Balloon Fight

{{Infobox video game

| title = Balloon Fight

| image = BalloonFightnesboxart.jpg

| caption = North American NES box art

| developer = Nintendo R&D1
HAL Laboratory

| publisher = Nintendo{{vgrelease|JP|Hudson Soft (PC-88, Sharp X1, MZ-1500)}}

| producer = Gunpei Yokoi{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2016/November/Nintendo-Classic-Mini-NES-special-interview-Volume-2-Balloon-Fight-1154453.html|title=Nintendo Classic Mini: NES special interview – Volume 2: Balloon Fight}}

| programmer = Satoru Iwata{{cite magazine |url=http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/46564/features/top-10-best-satoru-iwata-moments/ |title=Top 10 best Satoru Iwata moments |author=East, Thomas |date=February 7, 2013 |magazine=Official Nintendo Magazine |access-date=June 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904233042/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/46564/features/top-10-best-satoru-iwata-moments/ |archive-date=September 4, 2014 |url-status=dead}}

| composer = Hirokazu Tanaka{{cite AV media notes|url=http://vgmdb.net/album/404|title=Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol. 1|year=2004|publisher=Scitron Digital Contents}}

| released = Arcade {{Small|(VS. Balloon Fight)}}
{{vgrelease|NA|September 1984{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |trans-title=Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005) |date=October 13, 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |page=128 |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n129}}|JP|October 3, 1984{{cite web |title=VS balloon fight. (Registration Number PA0000247651) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov |website=United States Copyright Office |access-date=5 June 2021}}|EU|1987{{cite web |title=PlayChoice-10: 10 Top Games In One Goliath Cabinet, Electrocoin (UK) |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=4228 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=19 June 2021}}}}NES/Famicom
{{vgrelease|JP|January 22, 1985|NA|September, 1986{{cite news |author= |date=October 1986|title=Availability Update|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/2/23/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_07.pdf |url-status= |work=Computer Entertainer |location= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=March 1, 2023}}|PAL|March 12, 1987}}NEC PC-8801
{{vgrelease|JP|October 1985{{cite web|title=Balloon Fight|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/balloon-fight/release-info|website=Moby Games|access-date=23 November 2014}}}}Sharp X1
{{vgrelease|JP|November 1985}}MZ-1500
{{vgrelease|JP|1985{{cite web|title=Nico Nico Rarities: Balloon Fight for MZ-1500|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch/WA2xyIFfjLs|website=YouTube|access-date=May 5, 2020}}}}Sharp Zaurus
{{vgrelease|JP|September 2001{{cite web|author1=IGN staff|title=CHIBI JAPAN WEEKLY 3|url=http://ign.com/articles/2001/09/07/chibi-japan-weekly-3|website=IGN|access-date=23 November 2014|date=September 7, 2001}}}}Game Boy Advance
{{vgrelease|JP|May 21, 2004}}Nintendo e-Reader
{{vgrelease|NA|September 16, 2002}}

| platforms = Arcade, NES, PC-8801, X1, MZ-1500, PC-8001mkIISR, MZ-2500, Sharp Zaurus, Game Boy Advance

| genre = Action

| modes = Single-player, multiplayer

| arcade system = Nintendo VS. System

| series = Balloon Fight

}}

{{Nihongo foot|Balloon Fight|バルーンファイト|Barūn Faito|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}} is an action video game developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System.{{cite web |date=August 2000 |title=バルーンファイトＧＢ／開発者インタビュー |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0008/b_fight/page02.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022221026/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0008/b_fight/page02.html |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |access-date=September 20, 2024 |work=ニンテンドウオンラインマガジン（No.24） |publisher=Nintendo}}{{Cite web |date=January 7, 2022 |title=Satoru Iwata – 1999 Developer Interview - shmuplations.com |url=https://shmuplations.com/iwata/}} It was originally released for arcades as VS. Balloon Fight, with the console version releasing in Japan in 1985 and internationally in 1986.

