Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius
Encyclopedia
is the fourth game in a series of parody
shooters produced by Konami
. The gameplay is stylistically very similar to the Gradius series, but the graphics and music are intentionally absurd
. The game, as its name would suggest, contains a large amount of Japanese voice samples shouted out in a style similar to that of a game show host. Unlike the previous two titles, Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius was not created as an arcade game
. It was first released on the Super Famicom
in 1995 and then ported and updated for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn
as Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius ~ forever with me ~ in 1996.
series, with a few exceptions. For one, there is an impressive array of characters to choose from. Each one of these characters utilizes different weapons and abilities as you obtain power-ups. The second main difference is the addition of bell power-ups, from the Twinbee
series. These bells act as one-time power-ups, allowing you to destroy every enemy on screen, fire huge beams of energy, etc.
The playable characters in this game include:
of the 70's disco song "That's the Way I Like It," to remixes of Bach
, to sped-up versions of tunes from other Konami games. All of the songs are done in a unique style, with loud saw wave synths
and fluctuating BPM. The music was produced by the Konami Kukeiha Club
.
The game also features extremely advanced graphics for the time period and system; most notable are the fully scalable 3D
polygons present in one of the stages. These graphics are made possible by the inclusion of the SA-1 chip, a special graphics chip used in many games towards the latter part of the Super NES's lifespan.
A feature exclusive to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn version is the goal of collecting fairies (worth 10000 points each) hidden throughout each stage, getting 70 fairies unlocks Stage Select, getting another 70 fairies unlocks Dracula-kun and Kid-Dracula as playable characters. Other features (which can be enabled on the Options Menu) include changing the "OH!" powerup into a Slot Machine game that grants you bell power-ups depending on the color of the bells the slots stopped, adding "Accident" levels, small segments that randomly takes place once a stage ends and the ability to turn off the announcer during gameplay.
In addition to the standard game mode, they also include two Omake modes:
Omake 1, a stage where your main objective is to get the highest score by collecting coins, destroying toys, and hitting certain enemies. When hit, your character instantly revives on the spot, much like Salamander.
Omake 2 (P-1 Grand Prin (sic) in Bellka), a racing parody. The goal is to complete the race as fast as possible by collecting speed-ups (while trying not to crash) and by defeating four mini-bosses with easy attack patterns.
in 1996 with the title, Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius: forever with me. This port not only added improved graphics and sound from the Super Famicom game, but some altered levels and bosses, including a cheat to replace 'Tokimeki People's Dance' with an enhanced version, 'Days Of The Dream's Memories'. Also added were several "Omake
" stages and an unlockable Dracula-kun (Kid Dracula) as a playable character. In a two-player game, both players can now choose to play simultaneously instead of just alternately in the Super Famicom game.
The game was also ported to the Sony PSP in 2007. One notable change was the first stage's music, "I Remember That!", which was an instrumental remix of "That's the Way (I Like It)
" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. The PSP game replaced the remix with "Brilliant2U" by Naoki Maeda from Dance Dance Revolution
to avoid copyright infringement.
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
shooters produced by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
. The gameplay is stylistically very similar to the Gradius series, but the graphics and music are intentionally absurd
Absurdity
An absurdity is a thing that is extremely unreasonable, so as to be foolish or not taken seriously, or the state of being so. "Absurd" is an adjective used to describe an absurdity, e.g., “this encyclopedia article is absurd”. It derives from the Latin absurdusm meaning "out of tune", hence...
. The game, as its name would suggest, contains a large amount of Japanese voice samples shouted out in a style similar to that of a game show host. Unlike the previous two titles, Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius was not created as an arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
. It was first released on the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
in 1995 and then ported and updated for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
as Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius ~ forever with me ~ in 1996.
Gameplay
As stated above, gameplay is very similar to the GradiusGradius
The Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper...
series, with a few exceptions. For one, there is an impressive array of characters to choose from. Each one of these characters utilizes different weapons and abilities as you obtain power-ups. The second main difference is the addition of bell power-ups, from the Twinbee
Twinbee
is a video game series composed primarily of cartoon-themed vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up games produced by Konami that were released primarily in Japan. The series originated as a coin-operated video game simply titled TwinBee in , which was followed by several home versions and sequels...
series. These bells act as one-time power-ups, allowing you to destroy every enemy on screen, fire huge beams of energy, etc.
The playable characters in this game include:
- Parodius Originals: Sue, Takohiko/Takosuke, Belial, Memim, Mike, Ran, Soitsu and Doitsu.
- Gradius Ships: Vic Viper , Lord British
- Twin Bee Team: Twinbee, Winbee
- Penguins: Pentarou, Hanako
- Miracle Upa: Upa, Rupa
Music
The music in Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius is also unique. It ranges from a remixRemix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of the 70's disco song "That's the Way I Like It," to remixes of Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, to sped-up versions of tunes from other Konami games. All of the songs are done in a unique style, with loud saw wave synths
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and fluctuating BPM. The music was produced by the Konami Kukeiha Club
KuKeiHa CLUB
is a band that was formed by Motoaki Furukawa, a composer, arranger, and producer working for the game firm Konami, after his work on Gradius III back in 1990. It is often confused with コナミ矩形波倶楽部 , Konami's team of composers...
.
Notable features
Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius translates to something like "Chatting Parodius Live!". As the name implies, a large amount of voice samples are present in the game. As the player progresses, Japanese voiceovers provide information about how well the player is doing, what enemies they are fighting, etc.The game also features extremely advanced graphics for the time period and system; most notable are the fully scalable 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
polygons present in one of the stages. These graphics are made possible by the inclusion of the SA-1 chip, a special graphics chip used in many games towards the latter part of the Super NES's lifespan.
A feature exclusive to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn version is the goal of collecting fairies (worth 10000 points each) hidden throughout each stage, getting 70 fairies unlocks Stage Select, getting another 70 fairies unlocks Dracula-kun and Kid-Dracula as playable characters. Other features (which can be enabled on the Options Menu) include changing the "OH!" powerup into a Slot Machine game that grants you bell power-ups depending on the color of the bells the slots stopped, adding "Accident" levels, small segments that randomly takes place once a stage ends and the ability to turn off the announcer during gameplay.
In addition to the standard game mode, they also include two Omake modes:
Omake 1, a stage where your main objective is to get the highest score by collecting coins, destroying toys, and hitting certain enemies. When hit, your character instantly revives on the spot, much like Salamander.
Omake 2 (P-1 Grand Prin (sic) in Bellka), a racing parody. The goal is to complete the race as fast as possible by collecting speed-ups (while trying not to crash) and by defeating four mini-bosses with easy attack patterns.
Ports
This game was ported for the PlayStation and Sega SaturnSega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
in 1996 with the title, Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius: forever with me. This port not only added improved graphics and sound from the Super Famicom game, but some altered levels and bosses, including a cheat to replace 'Tokimeki People's Dance' with an enhanced version, 'Days Of The Dream's Memories'. Also added were several "Omake
Omake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
" stages and an unlockable Dracula-kun (Kid Dracula) as a playable character. In a two-player game, both players can now choose to play simultaneously instead of just alternately in the Super Famicom game.
The game was also ported to the Sony PSP in 2007. One notable change was the first stage's music, "I Remember That!", which was an instrumental remix of "That's the Way (I Like It)
That's the Way (I Like It)
"That's the Way " is a song written by H.W. Casey and Richard Finch, and recorded and released in 1975 by KC and the Sunshine Band for their eponymous second album...
" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. The PSP game replaced the remix with "Brilliant2U" by Naoki Maeda from Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
to avoid copyright infringement.