captain-rainbow
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Wii Warm Up: The (new) hype machine
57 days divided the announcement and Japanese release of Wario Land: Shake It!. For Captain Rainbow, the gap between unveiling and launch was just 50 days. Disaster: Day of Crisis is a slightly different case. While it was originally revealed at E3 in 2006, it was only late last month that Nintendo acknowledged it still existed, before announcing this week that Disaster would strike ... next month.We don't recall it always being like this. We still remember the agonizing wait for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (period from announcement to store shelf debut: 35 months), and the constant brooding over screenshots and tidbits. This still happens with some Nintendo releases, but increasingly the company is announcing titles close to release. It may sound bizarre to criticize this tactic (because hey, less waiting time is better, right?), but now we barely have a chance to get excited. In fact, we nostalgic old fools sort of miss the days when we'd get hyped up for a game for years. Are we weird?
Captain Rainbow investigates the Birdo gender issue
Birdo was famously characterized as a cross-dresser in the manual for Super Mario Bros. 2, but seems to have been made female in her appearances in the Mario sports games. According to Chris Kohler, who is currently playing through the Japanese version of Captain Rainbow, the character's gender dysphoria is back, and being discussed in-game for the first time.It turns out that Birdo has been in jail on Mimin Island for using a women's restroom. She asks Captain Rainbow to find proof that she's a female so she can get out of jail, and he does -- buzzing, under her pillow. When he picks it up, it is censored.Maybe Nintendo will rewrite this bit so it's about sandwiches. Then it could be released outside Japan.The weirdest thing about Birdo's gender is that the thing seems to be gender-free except for the bow. So, then, does it mentally identify as a man identifying as a woman? And let's ignore the egg-laying issue entirely.
Captain Rainbow flies to Japanese retail with a new commercial
We're going to miss the Captain Rainbow videos. Nintendo isn't likely to release any more once the game is out in Japan (which is this week), unless one of two conditions is fulfilled: either it is announced (and then subsequently advertised) for other regions, or it becomes a massive success and Nintendo promotes it forever, like Wii Fit. It's a bit too quirky for evergreen, expanded-audience status. Enjoy the fourth, and possibly the last, Japanese Captain Rainbow commercial!As for localization prospects, we want to believe, but we aren't really getting our hopes up for a game about old (non-Mario) Nintendo characters, given Nintendo of America's apparent disposition toward the Virtual Console.
The heroism of Captain Rainbow
Nintendo of Japan's Captain Rainbow media page now features three short commercials for Skip's latest game. All three start with the brassy Captain Rainbow theme and the caption "A new hero is born!" Then protagonist Nick, out of his heroic garb, demonstrates his awesome bravado by ... falling asleep and getting hit in the head a lot, or passing out in response to Birdo-kisses. Our favorite, however, features the Captain leaning into a giant treasure chest, Link-style.There's also a more substantive, slightly more serious trailer that introduces the world and the characters (whom we have met). This really looks like the kind of quirky action-adventure that we could enjoy.
Captain Rainbow vs. the Shadow
New screens of Captain Rainbow illustrate the two styles of gameplay found in the "actioventure" (Famitsu's term). During the adventure portion of the game, stars will fall from the sky which, when caught, trigger side-scrolling sequences (during which the sky goes all purple). Running into Shadow enemies, then, causes the game to go into a combat scene. Strangely, this combat takes place in an arena setting.Once you've obtained the star and successfully taken it to the island's Altar, you (as Nick/Captain Rainbow) face the choice to grant the wish of either the Nintendo character you're helping ... or yourself. Nick wants to regain his hero status, although stealing the wish of someone in need is an ironic way to do it.
Famitsu reveals Captain Rainbow details
As our extreme fondness for Seaman clearly shows, we absolutely adore bizarre games. Sure, Nintendo's upcoming Wii title Captain Rainbow may have a severe lack of Nimoy and man-faced fish, but it more than makes up for it with trippy visuals and an all-star (well, half-star) cast of Nintendo's supporting characters. We're definitely intrigued by what we've seen from the game, though we weren't sure exactly how we were going to interact with the lonely Birdo and a morbidly obese Little Mac -- until a recent Famitsu article revealed a few details about the title's gameplay.As our Wiimote-toting brethren at Wii Fanboy succinctly observed -- Captain Rainbow appears to be one part Animal Crossing, and one part action. The titular yo-yo wielder will make his way about Mimin island, helping its inhabitants and playing certain minigames, the rewards for which are crystals known as "kirarin". Collecting 20 kirarin will open up one of the game's action portions, in which the Captain will traverse a side-scrolling level to collect a falling star, which will grant the wish of one of the island's inhabitants. That seems just bizarre enough to ensure the game won't be coming to America, but our fingers are crossed nonetheless.
Sing along to the Captain Rainbow theme
Because seriously, what else is there to do on a Friday evening that's more fun? Nothing, that's what. Socializing? Pah, whatever!This theme tune and its accompanying video appeared today on the brand new official Captain Rainbow site. There's not much at the site right now, but thankfully the song is as bizarre as everything else in this barmy game, not to mention catchy and even uplifting (like all good superhero themes). Fast-forward to the 1:00 mark, and you'll get to see some in-game footage of the bespectacled Nick change into his superhero alter-ego.Past the break, we've posted the lyrics to this, as translated by lovely YouTube user 23Makoto23, so head there to bring the house down with your caterwauling. All together now: Let fly with your yo-yo! Defeat them with your double yo-yo!
