Konami Wai Wai World

Game Overview

Ahh, the free-wheeling '80s. After the big video game crash that took out the U.S. market (see Video Game GenerationsMajor media will generally get broken into "ages", eras that can easily be identified and detailed, allowing for trends and discussions about the media as a whole, as well as genres and movements specific to the eras and generations.), the industry eventually rebounded, fueled in large part by the success of Nintendo and their little grey box, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Game companies in Japan (which hadn’t seen a crash and therefore had experienced healthy and competitive business in their homeland) took over the international market, releasing hundreds (and hundreds) of successful games and game franchises. And those companies felt free to explore new ideas and fun flights of fancy.

This came during the second wave of games for the NES (and Japanese version, the Famicom). After the initial wave of arcade conversions (for which the Famicom was designed to handle, such as a nearly arcade-perfect conversion of Donkey Kong), game companies could loosen up, exploring what the NES could handle, and just what gamers were really looking for. No longer content to continue making the kinds of games that have previously flooded the Atari 2600 (as well as the Sega Mark I, Epoch Cassette Vision, and more) game companies knew there was more that could be done, and they wanted to really stretch out and accomplish things. Sometimes very weird things.

For Konami that meant adding exploration into platforming games, moving beyond the basics of Super Mario Bros. and Castlevania into more realized, deeper experiences. Konami Wai Wai World was a boundary pushing game in that vein, following the development of titles like The GooniesBased on the 1985 family film of the same name, this adventure platformer title never made it to the U.S. but its style still helped Konami expand its exploration ambitions. A sequel, The Goonies II, did eventually reach the U.S., though, creating some amount of confusion for Western fans of the film. and Castlevania II: Simon's QuestThe first true sequel in the franchise, and one of the few direct sequels ever released. It was the first game in the series to introduce players to the concepts that would eventually become the Metroidvania genre., into something bigger and stranger. Funnier, too, with Konami’s collective tongues pressed in their cheeks.

A crossover game featuring many of Konami's heroes, Konami Wai Wai World was one of the first of the “mascot adventure” titles (something Nintendo would get very good at making over the years). The game stars Konami Man and Konami Woman, mascots for the company who appeared in various games (although usually not as playable characters) off on an adventure to save Konami World. The goal of the game was to play through six main stages in any order (and then two final stages), all to take on the evil Waruda and stop him from taking over the plane.

And yes, this crossover did include Castlevania elements. As Konami Wai Wai World was released between Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest and Castlevania III: Dracula's CurseThe third, and final, NES entry for the series, Dracula's Curse returned the series to its roots with a more traditional adventure. But it also added in branching paths, multiple characters, and new hero Trevor Belmont., many of those games' assets were reused for Konami Wai Wai World (music, similar graphics and enemies, plus some stage elements). Additionally, DraculaThe lead antagonist of the Castlevania series and most famous vampire character in all media, all thanks to Bram Stoker. Based on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, a vicious ruler of Wallachia in the mid-1500s. appears near the end of the stage (as a kind of boss for the area, although bosses in the game worked rather strangely). Finally, upon defeating Dracula, players can unlock Simon Belmont IIIThe Belmont hero from the parody game Konami Wai Wai World. Unlocked via beating the Castle Dracula stage, Simon Belmont III plays like his ancestor, Simon Belmont, as a whip-wielding hero saving the world in his fancy leather skirt. for use in the game (and he plays like the classic Belmonts from the series).

There's a lot of interesting things about Konami Wai Wai World beyond the Castlevania portion of it. It was a fun, funny little platformer that didn't take itself too seriously. While it was never released in the West, it did see re-release in Japan on mobile devices (as many of their classic games had). Plus videos are available online so western fans can at least see the game in action (without having to resort to illegal means). For the Castlevania completionist, it's and interesting game to check out just to see what Konami was up to during this era in a realm of games we rarely got to see in the West.

Plus, the company developed a sequel, Wai Wai World 2: SOS! Parsley CastleThe sequel to the crossover mascot title Konami Wai Wai World, this game features less exploration, focusing on linear action and platforming gameplay while featuring a cuter, super-deformed art style quite unlike the first game (and all the games to crossover for this title)., that pushed the series into even stranger and more interesting ideas. That game wasn’t a huge success, for its own reasons, but there’s no question that Konami was willing to experiment and have fun in the era of the NES.