The One Company That Gave Nintendo a Chance

[@pizzacade8594]

4:53 Yes if you're wondering, the enemy sprite were later repurposed as the one used for the title character Famicom/NES Bomberman game, that influenced his later appearances, and if you beat the game, it insinuates that Bomberman became the character you play as in Lode Runner.

[@pojr]

This is really cool! Definitely a cool crossover.

[@AzumiRM]

This channel is very underrated. You cover a lot of subjects that nobody else has.

[@seansretroverse9082]

You mentioned that Hudson developed and published Lode Runner for Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64. Lode Runner was originally made by an American game designer, Doug Smith, and published by Broderbund in 1983 for Apple II, Atari 8-bit, and Commodore 64. It was licensed and ported to the Famicom by Hudson in 1984 for Japan, and then the Hudson port was published by Broderbund in the US for the NES in 1986. The certificates for Championship Lode Runner were also a Broderbund thing. I'm not sure if Hudson did the same thing for Japan for the Championship version.

[@jbminerlol]

yeah that's right.

[@ravensmadhouse75]

I cannot help but laugh at the title "Milk & Nuts" for certain reasons. Anyway, another well done video.

[@jackofallgamesTV]

The title Milk and Nuts sounded like it had ambitions to be a Mystique snuggle game for the 2600

[@ShanetheFreestyler]

Not only was Hudson Soft the first third party developer for Famicom, Nintendo also granted them permission to port a few Nintendo games to Japanese PCs like the NEC PC-88! Exitebike, Ice Climber, and Super Mario Bros. Special are just three of these games; and certainly unthinkable nowadays that Nintendo would allow anyone to port their games to a non-Nintendo platform! Also, the Famicom/NES version of Lode Runner didn't have a wider screen than the earlier computer versions, (which were published by Brøderbund, not Hudson Soft as someone else already mentioned), it used wider _graphics!_ The maps are still the same size, they're just represented by 16×16 pixel tile graphics instead of the 8×16 pixel tiles all other versions used. I don't understand why they chose to do that since it means you can't see the entire screen at once. There's even a ROM hack that restores the original graphic mode which you can toggle at any time with Select. Maybe Hudson thought the 8×16 graphics weren't detailed enough? Or, perhaps more likely, they thought they couldn't work with tiles that small with PPU name tables only having 16×16 attributes if you didn't use a mapper to expand that? Either way, the ROM hack proves they could've used the original graphics if they wanted to, and it also makes the level editor appear even more limited as the "single screen" wide maps would actually be a _half_ screen wide in the original! I do like the forgotten lore of the titular Lode Runner supposedly being a human Bomberman. It becomes funny when you realize the original Bomber Man on MSX, (two words, also known as "Eric and the Floaters" on ZX Spectrum), was actually a human character! It makes me wonder what became of those earlier versions of the character. The human Bomber Man only had one game, so we don't know much about him. But what about the robot one that became the Lode Runner? What did he do next? The enemies in Lode Runner are part of the Blungling Empire, so could he also be the helicoter pilot in Raid on Bungling Bay? ROBB was released a year after Lode Runner and Bomber Man. Maybe we're technically playing as Bomberman/Lode Runner in that game too?

[@LeftEarth2]

POJR is answering questions I haven't got around to searching for yet. _GET OUT OF MY HEAD, Smiling Man !_ 😂

[@RedRanger2001]

Fact about the Nintendo port of Pac-Land - You need to use the second controller to play it the way it was meant to be.

[@zeirthefox01]

9:08 - I remember playing Exerion on my Famiclone as a kid. Thanks for reminding me its name!

[@fdtdev]

11:20 this is because nes sprites are 8x8 and there's a limit on how many can be displayed each row. to make them a little wider, they would had to use 2 sprites each, making them unable to display all required sprites at once.

[@pojr]

Interesting. I wasn't sure if the invaders were drawn using sprites or background tiles, but this is probably why they couldn't use the sprites from the Arcade game.