The gameplay is similar to the 1982 game Joust from Williams Electronics.{{cite web|title=Balloon Fight NES Review|url=http://www.retronintendoreviews.com/balloon-fight-nes-review/|website=Retro Nintendo Reviews|access-date=July 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222031011/http://www.retronintendoreviews.com/balloon-fight-nes-review/|archive-date=February 22, 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite magazine|last1=Gilbert|first1=Henry|title=A closer look at 10 of the 20 free games current 3DS owners will receive|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/a-closer-look-at-10-of-the-20-free-games-current-3ds-owners-will-receive/|magazine=Games Radar|date=July 29, 2011}} The home Nintendo Entertainment System version was ported to the NEC PC-8801 in October 1985, the Sharp X1 in November 1985, the Game Boy Advance as Balloon Fight-e for the e-Reader in the United States on September 16, 2002, and as part of the Famicom Mini Series in Japan on May 21, 2004. It was later rereleased through Nintendo's Virtual Console and NES Classic Edition. It was released on the Nintendo Classics service in 2018.

Gameplay

The player controls an unnamed Balloon Fighter with two balloons attached to his helmet. Repeatedly pressing the A button or holding down the B button causes the Balloon Fighter to flap his arms and rise into the air. If a balloon is popped, the player's flotation is decreased, making it harder to rise. A life is lost if both balloons are popped by enemy Balloon Fighters, if the player falls in the water, gets eaten by the large piranha near the surface of the water, or is hit by lightning.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=epNcvgAACAAJ&q=playing+with+power+nes+classics|title=Playing with Power: Nintendo NES Classics|first1=Garitt|last1=Rocha|first2=Nick von|last2=Esmarch|date=1 November 2016|publisher=DK Games|access-date=24 March 2018|page=30|isbn=9780744017779|via=Google Books}}

There are two modes of play: the 1-player/2-player game where the goal is to clear the screen of enemies, and Balloon Trip where the goal is to avoid obstacles in a side-scrolling stage. The original arcade game does not include Balloon Trip, but all the level layouts are completely different so as to take advantage of vertical scrolling in addition to some minor gameplay differences.

=1-player/2-player game=

In this mode, players have to defeat all of the enemies on screen to clear the stage. This mode can be played alone or co-operatively with a second player. Each player starts with three extra lives. The 3DS Balloon Fight port comes with the Download Play option, that allows player to play along with a friend that has another 3DS system.

Enemy Balloon Fighters float around the screen and the player must hit their balloons to defeat them. The enemy can also fall into the water or be eaten by the fish while flying close to the water's surface. If an enemy is defeated or falls into the water, a bubble will rise up the screen which can be hit for extra points. As play progresses through the stages, the number of enemies and platforms increases.

In every three stages there is a bonus stage, where the goal is to burst all of the balloons that float up the screen from the chimneys at the bottom.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=epNcvgAACAAJ&q=playing+with+power+nes+classics|title=Playing with Power: Nintendo NES Classics|first1=Garitt|last1=Rocha|first2=Nick von|last2=Esmarch|date=1 November 2016|publisher=DK Games|access-date=24 March 2018|page=32|isbn=9780744017779|via=Google Books}}

=Balloon Trip=

Ballon Trip is a single-player game where the goal is to avoid the lightning sparks and collect the balloons, aiming to move up the ranks and compete for the high score. The player starts with one life.

Release

Similar to other early Nintendo titles, the exact date of the console release is difficult to pinpoint. It was first scheduled for June 1986,{{cite web |author=Nintendo staff |title=NES Games |url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/nes_games.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221005931/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/nes_games.pdf#page=6 |archivedate=December 21, 2010 |accessdate=September 24, 2011 |publisher=Nintendo |page=6}} was later changed to August,{{cite web |title=Computer Entertainer: the Newsletter, September 1986 |url=https://retrocdn.net/File:ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_06.pdf |accessdate=March 23, 2017 |website=Retro CDN}} but very likely came out in September.

