Golgo 13 - Top Secret Episode & The Mafat Conspiracy - NES Review | Nefarious Wes

[@Inubito]

I've always dug the Golgo 13 games on the NES. They do have their problems, but both are unique pieces of the NES library I think.

[@NefariousWes]

They are definitely one-of-a-kind games. Really different for 8-bit games. I just wish they had a save or password feature.

[@phil-hunt]

I was drawn to Top Secret Episode from the first moment I saw the commercial for it on TV. Looked totally amazing and I was hyped when my grandmother bought it for a Christmas present. I was really into the story and the "mature" nature of it. I've been a major fan of Golgo 13 comics and anime ever since.

[@BelmontClan]

Likewise had both these games as a kid during my nes days and can confirm the maddening difficulty and frustration as a kid, have seen the 1 hour 45 minutes self titled movie but never saw the anime series I’ll have to look for it. As a kid found these games used with the manual for $5 each in the flea market. Both good but tough games in their respective right, watched the world of long plays of both so much more satisfying. There was also 2 live action movies for golgo 13 Sonny Chiba played the role of our man Duke Togo and another actor playing him.

[@algol291]

Is Golgo short for "Golgotha", the Mountain of Skulls where Christ was said to be crucified? If so, Golgo 13 is the coolest spy name of all time.

[@NefariousWes]

I don't know? But seeing as where "13" came from, it would make sense.

[@SharazJek]

Pretty sure it is. I suggest looking up TheAnimeHERO's Golgo-13 Character Profile video; he obviously has tons of passion for the franchise and shares a lot of great information about it.

[@NefariousWes]

I need to check that video out.

[@reignick1133]

algol291: Indeed Duke Togo's ( most likely one of his alias' as we do not know if that is his legal name) operational "name" Golgo 13 is indeed based on Golgotha and the 13 present members of the last supper. (Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles.)

[@barc0deblankblank]

That is correct. Golgo13 has nothing to do with the number of students, to my knowledge.

[@crazysnake1096]

Loved this game. I still play it to completion without maps or cheats. It is a fun jaunt.

[@doggzillablk7955]

It was known that at one time golgo13 worked for the CIA in some of the new manga and that's how he got the name golgo 13

[@tylordstevenson]

I never knew about the Golgo 13 anime when I was a kid, but I was always a James Bond fanatic so when I played these games back then I loved them as there were no 007 games on NES. These games really captured the James Bond movie vibe like nothing else. Great video as usual!

[@NefariousWes]

Tylord Stevenson Thanks, man!

[@Avrelivs_Gold]

Golgo was amazing for that time on the NES. So much content.

[@NefariousWes]

They were definitely different. You could even say Top Secret Episode was ahead of its time.

[@SlyBeast]

LOVED Mafat Conspiracy! You know, it was back in the day when you played what you had. I remember being really pleased with myself when I finally beat it. This was my introduction to Golgo 13. Some years later, I had a part time job in a video rental store. I was just getting into anime after seeing Fist of the North Star and Ninja Scroll and really liking them. The store had both The Professional and Queen Bee Golgo 13 animes and I recognized the character from Mafat Conspiracy. I gave it a go and have been a big Golgo 13 fan ever since, completing Top Secret Episode (a game I couldn't appreciate as a kid) and marathoning the TV series over a weekend. There are some other Golgo 13 games that weren't localized but they're trash (I think). You could check out Secret Ties, an unreleased NES prototype that seems to be about Golgo 13 but they call the protagonist "Silk" instead. Here's hoping another anime is on the way! They could honestly create 20 of those I'd be all for it. Such a great character.

[@NefariousWes]

There's no going back after watching Fist of the North Star and Ninja Scroll. Those were some of my earliest anime, but I think the very first one that I had seen with blood in it was M.D. Geist. I didn't really appreciate TSE as a kid, either. Capturing footage for this video I kept having flashbacks of the summer when I had rediscovered the game at eighteen after having watched The Professional a hundred times. I wore the hell out of that VHS tape! I actually still have it! I would love another full-length feature. I'm a lot more familiar with the first game as I had only played Mafat a handful of times over the years, so it was only natural for me to hold it up next to TSE. I would always get turned off because the game threw the 3D mazes at you near the beginning. But even though there are many different modes to play, I felt that they were all a bit generic. Those cutscenes though...wow!

