Bound High
Encyclopedia
is a cancelled game for the Virtual Boy
. The aim of the game was to maneuver Chalvo, a robot that can roll itself up into a bouncing ball, around a series of levels while avoiding various hazards. Bound High would have been the first second-generation game for the Virtual Boy, but the poor sales of the console caused the game to be put on hold numerous times before eventually being cancelled altogether. Of all the cancelled Virtual Boy games, Bound High was the closest to completion. Bound High was exhibited in Shoshinkai
at Famicom Space World
in 1995. Bound High was exhibited in the "Symbolic Zone" which was a special exhibition area for outstanding titles on about ten Virtual Boy units. Hiroshi Yamauchi
, the president of Nintendo at the time, mentioned Bound High as the most promising Virtual Boy title in his keynote speech.
and Breakout), so he wrote a summary of his idea for Bound High and put in on the office wall. The president liked the idea and development of the game began.
Bound High was largely regarded, along with Dragon Hopper
, as being the most promising Virtual Boy game of 1996.
titled Chalvo 55
that was only released in Japan. The game was similar to Bound High in its gameplay but Hideyuki Nakanishi had no part in its development.
Virtual Boy
The was a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console that was supposed to be capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional...
. The aim of the game was to maneuver Chalvo, a robot that can roll itself up into a bouncing ball, around a series of levels while avoiding various hazards. Bound High would have been the first second-generation game for the Virtual Boy, but the poor sales of the console caused the game to be put on hold numerous times before eventually being cancelled altogether. Of all the cancelled Virtual Boy games, Bound High was the closest to completion. Bound High was exhibited in Shoshinkai
Shoshinkai
The Shōshinkai is a Japanese Buddhist group formed in July 1980 by over 200 Nichiren Shoshu priests and their followers who were critical of the Soka Gakkai...
at Famicom Space World
Nintendo Space World
Nintendo World, formerly called Nintendo Space World, Nintendo 64 Space World, Super Famicom Space World, Famicom Space World, and , is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo, typically to unveil new consoles or handhelds...
in 1995. Bound High was exhibited in the "Symbolic Zone" which was a special exhibition area for outstanding titles on about ten Virtual Boy units. Hiroshi Yamauchi
Hiroshi Yamauchi
is a Japanese businessman. He was the third president of Nintendo, joining the company in 1949 until stepping down on May 31, 2002, to be succeeded by Satoru Iwata. Yamauchi is credited with transforming Nintendo from a small hanafuda card-making company in Japan to today's multi-billion dollar...
, the president of Nintendo at the time, mentioned Bound High as the most promising Virtual Boy title in his keynote speech.
Gameplay
The basic gameplay of Bound High consists on moving the bouncing Chalvo around, jumping on enemies and avoiding the various crevices, spikes, and "shockers".Development
While alone in the Japan System Supply office around midnight, Hideyuki Nakanishi looked at some of the game plans on the company's president's desk. The plans he saw felt orthodox and boring (one game was a mixture of squashSquash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
and Breakout), so he wrote a summary of his idea for Bound High and put in on the office wall. The president liked the idea and development of the game began.
Bound High was largely regarded, along with Dragon Hopper
Dragon Hopper
Dragon Hopper, known as in Japan, is a cancelled Virtual Boy game. It is a platform-puzzle game, where the player could walk around various levels and jump up or down to reach new areas, as well as earn new skills along the way.- History :...
, as being the most promising Virtual Boy game of 1996.
Cancellation
Once Bound High was completed, Nintendo did not wish to waste resources marketing another game to a dying system and the game was scrapped. By the time the game was cancelled, the development of the game, the manual design, and a number of packages for the North American market had all been completed. The created games were all destroyed; the only known fully working prototype to exist is owned by Nintendo. Because Nintendo bought the license during development, Japan System Supply still got plenty of money from making the game and helped them establish a good connection with Nintendo. Bound High eventually received a follow-up game for the Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
titled Chalvo 55
Chalvo 55
is a puzzle video game released in 1997 by Japan System Supply. It is the follow-up to the cancelled Virtual Boy game Bound High....
that was only released in Japan. The game was similar to Bound High in its gameplay but Hideyuki Nakanishi had no part in its development.
See also
- Chalvo 55Chalvo 55is a puzzle video game released in 1997 by Japan System Supply. It is the follow-up to the cancelled Virtual Boy game Bound High....
- Dragon HopperDragon HopperDragon Hopper, known as in Japan, is a cancelled Virtual Boy game. It is a platform-puzzle game, where the player could walk around various levels and jump up or down to reach new areas, as well as earn new skills along the way.- History :...
- List of Virtual Boy games
- List of cancelled Virtual Boy games