[@fdtdev]

@@pojr that might be possible, but then making them more than 8 pixels wide would be even worst because multiple versions of the same graphic but slightly moved in x position could be needed. with only 32k i don't see it worthy of the complication :D maybe it's something someone would do today in a homebrew version with easier tools and more time haha

[@gitgeronimo9375]

Your emphasis when saying “south PARK” was very interesting. Never heard anyone say it like that. What makes that easter egg even more cool is that South Park did an episode where they played the newest Tiger Woods golf game on Playstation. This came out years later

[@VictorGarcia-eb2ng]

I love Namco games for the Famicom. Pacman, Mappy, Galaga, Dig dug...

[@cliffjumper1984]

I actually enjoy pacman on the nes. Guess because I grew up with it. I got pacland for famicom a few years ago suuuuper cheap. I also enjoy the game. Something you can pickup quick have fun, and put down in 15 mins. Kinda off topic but my top 3 famicom games are Wai Wai world 2, super sentai jetman (I'm actually OBESSED with the sentai jetman series. Got a few toys from Japan of jetman I need to do videos on) and my top is Fire Emblem: Gaiden. Played that on translated rom in 1998, before the states even had anything Fire Emblem. I love any video talking famicom stuff! I'm always finding something new. Great video.

[@mabus42]

OK Pojr... I've got an interesting idea for a video you might want... Ever hear of the miracle piano teaching system from 1990? When it was released, it came on the NES and a bunch of other console and computer platforms. Brought MIDI to the home on the cheap (for its time). I suppose you could talk about the premise of what it was and maybe review the differences between versions. Of course, you might not be able easily review some of the ports, especially without getting the keyboard it shipped with, but might be right down your alley in terms of providing some engaging content.

[@RageyRage82]

Those early years were certainly interesting! By the time I had gotten mine in 1990, the NES already had quite a library, and the set that my father bought for me was the Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt cart combo, with the two controllers, and the zapper. I remember going to rent games at the corner store, and they had a lot of the early titles that nobody would rent, so they were always available. I had played the first two Mario games by that time, and rented Donkey Kong Classics, and as a child, I was not impressed lol! I came to appreciate these early titles later on. They helped build the platform to be successful as they are. I think the early 3rd party involvement helped boost it in that direction.

[@jiminboo]

A cup of coffee made by Hudson Soft would have tasted like… honey 🐝

[@mchenrynick]

I remember that Hudson Bee :)

[@szr8]

​@@mchenrynickThat makes me wonder, was that meant as some sort of homage to the Hudson Hornet car from the 1950s? I mean, choosing a bee seems a bit close for a coincidence, so it feels like there's something more here.

[@jiminboo]

@@szr8 yeah… why a bee? 🐝 lol. Master Higgins as a mascot would have made more sense…

[@exidy-yt]

Totally agree with you about Exerion, it's easily my favourite shooter of it's style from the time period and an automatic go-to when a MAME session happens. (I much prefer the arcade version)

[@CommodoreFan64]

Great video, and I loved LoadRunner on my C64, and Apple IIe back in the day, but I totally forgot there was a NES/Famicom version, so now I'm gonna have to give it a go. 👍

[@doodlestrudel1991]

[3:30]: Probably a bee themed cafe with duh Honey for Coffee and Tea

[@RawrX32009]

Ngl their logo looks like they'd make rlly good coffee

[@doodlestrudel1991]

@@RawrX32009 Considering I haven't heard from them in a while, Someone's gotta contact them since Coffee Shops are thriving better than ever

[@mchenrynick]

12:06 That enemy in Chack'N Pop looks like one from Bubble Bobble.

[@BlueMSX.]

early Famicom games were quite the interesting bunch, great video Pojr!

[@pojr]

Thank you!

[@Bro3256]

Should be noted that Nuts & Milk and Lode Runner both released on the same day in Japan on July 20, 1984 and there are two collections on the Game Boy Advance that back up this date for both releases. It's for this reason that I feel its a bit misleading to portray Nuts & Milk as being the very first third party published release since Lode Runner shares that title with it.

[@BillBinder]

Great subject for a video. I had never really thought about this. I always appreciate content that gives a little context to game history.

[@akxmedia0]

Nuts and Milk first 3rd party release for the Famicom. Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Sansu Lesson was technically the first cartridge to have a different company name on their game. Not only that I also believe Sharp as being the first 3rd party to have something developed by Sharp (Twin Famicom) in addition they also released a tv with a Famicom built in (Sharp C1) I guess Sharp was the first 3rd party hardware developer for the Famicom.

