Let's! TV Play Classic
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| Product type | Video game console |
|---|---|
| Owner | Bandai |
| Introduced | 2006 |
| Markets | Japan |
| Website | Official site |
Let's! TV Play Classic (Let's!TVプレイCLASSIC or レッツテレビプレイ クラシック) is a series of Japan-only plug & play devices developed and distributed by Bandai programmed on XaviX software created by SSD Company Limited in 2006 that contain arcade games from either Namco or Taito, with Namco's being called "Namco Nostalgia" while Taito's are called "Taito Nostalgia". Each device in the series contains 4 games, with 2 being classic arcade games while the other 2 are new games using the original game's sprites developed by Bandai. Namco's released arrangement games are completely new sequels to the original games that utilise the same sprites, gameplay and engine. Taito's arrangements and the unreleased Namco Nostalgia 3 consist of a new playable character with different strategy and a new, very difficult final boss at the end of the game. It is possible to continue indefinitely with all the games and there is an option to load the game where the most recent playthrough left off from the title screen. The game is started by inserting a credit via a special credit button on the side of the device to mimic the feel of a real arcade cabinet. However, there is no start button so the mode of the game (one player, two player, load game is chosen by scrolling down with the joypad and selecting a game with any button. For authenticity the two player mode is in the original games but was removed for the arrangements because it is turn based and could be considered redundant since the game was on a console. When each game is selected from the main menu there is a small description of the game and screenshots that appear within a border that resembles the actual arcade cabinet of the original games. High scores are also saved on each console. Due to these games being released on Plug and Plays and not on popular game consoles, they have become very obscure, especially outside of Japan, and little information is available on the internet about them.
Connection with Game Center Arashi Anime and Manga
The artist of the Game Center Arashi Anime and Manga, Mitsuru Sugaya created artwork similar to actual arcade cabinets for special cardboard covers that could be screwed on the top of the Let's TV Play Classic consoles and covered by a glass plate and was interchangeable with two artworks per console, one for each classic game, and he was scheduled to have a signing event near the day of release of the consoles. When each Let's TV Play Classic console is turned on a screen comes up that says the name of the console e.g.: Namco Nostalgia 1, and below appears the mascot of Game Center Arashi, Arashi Ishino. It is possible to make Arashi perform a unique secret animation for each console by moving the joypad in a particular way. There is also a special manga which appears in the instruction booklets for Taito Nostalgia 1 and 2 that gives insight to the story of the arrangement games.
AC Adapter/ AV Cables and Their Recall
The 'Let's TV Play Classic consoles require a specific adapter and AV cables sold separately from the consoles but bundled together. Alternatively it is possible to use batteries in the devices along with the AV cables. However, the original AV Cables were recalled due to the chemical makeup of the outer rubber protective coating of the AV cables not being able to withstand the heat of power conducted through them by the AC adapter. Since when the devices were on battery power electricity was not being conducted through the AV cables, the original AV cables were fine to use with batteries. However, a new release of the AV cable/ AC adapter bundle had AV cables markeed with a small letter s that could be used with the AC adaptor without risk of the outer rubber protective coating.
Namco Nostalgia 1
- Xevious
- Mappy
- Xevious: Scramble Mission - In Scramble Mission the Solvalou ship flies through a futuristic fortress that has technological obstacles that the player must dodge, and at the end of each level they must blow up a boss similar to GAMP. There is an emphasis on speed, as there is a time limit of 1:30 for each level. Score bonuses can be gotten by collecting Rally-X flags, and by beating levels with less time. Enemies from the original game also appear.
- Mappy: Revenge of Nyamco - A game similar to Breakout where the player controls two Meowkies at the bottom of the screen who are moving a trampoline and catching Nyamco. Nyamco is attempting to bounce up and break blocks to obtain the items Mappy took from him in the previous game. The player can also high jump, but high jumping too many times in a row can cause the trampoline to break. If Nyamco hits the floor at any time he dies and loses a life There are also balloons that let Nyamco high jump unlimitedly for a small amount of time. The blocks at the top of the stage are made of different materials that break in more or less hits. And when the player takes too much time on a level, Mappy comes out on the top platform and drops bells on Nyamco to hurt him, like in the original game.