[@SlyBeast]

The mazes are terribly boring. Who thought this was a good idea?

[@NefariousWes]

The mazes would've been cool had they not overused them. Just too much.

[@DieHardGamerBros]

Oh man, I remember playing this when it first came out fro the NES. Then when I saw the graphic novels at my local comic book shop I had to snatch 'em up. I also bought the Japanese movie of the Professional when it was released on VHS and even thought I didn't understand the language it blew my mind when computer graphics were used in the movie. Unfortunately the graphics doesn't hold up very well when viewing it today. Shame they never made a third game for the SNES. Great vid man.

[@NefariousWes]

Just saw this comment. Thanks, man.

[@reagandow850]

Another fine video Wes! So glad I found this one!!

[@NefariousWes]

Thanks, bud!

[@prozzac85]

We never got them in sweden (only ~220 games on our NES) Most games I could'nt care less that we did'nt get them but Golgo 13 is one of them I would love to have. In PAL to be more specific. I might import it, but more likeley I'll just try it on an emulator.

[@NefariousWes]

Emulation is probably the way to go. Not to mention save states would help a lot since you can't save your progress. But both games are still pretty inexpensive, so importing shouldn't hurt your wallet too much.

[@Deeplycloseted435]

This is a must own for any NES lover.....this game BLEW my 11 year old mind!!! I would LOVE it if there was a new Golgo 13 game released today. My friends and I thought it was badass he got laid, smoked, and there were sniper headshots......nobody had ever seen this back then. Never played the Mofat Conspiracy. If the local strip mall video store didn’t have it, then I never played it.

[@NefariousWes]

I'd love a new Golgo 13 game.

[@heavyalchemy]

Great vid! I found your channel recently, and I dig your stuff! Keep up the good work and good luck with your channel! You deserve way more subscribers!!

[@NefariousWes]

Thanks a lot, man, I appreciate that! Glad you're diggin' my stuff.

[@SkyStarNova]

Love those damn games! I beat both back in the day and made huge maps for the buildings, just crazy!

[@evilpeti]

I loved both games. I drew my own maps for the maze stages. Still have them to this day. ^^

[@NefariousWes]

It would be damn-near impossible without maps.

[@evilpeti]

Nefarious Wes I couldn't memorise the maps when I was younger and the fact that it didn't have a password system made it worse. Plus, getting to that stage was a chore. I'm saying that because I had no idea what I had to do given the fact that the game was the Japanese version! The maps just had to be made...

[@NefariousWes]

I've always wanted to check out the Japanese version.

[@StephenWilds]

I saw this anime when I was quite young and probably shouldn't have, loved it though. Nice collection. I remember renting the game and not enjoying it, sadly.

[@NefariousWes]

Stephen Wilds The Professional? Hell, none of 'em are for kids. I first watched it when I was 17 or 18.

[@MadPanicGaming]

Awesome review! I actually kind of like these games despite the fact that there are plenty of issues to complain about. I really like the character of Golgo 13, I still occasionally read the manga, crazy that it's still in publication.

[@NefariousWes]

KidShoryuken Thanks, man. If I wasn't such a big Golgo 13 fan I'm not so sure I would like either of these games very much.

[@Dongled]

I gotta say, you've got me intrigued to grab Mafat Conspiracy. Your poo pooing it backfired! Graphics look great, and I actually dig the backtracking elements. Also, the timed element adds a new layer of difficulty onto navigating those first person mazes. I think I could get on board with it.

[@NefariousWes]

Whenever I poo-poo a game people are jumping out of their windows to get their hands on it. Give it a shot, it's cheap. I guarantee you won't feel the same about backtracking when going through several platforming stages AND a huge 3D maze where just one wrong turn will fuck it all up--in under five minutes!!