The home Nintendo Entertainment System version was ported to the NEC PC-8801 in October 1985, the Sharp X1 in November 1985, the Game Boy Advance as Balloon Fight-e for the e-Reader in the United States on September 16, 2002, and as part of the Famicom Mini Series in Japan on May 21, 2004. It can also be played in the first Animal Crossing, both through its Nintendo Space World 2000 demo{{cite web|url=https://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/article/20000825/nintendo.htm|title=NINTENDO SPACEWORLD 2000開幕|publisher=PC Watch|date=2000-08-25|accessdate=2024-08-03}} and in the final game.

Nintendo released a Game & Watch version of the same name, based on the NES version's Balloon Trip mode. The protagonist is "a Balloon Man". Unlike Balloon Fighters, Balloon Men use rocket suits instead of flapping their hands to elevate while holding balloons.

A sequel to Balloon Fight called Balloon Kid was released in October 1990 in North America and on January 31, 1991, in Europe for the Game Boy,{{cite news|title=Balloon Kid|url=http://www.nindb.net/game/balloon-kid.html|access-date=May 28, 2006|work=NinDB|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723223256/http://www.nindb.net/game/balloon-kid.html|archive-date=July 23, 2011}} which expands from the game's roots and revamped it into a full platforming adventure. This title was not released in Japan on the Game Boy, but colorized versions titled as Hello Kitty World (published by Character Soft) for the Famicom and Balloon Fight GB for the Game Boy Color were later released only in Japan.

In September 2001, the game was ported to the Sharp Zaurus series of PDAs.

Balloon Fighter and Flipper trophies are obtainable in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the Flipper is also a usable item, replacing the Bumper from the previous game. The Balloon Fighter was considered for a playable role during the development of Melee, but the Ice Climbers were chosen instead.{{cite web|last1=Thomas|first1=Lucas M.|title=SMASH IT UP! - THE "LEAKED" LISTS|url=http://ign.com/articles/2008/01/26/smash-it-up-the-leaked-lists|website=IGN|access-date=23 November 2014|date=January 25, 2008}} The original background music for the Balloon Trip in Balloon Fight can be heard in Melee{{'}}s Icicle Mountain stage as alternate music.{{cite news|title=Balloon Fight Series|url=http://www.nindb.net/series/balloon-fight.html|access-date=Jan 9, 2008|work=NinDB|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619080854/http://nindb.net/series/balloon-fight.html|archive-date=June 19, 2010|df=mdy-all}} The giant fish makes a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It appears on the Ice Climber-based stage, the Summit, where it tries to attack the players from the sea.{{cite web|title=Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage: The Summit|publisher=smashbros.com|url=http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/stages/stage16.html|access-date=October 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102081311/http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/stages/stage16.html|archive-date=November 2, 2007|url-status=live}} In addition, a remixed version of the main theme, titled "Balloon Trip" is available for the Summit stage as well. Stickers of the Balloon Fighter and the Balloon Fight Enemy can be collected in Brawl. In addition, the Villager from the Animal Crossing series uses the Balloon Fighter's helmet as one of his special moves in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. In the 3DS version of the same game, a stage based on Balloon Fight appears with the original 8-bit graphics; the same stage returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Balloon Fighter appears as a Spirit in said game.

In the WarioWare, Inc. series, some of 9-Volt's games are based on Balloon Fight. In WarioWare: Smooth Moves, there is also a minigame functioning as a three-dimensional version of Balloon Trip; players use the Wii Remote only for the microgame version, and also use the Nunchuk in the complete 3D Balloon Trip.

The original tech demo for Yoshi Touch & Go was called Yoshi's Balloon Trip. Balloon Fight is the theme for Touch Mode in Tetris DS, although the mode itself has almost nothing to do with the game other than the music and decorative graphics.{{cite web|title=GameSpy Tetris DS Preview|publisher=GameSpy|url=http://gba.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/tetris/690722p1.html|access-date=March 4, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060305204714/http://gba.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/tetris/690722p1.html|archive-date=March 5, 2006|url-status=live}}

