I Played Famicom Jump with Everything I Had and Couldn't Stop Making Jokes [But I Love It]
A game where all the Jump characters gather together—that has to be amazing, right? ...Or at least, it was supposed to be.
I'm Harumari, and I've played over 1,000 retro games. The one I'm introducing this time is "Famicom Jump: Hero Retsuden," released by Bandai in 1989. Goku, Captain Tsubasa, Seiya, Kenshiro... it's an all-star RPG featuring a lineup of characters representing the Weekly Shonen Jump of that era. A dream-like lineup. Yes, it was supposed to be a dream.
What kind of game is Famicom Jump?
It's an RPG for the Famicom released by Bandai in 1989. The story follows the protagonist as they join forces with successive Jump characters to fight an evil organization. There are 42 characters in total from popular works of the time, such as Dragon Ball, Captain Tsubasa, Saint Seiya, Fist of the North Star, and Kinnikuman. If you look at just that, it seems perfect, but... that's where the problems started.
1. The mini-games are way too unique!!
There are mini-games during the gameplay, and they are quite unique. The Sumi-in mini-game in particular was quite tough!!!! I couldn't help but shout out loud while playing. I was playing while yelling, "Why do I have to go through such unreasonable things in a game where Jump characters are gathered!?" (laughs). But I love that feeling of "it's so hard that I have to shout." All you retro gamers out there should understand. (laughs)
2. The final battle is surprising!!
I won't go into detail because it would be a spoiler, but the way you fight the final boss was an unexpected development. The surprise of "Wait, this is how you defeat them!?"... but the members, including the characters, are incredibly luxurious, and that gap is quite something. I'll keep the details hidden for those who haven't experienced it yet, but it makes you feel like, "Wouldn't you be surprised if it was your first time?"... That feeling is truly a Famicom game.
3. The specifications are subtly tough
You can't carry items at all! This was subtly the toughest part. The dilemma of "I want to carry them, but I can't" follows you the whole time. Even if you want to keep recovery items carefully, you don't have enough slots. Also, it might be a common RPG trope, but at first, you're slow and it takes quite a while, and there are quite a few of those "if only this restriction didn't exist..." moments unique to retro games... but that has also become a good memory (laughs).
Even though I've made so many jokes about it, I actually love this game.
First of all, the spirit of trying to make a game where "all Jump characters gather" in the era of 1989 is amazing. In terms of both copyright and game balance, it must have been a very challenging project for the time, and it's a work packed with that "let's try it" spirit. The effort to recreate that many characters with dot art within the limited specs of the Famicom is also endearing when you look at it now.
And above all, because there are things to joke about, it makes you "want to talk about it." A game with a few disappointing points stays in your memory more than a perfect game. Famicom Jump is exactly that. I think it's a title packed with the real thrill of retro games that makes you want to say, "That part was...!" after you've played it.
If you haven't played it yet, please give it a try. I'd love for you to play and enjoy it yourself, but I'm also streaming it on my YouTube channel, "Retro Game Girl Harumari's Retro Game Quest," so it's also an option to just check out the atmosphere first.
Please let me know your love for retro games in the comments too!
Look forward to the next one!