just quieter. Also, I remember enjoying a lot the C64 version back in the day, to me it was like having the arcade game at home..good old times when we had no mame to make comparisons :D
I've never understood the appeal of bomb jack. Besides the cool name, I think it is overrated. I do not want to collect bombs at all. Maybe it's just me.
Collecting the bombs in the right order got you a bonus, the bombs light when its next to be collected.
I don’t know if you worked out by the time you played all the ports, but if you press the button in mid-air it will halt your ascent, then if you tap the button it controls your descent. If you hold up he flies up higher. All this is essential for playing Bomb Jack effectively, but it’s not obvious if you just pick up and play.
I approve.
I thought you would :D
i remember playing this game in a local arcade near my home with my older brother i was 7 or 8 yo, i forgot the name of this game for so many years, i miss those days thanks.
I know what you mean. Back when this came out I was probably 9 or so. It was definitely one of the games I'd pretend to ay when the game demo came on.
Use to watch my uncle play this game on nes for hours as a kid, brings a tear to my eye r.i.p and thank you
Hey, glad you could remember some good memories from your past.
dem gutts Wasn't that "Mighty Bomb Jack"?
Christopher Sobieniak yup, but the music and gameplay is almost identical only difference was the scrolling screen
True, I figured I had to clarify since it was a follow-up/sequel to the original.
Christopher Sobieniak it's cool, we are all here for the same thing which is nostalgia. Even this vid with all the sounds reminds me of going to the arcade and playing games til like 5 in the morning at home during a summer with my family
Great game! Played it a bunch in the arcade back in the day. Bomb Jack and Rygar were the main reasons I bought Tecmo Classic Arcade for the original Xbox.
The Amstrad version holds a special place in my heart as it's the second video game I ever played. Also probably one of the better versions for children of my age at the time to get started with.
Funny how I got into games;
My first game was Space Invaders on the Atari 2600 which I didn't mind playing if the weather didn't allow us to go outside but I wasn't really that into it back then.
Second was Bomb Jack which I immediately got better at than all the other children and it made me take an interest in games but I'd still rather play outside.
A few years later we were pretty much snowed in for over a week and I got into Metroid. I lived for games after that winter.
My dad would call me dracular because I wouldn't play outside at times. My first computer was a Commodore Plus 4. We used it maybe twice a week. It was fun at the time.
I played a lot on Commodores and Amigas at my friends' houses but I never wanted any kind of computer myself despite the hundreds of disks of games I could get for next to nothing. Always preferred consoles for whatever reason and still do. I do feel nostalgic when I see those old games though.
Never understood why the Master System never got a version of Bomb Jack. The SG-1000 game is not bad, but a Master System port would be awesome.
I think the Master System could produce a fairly accurate port.
I can easily imagine a "Master System colour Palette" Bomb Jack game in my head. :D
Indeed. The Master System had a pretty vibrant Cour pallet.
Yeah, I'm planning on getting a SMS for my birthday this November. (I'm 16, still not too old for wish lists yet), and it does have some good games like Space Harrier and Alex Kidd, but no Bomb Jack?!?!?
I expect you already know about the SG-1000 rom with its header patched to play on Master System, right? Maybe I'll look into at least hacking a better set of colors in. I suspect altering the sprites would be difficult but possible with tools from smspower.org
So much musical copyright infringement with Bomb Jack, The Arcade used the ending theme to the Mrs Pepperpot anime and Lady Madonna from The Beatles, and the Commodore 64 version used Jean Michelle Jarre's Magnetic Fields Part 2.
Yep. Seems you could get away with a lot back then. I have to confess that I was kind of worried the video would be hit with a copyright strike. Luckily it wasn't.
Nah, chip tunes never get flagged, you're safe there.
If you're worried about actual real music, slow the song down by 5%, you can barely notice the difference, but it throws off the bots.
Wait, did I heard a chiptune cover of Lady Madonna aside from the Magnetic Fields one? As a Scouser you must be really proud, Mark! (I'm a beatlemaniac, but, stilI, I have a soft spot for another band from the city: The Real Thing). Ah, and nobody asked me, but my fab Japanese band is the Yellow Magic Orchestra
Liverpool has a lot of great history but like all big cities there's also the idiots. Still, I do like Liverpool.
