Actually you’re right! Both games are by the same company and use the same character. Chalvo 55 is the sequel to Bound High, but unfortunately Bound High never got an official release. Chalvo 55 was also rumored to be in development for the Virtual Boy as well, but changed over to the Gameboy when Nintendo cancelled production of Virtual Boy.
Welcome to the club! I also highly suggest getting a flashboy if at all possible. I’ve had a VB since 2003 and ever since I got my flashboy I’ve been playing it more than I ever have! My favorites are Bound High! and the Hyper Fighting demo. As far as protecting your VB, I keep mine in a Blockbuster hardcase, which I just so happen to have an extra that I’m selling. PM me if you’re interested.
Honestly, I think our best bet is to find out who worked for Nintendo Power 1. when the game was previewed and who did said preview 2. when the original office closed. Since it is confirmed that they had a copy of Dragon Hopper (and Zero Racers) to do the preview, this is really the only strong lead that could go somewhere. I highly doubt we would get any solid info from the big N themselves.
On a related note, someone could ask the guys with Mega64 if they can find any info, as apparently they now have some relationship with Nintendo as shown in the E3 announcement video. Or if anyone will be present at E3, ask Treehouse themselves, as they would most likely have had some hand in the localization of Dragon Hopper as they pretty much handled every localization for Nintendo back then.
2. Agree to release the ROM, but privately, a select group combines money for a single purchase, but signs a “non-disclosure” agreement.
There’s a good chance that this has already happened, and of course none of us would be the wiser, lest the NDA be breached. If this hasn’t happened yet and it hasn’t been dumped, then those who do have this prototype are essentially on a time limit. As has been stated before, the data on this cart isn’t going to last forever, and hopefully these people realize it before its too late and its lost forever.
I’d actually go so far as to say that there are members of this site that have knowledge of who owns the dragon hopper proto or even know them personally, but with the nature of this type of thing, those individuals with said knowledge have either been sworn to secrecy or have actually had to sign non-discolsure agreements. As for the rom being dumped, I’ll say DogP most likely did the dumping as he has had the tech to dump these roms for a long time, but he is most likely one of those that has been sworn to keep this knowledge secret. I could be wrong though. That’s just a theory.
Before, I had it in like 10 plastic bags and inside of a plastic storage bin to protect it. Now I have mine in a Blockbuster hardcase and keep it in my bedroom closet for easy access.
Yep Nintendo Power man! That was how I found out anything about games and I was so stoked. I remember the local walmart where my grandparents live had one on display and I’d play the Mario Clash demo every chance I got. It wasn’t until I was out of college that I finally got one off of ebay.
Dude…. I just got mine today as well and I am blown away by the games I never got to play till now. Hyper Fighting blows my mind wide open, and Bound High is epic!! The only disaster I have tried thus far is Water World. I have no words for that game…… All I can say is that every VB fan needs a flashboy.
I think its amazing that after nearly 20 years, we are still finding new info on VB like this, and from a goodwill no less! Its crazy what people just essentially throw away. Well I guess we need to add another legendary lost proto to the list.
Unfotunately, I do lol. I traded some action figures to a mexican kid I rode the bus with back when I was a kid for the headset version. This thing was uncomfortable to use and the cartridges unreliable. I have Daytona USA, Battle Arena Toshinden, and Nights. Unfotunately since these are lcd, they have degraded and the only game that still works is Daytona USA. I also remember only really giving any kind of game time to Daytona USA because the other games were just monkey garbage.
That’s a great idea! My initial plan was just to make a shell that will lock firmly to the VB, can collapse down when not in use, and feature removable headphones of the users choice. What you suggest is a great next step and completely redesign the whole VB unit. I do have a non-functional unit too, so I can dismantle it and experiment to see what I can do. Now you’ve got the gears turning lol. Thanks!
I would agree with most of you on the pros and cons that have been said. I actually enjoy the red LEDs. My biggest cons however woul be the lack of great !st party games. I’m sure everyone here would have loved to have played Zelda, Metroid, or fully fledged Mario game. I also hate the lack of a strap for the system, which limits the playability for allot of people. I am actually working on a design right now that will replicate the headset Cyberdyne made using the Forte VFX-1 VR headset, but I am going to make a version for 3D printers. That way its easy for everyone to get this for their own VBs.
You need to contact Richard Hutchinson, maker of the Flashboy + cartridge. That cart will enable you to load homebrew and commercial roms on the actual Virtual Boy hardware. I’m actually in talks with him now in purchasing one myself, and was told he would start making more next week. That being said, contact him ASAP at his email richard.hutchinson@dsl.pipex.com .
