NGPC - Sacnoth's Faselei!
Some of you who frequent NeoGeo boards may already know this, but I haven't found any mention of it here.
NeoGeo Pocket fans may remember a mech-strategy game called Faselei! that never saw release in the US due to the recall of all NGPC stock and the subsequent closing of SNK USA. The game's only English release was in the UK. Prices for complete packages of the UK version are pretty high -- a current auction on Ebay is starting at $80.
Sometime around March this year, Ebay auctions and online store listings for a bare-cart US version of Faselei appeared. I happened upon a few auctions for it earlier this week and checked out neo-geo.com for verification. Their forums have a few threads on it, and one of the people who seems to be close to SNK said it was legitimate. The game was ready for release in 2000, but SNK was forced to close before packaging and manuals could be printed. SNKNeoGeo Hong Kong apparantly dumped their backstock of Faselei cartridges (as well as a few other titles), and some US import stores picked them up. I decided to buy one from videogameswholesale (aka Classic Game Source) and got it for $22 shipped.
It's legitimate, the cartridge is one of SNK's, as is the case, and the game is fully translated to English (without any Engrish, even). Here's a pic:
http://www.nerv.us/nerv_images/games/faselei-cart.jpg
Now a bit about the game itself. It was developed by Sacnoth, copyright date 1999/2000. It's a mech strategy game with a serious tone -- in that respect, it's sort of like Nintendo's Wars series, except you can only control mechs. Here's a pic of the battle system:
http://www.retro-games.co.uk/neogeo/fas.jpg
This system is rather unique. Your mech (called a "Toy Soldier" or "TS") can move around in 1 unit squares (each square being the size of the TS). The green arrow in the center of the screen shows the location and direction your TS would be facing with each command you give it with different "chips". The five blocks on the line starting with "AP" are your chip slots -- you can execute up to five commands each turn. You are given 8 chips to start with:
- Fw: Forward 1 unit
- LT: Left Turn
- RT: Right Turn
- Bc: Backward 1 unit
- W1: Weapon 1
- W2: Weapon 2
- It: Use Item
- RL: Reload
You can buy more chips of four types (move, attack, defense and auxillary). After you enter your commands, your TS will carry them out -- but the enemies will do their thing at the same time. You need to plan out your moves ahead of time in order to get to an objective without encountering an enemy or to take out an enemy while they are still within your firing range, even though they could be moving at the same time you are. I believe you can also upgrade your mechs beyond buying chips, but I haven't had time to explore the game yet. Look at Kkoh's FAQ for more info.
Here's a bit about the story from Kkoh's FAQ:
Quote:
In the year 2075, World War III broke out. Countries in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and America suffered severe damage and casualties. The war lasted for 4 years. When it finally ended, all was in ruins and chaos. Anarchists everywhere seized the opportunity and began a independence movement for a new world without government rule...
The year is now 2099; a litte country known as Istall...
The first King was assasinated 2 years ago and his death was covered up. The country has entered a state of anarchy; independence was finally achieved and peace was restored.
However, with the help of the military, the elder son of the late king was determined to reclaim the throne by brute force. He managed to restore the country to its original state of monarchy. Under his rule, the country slipped into chaos and uncertainty once more.
Not wanting to see the country deteriorate under his brother's rule, the younger son of the late king has started a revolutionary army of his own with the hope of uniting Istall. This army, known as the 13th Independent Armored Platoon, "Faselei" shall now face the New Istall Army with the intention of creating a better tomorrow...
If you like strategy games, give this one a try. The collectors seem to be avoiding the cart-only releases (and there are more than just Faselei, do some searching), so you stand a good chance to get it on the cheap.
Re: NGPC - Sacnoth's Faselei!
Quote:
Originally posted by Lhadatt
The collectors seem to be avoiding the cart-only releases (and there are more than just Faselei, do some searching), so you stand a good chance to get it on the cheap.
i'd rather have it complete, but until prices come down, i'll settle for a us version cart. thanks for the news.
