''Yo! Noid'', known in Japan as is a

platform Platform may refer to: Arts * Platform, an arts centre at The Bridge, Easterhouse, Glasgow * ''Platform'' (1993 film), a 1993 Bollywood action film * ''Platform'' (2000 film), a 2000 film by Jia Zhangke * '' The Platform'' (2019 film) * Pla ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

developed by

Now Production (Stylized as NOWPRO) is a Japanese video game developer headquartered in Chūō-ku, Osaka. Founded in 1986, it started developing various games for major Japanese companies including Namco, Hudson Soft, Capcom, Activision, Taito, Konami, Sega ...

and published by

Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...

for 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 ...

. The game was first released in Japan on March 16, 1990, and was localized in the United States to promote the Noid, the mascot of

Domino's Pizza Domino's Pizza, Inc., commonly referred to as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware General Corporation Law, Delaware-domiciled and headquartered ...

. The game is in Nintendo's

PlayChoice-10 The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo, had numerous model variants produced throughout its lifetime. It was originally released in 1983 as the (and widely known as the ) in ...

arcade series and was featured in the Japanese TV show ''

GameCenter CX , also known as ''Retro Game Master'' in other regions, is a Japanese gaming-variety show television program produced by Fuji Television and . The name is a combination of "game center" (the Japanese term for an arcade) and Fuji TV's call sign ...

''.

Plot

The game opens on a news bulletin claiming that Mr. Green, a green

doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...

of The Noid, is leading a group of wild creatures to run amok around New York City and cause mass hysteria. The mayor calls upon The Noid to stop this chaos for a massive

pizza Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...

reward. The Noid embarks with his super yo-yo and various other inventions.

Gameplay

Both games use a modified engine of '' Wagyan Land'' and share the same gameplay. The protagonist (Hanamaru or Noid) has no life meter, and loses a life by either making contact with an enemy or running out of time before completing a level. For offense, both characters use different weapons (a Hawk for Hanamaru and a

yo-yo A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 440 BC. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in th ...

for Noid) but can gather

magic point Magic or mana is an attribute assigned to characters within a role-playing or video game that indicates their power to use special magical abilities or "spells". Magic is usually measured in magic points or mana points, shortened as MP. Different ...

s by collecting scrolls and use them for screen-clearing special attacks or very rare

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...

s, both kinds of which are found in large scrolls opened with their weapons.

Extra lives In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. Sometimes the euphemisms chance, try, rest and ...

are awarded for every 20,000 points scored. Most levels are traveled on foot, but exceptions include a

skateboard A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. It is usually made of a specially designed 7–8-ply maple plywood deck and has polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks. The skateboard ...

and an

autogyro An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), gyroscope, gyrocopter or gyroplane, is a class of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. A gyroplane "means a rotorcraft whose rotors are not engine-d ...

(Hanamaru uses his hawk companion for flight). Minigames vary for each version. In ''Hanamaru'', for example, the player whacks penguins in one stage and ''Yo! Noid'' uses a "Pizza Crusher" level, as on the "Avoid the Noid" advertisements. Boss battles in ''Hanamaru'' utilize a card-based system and ''Yo! Noid'' focuses on pizza-eating contests. The

instruction manual An owner's manual (also called an instruction manual or a user guide) is an instructional book or booklet that is supplied with almost all technologically advanced consumer products such as vehicles, home appliances and computer periphera ...

of ''Yo! Noid'' includes a $1 Domino's Pizza

coupon In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be redeemed for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in ...

Development

''Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru'' was based on the '' Wagyan Land'' engine. During American localization, Capcom teamed up with Domino's Pizza to promote the Noid by changing a lot of graphics, sound, and presentation. However, none of the game mechanics were changed. The localized game was released in the rest of the world as ''Yo! Noid'' in November 1990. Most of the music was reused for ''Yo! Noid'', changing a few tunes and creating a few new tracks for a more American atmosphere.

Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...

published the ''Wagyan Land'' series, and Capcom published both ''Hanamaru'' and ''Yo! Noid''. ''Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru'' was first released in Japan on March 16, 1990.

Legacy

On August 1, 2017, a

fan-made Fan labor, also called fan works, are the creative activities engaged in by fans, primarily those of various media properties or musical groups. These activities can include creation of written works (fiction, fan fiction and review literature) ...

sequel titled '' Yo! Noid 2: Enter the Void'' was released online as

freeware Freeware is software, often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the free ...

. Originally developed as part of the New Jam City 2017

game jam A game jam is an event where participants try to make a video game from scratch. Depending on the format, participants might work independently, or in teams. The event duration usually ranges from 24 to 72 hours. Participants are generally program ...

, it features elements from

fifth-generation console The fifth generation era (also known as the 32-bit era, the 64-bit era, or the 3D era) refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming consoles dating from approximately October 4, 1993, to March 23, 2006. The best- ...

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 ...

s. On July 1, 2018, a "Game of a Year Edition" was released.

Notes

References

{{Domino's Pizza 1990 video games Advergames Works based on advertisements Capcom games Domino's Pizza Video games about ninja Nintendo Entertainment System games Now Production games PlayChoice-10 games Platformers Side-scrolling video games Video games about food and drink Video games developed in Japan Video games set in New York City Single-player video games