[@RetroCave-wr9tl]

I played Lode Runner on c64 a lot and later I discovered FC/NES version looked way better. We give Nintendo crap for being strict but the overall quality of the games show the results of that decision.

[@pojr]

Yeah the original Lode Runner games used stick figures, but the NES one used actual characters. The original versions did play much faster though.

[@SonikkuKun]

Only one month left... Lets get him to 40k before New Years!

[@pablocasas5906]

I find it interesting that many of the early third-party games on the Famicom are the ones which tend to be included in those bootleg multicarts

[@LoneWolgon1991]

So if nuts and milk is the first third-party game on the Famicom, then did you know that kung fu and 10 yard fight where the first third-party games on the NES?

[@jeenkzk5919]

Man, you’ve yet to make a weak, much less bad, video! I’m definitely a fan!

[@Black_Revue]

Lode Runner's Title screen STILL Creeps me out

[@pojr]

Yeah? Why's that? I never noticed anything odd with the title screen.

[@Black_Revue]

@pojr The Lode Runner logo looks like a Face, the Title music doesn't help either

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Hey the chick n pop guy looks like those bubble bobble guy

[@FeralInferno]

Huh.. wouldn't have guessed 🥜N🍼 was the first 3rd party title for the Famicom. Thanks for the education on this!

[@pojr]

Yeah I was surprised too, but it makes sense in retrospect, given the simplicity of the gameplay, and similarities to titles like Donkey Kong. Never would have thought Hudson would be the first company to join team Nintendo.

[@Meshamu]

@@pojr The game may have been simple, but man, that antagonist was NUTS.

[@wibbiddywoo]

Hello from the UK Pojr! Thanks for your uploads. Always great content. 😊

[@pojr]

You're welcome, glad to have you on here!

[@TBustah]

I’d say that the Game Gear’s weak links were more its price point and battery life (I own one, and don’t even bother with batteries when I play it, I just run it off AC). Those issues hurt the first party games as well, lack of third-party support was just another symptom.

[@mistercharalcorporation496]

Creo que falto incluir a Irem Corp.

[@Volcell-85]

Been a subscriber since the beginning 40k eh? keep reaching mate 👍

[@mabus42]

Great video.... but I wonder when Konami entered the picture... couldn't have been much longer after the four mentioned in the video.

[@pojr]

True, Konami was right around the corner. If the video were 2 minutes longer I would have made it to them.

[@supermahmoud]

Milk & Nuts was one of my first experiences in video games 😊❤

[@FaTBoYs_GaMInG_N_NoNsEnSe]

Let's Go Awesome Video & Insights Brother have a great week

[@ThatWindowsGuy488]

Maybe you could also make a video about the THIRD First Party game?

[@oldhunterraziel5327]

Got four YT accounts all are signed up!! Let's go 40k

[@pojr]

Thanks for the support!

[@jbminerlol]

9:01 so that's why so many games by them are on switch online.

[@VXA1PSTART]

Nuts n milk and Lode runner were my first 3rd party NES games

[@pojr]

Nice. It just so happens those were the first 2 third party famicom games.

[@TheBcoolGuy]

nuts n milk is what I provide your mother with.

[@xedus5043]

Love this channel. I have learned so much because of this channel. Keep up the great work! I only now wish I liked Atari games because you make the games sound cool lol

[@intel386DX]

You didn't mention Battle City 😢. The best Namco game ever and probably rbsr multilayer for the platform

[@GerardMenvussa]

Hudson's origin story is wild ^^

[@bioman1hazard607]

This is well researched, im gonna give exerion a play. Looks fun

[@retrojoe85]

Growing up, I've started prefering the Famicom to the NES but the first 3rd party title ever released, Nuts & Mik, was a huge mess due to those totally unreliable controls. The game is not just frustrating, it's infuriating! Which it's really weird considering the cute & cartoony look of the game.