Not many know , but there also was a port for Soviet ZX Spectrum console "Эльф" , called "Коля-Сапёр"(Eng: Nicholas the Minesweeper).
It's almost identical to the normal Spectrum version with some minor changes.
I didn't even know there was a Spectrum console. I'm guessing it was a clone onky available in Russia or Eastern Europe?
@@RetroCore Sort of. But instead of just copying Speccy , they did some work , like putting into the form of NES-like console , and adapting it to 2'button(!) again NES-like gamepads.
It was an export-oriented product , and there were plans to sell this console all round the world(Not only East Bloc countries). Before the fall of USSR , there was released 3(or 2. Honestly'im don't remember) carts , containing 4-5 games on each cart. Mostly of them were localized(and a bit reworked) ports of western games , including R-Type and Super Hang-On , but there also was a few original games like "Буратино"(Eng: "Buratino". A some sort of "Pinocchio" adaptation by A.Tolstoy). There also was a plan to release the follow-up console ,based on Amiga hardware , but it never was actually made into life.
Also , fun fact: Due to some unknown circumstances , the name of the console "Эльф"("Elf") was misspelled as "Alf" in export variant.
When the Union falled , the making of console were stopped , and the factory produced it become private(not state-owned) and ended up bankrupt. Sadly...
Very interesting. It's a shame they never made an Amiga based console. It would have been better than Amiga's own CD 32 I bet.
The gameplay ideas here make a lot of sense to me when compared to other arcade games. Enemies that change at the bottom and turning them into coins are aspects that could addict me to this game for sure. Its worthy of playing soon.
Bomb Jack is a classic. If you've never played it before I suggest you give it a go.
Bomb Jack, Rygar, Ninja Gaiden… Tecmo staff must REALLY hate birds!🤣
They sure do. Maybe the upper hands in Tecmo got capped on a lot by birds back in the day.
I remember playing the hell out of Mighty BombJack on the NES
I played Mighty Bomb Jack a ton on the NES when I was young. A really fun game with catchy music.
Yes, Mighty Bomb Jack is also pretty good. May cover that one in the future.
Msx2, gameboy and then spectrum. C64 was shocking
My mate when I was little got a plus 4 for Christmas one year...I had an C64 and his Dad got it him after believing Commodores crap about it being the C64's successor....he never stopped going on about these plus 4 games that were coming soon that would prove how powerful it was...I had a year of that...him playing c16 games and moaning...he got a C64 the next Christmas.
hahha, oh man. I think that's how I ended up with a Plus 4. Some sales man in Comet (does that place even exist anymore?) told my dad it was a really powerful system and that the Plus 4 stood for four terms of excellence being business, Education, Entertainment and Flexibility. My poor dad fell for it about bought the system/. Still, I did enjoy it until it broke a year later. Our neighbours had an Amstrad CPC and the other had a Vic 20 :)
You know that you are supoposed to press UP and Jump and bombjack will fly to the top of the screen, and you can also tap jump for bombjack to hover and press down for him to go down quicker from a jump. Watching you control him without this was a bit painful for a Bombjack fan.
Edit: Ah seems you finally worked it out on the Game Boy version.
I did not know that about pressing up and down to affect jumps. I wonder how many ports knew as much about this game as you, Sid? I was wondering how you get the bombs on the last stage.
I hated watching him play this. There was no effort to collect them in order which is what the game really is. Otherwise, who can't collect a load of symbols whilst avoiding enemies, with controls as tight as that anyway. The main thing I noticed is there is no gliding here. Holding down jump will allow him to glide a bit. Some essential gameplay omissions here from Mark.
Down the UA-cam rabbit hole I go in search of Jean Michel Jarre....
I only played the C64 version and I actually liked it!
Jean Michel Jarre is a pure legend of synth music.
Yeah, I just haven't heard his music for a long time
Yes, you're right. The CPC owners are very proud of our port of Bomb Jack xD. I enjoyed a lot on my childhood, and after that...Very surprised with the number and quality of the unnoficial ports. Does it mean that there is a legion of fans behind this game???? Sure...xD
I best you guys were happy with your Bomb Jack after having so many crappy Speccy ports or really slow unresponsive games. I have to admit that I was quite surprised by how good the CPC version was. The Atari 8 bit version is also impressive for the hardware but for me the MSX2 is just amazing.