[@captainsaver8357]

In the Japanese version of Top Secret Episode you actually get to see the women take their clothes off. There's also a karaoke mode if you pause the game. Also, I hate how slow paced the mazes in The Mafat Conspiracy are. Moving is slow, killing enemies is slow, opening doors is slow... At least in the first game you can get through the maze really quickly if you know the correct route.

[@NefariousWes]

Ooh, I gotta check out the Japanese version! And you're right, the mazes in Mafat are really slow paced. Especially when you're trying to escape from one with a time limit! Talk about anxiety attack!

[@DangerKennyB]

Golgo 13 was indeed amazing story-wise. Plus the variety of gameplay was unheard of in those days even if it didn't nail each section. It was great to be able to switch from side-scroller to first-person shooting to the maze sections. Mafat Conspiracy was a big let-down for me not for the reasons listed here, but because to me it put a much larger reliance on jumping platform elements, but Duke's jumping remained stilted and imprecise leading to a lot of platforming-related deaths that just take you out of the experience.

[@xreev0x]

Golgo 13 is a reference to the 13th man on the hill of Golgotha who put the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head-hence why the symbol for Golgo 13 is a skeleton with a crown of thorns on its head. This is blatantly stated in the Sonny Chiba Golgo 13 movie from the 1970’s.

[@TheBlindDyslexic]

They were good. I need to get an NES or a system that plays a combo of it and Genesis so I can find the twin games again. Do have to agree, the first game though lacking, was more fun. Would love to see how they would do a live-action version or even a CG animated one.

[@GXSCChater]

Awesome review! I liked the games but man they required a lot of dedication to play them.

[@NefariousWes]

Thanks a lot! Yeah, both games take a lot of dedication and tons of patience to play.

[@roguerifter9724]

One thing I have never understood about the Golgo 13 franchise is why would Duke Togo prefer using an M-16 for sniping over a dedicated Sniper Rifle or even a high power Hunting Rifle with a scope?

[@monkeyabattoir8501]

Sleazy P Martini sound clip, i love that movie.

[@NefariousWes]

Monkey Abattoir I saw GWAR perform "Slaughterama" live once. It was awesome! They had the stage set up like a wrestling ring. I've seen GWAR probably like 15 times and that was the only time I've seen Sleazy tour with them.

[@bobbyberetta4206]

Nefarious Wes I remember seeing them with that ring, It was in 1995 cause Skatenigs, X-Cops and freaking Buzzov-en opened!!!! It was a badass show.

[@backinthedaygamer]

Another good for sure. I always hated both of these games not enjoying any parts. But to be honest I probly never gave them much of a chance. Since you put this much time into the vid I'll give them another go. U make them look much better than I rem. Also like most everyone else I had no idea about the show (which I want to check out now as well).

[@NefariousWes]

Thanks, man! Definitely check out the anime. I recommend The Professional which is actually on KZbin (that's where I got my footage from). And yes, I put a lot of time into this video, so you are now obligated to give these games another chance! Just play 'em on your Retron so you can use save states, cuz the lack of a save feature is my biggest gripe for these two.

[@lazarus30001]

I DESPISE the lack of passwords or save systems! Who has the dedication to play some long, early games to completion?

[@FAZWORTH421]

Holy shit this game was hard! And I had no idea that it was such a franchise. I was always thinking “what the fuck was that game about?”

[@DrScientistSounds]

Really nice GWAR insert there haha, very cool!

[@NefariousWes]

Ha ha, yes! Someone noticed it within the first day of release!

[@RewindMike]

good stuff, you've got me wanting to check out the anime now! As always, love the editing 🤘

[@NefariousWes]

Thanks, man. Coming from you that's quite the compliment. And I highly suggest the anime. The Professional is freakin' awesome and it's actually available on KZbin, though I'm sure you have other ways of obtaining it. Check it out!

