I have NikoChan Battle called Faceball here.
Let me tell you about game.

When I turn on game fun music play. It sound like man whistle and I hear drum also.

First screen say READ INSTRUCTION AND PRECAUTION BOOKLET BEFORE OPERATING
But there no instruction booklet for game.

Second screen say NIKOCHAN BATTLE
There is happy face character in up left and down right on left display.
And there happy face caracter in up right and down left on right display.

Third screen have AUTO PAUSE OFF/ON.
I keep off.

Forth screen have Bullet-Proof Software logo.
That is what BPS mean.

Attachments:

1. 

   nikochan-battle-a.jpg
   

2. 

   nikochan-battle-b.jpg
   

3. 

   nikochan-battle-c.jpg
   

4. 

   nikochan-battle-d.jpg
   

5. 

   nikochan-battle-e.jpg
   

Maybe you are right, bigmak. If that is the case, then one can only wonder who out there might have the most finished version of the game.

Benjamin Stevens. Yes. You are right. There is 4 more level layouts of whole game. All level maps of Stage 2 and Stage 3 and Stage 4 is same as all level maps of Stage 1. Like this:

Stage 1-1 = Stage 2-1 = Stage 3-1 = Stage 4-1
Stage 1-2 = Stage 2-2 = Stage 3-2 = Stage 4-2
Stage 1-3 = Stage 2-3 = Stage 3-3 = Stage 4-3
Stage 1-4 = Stage 2-4 = Stage 3-4 = Stage 4-4
Stage 1-5 = Stage 2-5 = Stage 3-5 = Stage 4-5
Stage 1-6 = Stage 2-6 = Stage 3-6 = Stage 4-6
Stage 1-7 = Stage 2-7 = Stage 3-7 = Stage 4-7
Stage 1-8 = Stage 2-8 = Stage 3-8 = Stage 4-8
Stage 1-9 = Stage 2-9 = Stage 3-9 = Stage 4-9
Stage 1-10 = Stage 2-10 = Stage 3-10 = Stage 4-10
Stage 1-11 = Stage 2-11 = Stage 3-11 = Stage 4-11
Stage 1-12 = Stage 2-12 = Stage 3-12 = Stage 4-12
Stage 1-13 = Stage 2-13 = Stage 3-13 = Stage 4-13
Stage 1-14 = Stage 2-14 = Stage 3-14 = Stage 4-14

So there only 14 diferent level maps of whole game. If I go to Stage 2 then only enemys speed change. Enemys get more fast. All other is same so all level maps is same and all special items places is same and enemy start places is same and enemy number is same and enemy health is same and my happy face character start place is same and my happy face caracter health is same also. If I got to Stage 3 then ememys is more fast than Stage 2 enemys but all other is same. If I go to Stage 4 then enemys is more fast than Stage 3 enemys but all other is same. I think Bullet-Proof software developer want make more diferent level maps but they no do that.

thunderstruck. You are welcome. Yes I want make high resolution video in future but I no can do by my camera. I try find way to make beter video in future. 3D effect of NikoChan Battle game is very good. I feel like I in real room when I play game.

Mr. G wrote:
Benjamin Stevens. Yes. You are right. There is 4 more level layouts of whole game. All level maps of Stage 2 and Stage 3 and Stage 4 is same as all level maps of Stage 1. Like this:

Stage 1-1 = Stage 2-1 = Stage 3-1 = Stage 4-1
Stage 1-2 = Stage 2-2 = Stage 3-2 = Stage 4-2
Stage 1-3 = Stage 2-3 = Stage 3-3 = Stage 4-3
Stage 1-4 = Stage 2-4 = Stage 3-4 = Stage 4-4
Stage 1-5 = Stage 2-5 = Stage 3-5 = Stage 4-5
Stage 1-6 = Stage 2-6 = Stage 3-6 = Stage 4-6
Stage 1-7 = Stage 2-7 = Stage 3-7 = Stage 4-7
Stage 1-8 = Stage 2-8 = Stage 3-8 = Stage 4-8
Stage 1-9 = Stage 2-9 = Stage 3-9 = Stage 4-9
Stage 1-10 = Stage 2-10 = Stage 3-10 = Stage 4-10
Stage 1-11 = Stage 2-11 = Stage 3-11 = Stage 4-11
Stage 1-12 = Stage 2-12 = Stage 3-12 = Stage 4-12
Stage 1-13 = Stage 2-13 = Stage 3-13 = Stage 4-13
Stage 1-14 = Stage 2-14 = Stage 3-14 = Stage 4-14

So there only 14 diferent level maps of whole game. If I go to Stage 2 then only enemys speed change. Enemys get more fast. All other is same so all level maps is same and all special items places is same and enemy start places is same and enemy number is same and enemy health is same and my happy face character start place is same and my happy face caracter health is same also. If I got to Stage 3 then ememys is more fast than Stage 2 enemys but all other is same. If I go to Stage 4 then enemys is more fast than Stage 3 enemys but all other is same. I think Bullet-Proof software developer want make more diferent level maps but they no do that.

thunderstruck. You are welcome. Yes I want make high resolution video in future but I no can do by my camera. I try find way to make beter video in future. 3D effect of NikoChan Battle game is very good. I feel like I in real room when I play game.

Again still confused. Are there different versions of the prototype that have more stages?

Also, whatever happened to Mr. G? He seemed like a nice enough person, and could have been a great member of Planet VB.

segagamer99 wrote:
Again still confused. Are there different versions of the prototype that have more stages?

I’ve never even heard of rumors of a more finished version of Faceball existing. If there is a version out there with more stages, then those who know about it, if they even exist, keep it top secret for whatever reason.