[@jackofallgamesTV]

The real first ever third party company was Activision, a bunch of disgruntled ex-Atari game producers literally from start to end that wanted credit and better pay. Before that, only Atari made Atari games. Only Bally made Astrocade games. And only Magnavox made Odyssey 2 games. Atari had a contentious relationship with Activision. At first they wanted to ban them for making games. Likewise a year or two later Coleco made a generic version of the Atari 2600 off the same reasoning of why Activision could make 2600 games without Atari's permission. Ironically it took the snuggle games made by Mystique for the courts to recognize that Atari has some stake and rights in the name Atari VCS 2600. How did Sega come to that mindset? Because they were an American company until 1983. Before Sega made the SG-1000, they were perfectly content with being a third-party developer that was authorized by the system makers, like, for example, their relationship with Coleco on Colecovision titles. Nintendo had a similar relationship too. Nintendo's relationship with the American companies edited in heartbreak when Nintendo was partnering with Atari for the first iteration of the NES then they saw Coleco make Super Donkey Kong for the Adam, And then Nintendo just wanted out of partnering with America. At that time they were learning about Japanese Jingoism in the video game industry. Nintendo from the Japanese side and Sega from the American side. For some strange reason Atari never took off in Japan. It's like Japan has a national one-way cultural war export everything import very selectively. McDonald's at Kentucky Fried Chicken was okay was okay it import because it was not their industry homegrown, but video games were (Even though you might get a challenge from Magnavox Atari and Midway) I don't know why Japanese are so jingoistic about their video games where Americans or anything that smacks of Western origins doesn't do well in Japan when it comes to video games but other stuff is perfectly acceptable to import. Americans didn't have hostility towards Eastern ideas usually the Western companies like Midway appropriated Namco's rights just to get it in the arcades in America. Midway was a more vigorous pursuer of the copyright statutes on Pac-Man the Namco ever was. Namco thought they were going to be wrestled away from the rights to Pac-Man, hence we got two separate lines of sequels to Pac-Man the Namco sequels and the Midway sequels. But finally the Japanese jingoism reach the boiling point when Americans thanks to the Midway ambidextrous joystick design beat everyone else in the world video game championships that that was the easiest thing to attack of the Americans in the Japanese Jingoistic Joystick Jihad. The new owners of Sega after Paramount sold them were probably the victims of Japanese Jingoism. The only system war where Sega wasn't last place locally within Japan was the Saturn where they were actively thwarting American plans for the Genesis / Mega Drive and the generation to come. To this day I have to convince non-Japanese companies to make a Sinister Stick and partner with Xbox, the only non-Japanese console maker today, for there to be an optional joystick inversion mode built into the hardware of the fight stick.

[@HatStackMike]

Maybe I'm just super immature, but I noticed almost immediately that the capital "P" in Chack'n Pop looks like a certain phallic body part.

[@TheBcoolGuy]

the nose?

[@VixxterityVT]

hey it's pojr 😄

[@MichaelCharles-zn6rh]

looking good 🔥

[@jayramsey690]

Love it POJR!!!

[@forcef1eld]

7:59 ALRIGHT WE GET IT YOU DONT LIKE THE NES/MSX PORT😭😭😭

[@pojr]

I kept it brief this time lol.

[@TheSlashTraxNetwork]

Great video if ya like horror and slashers ya may like what I cover

[@coryengel]

Good vid. Dumping the anachronistic stock video would make it 20% better.

[@hectorg5809]

It will be ok cory

[@edrosa3485]

This was cool.

[@pojr]

Thank you!

[@TheZapstarNetwork]

HONEY, WAKE UP! POJR POSTED!

[@patrick_epic6969]

fr

[@Matteo139YT]

YOOOO

[@mega_shadow76]

Lol

[@lukesmith9692]

Most woman could care less

[@pojr]

😂

[@OGHUGO]

3rd !

[@pojr]

Hi lol

[@Gameswithwilliam2]

33 min gang 👇

[@mrstabbath9114]

p

[@CrazyHomelessWeirdo]

I'm going tired of the misinformation on this channel

[@RetroCave-wr9tl]

Would you care to elaborate?

[@hectorg5809]

I'm tired of you

[@Noggin-w5s]

Your username fits you perfectly.

[@SonikkuKun]

Only one month left... Lets get him to 40k before New Years!

[@SonikkuKun]

Only one month left... Lets get him to 40k before New Years!