[@christophermccann1218]

I love the DRI/Slayer shirt.

[@cruehead419]

I also have both comics that came with them I still love Golgo 13

[@NefariousWes]

I only have the first comic, "The Impossible Hit". I only rented Mafat as a kid and didn't pick it up until after I had rediscovered the first game.

[@cruehead419]

I went back and watched this review and like you said there is no save or password to Top Secret Episode but it does have a stage select code but is impossible to do if you don't have a friend to use the second controller to input the code

[@NefariousWes]

cruehead419 I was actually able to pull it off by myself, but it was tricky.

[@THEONLYGORE]

I think some of your complaints don't fit... you have to remember this is an early NES game... not a current gen game.... memory restrictions were real back then so palate swaps were common

[@THEONLYGORE]

almost subbed

[@NefariousWes]

DARK DRAKONIS Almost credible.

[@VeteranGamerVault]

Thanks for the review, I just played this for the first time and gotta say it is pretty frustrating without some sort of walkthrough. I will be reviewing this game if you wanna check it out

[@NefariousWes]

Thanks for watching! Yeah, both games are pretty damn cryptic. When is your review gonna out?

[@VeteranGamerVault]

Should be sometime this week, just finished the game last night. That last part had me raging haha

[@NefariousWes]

Tell me about it.

[@NefariousWes]

Hey, make sure to let me know when your review for Top Secret Episode is up so I can check it out.

[@VeteranGamerVault]

Nefarious Wes you bet, been a busy week but Ill let you know

[@richardoaks8333]

Great review! Loved top secret episode. Togo is so cool. The theme is great as well... Maybe it will be on your title screen top 10! Is the film "the professional" with Natalie Portman in it about duke togo?

[@NefariousWes]

The Professional with Jean Reno is a completely unrelated movie. In Japan, The Professional is simply titled: Golgo 13. I don't know why The Professional was added to the title here in the states. Stay tuned for the title screen video. I currently have a different KZbinr doing each game and it's in the works!

[@Pimpjira87]

I used to have like six volumes of that Golgo 13 manga but got rid of them with the rest of my manga unfortunately. That and Gunsmith Cats are really the only ones I miss having. I didn't even know about The Mafat Conspiracy until 5 years or so ago, never hear anyone talk about it. I was hoping you'd say it's better than Top Secret Episode(which I like but agree it's very flawed). lol I think I will continue to pass on that one unless I see it really cheap somewhere.

[@NefariousWes]

My buddy just streamed Mafat last night (first time playing it) and said, "This game is terrible!" It has the potential to be so good.

[@cruehead419]

Love this series and both these games if I had to chose I say Top Secret episode out of the two

[@NefariousWes]

I think TSE is clearly the better of the two.

[@rodion6054]

Классное видео 👍👍👍 Я только что случайно открыл эту игру для себя. Мне 30 лет и я поражён, что игра 1988 года смогла меня затянуть! Разработчикам мой низкий поклон, хоть игра и кривовата.

[@douglas77scott]

Love top secret episode!!! But love the dri slayer shirt more

[@Thumper770]

52 continues?! I only ever got 3. That's why I never finished it.

[@rickgrimes3479]

These is nothing wrong with golgo 13 this guy just doesn't appreciate difficult games, and if he rather easy games just play anything today instead. Also if the hardware limits of the nes made for bland games then maybe he should check some of his vids, because this one is pretty average.

[@lazarus30001]

Own the first one. You're right, good story but da*n hard at times!

[@hackjobleroy]

You, my friend, are by far the most entertaining gaming channel on KZbin! Well spoken, intelligent reviews and I've pretty much grabbed every NES title you have discussed so far. Speaking of masochism, I am about to pop in , "The Immortal". Keep up the great work!

[@NefariousWes]

Thanks a lot, man, that means a lot to me. These videos take a lot of time, hard work and dedication to make, so I'm glad that they don't go unappreciated. Have fun with The Immortal, ha ha. Good luck!