Benjamin Stevens schrieb:

segagamer99 wrote:
Again still confused. Are there different versions of the prototype that have more stages?

I’ve never even heard of rumors of a more finished version of Faceball existing. If there is a version out there with more stages, then those who know about it, if they even exist, keep it top secret for whatever reason.

There is a mag scan here on PVB about Faceball which says that there is an arena mode in the tested version:

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s034140001

For me it seems that there is at least another prototype out there.

DrEvil wrote:

There is a mag scan here on PVB about Faceball which says that there is an arena mode in the tested version:

Yeah, but the author of that article describes the Arena mode by writing that it “simply allows you to take one of the other characters through the levels.” It sure sounds like the version the author had is the same version that Eric got (at least as far as the completion of the Arena mode is concerned) and that the author of the article simply misinterpreted what was going on. At the beginning of the Arena mode, you see a screen where you can select different enemies. You are supposed to be selecting the enemy that you will be fighting in the arena mode. However, no matter what enemy you select, once you press start, you then “simply take your own character through the levels” (because the Arena mode was never actually made by Bullet-Proof Software, just the menu of it, which then links to the Normal mode). Perhaps the author of the article had the same version and thought that he was selecting his character that he was taking through the levels, even though you never actually see your own character in the game save for the little icon that lets you know your health status. Nevertheless, the statement by that author does cause one to wonder if perhaps he had a different version, but there’s not enough there to let me conclude that he definitely did have a different version.

Is 14 stages enough for a whole game? I do understand that they get harder, so there actually are 56 stages, but even the SNES version had 75 unique stages, as well as Arena mode. Any idea on game length and difficulty?

segagamer99 wrote:
Is 14 stages enough for a whole game? I do understand that they get harder, so there actually are 56 stages, but even the SNES version had 75 unique stages, as well as Arena mode. Any idea on game length and difficulty?

Well yeah, I agree that the 14 unique maze layouts is a pretty small number for the game. The fact that the Game Boy version and the SNES version had so many more does also cause me to conclude that Bullet-Proof Software was planning to make many more unique maze layouts for the Virtual Boy version but never got around to it since the game got canceled due to the Virtual Boy’s commercial failure. Nevertheless, as has already been mentioned on this thread, there is a Debug Menu that appears in this version, and this Debug Menu most likely would not have appeared in the final version of the game, since it doesn’t appear in the SNES or Game Boy versions, at least I’m not aware of it appearing in them. Thus, it was probably simply used for testing purposes and would have been removed or hidden for the final version of the game. This Debug Menu lets you change the player’s hit points from 1 to 49 and the opponents’ hit points from 1 to 49 for each of the 14 different mazes. So even though you can only battle opponents in 14 different maze layouts, you can give yourself countless numbers of challenges by altering the player’s and the opponents’ hit points, even up to the point of making some of the mazes literally impossible to beat within the 99-second time limit, which gives this version of the game a nice replay value in my opinion, since you can continually try to discover the most difficult challenge that you can conquer for each maze and keep trying to improve upon it.

So who shot this footage? The original prototype-holder, or bigmak? Whoever doesn’t have as a good a camera as me apparently… And I don’t even have a good camera.

Protoman85 wrote:
So who shot this footage? The original prototype-holder, or bigmak? Whoever doesn’t have as a good a camera as me apparently… And I don’t even have a good camera.

If you actually read the details of this thread, you will see that Mr. G made it clear that all of the videos and photos were coming from him.

If you actually read the details of this thread, you will see that Mr. G made it clear that all of the videos and photos were coming from him.

Sarcasm aside, my point that the video quality is quite weak stands.

Wasn’t me 🙂 but, I admit..if it was..video would prob have to be shot from my phone heh.

-Eric

Think somebody could make a Faceball level editor someday? The game has it’s own maps, the debug menu, and other versions to base levels off of. With the SNES, GB and PC Super CD versions, there are countless levels that people could build! Also, even though I haven’t played either, Faceball seems a lot better than Insmouse. Having a level editor would be pretty cool! 🙂

segagamer99 wrote:
Think somebody could make a Faceball level editor someday? The game has it’s own maps, the debug menu, and other versions to base levels off of. With the SNES, GB and PC Super CD versions, there are countless levels that people could build! Also, even though I haven’t played either, Faceball seems a lot better than Insmouse. Having a level editor would be pretty cool! 🙂

Indeed.

Well I just played the SNES and GB versions briefly online. The SNES version is definitely better, and of course has different stages. Music is way better in the GB version though.

From what I’ve now played, I like Faceball. It’s not excellent, but it’s a very solid game.

Count me in for a copy of VB Faceball. 🙂

Are there any pictures of the actual cartridge yet? I’m pretty sure I went through every page, but I might’ve missed something…

jrronimo wrote:
Are there any pictures of the actual cartridge yet? I’m pretty sure I went through every page, but I might’ve missed something…

There are pictures of the prototype that Mr. G sent to DogP once.

http://www.projectvb.com/proto_faceball.html

And here is the front of the cart(first page of article scan), also a nice review. 🙂

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s034140001

I just registered to post that I’d be totally down with buying a reproduction of faceball. I loved the SNES version 🙂

I’m just curious, if there’s no Arena mode in the version you have, then what does the first screenshot on this page depict?

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/?u005m

Clearly the HUD and font is very different from the rest of the game? Is it an earlier/later version?

DanB wrote:
I’m just curious, if there’s no Arena mode in the version you have, then what does the first screenshot on this page depict?

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/?u005m

Clearly the HUD and font is very different from the rest of the game? Is it an earlier/later version?

Maybe once the rom is hacked, we might find some interesting stuff.