Beggar Prince
Encyclopedia
Beggar Prince, originally known as Xin Qigai Wangzi (Chinese
: 新乞丐王子, Hanyu Pinyin: Xīn Qǐgài Wángzǐ, Wade-Giles
: Hsin Ch'i-kai Wang-tzu, literally The New The Prince and the Pauper
) is a Chinese
role-playing adventure game for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and PC
. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis by C&E Inc. and later ported and released in 1998 on the PC
.
An English translation of the Sega Genesis version was produced by the North American company Super Fighter Team
. A prototype version was first shown to the public on August 20, 2005 at the Classic Gaming Expo in Burlingame
, California
. The completed game began shipping to pre-order customers on May 22, 2006, at the price of $40USD per copy. Beggar Prince was the first game for the Sega Genesis to be commercially released in North America since 1998.
, and Super Fighter Team president Brandon Cobb. All pieces were manufactured in China.
Beggar Prince works with any Sega Genesis (with the exception of Sega Genesis Firecore), Mega Drive or Nomad
system, regardless of its region (NTSC and PAL are both supported). But for the first two runs, due to the manner in which the game's save function is programmed, it is impossible to save on systems connected to the 32X
or hybrid CD systems such as the Multi-Mega/CDX and Wondermega. Playing the game with a Sega Mega-CD/Sega CD
attached to the Mega Drive/Genesis works with the second CD model. On a European Multi-Mega, the game resets itself after the introduction scenes, making it unplayable.
The third production run is notable as the box and manual art were changed and, more importantly, the game's save feature had been re-programmed to allow full functionality with all Genesis, Mega Drive and compatible systems (such as the Nomad, 32X, CDX, X'Eye, Laseractive and so on).
The third production run, introducing several changes, became available for pre-ordering on October 9, 2007 and started shipping on November 27, 2007. In total, the game sold 1,500 copies.
Although it received critical acclaim upon its release, gamers soon discovered a few glitches in the game. While Super Fighter Team had spent over a year working out the bugs left behind by C&E, it was simply not cost efficient to fix them all. While most of these errors were trivial, one or two could result in the game's main character getting stuck in a certain place where he was not supposed to be, meaning the player would have to backtrack by loading a previously saved game. Fortunately, the majority of the glitches present in the original Chinese
release have been fixed.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 新乞丐王子, Hanyu Pinyin: Xīn Qǐgài Wángzǐ, Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
: Hsin Ch'i-kai Wang-tzu, literally The New The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper is an English-language novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada before its 1882 publication in the United States. The book represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction...
) is a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
role-playing adventure game for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis by C&E Inc. and later ported and released in 1998 on the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
An English translation of the Sega Genesis version was produced by the North American company Super Fighter Team
Super Fighter Team
Super Fighter Team is a video game development, production and publishing company whose primary focus is on producing new games for classic systems such as the Sega Genesis and Atari Lynx, among others...
. A prototype version was first shown to the public on August 20, 2005 at the Classic Gaming Expo in Burlingame
Burlingame, California
Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. It is renowned for its many surviving examples of Victorian architecture, its affluence, and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The completed game began shipping to pre-order customers on May 22, 2006, at the price of $40USD per copy. Beggar Prince was the first game for the Sega Genesis to be commercially released in North America since 1998.
Technical information
For a Sega Mega Drive/Genesis game, Beggar Prince is rather large, weighing in at 32-megabits (4 megabytes) in size. Players could record their progress to any of the four available save slots. The game shipped within a plastic clamshell case along with a glossy, full-color 27-page instruction manual. The game's unique cartridge hardware was designed by Kim Biu Wong, head of TototekTototek
Tototek is a Hong Kong-based company that develops video game accessories, with a big focus on older consoles. Among their products are flash cartridges for the Sega Master System, PC Engine, Mega Drive and SNES. They have converters which make it possible to use PlayStation joypads on other systems...
, and Super Fighter Team president Brandon Cobb. All pieces were manufactured in China.
Beggar Prince works with any Sega Genesis (with the exception of Sega Genesis Firecore), Mega Drive or Nomad
Sega Nomad
The Sega Nomad was a handheld game console sold for the North American consumer market which played Mega Drive/Genesis game cartridges. The system was similar to the Japanese Sega Mega Jet, but featured a built-in color screen; the Mega Jet needed a separate monitor...
system, regardless of its region (NTSC and PAL are both supported). But for the first two runs, due to the manner in which the game's save function is programmed, it is impossible to save on systems connected to the 32X
Sega 32X
The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console by Sega. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES...
or hybrid CD systems such as the Multi-Mega/CDX and Wondermega. Playing the game with a Sega Mega-CD/Sega CD
Sega Mega-CD
The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
attached to the Mega Drive/Genesis works with the second CD model. On a European Multi-Mega, the game resets itself after the introduction scenes, making it unplayable.
The third production run is notable as the box and manual art were changed and, more importantly, the game's save feature had been re-programmed to allow full functionality with all Genesis, Mega Drive and compatible systems (such as the Nomad, 32X, CDX, X'Eye, Laseractive and so on).
Availability
Beggar Prince began shipping to pre-order customers on May 22, 2006. By September 8, 2006, all 600 copies had been sold. However on October 18, 2006, Super Fighter Team announced that they had begun taking pre-orders for a second production run of 300 copies. On June 19, 2007, this production run had also sold through.The third production run, introducing several changes, became available for pre-ordering on October 9, 2007 and started shipping on November 27, 2007. In total, the game sold 1,500 copies.
Critical reception
Beggar Prince was perhaps the most widely publicized new game for a retrogame system, being featured and reviewed in gaming magazines across the world such as Tips & Tricks, Hardcore Gamer, Play, Retro Gamer, Edge, GamesTM, Super Play and Master Player, among others, and having been sold to people in over 25 countries. This success proved that a worldwide market for retro games still exists.Although it received critical acclaim upon its release, gamers soon discovered a few glitches in the game. While Super Fighter Team had spent over a year working out the bugs left behind by C&E, it was simply not cost efficient to fix them all. While most of these errors were trivial, one or two could result in the game's main character getting stuck in a certain place where he was not supposed to be, meaning the player would have to backtrack by loading a previously saved game. Fortunately, the majority of the glitches present in the original Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
release have been fixed.
External links
- Official site
- Sega Genesis Lives! Beggar Prince to be released Spring 2006
- Little Mathletics: Beggar Prince Interview Interview with Super Fighter Team president Brandon Cobb and lead translator Yu-Chen Shih.
- Bobby Blackwolf Show Podcast Interview 30+ minute MP3 interview with Brandon Cobb from January 15, 2006.
- Beggar Prince: Start of Something Good? Article about Beggar Prince
's effects on retro gaming. - Sega-16 Interview Interview with Brandon Cobb.
- Sega-16 third run preview Third run information.
- Digital Lard Interview Interview with Brandon Cobb.