Captain Rainbow: like Animal Crossing, with action (and also it's insane)
While the weird trailers have given us a look at Captain Rainbow, the story of a guy who transforms into a superhero to help obscure Nintendo characters with their personal problems, 1UP has given us a bit more of an idea of what Captain Rainbow the game is, thanks to a translation of a Famitsu article.Captain Rainbow is divided between adventure and action segments. In the adventure mode, you, as Nick/Captain Rainbow, communicate with the residents of Mimin Island, helping with their problems and playing minigames. You earn crystals called kirarin during these interactions -- 20 of which unlock an action scene. In the action mode, Captain Rainbow runs through side-scrolling levels in an effort to grab a falling star, which is used to grant the wish of one of the island's residents (say, a wish not to be so fat), while avoiding enemies called Shadows.Is there any chance a communication/side-scrolling game about an island of Nintendo characters nobody remembers could be localized? We need to catch our own falling star. [Image via Gemaga]
Captain Rainbow: Crazy about Famicom Wars
Captain Rainbow is back with its weekly dose of concentrated retro Nintendo weirdness. In the latest trailer, the soldiers from the original Famicom Wars take a longing look at last week's narrator, Crazy Tracy, as she eats Pocky and lounges around on her throne. The soldiers are the ones driven crazy, it seems.Aside from Tracy, their main concern is winning volleyball medals in order to attract the Mimin Bird, or something like that? We don't know where the logic is there, though it's our mistake for looking for logic in Captain Rainbow. Functionally, it means that Captain Rainbow will -- superheroically -- teach some chibi soldiers how to spike.Hit the link to see a higher-quality, subtitled version![Thanks, Josh!]
Mysterious Captain Rainbow trailer
The characters in the Captain Rainbow trailers are getting more and more obscure. As expected, this trailer is about Takamaru, the samurai protagonist of the Famicom Disk System-only Nazo no Murasame-jou (Mysterious Murasame Castle), a samurai-style Zelda-ish game. He is apparently too hyper, given to random nosebleeds caused by excitement. We're starting to think that Captain Rainbow's superpower is that he motivates people to work on their problems. He's introduced by the buxom, wild-haired Tracy, of whose origin we aren't entirely sure. Is she Crazy Tracy from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening? The hair color and clothing don't match the sprite in Link's Awakening DX, but the big earrings do, and her general appearance suggests "craziness." She could also be Ness's sister from Earthbound, maybe. "We'll find out next week" seems like a very unsatisfying solution to this issue.As usual, click over to YouTube to see the translation!
Captain Rainbow gets a Big Mac Attack
We're not referring to hamburgers, although they were no doubt involved with the transformation of Punch-Out!!'s diminutive protagonist from lithe, tiny athlete to pseudo-Cartman. Captain Rainbow is very quickly revealing itself as more than a top-down, adventure-based take on the same Japanese superhero tropes explored in Viewtiful Joe: it's a haven for lost Nintendo characters. The first video introduces Little Mac and his unfortunate weight gain. Little Mac then tells the story of Birdo, who seeks popularity with the boys (Yes, Birdo, or as she used to be known, Catherine, is female. Yes, we read the Super Mario Bros. 2 manual.) In the second, Nick (who becomes Captain Rainbow) trains Mac back to prime littleness, with narration from Nazo no Murasame-jou's Takamaru (who will probably be the subject of the next video).We didn't embed the videos because it's in your best interest to go see them on YouTube, where the clever uploader, 23Makoto23, has used YouTube comments to create subtitles (here is the original Captain Rainbow video subtitled).
Rumor: Wii Music coming Oct 16 to Japan
Nintendo is holding some sort of event today in Japan, far from our watchful eye. Though it may be able to hide from the Joystiq Biomass, it can't hide from the internet, as the folks at NeoGAF have once again proven. User Jonnyram got some tidbits from the Japanese Rambling Man blog, which (according to his translation) says you can expect to see Wii Music in the Land of the Rising Sun on Oct. 16.If the post can be believed, you can also look for Captain Rainbow in August, colored Wiimote straps in September and Valkyrie Profile DS on Oct. 2. We're a couple of language barriers removed from the source, so we wouldn't write it in stone, but the info does seem to represent our best guess at a Wii Music window for the moment.[Via NeoGAF]
Nintendo's new hero (?): Captain Rainbow
Color us ... baffled amused. It's hard to be anything but after watching the first trailer (courtesy of WiiFolder.com) for Nintendo's newly revealed Wii title, Captain Rainbow. As you can see in the last two-thirds of the utterly bonkers video, the titular character of the game finds himself on an island populated by Nintendo characters. The gameplay looks to be a mix of action and exploration, with decidedly manga-esque visual stylings.1UP has more on the game, specifying that it takes place in the isle of Mimin, which is home to Birdo (the purple ... thing in the video, from Super Mario Bros. 2 [US]) and other second-tier Nintendo characters, such as the golfer from NES Golf. Players control a geek named Nick who plays Captain Rainbow – a super hero who finishes off enemies with a yo-yo attack – on television. Gameplay reportedly switches off between the Captain and his meek alter ego over the course of a quest to make the dreams of the islands inhabitants' come true. Will Nintendo make its most rabid fanboys' dreams come true and announce a US release for the game at E3? Color us skeptical.[Via NeoGAF]
Captain Rainbow questions your sexual orientation
Riiiight. If you ever wanted to play a game as a nerdy dweeb who runs happily along beaches and fields, occasionally transforming into a Captain America lookalike named Captain Rainbow, all while receiving running commentary from Birdo -- then this is the game for you. Just, watch.According to some of the GAF regulars, the main character (ie. nerd version of the Captain) is named Nick, he's an American hero, and the game is scheduled for a Japanese release in summer 2008. More details can also be found at Hatena, where we learn the game is a registered trademark of Nintendo, and it's an "orgy of high tension." One word for that -- LOL.[Via NeoGAF]