In April 2007, Club Nintendo released Tingle's Balloon Fight for the Nintendo DS, an exclusive game featuring Tingle, a Nintendo character who originated from The Legend of Zelda series. The game is a remake of the home version, featuring the "Balloon Fight" and "Balloon Trip" modes. The levels are expanded slightly to utilize both screens, similar to the arcade game except based entirely around the NES levels. A gallery that contained concept art was also included, where each piece could be unlocked by completing specific in-game tasks.{{cite web|url=http://www.zeldainmypocket.com/tingles-balloon-fight/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130210035318/http://www.zeldainmypocket.com/tingles-balloon-fight/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 10, 2013|title=Zelda in my Pocket's Tingle's Balloon Fight Page|quote=A gallery of concept art was also included in the game. As specific events are completed, greater levels are reached, and the top scores grow higher, more of the gallery images will be unlocked.|access-date=January 6, 2010}}

The Balloon Fighter appears in Super Mario Maker as an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume as part of an update.

Balloon Fight has been re-released as part of Nintendo's Virtual Console. The game was released in Europe on June 8, 2007, followed by a release in North America on July 16, and Japan on November 12. The game was released on Virtual Console for Nintendo 3DS as part of that system's Ambassador Program in September 2011.{{cite web |last1=Newton |first1=James |title=FAQ: Nintendo Ambassador Program and Free eShop Games |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/07/faq_nintendo_ambassador_program_and_free_eshop_games |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=7 December 2024 |date=31 July 2011}}

In Nintendo Land, there is an attraction called Balloon Trip Breeze that is similar to Balloon Trip from the original Balloon Fight.{{cite web |last1=Sleeper |first1=Morgan |title=Nintendo Land Review (Wii U) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu/nintendo_land |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=7 December 2024}}

The game was released on the Wii U Virtual Console service on January 23, 2013, in North America until February 23, as part of a promotion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Nintendo Famicom.{{cite web|last=Goldfarb|first=Andrew|date=2013-01-23|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/23/wii-u-virtual-console-os-upgrades-announced|title=Wii U Virtual Console, OS Upgrades Announced|website=IGN|access-date=2013-01-23}} Balloon Fight became the first Wii U Virtual Console title to be released. In November 2016, the game (alongside 29 other games) was included in the NES Classic Edition (Nintendo Classic Mini in Europe).{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/3095790/hardware/nintendos-releasing-a-miniature-nes-console-packed-with-30-classic-games.html|title=Nintendo's releasing a miniature NES console packed with 30 classic games|website=Pcworld.com|access-date=23 September 2017}}

The NES version of Balloon Fight was re-released as one of the launch titles for the Nintendo Classics service on September 18, 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/13/17856798/nintendo-switch-online-nes-games-list|title=Nintendo Switch Online has these 20 classic NES games|last=Good|first=Owen S.|date=September 13, 2018|website=Polygon|access-date=April 5, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/nintendo-switch-online-service-price-features-2017-6|title=Nintendo's new online service offers subscription access to classic games for $20 a year|website=Businessinsider.com|access-date=23 September 2017}}

The original arcade version, VS. Balloon Fight, was ported by Hamster Corporation and released on the Nintendo Switch as part of Arcade Archives series on December 27, 2019.{{Cite web |last=Doolan |first=Liam |date=2019-12-19 |title=Hamster Is Bringing VS. Balloon Fight To The Switch eShop Next Week |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/12/hamster_is_bringing_vs_balloon_fight_to_the_switch_eshop_next_week |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250517052932/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/12/hamster_is_bringing_vs_balloon_fight_to_the_switch_eshop_next_week |archive-date=2025-05-17 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB}}

Notes

References

External links

[http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/676/676646.html IGN's coverage of Balloon Fight (Famicom Mini Series)]
{{Moby game|id=/balloon-fight|name=Balloon Fight}}
[https://www.nintendo.com/jp/famicom/software/hvc-bf/index.html Balloon Fight] on the Famicom 40th Anniversary page {{in lang|ja}}

Category:1984 video games

Category:Action games

Category:Arcade Archives games

Category:Arcade video games

Category:Game & Watch games

Category:Game Boy Color games

Category:Hamster Corporation games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games

Category:MSX games

Category:NEC PC-8801 games

Category:Nintendo arcade games