Mizubaku Daibouken (Japan) - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 34 years ago:

ミズバク大冒険 © 1990 Taito Corp.
(Mizubaku Daibouken)

Mizubaku Daibouken is a cute and colourful single-player scrolling platform game featuring 'Hipopo the Hippo', a Platypus-Hippopotamus hybrid who lives with his girlfriend, Tamasun and their friends in the peaceful Woody Lake. The clownish Fire Demon invades Woody Lake and captures everyone apart from Hipopo, who manages to escape.

Hipopo carries a magical artifact that arms him with water bombs, aiding him as he fights his way through a large number of enemy-packed levels in search of his missing girlfriend. One of the trapped friends awaits him at the end of each stage as he heads for his final goal.

The water bombs travel in an arc, bounce and then burst, becoming a stream of water. When the water bombs come into contact with enemies, they don't kill them but freeze them temporarily, allowing Hipopo to kick them. He can also push frozen enemies against walls or each other to create big score chains.

The water bombs can also be charged by keeping the button pressed, when the button is tapped rather than held down, Hipopo will shoot smaller and smaller bombs and also at a diminishing rate. Hipopo can pick up water-related items such as buckets, pumps and water guns to improve the water bombs' range, rate of fire and size.

The level design makes full use of the game's water-based theme, with moving platforms, collapsible floors, boats and water-wheels all making an appearance. Small plants also appear on certain levels that can be "watered", causing them to grow and form new platforms. Some plants are hidden and only appear when an area is watered. These usually contain doors to secret rooms and areas.

At the end of every 2nd or 3rd stage, Hipopo must defeat a large end-of-level guardian. Once the guardian has been defeated, two doors will appear, allowing players to choose which route they wish to take next.

TECHNICAL
Runs on the "Taito F2 System" hardware.

Game ID: C49 (F2-System No. 7)

Players: 2
Control: 8-way joystick
Buttons: 2

TRIVIA
Mizubaku Daibouken was released in September 1990 in Japan.

The title of this game translates from Japanese as 'Great Waterbomb Adventure'.

This game is known outside Japan as "Liquid Kids".

Hipopo, the main character, appears in "Bubble Symphony" as a special character and in "Bubble Memories" as a giant bonus item. One of the secret rooms is built in the image of Tiki, the kiwi bird from "The New Zealand Story".

Hipopo also appears as a special character in the PSX version of Pop n' Pop. He is selectable after beating the VS mode.

As with many Taito games, Liquid Kids forbids the initials 'SEX' being entered on the high score table. If you try, it gets changed to 'H'.

Zuntata Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Zuntata History L'ab-normal 1st - ZTTL-0038) on April 1, 1999.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• INSTRUCTIONS:
• Press the Attack button to throw a water bomb. Hold the Attack button down to throw larger bombs.
• Hold down the Jump button to jump higher.
• Freeze enemies by hitting them with a water bomb, or catching them in the water released from a bomb.
• Smash into frozen enemies or drop them off a platform to destroy them.
• When you defeat more than one enemy at a time, a power-up item appears.
• Reach the goal within the time limit to complete a stage. If the time limit runs out, you will be chased by an indestructible monster.
• If you touch an enemy or an enemy projectile, you will lose a life.
• ITEMS LIST:

Pump: Shortens the time taken to inflate your water bomb
Bucket: Increases the maximum size of your water bomb
Water Pistol: Increases shot speed
Mystery Box: A random item appears from inside
Thunderbolt: Stuns all on-screen enemies
Double Thunderbolt: Destroys all on-screen enemies
Miracle Ball: Temporary invincibility (you can destroy enemies by touching them)
Tap: Temporarily increases the water bomb size to its maximum level
Train: Speed up
Pig: Slow down
Boots: Become resistant to currents created by water bombs
Hipopo Doll: Extra life awarded
Cake: Bonus points

• TEDDY BEAR CHEAT:

In the demo mode (after the title screen), press 20 times the bubble button and a cute picture of a bear will appear in the left bottom of the screen.

STAFF
The Mizubaku Project staff

Team Leader: Kazutomo Ishida
Planner: Nobuhiro Hiramatsu
Director: Nobuhiro Hiramatsu, T. MATSUMOTO
Programmers: Kazutomo Ishida, K. NAGAHARA, K. TSUNEKIYO, TABBY.K
Characters: Nobuhiro Hiramatsu, H. KUJIRAI, Y. IWATA, P-COCK, V.A.P., TRIFLESER, T. MATSUMOTO
Sound: KARU, OGR
Hardware: S.W.S.
Design: K. NAKAGAWA, SANTACLAUS

Special Thanks: Kumagaya Labo

PORTS

• CONSOLES:

[JP] NEC PC-Engine (jan.17, 1992) "Mizubaku Daibouken [Model TP03020]"
[JP] Sega Saturn (oct.22, 1998) "Mizubaku Daibouken [Model T-19910G]"
[JP] Sony PS2 (aug.25, 2005) "Taito Memories Gekan [Model SLPM-66092]"

CONTRIBUTE
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