Namco Nostalgia 2
- Gaplus
- Dragon Buster
- Gaplus Phalanx - The enemies do not shoot at the player, similar to the challenge stages in the original game. The player's ship has a Phalanx powerup at all times and must capture blue enemy ships which if caught would move to the top half of the screen spell a word as in the original Gaplus challenge stages. However red ships in this game is caught will erase a small part of the word, and the player must spell at least the word to continue to the next stage. As in the original game it is possible to earn a bonus for catching more ships than necessary to spell the word. The enemy ships in this game are recolored to be red and blue and there are three only three of the types that were in the original Gaplus, zako, ado, and queen (these are the Japanese names). The star background of the game is also blue instead of black.
- Dragon Buster 100 - Clovis must rescue Celia again but this time he has to travel through 20 linear levels, and each level has four room guardians and a boss dragon at the end (There are 100 enemies hence the name 100.)There are no regular enemies throughout the game or obstacles such as vines to climb and there is only one linear path. Every 25 levels there is a cutscene where Clovis reaches Celia, but she gets captured by another dragon, except after the 100th level when she and Clovis kiss. After level 50 the dragons that Clovis fights become two headed, and after level 75 they have three heads. These dragons have much more HP than the one headed ones. Also, the color of the enemies and dragons changes throughout the game. Clovis can also use new items from the Famicom version of Dragon Buster to help him with his quest including rods, lamps, amulets, rings and a different type of crown. However, there is no scepter or original crown and Celia changes her outfit in the same manner as in the original game at every cut-scene regardless.
Namco Nostalgia 3 (Cancelled)
Namco Nostalgia 3 was scheduled to release four months after the original plug and plays, but was ultimately cancelled. It was supposed to include the games Bravoman and the Tower of Druaga and arranged versions of them.
- Bravoman
- The Tower of Druaga
- Bravoman (Arrangement) - Wonder Momo, who has interacted with Bravoman in crossover games and media was set to be playable in the arranged version of the game.
- The Tower of Druaga (Arrangement) - There would have been four new playable characters.
Taito Nostalgia 1
- The Legend of Kage
- Golden Castle
- The Revised Legend of Kage - It is now possible to play as two new characters called Ayame and Ganin. Ayame is a female ninja who can throw bombs similar to the red ninjas in the game and has an unlimited supply of throwing knives. Ganin is a dog who can breathe fire similar to the monks in the game and can perform a spin attack that does not have much range but leaves him invulnerable for an instant and kills any enemy that touches him. Gameplay is identical to the original Legend of Kage except that there is a new snake boss at the end of every second playthrough. It slithers on the ground and blocks the exit. It is also possible to unlock Kage in the arranged version of the game to play with the new final boss.
- Amazons Golden Castle - There is a new playable character who is a female gladiator called Sana of the Amazons. She shoots arrows instead of using a sword and attacks her bow and arrows. Her supply of arrows is endless, and she can block with her bow. The gameplay is otherwise identical to the original game except there is new a final boss who is fought in the treasure room. It is a new form of the Skeleton of Gaius. The skeleton is now golden and is stronger. It is possible to unlock Guiranos in the arranged version of the game to play with the new final boss.
Taito Nostalgia 2
- KiKi KaiKai
- Slap Fight
- KiKi KaiKai Kackremboh - It is now possible to play as Bonze Kackremboh, the buddhist monk from the Taito game Bonze Adventure. Kackremboh attacks by throwing prayer beads in three directions at once, which become larger when he collects ofuda powerups instead of firing faster which is what occurs when Sayochan collects Ofuda, and he can also use Gohei (Sayochan's purification wand).Gameplay is the same, except there is a new boss at the end of Area 8 on the boat which is a white Maneki-neko. It throws brown hair balls. The color of the sail of the boat and its symbol also change during this fight. It is possible to unlock Sayochan in the arranged version of the game to play as her with the new final boss.
- Slap Fight Tiger - It is now possible to play as Tiger (Tiger Heli) from the Tiger Heli series instead of Leopard; Tiger shoots differently, and the powerups function differently for Tiger. The gameplay is otherwise the same except for a new boss at the end of the game; Taito's Space Invaders appear at the end of the game and behave as they did in the original "Space Invaders". Two machines appear on the bottom of the screen and create a laser beam between each other, that keeps the player's ship from going up on the screen,also like in the original space invaders. There are no stationary defense bunkers though, but the player keeps their power-ups during the boss fight. The Space Invaders defend the red energy core, and only after defeating them can the player blow it up. It is possible to unlock Leopard in the arranged version of the game to play as the original ship with the new final boss.
See also
- Namco Plug & Play games - Plug-n-play controllers by either Jakks Pacific or Bandai containing Namco's arcade games that are sold outside of Japan