While we wait for Konami to give us a long-overdue localization of theParodiusseries (preferably as a collection), a fan translation has been dropped for 1994’s Super Famicom version ofGokujou Parodius. For the English release, it has been titledFantastic Parodius! Pursuing the Former Glory.
If you’re unfamiliar with theParodiusseries, it’s something of a spin-off or parody ofGradius. Hence the name. The series began in 1988 on the MSX microcomputer before getting a more famous release in arcade in 1990. That title, known asParodius Da, was ported to various consoles including Game Boy, Famicom, and Super Famicom. The follow-up toParodius Dais what we have here, known asGokujou Parodiusand sometimes asFantastic Journey.
The games in the series are wacky crossovers that take theGradiusshooter formula to some weird places. I personally prefer theParodiusgames to the coreGradiusseries, simply because discovering what comes next is a lot more fun for me. Maybe you’ll fight a cat boat. Perhaps the next boss is an octopus washing its hair. It still has all the challenge, but with an extra layer of weirdness.
A collection would still be nice
It’s the second title to hit the Super Famicom, and, as the blurb on the site points out, is the last one in need of a fan translation. To note, you don’t really need a translation to play theParodiusgames. They’re just as much of shooters as theGradiustitles and aren’t story or menu-heavy titles. However, it’s always nice to have the work done to have all the details understandable. It at least makes the cutscenes more enjoyable.
I still can’t believe that we have never received an official localization ofParodiushere in North America. I think the closest we got was theOtomediusgameson Xbox 360. At the very least, we should have anArcade Archivesentry of it by now. We gotPistol Daimyo, but none of theParodiusgames? Come on.
The translation patch comes to us from a team of modders consisting of Blizzz, ReyVGM, FlashPV, and Natori Youkai, and you can findit right here.