Jean Michel Jarre got me into computers :)
Same here. His music was hypnotising back in the day.
First time I saw this was in a B/W screen cabinet :-/
Later I had the cpc version which rocked.
Wow, I don't think I've seen any game after 1980 is a black and white cabinet.
True, that must been a donor screen, maybe.
Nice round up. I had the Spectrum, C64 and Amiga versions back in the day. I have to say the Spectrum version was the best of the 3. Even now emulated, the Speccy version is superior to play.
That's kinda funny, the whole boot up process for the GBA. Reminds me of using the Commodore when I was a kid.
Yeah, I was smiling when I saw that. Pretty cool.
Im have just discovered a 2018 version of Bomb Jack unofficial port to the Amiga. Its not arcade perfect in any means, but much more playable. the port is named "bomb jack beer edition"
There's also an iOS port called “Bomb Jacke” that I believe is worth taking a look at :)
It's actually “BombJacke”. Sorry, my bad...
Thanks for the info. I'll check that out.
Loved this game! played a lot on arcades and even more on my beloved C64! it's very strange that there are no sequels or remakes of this game (besides Bomb Jack 2 which is not good)
Ah, there was a sequel by the name of Mighty Bomb Jack. That's the game you can find on the NES.
The music on the loader of the C64 version is just one of the generic music packs included within Novaload, a commercial code supplement that acts as a tape loader; sold as early as 1984.
But it's not a generic music track. That is a track by Canadian electronic group, Trans X. The song is called Living on Video. It was a pretty popular hit back in the 80s.
I have a soft spot for the C64 version, because that's the one I used to play on my cousin's computer. But the Gameboy version does have quite a killer soundtrack! Also, the original arcade port is now available on Switch! I might check it out sometime.
That's true. Just before the Switch release, it's also available as part of the Arcade Archives series for the PS4.
MSX2 FTW!!! But damn that GB version is quite nice. To be honest i never knew it existed.
Loading it on my modded PSP to give it a feel ^^ cheers
The MSX 2 version is just pure gold but yeah, the GB release is also excellent.
One of those games, I saw in the magazines back at the days. With arcade pictures, I thought it looked fantastic. Saw and played the ports much later and didn't really like the gameplay. Though I must say, it's not bad. Just not for me ;)
Can't remember the order I saw/played them, but I would say Spectrum (good port for Speccy), C64 (not so good) and ST (good again)... Now I must try 8-bit Atari remake, C64 remake and Amstrad versions :)
I also always liked the Jarre-tune, though I don't listen that kind of music IRL... The music has been implanted to my brain, with a picture of this game ;)
P.S. Fantastic video, Mark! I really don't like so much, those more obscure games, with only 2 or 3 versions ;) But of course, they need to be brought up too :)
Ithink Bomb Jack is an acquired taste. The floaty physics sure aren't for everyone. I do suggest trying the arcade original though to get a feel of how the game should be or even the MSX 2 version.
I actually like the more obscure games mainly because to me they're not obscure :p I played those games a lot back in the day, hehe. But yeah, I know they're not to everyone's liking so I'll be also covering some of the more common games too. Next week will be a very common game :)
I grew up with the cpc 464 version and loved it also the sequel was quite good too. I believe the famicom version, mighty bombjack is a completely different game though, but still a goood game.
Yep, might bomb jack is a different game but still a worthy entry in to the series.
Speaking of early Tecmo games, Star Force was a great game, too.
I haven't played Star Force in years. I should do a Battle of the Ports on that game.
OMG memories. I fondly remember when i was young and i went in all Milan's s bar and pubs, looking for this game. Simple but great gameplay and incredibile reply value. Are you back on "very" classic games? I'll wait for Arkanoid.
I am back on to some classic games and yes, Arkanoid will be one of them :)
Retro Core Japan got lucky with its Vaus controller Arkanoid 2 had one the first's daisy-chained to for Vs. mode.
Do imagine the controller for the MSX versions are rarer than the NES one (NES one with loose cart can easily average around $65+US).
The MSX version can be played using the keyboard though, if you don't have the controller. Just to let you know, in case of "My joystick doesn't work!" :D
And it's very rare indeed.
