It is easy for us the proud, the North American NES player, to smugly ignore the European market of released NES titles. I mean, we have gotten everything released over there (and more), right?

Uh-unh!

Though the many games released both ashore here and across the pond are very much the same - save for some labeling, title revisions (*), and a few rare character sprite changes (**) - there were actually a significant number of European-only games that never saw the light here in the states (thirty-two, by my count). Among these, the 32, that were "PAL-only" is a wide spread of uniquely fun little games that any NES fan, regardless of location, would surely pick up and enjoy. The PAL games that I give credit to in detail here are just some of the very best that have been hidden from the rest of the world until now.

*NAME CHANGES: Picky Europeans did not allow the word 'ninja' to enter into an NES game's title, for example, "TMNT" became "TMHT": the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles!

**SPRITE CHANGES: Contra -> Probotector : Apparently robots with machine guns are more politically correct than human beings performing the act.

Licensed PAL-exclusive listing: First, just below here is a collection of some box art and screen shots of those 32 licensed titles.

 

Banana Prince provides a wacky outing by the people at Takara Co. The incredibly fast game-play control is reminiscent of Little Samson, a very good video game to be compared to indeed. The "prince" has a basic weapon to fight off vegetables and other ill-conceived enemies. Other moves include sliding, and interestingly enough, by pressing down + A you can plant a vine to go higher and further than a regular jump. Collect the rings and get to the end of levels to complete. Don't let the description fool you. It is not your average platformer, this much is for sure. "Ja, ja, ja!" I cannot tell what, if any, story the game has - just that the "prince" buys more bananas and visits local casinos. Yeah, you have to love this game!

Hammerin' Harry embodies plain, unadultered fun. Based on its arcade counterpart, the story is that the Rusty Nailers (teehee) are building secret, evil facilities on top of Harry's construction site and, well, Harry don't likey that. Armed with a hammer... a mighty big hammer... Harry must prevent these goons from messing up his job and livelihood!

The game is essentially an all-out-beat 'em up. Harry can pound the ground to send shockwaves to close baddies; knock them out with a swing; or pick up the various power-ups to demolish the evildoers more quickly. The many funny personalities of the characters with excellent game-play definitely make Hammerin' Harry a solid buy. (Adding an even more personal touch to this wacky adventure, every stage beings with a "LET'S GET BUSY!" soundbite.)

The Europeans sure do love their futbol (or soccer, or whatever the hell it is they call it nowadays). Like us with our Maddens, the Europeans have an appetitive thirst for a whole slew of titles featuring the famed checkered-ball sport to kindle their undying atheltic lust. (Did I just make a sexual analogy while still talking about soccer?)

Konami's Hyper Soccer stands out from the rest by delivering great control and fast-paced action. Scoring is a bit difficult, but otherwise, this is my kind of soccer title.

This is the sequel to Rainbow Island (Bubble Bobble 2). Parasol Stars has more of the same basic premise that made the first two in the series so great. If you consider yourself a fan of Bubble Bobble, owning this is nothing less than a necessity.

Rodland is not only renown for its amazing rarity status, but also for possessing a certain age-old arcade charm. Think Bubble Bobble, but with a girl and wand, and this is Rodland. Control is simple: use the wand to stun and throw enemies. As a bonus gameplay feature, you can also make ladders appear to gain access to higher platforms.

If these sort of puzzle games at all are enjoyable to you, hunt down a copy... that is, if you can find one. Hardest. PAL. Game. To. Find. Ever.

Unlike its Tengen predecessor, this Trolls is quite enjoyable! Trolls in Crazyland is a modified Famicom game, called Doki Doki Yuenchi. It was intially set to be released in North America as "Crazy Land" by Vap, being their first stateside release, but it never happened. The game's main character, a kid dressed in a soccer uniform, was changed to a lovable, naked troll.

You can see its weird JP "roots" by some of the other un-cute characters like the first boss - an over-sized Native American head. Nevertheless, this side-scrolling adventure is admirable and quite fun.

Cartridge quanities are very limited so hunting down one on your own is quite a challenge (and/or costs a small fortune).

(I have never seen so much nudity in one game before!)

Finally! All of those high school Latin courses can come in handy when playing a NES game! Ahh, the worlds are colliding, Cicero! Asterix, a popular comic book character, must save his friend Obelix from the Romans. You'll have to travel to Gaul, Spain, Egypt, and Rome in this typical side-scrolling game.

Asterix is available in 5 different languages, including English. Carpe Diem.

 

Ufouria could just be one of the most mysterious NES games to date. Made by the shooter-noteworthy company, Sun Soft, Ufouria is a platformer with a twist: all of its areas are connected to one another, ala Metroid. There are 4 different characters you can choose from, each with his own special ability.

The Ufouria cartridge tends to be a pretty rare find, too. (Notice a trend here, anybody?)

Parodius is not your usual shooting game fare. Sure, it carries the same engine as the timeless Gradius, but the humorous characters/situations which Konami creates does wonders to this highly creative spin on space shooters.

You can choose from Vic Viper, Pentarous penguin, Octopus, and Twin Bee. The levels are varied in personality and the bosses are some of the most creative on the NES. Any fan of the genre cannot go wrong here.

Ghostbusters and its sequel Ghostbusters II, released in North America, were frankly not all too great of games. In fact, the first Ghostbusters from Activision was known to cause demons of medocrity to possess many a gamer's soul. Luckily (or unluckily for US gamers) Europe's edition, New Ghostbusters II, is simply one of the most enjoyable movie-licensed NES games you will ever have the pleasure to play.

At the beginning, you choose two ghostbusters: 1 being the guy you control directionally and more directly, who also controls the blaster, and the other following indirectly, setting traps to suck the blasted ghosts at the touch of a button. It might sound simple enough, but the great pace of gameplay and the plethora of different ghosts makes the New Ghostbusters II a must-have title for any budding parapsychologist!

-Thanks to Ruud's NES Fountain for helping complete the PAL listings and for box scans