To say that there are a number of games exclusive to Japan that have released over the years which have interested me, I still haven't made the effort to learn Japanese so I can test them out. I tried for a short while, but in a world where the dog needs walking, Netflix exists, and I'm trying to publish multiple fantasy books, I've just never gotten around to mastering it. I suppose it's a good job, therefore, that members of the retro gaming community are translating Japanese releases for Western gamers to enjoy then, isn't it!
Have you ever heard of King of Fighters: Battle De Paradise? For a series that's known for its epic fighting titles on Neo Geo consoles, I bet you never thought that they would have a Mario Party-style game filled with mini-games that released back in the year 2000, right? Battle De Paradise is a board game title where players compete in a different kind of battle, and thanks to ROM hacker marc_max, I can play it and finally understand what's going on!
Play mini-games, roll dice, collect Stars - it's essentially the same format as Mario Party with a Neo Geo twist and the chance to level up as you progress through the game. It never received as much excitement as Mario Party and falls more into the realms of sitting alongside games like Muppet's Party Cruise as a cool game to go and check out when you're bored of rolling dice with DK and the gang.
Still, as it's finally been translated into English for the first time, it might get a cult audience with Western gamers who love the KoF series. Who knows, people might love it so much that we get an official sequel one day soon!
Check out the official project page for more information!