Quite. What's funny is that graphically the ST and Amiga look the best, but audio-wise the Mac port sounds dead-on.
I was very disappointed with the Amiga version as it was more than capable of an arcade perfect port (albeit with the obligatory up to jump). There was a fan made version called the Beer edition which does show what the Amiga could have done with the right coders and not relying on an ST port.
i owned C64 version and for many years, i didnt know about other versions, if only they made sprites smaller, it would be much better conversion :)
I heard after making this video that there was an unofficial port to the C64 which is much better.
The Amiga had a new version recently (Bomb Jack Beer Edition) : ua-cam.com/video/JzHkw_qEr5g/v-deo.html also the C64 has / gets a new one (Bomb Jack DX) : ua-cam.com/video/n3AFJMYsfEI/v-deo.html
Odd that there was never a NES port
BlockABoots Was about to post this. Did tecmo have issues back then?
Well, the NES did get Mighty Bomb Jack so maybe that's why.
Isnt that a bit rubbish though??
Yeah I wish there was. Mighty bomb jack just doesn't feel like a sequel, even with the original bomb jack levels thrown in at the end of every round. The arcade music is missing. That and Jack's sprite looks kind of off due to the fact each sprite can only have 3 colors. Because of that his skin looks pale AF, not the "Caucasian" skin tone he had in the original. That and he's smaller. They thankfully fixed that for his guest appearance in Tecmo Bowl.
No way, I made a Bomb Jack vid on the ZX Spectrum version the other day! UA-cam immediately flagged it as not suitable for all advertisers, I guess coz of the word 'Bomb' in the title :/
Seriously? That's odd. I was more afraid of being copyright striked for the Jean Micheal Jarre music.
Ah just checked again & now it is normal! Anyway, great vid, great game:)
Funny thing is, Mark, the ST version can also output the music to a MIDI device via the built-in MIDI ports. Not sure which synths or devices sound best.
Hmm, that could produce some really nice sounds if you can choose your own.
Retro Core Aye, especially given how programmable synths like the Yamaha FB-01, Roland MT-32, and Casio SK-1 are.
There’s a new Amiga version of bombjack for the Amiga
One of the real classics I just can't 'get' this one...it's the flap mechanic...it's hard work, on a cab it's not so bad but it wasn't designed for a pad.
I think I would rather saw my own arm off than play the ZX Spectrum version with sound on.
Cool video 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
Thanks
How can you reach the high bombs in level 5?
That Atari version is definitely based off the original C64 version heh. Pity the new C64 revamp version isn't out yet...
Is that a Games Master Golden Joystick you have in your avatar?
Hah hah... yes! Won't direct you to the episode where I won it mind you :p
MSX2 port by far and Java are the best. Japan had some nice home computers, MSX2 and then the Sharp X68000 and we had shoddily made games Bomb Jack should have been arcade perfect on the superior 16 bit hardware of the ST and Amiga.
I agree on both the Japanese home computers and the shoddy western 16BIT ports. They should have been perfect.
Are cartridges of the Game Boy version rare? I think I've only ever seen the thing on pirated multicarts.
That said, I have been addicted to its music since playing it lol
I can't say I've ever seen a real cartridge except for once almost 15 years ago.
MSX2️⃣ looks best for port, Arcade of course best
I think I heard Lady Madonna by The Beatles in the MSX 2 port
Oh, I didn't notice that. I'll have to go back and see.
The Amiga had some terrible luck with ports, snake eyes again. It's Bomb Jack slow motion edition on the Amiga.
Yep. So sad but that was the way of the European gaming scene back then. Make one version the half arse port it to other platforms.
Hey mark the c64 version during loading it has novaload on it
Nice to load faster.
The GameBoy version comes with some excellent tunes.
Yes, I'm aware of this version but couldn't risk using it due to copyright strikes.
Had this on my Speccy was all right. How do you do the mobile Java stuff, emulated or actual hardware? if emulated how?
This game does have some interesting history with its sequel which may or may not have been a Thundercats game.
Oh, I know all about the C64 2nd Bomb jack game. That was well a Thunder Cats license originally.
