''Whomp 'Em'', the North American version of the Japanese game (1990), is a

platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

released on the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

in March 1991. It is named after

Wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western ...

Gameplay

''Whomp 'Em'' is a platform game with some similarities to the ''

Mega Man ''Mega Man'' (known as in Japan) is a video game franchise developed and published by Capcom, featuring the Mega Man (character), protagonist of the same name. The Mega Man (1987 video game), original game was released for the Nintendo Enter ...

'' and ''

Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...

'' series. After completing the first stage, the player can play the other six in any order. Each of the stages revolves around elements, such as fire and water. After each stage, the player gains a new weapon, much like in the original Mega Man

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

, which was extremely popular at the time. Both ''Whomp 'Em'' and the prior ''Saiyūki World'' (which was an adaptation of ''

Wonder Boy in Monster Land ''Wonder Boy in Monster Land'', known by its original arcade release as is a platform video game developed by Westone Bit Entertainment and released by Sega in Japanese arcade game, arcades in 1987 and for the Master System in 1988, with a numbe ...

'') are based on the ''

Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the Classic Chinese Novels, great Chinese novels, and has been described as arguably the ...

'' novel.

Release

The game was released in Japan for the

Family Computer The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the U ...

on December 7, 1990. The North American version of the game removed references to ''Journey to the West'', by editing the game's sprite and graphics. The first stage music was also slightly modified and included a percussion track using the NES noise channel. The protagonist in the original was

Sun Wukong Sun Wukong (, Mandarin pronunciation: ), also known as the Monkey King, is a literary and religious figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West''. In the novel, Sun Wukong is a monk ...

, but is now a

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, and the setting was changed to the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

Reception

The North American video gaming magazine ''

Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...

'' gave ''Whomp 'Em'' an overall rating of 3.1 out of 5 in its May 1991 review.

Allgame RhythmOne , a subsidiary of Nexxen, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel. Blinkx was founded in 2004, went public on the Alternative Investment Market, ...

editor Brett Alan Weiss praised the game, describing it as "a solid platform game with crisp, clear graphics, peppy music, excellent controls, and a heroic character".

References

External links

Official website
(in Japanese) {{Journey to the West 1990 video games City Connection franchises Jaleco games Nintendo Entertainment System games Nintendo Entertainment System-only games Platformers Side-scrolling video games Single-player video games Video games based on Native American mythology Video games featuring Native American protagonists Video games scored by Tsukasa Tawada Video games developed in Japan Video game sequels Western (genre) video games Video games based on Journey to the West