Fantastic Journey (video game)

Fantastic Journey

Japanese Super Famicom box art
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Series Parodius
Platform(s) Arcade, Super Famicom, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PlayStation Portable
Release date(s) Arcade

Super Famicom
  • JP November 25, 1994

Playstation
  • JP December 3, 1994
  • EU 1996
  • JP March 20, 1997
(PlayStation the Best)
  • JP November 20, 2003
(PSOne Books)

Sega Saturn
  • JP May 19, 1995
  • EU 1996

Mobile Phones

PlayStation Portable
  • JP January 25, 2007
Genre(s) Horizontal Scrolling shooter
Mode(s) Single player
multiplayer (simultaneous)
multiplayer (alternating) (Super Famicom)
Cabinet Upright
Arcade system Konami GX
Display Raster, horizontal orientation, 288 x 224 resolution

Fantastic Journey, released in Japan as Gokujō Parodius! ～Kako no Eikō o Motomete～ (極上パロディウス ～過去の栄光を求めて～?, "Fantastic Parodius! ～Pursue the Glory of the Past～"), is a scrolling shooter arcade game and the third title in the Parodius series produced by Konami. Like the rest of the series, it is a parody of the Gradius series and other Konami games.

Contents

Gameplay

See also: Parodius series

Overall, the gameplay is identical to that of its predecessor, Parodius (Parodius Da! in Japan), with several new characters to choose from. Also new, if you play a two-player game, the second player will have a different set of characters to select. They are clones of the first player characters, except with different names and slightly altered sprites or changed color palettes. These characters include: Vic Viper/Lord British, Pentaro/Hanako, Twinbee/Winbee, Takosuke/Belial, Hikaru/Akane, Mambo/Samba, Michael/Gabriel and Koitsu/Aitsu.

Music

Main article: Parodius Music

Ports

Gokujō Parodius! was ported to the Super Famicom in 1994. Two significant differences between the console and arcade version were added characters: Goemon/Ebisumaru from Ganbare Goemon, Dracula-Kun/Kid-D from Kid Dracula and Upa/Rupa from Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa and the alternating two player mode.

In addition, Hikaru and Akane gets a Tailgun, Boomerang Shot from Thunder Cross, another shooter game by Konami, and a Shield instead of the Spread Bomb, the Carrot Shot and a force field (named "Star") that they get in the arcade version (as well as on the Deluxe Pack released for the Playstation and Sega Saturn). Similarly, Mambo and Samba are given Homing Missiles, the Reflect Shot (which gives them two options when chosen), Grade Up and a Shield instead of the Bubble Missile, the Control Laser, Search Laser and a force-field (named "Barrier").

Gokujō Parodius! was also ported along with Parodius Da! -Shinwa kara Owarai e- on Gokujō Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack for PlayStation in 1994 and Sega Saturn in 1995. This compilation was released in Japan and Europe (as Ultimate Parodius, with Parodius Da! simply titled Parodius and Gokujō Parodius as Fantastic Journey). The European release had English text when the Megaphone is used and re-colored the mini Eagle Sabu enemies to green (as opposed to Brown in the Japanese version).

It was also released for mobile phones and included in Parodius Portable on the PSP, with some songs replaced by classical/folk songs.

Soundtrack

The Gokujou Parodius! ~Original Game Sound Track~ was produced by Konami Kukeiha Club and released by King Records on July 2, 1994 in Japan by Konami Music Entertainment, Inc.

External links

Parodius video games