For the mobile stuff I now use emulation although I do own two phone that can play the games but they only output composite video which looks nasty. The emulator is called Kemulator but there are others too such as Sj-Boy and MidpX
+Retro Core Can that emulator run the Java mobile version of Ridge Racer? I'm sure it's probably a rubbish port but I always wanted to play it!
How do you know the Amstrad version is a port from the Spectrum version? I haven't heard about that, but I am interested to know more about it
It was very common practice for the speccy to be the main system to program for with its code slightly being modified to run on the CPC and MSX. This is when many euro MSX games are crap because they're poor Speccy ports. Same when it came to the CPC. The CPC was more powerful than the speccy bug most developers never bothered with using the systems specs. It was much easier to port over the speccy version rather than writing a whole new game.
You're meant to get he bombs in order of flashing fuse
I know. These shows are released on a weekly basis so sometimes I need to get the footage ASAP. This normally ends up in me playing the games in the "wrong" way to save time.
Whatever you do, do not play the original MSX version. It's Sega SG-1000 with extremely bad sounds.
The Speccy version is 48K only hence why the sound isn't that great. If a 128K version was made then the sound would be a lot better. Also, have you ever played the unofficial sequel Bomb Jack 2 that came out a few years later on the home computer systems? Apparently it was originally meant to have been a Thundercats game hence why on the C64 version, the in game music has the Thundercats theme tune. All they did was change the main character from Lion-O to Bomb Jack.
Yep, I know all about the unofficial Bomb Jack two and the C64 version :) I find it really interesting that they kept the thundercats music.
gameboy i still have it
Isn't there a NES version as well? I could swear I had played this game in my Nes back in the day.
Well... I guess I am getting confuse with Mighty Bomb Jack.
Yes, that's right. The NES version is a different game.
You forgot the new c64 remake,Mark
Oh, I didn't know about that :( Wish I did as I would have added it. I bet it is better than the official version.
Retro Core yep,much better,it's called bomb jack dx :)
ohhh!!! I must find it, I played the C64 a lot back in the day!
Lord Alfajor you can find some videos from bomb jack dx here
The SG-1000 version has been reprogrammed by sega
Why do you compare these versions without playing them proper? Go for the 50 000 bonus for all levels and you have very good game. I used to play the arcade and Amstrad version. Loved them both. Spectrum users love their version too
I don't need to play every version of the game to completion to know how it looks, sounds and feels. Since these videos are made within the 2 hours I have spare each night after work, it's not possible to spend more than 40 to 50 minutes on each port. I have played the Arcade original extensively over the last 30 years however. This let's me know how the game should feel and handle in the Ports..
Retro Core ok then, are you able to get a 50 000 bonus on the C64 version? I don't think so as some of the screen layout is to cramped, you can't get through without accidentally picking up bombs that you don't want to pickup in that version
c64 dx version missing?
Yeah, I wasn't actually aware of that one. Someone else mentioned it also. A fan remake I guess?
Do not 16 bits port? (MD Snes) unbelievable. Not surprising they do not do Mr. Do either.
Actually, Mr. Do is on the Super Famicom (Japanese SNES) by Universal.
Retro Core yes, i remember, is to bad mr. Do is a forget mascot in the 16 bits, the sf is the only port of all.
how come are the portable ones the best?
I don't remember. Probably because they played really well.
@@RetroCore yeah lmao, what a fokin irony the home ports shouldve performed better since they had better specs overall but it all just comes down to developing skills, them makers of gameboy and even nokia java are real skilled, as if they had decades of experience.
Just to let you know, there's also an unoficial port of Bombjack for the MSX 1, I even know the guy who ported it. It's just a straight port from the SG-1000 (hardware of both are nearly identical), but with music sounding a lot worse because the guy probably fucked up the music conversion (the PSG is the only different thing in both machines).
And like you said, once again the Amiga version is knackered by being a crappy Atari ST port. There's no reason for the Amiga version to not be pixel-perfect.
Also, it's a shame Kralizec stopped doing MSX games. All their work on MSX was *awesome* and it was very kind of them to let people download their games for free after they stopped doing MSX bussiness.
Thanks for the info on the MSX 1 port. I wasn't aware of a version for that machine. Just a shame it was a basic sg-1000 port.
You can say that again. They really took pride in their work.
I think hap did a reconversion on romhacking.net that corrects the audio for the AY-8910.
