Wily and Right's RockBoard: That's Paradise
Encyclopedia
is a spin-off video game title in the original Mega Man series from Capcom
. It was released on January 15, 1993 for the Family Computer
in Japan
only. Wily & Right no RockBoard is a board game
that is similar to Monopoly
, in which players and the computer AI take turns going around a set of connected squares, buying up property
, and charging other participants rent
when they land on those spaces.
in which the player chooses among several characters in the original Mega Man series and competes with other players or the computer AI in purchasing spaces of property
. The characters include Roll, Dr. Light, Dr. Wily
, Dr. Cossack, and Kalinka. Each participant is given a turn, moving a certain number of spaces on the board. If they land on a property square, they are given the option to buy it with a certain about of Zenny (the game's currency). They can then charge other characters rent
when they land on that building. However, other characters can also buy part of the same square, allowing each owner to charge a smaller amount of rent. Some squares contain cards that cause various effects on the board such as raising property prices or the development level of a building. The game's winning conditions can vary depending on the set rules. The winner may be the character with the most owned spaces, the most remaining Zenny, or the most developments.
had very little involvement in the development of Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise, simply designing the cover art and the new character Reggae. When developing the game, the team wanted to include as many bosses from previous titles in the series as possible. However, they ultimately decided to leave room for an original character that fans could associate with the new game. When discussing a bird character labeled , one of the team members misread it as .
The January 1993 issue of the Mexican
magazine Club Nintendo
featured Wily & Right no RockBoard as part of a preview article for the 1993 Consumer Electronics Show
. Titling the game as "Mega Board", the article even had a screenshot featuring English
text. A Game Boy
version of the game was apparently in the works, but was never released. It was being developed by the Japanese company Dual. Hitoshi Sakimoto
was responsible for the audio.
contributors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer found the relatively obscure game to be of no particular interest to anyone other than Mega Man fans. Jeremy Parrish of 1UP.com
summated, "An oddity of the Famicom era, this import title was a simple "Game of Life
"-style board game with a Mega Man motif -- novel, but hardly essential." GamesRadar
editor Brett Elston called it a "probably better-off-lost excursion into Mega-mediocrity." However, not all views of the game have been negative. JC Fletcher of Joystiq
expressed desire for the game's release on the Wii
's Virtual Console
service. He opined that it is "actually nowhere near as terrible as a Mega Man board game should be" and that its various effects and winning conditions grant it a much faster pace than Monopoly
.
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. It was released on January 15, 1993 for the Family Computer
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
only. Wily & Right no RockBoard is a board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
that is similar to Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
, in which players and the computer AI take turns going around a set of connected squares, buying up property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
, and charging other participants rent
Renting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
when they land on those spaces.
Gameplay
Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise is a board gameBoard game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
in which the player chooses among several characters in the original Mega Man series and competes with other players or the computer AI in purchasing spaces of property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. The characters include Roll, Dr. Light, Dr. Wily
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
, Dr. Cossack, and Kalinka. Each participant is given a turn, moving a certain number of spaces on the board. If they land on a property square, they are given the option to buy it with a certain about of Zenny (the game's currency). They can then charge other characters rent
Renting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
when they land on that building. However, other characters can also buy part of the same square, allowing each owner to charge a smaller amount of rent. Some squares contain cards that cause various effects on the board such as raising property prices or the development level of a building. The game's winning conditions can vary depending on the set rules. The winner may be the character with the most owned spaces, the most remaining Zenny, or the most developments.
Development
Series artist Keiji InafuneKeiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
had very little involvement in the development of Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise, simply designing the cover art and the new character Reggae. When developing the game, the team wanted to include as many bosses from previous titles in the series as possible. However, they ultimately decided to leave room for an original character that fans could associate with the new game. When discussing a bird character labeled , one of the team members misread it as .
The January 1993 issue of the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
magazine Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo is the name of several publications and a more well-known customer loyalty program provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program is free to join and is committed to providing rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products...
featured Wily & Right no RockBoard as part of a preview article for the 1993 Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
. Titling the game as "Mega Board", the article even had a screenshot featuring English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
text. A Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
version of the game was apparently in the works, but was never released. It was being developed by the Japanese company Dual. Hitoshi Sakimoto
Hitoshi Sakimoto
is a Japanese video game composer and arranger. He is best known for scoring the games Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII, though he has composed soundtracks for over 70 games and arranged music for more than 40 others. He began playing music and video games in elementary school, and began...
was responsible for the audio.
Reception
Critical reception for Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise outside of Japan has been poor. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
contributors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer found the relatively obscure game to be of no particular interest to anyone other than Mega Man fans. Jeremy Parrish of 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
summated, "An oddity of the Famicom era, this import title was a simple "Game of Life
The Game of Life
The Game of Life, also known simply as LIFE, is a board game originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley, as The Checkered Game of Life . The Game of Life was America's first popular parlor game...
"-style board game with a Mega Man motif -- novel, but hardly essential." GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
editor Brett Elston called it a "probably better-off-lost excursion into Mega-mediocrity." However, not all views of the game have been negative. JC Fletcher of Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
expressed desire for the game's release on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
service. He opined that it is "actually nowhere near as terrible as a Mega Man board game should be" and that its various effects and winning conditions grant it a much faster pace than Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
.