robots/monsters/misadventure

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Silius and the Journey there


Last week when Nintendo updated it's NES and SNES channels (no longer a monthly thing sadly) with new content, included was the excellent Journey to Silius by Sunsoft. Though, if you'll note in the promo video above from Sunsoft... they're not talking about Journey to Silius... they're talking Terminator. Well, as any Google search for Journey to Silius will tell you (before anything else), The Terminator game that Sunsoft was making BECAME Journey to Silius as the licensing deal fell through during the games development. A little work here and there and a new game was made instead.

Early Looks at the Terminator game in development
It's weird how these projects work out. A movie/game/whatever will start out intended as one thing and become something else by the time it's done. Back then, you probably wouldn't have known any better unless you'd seen something in a game magazine. At most maybe got some Terminator vibes when playing the game. Though after you learn, it's pretty obvious.


It's funny in hindsight. I've always loved games by Sunsoft. I love the Terminator, well the first two movies anyway. At the time I would have been absolutely insane for this. I liked the game at the time regardless, but man in those days leading up to Terminator 2's release when I don't think I even knew what Subway was other than that place by Kroger.


Needless to say, suddenly I was hooked on subs and the reusable cups that were available. You can bet your assets I would have probably had a few weekends of this game and Subway leading up to the movies release. Sure, there was Terminator games for the NES available, but not until after T2 came out and well...

That is bad ass
The Famicom version is called Rough World, which isn't the best name they could have came up with (it's a little rough hur hur). I don't think it was ever a huge hit. No follow ups that I know of, the most Wikipedia has is a mention of it being released on a compilation. Well, they mention another non-related game was also on the compilation in the grand tradition of wiki writers enjoying the sound of their own voice. It's a great game. Platforming, shooting lasers at robots, good music. Solid Sunsoft fare. Honestly it's probably due to releasing towards the end of the NES's lifespan more than anything.

Not as great
The game came out in 1990 and people were slowly moving towards 16 bit machines. Though really, if Sunsoft would have paid off game magazines, it would have been made a bigger deal (they were always based on advertising first). Or maybe if a spruced up port would have been on the Genesis or something. I dunno. If you've got the Switch online service, spend some time with the game. It's a good game that's got a weird history. But a good game still.

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