You realise you get a bonus for each consecutive lit bomb in a row, not only when collecting them all in order. So you really should try to collect them in order. That is the main aim of the game. Otherwise it's easy. A lit bomb is worth 200 and unlit 100 points.
I wonder if they paid the Beatles for Lady Madonna?
Allegedly they did, which is why it's not in ports just the arcade.
Tecmo are still around, you say? Then why have they not made any more games in recent years?
They have. Tecmo have developed 12 games just this year alone. You can find a list of all Tecmo developed games on Wikipedia.
You didnt do the port to the original xbox it is on tecmo arcade classics
Because it's not a port. That is an emulation of the Arcade rom.
As a rule, emulated version are never included as they are not Ports. This also included every virtual console game and 99% of compilation sets.
Where is the NES Version?
Famicom is a NES.
OK so where was the Famicom version?
👍👍👍!🇮🇹
Why not nes version mention?
Simple, is a sequel
Yep. That's right. Mighty Bomb Jack is a different game.
When i first see the character i thought its another shooter, but after read the game title bomberman rip off ?, surprisingly its new game with more advance gameplay from pac-man, why i say pac-man well the objective is collect(eat) something and then there some power up to beat(eat) your enemies but with more free control and minimun wall
The main character reminds me of that Marvel ant character.
As for me its p-man you know japan old hero manga by fujio-sensei behind doraemon
i have a rather legit hateed of this character... i’ve completed a lot of the hard big name nes games, all the castlevania, megaman and ninja gaiden games. but mighty bomb jack...that is the only nes game i never finished.
...at least arino-san managed to finally finish it in that game center cx event
Ah, Mighty Bomb Jack is harder than this game. I've never played the NES version but have played other versions and yeah, I'm not surprised you've not had the luck to complete it.
nec pc88
There is no NEC PC-8801 port featured on this video.
@@mastersproutgamer9327 yes, i said is a good port but not here, greettings
I love the videos but you have no idea how to play this game you are supposed to try and get all the lit bombs in sequence making it even more harder than you thought
To be honest you don't have to get the lit bombs in order unless you want to aim for the bonus score. I don't play for score, more for fun.
Retro Core gotcha
In every video you slag the amiga off. The game could run arcade perfect and you would find an issue.
I bet you always wanted an amiga but only got a St.
I see you are an Amiga fan. Only Amiga fans ever complain.
Anyway, both the Amiga and ST suck compared to consoles and the Japanese computers of the time.
As for what I had, well, never had an Amiga or ST. Never wanted either of them. But I did get to play in the Amiga a lot since my friend had one. We had a lot of fun playing games that were not Arcade ports.
It really is funny. I slag the ST and ZX Spectrum a lot too but nobody ever complains because they understand the points being made. Amiga fans on the other hand always get upset. It's as if they have something to prove. 🙄
@@RetroCore of course I am going to defend the amiga. I grew up on it. I support Liverpool so if someone slags them off I defend them to.
It's nothing personal but you seem to have a dig constantly at the amiga.
Guess it's just nostalgia for me. I absolutely love your channel though.
Fair enough and I do apologise for the rant. But do try to keep in mind that I have never actually said the Amiga is a crap system. It's the games I'm sagging, not the hardware. It's just a sad fact that most Arcade ports on the Amiga are awful or faulted in a way they shouldn't be because the hardware is more than capable in most cases.
Games like SnowBros are proof that when in the right hands, Amiga Arcade ports can be great. Water Brothers? (I can't remember the English name) is another great example.
Thanks for watching the channel, I do appreciate that. The next video in the BOTP series has a game which sucks on all platforms. Yep, it's a really bad game.
The constant and unnecessary crappy sound effects really spoil the ZX and CPC port. They should have been just quieter. Also, I remember enjoying a lot the C64 version back in the day, to me it was like having the arcade game at home..good old times when we had no mame to make comparisons :D
Beleive it or not but I actually lowered the audio on the ZX Spectrum section to half volume. It was orivmuch louder :(
The lack of gameplay spoils the c64 version
I've never understood the appeal of bomb jack. Besides the cool name, I think it is overrated. I do not want to collect bombs at all. Maybe it's just me.
It's more about the skill or weaving in and out of those bad guys more than anything.