Spartan X 1 and 2

[featherplucknfilms]

I remember hearing about why that was a while ago and now I forget, but it must have something to do with the movie Spartan X.

[Jedi Master Baiter]

What happened? Did Jackie Chan go to jail for rape?

[JC]

Might have been a rerelease. I've been thinking about this. You know, Kung Fu was developed, at least in part, by Irem. But, of course, it was released by Nintendo. So, it's possible that Nintendo preferred to call it Kung Fu, but Irem, maybe having their sequel in mind, wanted it called Spartan X. Just a theory.

[DevIancE]

Well, they changed the name from Kung Fu Master, to Kung Fu here for the console release probably for licensing, but the Japanese Arcade version was called Spartan X as well. I don't know why they would have changed it to Kung Fu over there. In the opening of the Japanese Arcade version Thomas (the main character) is said to be "a Kanfu Master", so shouldn't it have been called "Kanfu"? What's weird is there was a Game Boy sequal released, and it was simple called Kung Fu Master...  I wonder what this game was called in Japan if it was even released over there.

[featherplucknfilms]

The Game Boy one was called Spartan X in Japan as well. 

[JC]

I had assumed it was released a Kung Fu first, and then later as Spartan X. Anyone know which came first?

[featherplucknfilms]

I would guess the same thing.   Maybe the movie was more known in Japan so they changed to that title, whereas no one in US knew what Spartan X was so they used the straightforward Kung Fu. 

[Flying_Phoenix]

I recently talked to a seller with 15+ years of experience in buying old games from Japan. He had a CIB Kung Fu and said the reason the name was changed is that another game for the PC Engine had the rights, so only a few hundreds were made before changing the name to Spartan X.

He said the licence/copyright was a Japan-only issue, so this is why other regions did not need a name change.

This would at least confirm it is not a foreign release, but the very first Japanese release. I am still struggling to find which PC engine game it could be... the only one that seems to fit is "The Kung Fu":



But the dates hardly match, as the FC game by Irem was released in 85 (or was it 84?), and the PC Engine game by Hudson was released in 87. It might be that this story is correct, but the game that forced Nintendo to change the name is a different one.

[fcgamer]

For what it is worth:  I have maybe six or seven of these, all loose, all from a guy that had sold me hundreds of loose / old stock titles, both legit items and pirates.  Although I was skeptical at first, the Kung Fu's are legit, as I cracked one or two of them open and the insides were legit product.  Due to this, I think Flying_Phoenix's suggestion might be somewhat of the truth.  There was a name change, then the loose carts were dumped in neighboring countries? 

On another note, the pirates also had bootlegged Kung Fu as well as Spartan X, as the game can be found on bootleg format for both.  Maybe they just bootlegged it from the NES version though?

[Flying_Phoenix]

I kept thinking this might have been a Hong Kong release (this was also suggested by L___E___T), but I can now sleep well, knowing it was all a Japan thing.

Seems like Taiwan was a good place to find them, well I can't say the same for Hong Kong really, not for the last 6-7 years at least. I do think they sold most copies in Japan, while making sure the next print would have a different name. I don't think they were forced to make copies disappear, if they had already discussed with NEC/Hudson (or whoever had the right to the name in Japan) that they were going to change the name ASAP for all upcoming prints.

Maybe the game was 'normally' exported (like many early FC games) to neighbouring countries, and this is why 'many' copies could be found outside of Japan.

[fcgamer]

Why would it have been a Hong Kong release, anyway?  So far, there hasn't been any Hong Kong version Famicom carts confirmed, right?

[L___E___T]

 



Was that seller that guy Jackie in HK?  I think I have seen him too and chatted to him for a while.  I told him about Famicom World and tried to get him to signup   

I can't remember why there was a suggestion it was possibly an HK release - but let's not forget that Spartan X / Meals On Wheels was a Hong Kong movie and that Jackie Chan is a HK native.  
There was also a suggestion somewhere that the PAL game and title was used, but in the Famicom packaging which was the main avenue.

But nice to clear that up.  But why do you think loose carts were dumped?  I'm not convinced that Nintendo would just discard boxes.  A recall to repackage would have been a better option.

[Flying_Phoenix]

Could have been anything! But for sure it was a slim chance, as it looked like a normal Japanese release. I just thought L___E___T's theory was worth investigating. That's what got me researching and asking around, since I'm here anyway.

Yes it was Jack, and he sounded like he was telling me an onvious thing that everybody knew. I didn't ask him where he got the information from though, I should have.

[fcgamer]

But nice to clear that up.  But why do you think loose carts were dumped?  I'm not convinced that Nintendo would just discard boxes.  A recall to repackage would have been a better option.

Never made, perhaps.  I would presume that boxes, manuals, carts were not necessarily made in the same quantities.  I mean, a company that produces pcbs might not be the same place that is doing print work, etc.  Different quantity requirements, etc.  Just a thought.  More carts were printed than boxes, then they were dumped.  Or it could just be that all of the boxes were just destroyed later.  I've seen that happen before too, especially when it comes to old items that no one wants to buy, taking up precious display space.
Post Merge: July 11, 2016, 05:35:04 am
On another note:  Have a "lot" of these games been found in Hong Kong?  L___E___T, Flying Phonex?

[Flying_Phoenix]

I would say most likely a company will want to match the quantities of what they plan to sell, except for proofchecks, samples, or whatever "special" use they might have for them. At least the companies I worked for always proceeded this way, and they did get boxes, manuals and actual products from different factories (they still do).

I think you are right when you say boxes/manuals are usually lost/thrown away/discarded, but after being sold, by customers, users, their parents, second hand shops etc. Most retrogames share the same fate, don't they. Loose carts always tend to be easier to find, yet all copies came brand new boxed, originally.

Nope, I haven't seen a single cart or CIB copy, except one that comes from Japan in a shop.

This is why I wanted to dig a bit more to confirm this "Kung Fu" version has nothing to do with Hong Kong