[@Dongled]

Oh god, I'm having flashbacks to Fester's Quest with those 3D first person moments.I picked this one up on a whim and quickly got rid of it as I really wasn't feeling it.

[@NefariousWes]

Top Secret Episode? You should've held onto it, it's not a bad game.

[@Dongled]

ehhh lackluster graphics and music and meh gameplay. I remember not being impressed.

[@shyguyshawn82oldman]

you don't like first person hallway mazes??? haha at least the music in festers quest is awesome

[@snakeenjoyingacanofbeans5219]

Those 3D segments kill the games.

[@infinitygenealpa]

Snake Enjoying a Sandwich they do not. Who are you? Chris Bores?

[@infernicide666]

Good review! I thought Mafat Conspiracy was the better of the two though the mazes were the worst part. It took me 16 fucking years to figure out how to beat the maze in the first stage alone Cuz there was no map that came with it back then and there was no internet in those days so I would just end up walking around in circles. Once I saw the rest of the game it was pretty awesome though. You have alot of Slayer cd's by the way lol.

[@NefariousWes]

Oh yeah, I have all of Slayer's CDs. As a kid, that first maze in Mafat was as far as I got. I remember playing it and when that maze popped up I was like, "Are you shitting me? Already?!" and that was as far as I got. This review was when I finally played through the whole thing. Fuck those mazes. They're brutal. Maps are MANDATORY! Thanks for watching, man!

[@damonnorth1586]

Loved this game

[@BenevolentDick]

you pull that manga out of your pants? good video that openeing sene was bad ass.. ive wanted to like these games and ive kinda liked the first one but yeah ive always had to bitch out... maybe one day ill give it ago. um a gol go. but yeah its one of those games like clash at demon head i like there vibe but its a bit too much

[@NefariousWes]

BenevolentDick Of course! Where do you keep your Manga?

[@monkeyabattoir8501]

i have them both, and i suck at them both . very cool adaptations/concepts for nes games though. if you want to try them, still very cheap.

[@NefariousWes]

They're definitely not easy games. But yes, they are still cheap.

[@demgutts]

Plz check freedom force for nes it's bloody as hell, even the innocent bleed out

[@NefariousWes]

Sounds like my kind of game! Too bad I can't play light gun games on an HDTV.

[@demgutts]

Westapo get the emu for android, set the settings to zapper which allows you to use the touch screen as a zapper and get the rom. That's the only way I get to play it nowadays, I still have the game from when I was a kid sitting in my closet.

[@algol291]

3:35 Ha ha!!

[@DarosDevine]

ask him has he played everything dies yet or nah? wash that

[@edr777]

Ugh...Top Secret Episode. I borrowed it from a friend back in the day and it was a hard SOB to finish. I plowed through it and only made basic maps...those stages SUCKED. I managed to beat it but had to use a NES Max to take out the final boss. I finally went back and did it with the regular controller and never touched the vile turd ever again. Extremely difficult game that indeed had flaws...but oh yeah, smoking and boning hot women...that was some serious shit back when I was a kid. :)

[@mje6444]

I don't hear a metal remix!?

[@deeyablo]

Beat the first game, never beat the second.

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

Dude I'm in love with the franchise too, again introduced with TSE. Watched the Professional and my fanboyism was sealed. For the games, TSE is extremely flawed and has a lot of shit graphics (it's a huge game so I assume it was done for memory) but it's mix of gameplay styles and a deeper story are what make it a great game. Marat Conspiracy has tighter gameplay and great graphics but the story isn't as deep. Better gameplay and graphics but lesser story. Both amazing games though

[@NefariousWes]

I wanna be Golgo 13--the dude is such a badass! Top Secret Episode is flawed, but that story is just amazing. So intricate. Bummed me out that the ending was so weak compared to the rest. Mafat had the potential to be great, but fell short in my opinion.

[@Duke_Togo_G13]

...

[@Ricardo-ns5hl]

Mafat was actually a good game. I would say a hidden gem... but secret episode is an epic piece of crap