Game 1 & 2: Game Master 1 & 2

Penguins, Mummies, Kung Fu and more exploding out of a computer. I can't wait to 'Enjoy More!'

I was debating with myself if this is the way I wanted to start this blog. I said I was going to play all the games which influenced La Mulana in order that they appear in the game. The problem is that the very first item on the list isn't actually a game, but basically Konami specific cheat device. Plug in the cartridge, apply what cheats you want and then you launch the game from inside Game Master once done. Game Master Two is exactly the same except with better support for the MSX2 games.

"The Cartridge which Enjoys the Konami Games 10 Times." Apparently it does this by Penguins.

The only reason I decided I would start on these ones as opposed to skipping them and jumping straight into the games is already it has given me my first insight into La Mulana. In the game you can equip the ROMs to provide you with abilities. As I said in second post the Glyph Reader allows you to read glyphs and the map roms allow you to view the map, however you can only equip one at time. Once you buy the MSX2 it gives you a second slot to insert cartridges which you can then combine to produce a power up or ability. The most famous of these is Arctic Adventure and Comic Bakery which allows you to wrap to parts of the game you won't be able to have before. Game Master is designed to run in the first slot of the MSX with the game you want to cheat on in the second slot. Until I found this I didn't realise that you could interact with the different cartridges in each slot. For some reason I though they were separate.

Combining them in La Mulana suddenly makes more sense, and it makes me wonder 'Can I combine these games on the actual MSX and get it produce results?' I have a list of ROM combinations from La Mulana will I try as I get to each game.

So next we try out the first actual game: Athletic Land

List of Roms and other details

La Mulana is free to play and can be downloaded from here. I'd definitely recommend it if you haven't played it already. Be warned it is hard, and it really can be unforgiving at times. If you don't want to cheat and use a walkthrough, the only hints I can offer is read the manual, and that sometimes you'll have to think quite laterally about the puzzles. The game does provide all the answers, but not always in the way you except. Oh and some puzzles you'll literally have to type them on your keyboard.

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Here is the master list of the games which I'll be play. I'll be playing them in order of that they're listing in the game itself, with some caveats. The way the games are listed in La Mulana seems to be roughly order by data released which is why I'm going to use it as my guide.

I'll be trying to play and complete all the games on the list. There are exceptions such as if the game doesn't actually end and just loops on infinite, the game is too hard (I know of at least a couple which this will most likely happen) or I can't get the game.

The Rom from La Mulana.

The List:
01.   - Name: Game Master (10倍カートリッジ, Jūbai Kātorijji / RC735)
02.   - Name: Game Master 2 (新10倍カートリッジ, Shin Jūbai Kātorijji / RC755)
03.   - Name: Glyph Reader (古文書リーダー, Komonjo Rīdā / fictional)
04.   - Name: Ruins RAM 8K (遺跡RAM8K, Iseki Ramu Hachikiro / fictional)
05.   - Name: Ruins RAM 16K (遺跡RAM16K, Iseki Ramu Jūrokkiro / fictional)
06.   - Name: Unreleased ROM (開発中止ROM, Kaihatsu Chūshi Romu / fictional)
07.   - Name: PR3 (PR3, Pīāru Surī / Fictional)
08.   - Name: GR3 (GR3, Jīāru Surī / Fictional)
09.   - Name: Athletic Land (わんぱくアスレチック, Wampaku Asurechikku / RC700)
10.   - Name: Antarctic Adventure (けっきょく南極大冒険, Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daibōken / RC701)
11.   - Name: Monkey Academy (モン太君のいち・に・さんすう, Monta-kun-no Ichi Ni Sansū / RC702)
12.   - Name: Time Pilot (タイムパイロット, Taimu Pairotto / RC703)
13.   - Name: Frogger (フロッガー, Furoggā / RC704)
14.   - Name: Super Cobra (スーパーコブラ, Sūpā Kobura / RC705)
15.   - Name: Video Hustler (ビデオハスラー, Bideo Hasurā / RC706)
16.   - Name: Mahjong Dojo (コナミの麻雀道場 , Konami-no Mājan Dōjō / RC707)
17.   - Name: Hyper Olympic 1 (ハイパーオリンピック1, Haipā Orimpikku Wan / RC710)
18.   - Name: Hyper Olympic 2 (ハイパーオリンピック2, Haipā Orimpikku Tsū / RC711)
19.   - Name: Hyper Olympic 3 (ハイパーオリンピック3, Haipā Orimpikku Surī / fictional)
20.   - Name: Circus Charlie (サーカスチャーリー, Sākasu Chārī / RC712)
21.   - Name: Magical Tree (マジカルツリー, Majikaru Tsurī / RC713)
22.   - Name: Comic Bakery (ぽんぽこパン, Pompoko Pan / RC714)
23.   - Name: Hyper Sports 1 (ハイパースポーツ1, Haipā Supōtsu Wan / RC715)
24.   - Name: Hyper Sports 2 (ハイパースポーツ2, Haipā Supōtsu Tsū / RC717)
25.   - Name: Hyper Sports 3 (ハイパースポーツ3, Haipā Supōtsu Surī / RC733
26.   - Name: Cabbage Patch Kids (キャベッジパッチキッズ, Kyabejji Patchi Kizzu / RC716)
27.   - Name: Hyper Rally (ハイパーラリー, Haipā Rarī / RC718)
28.   - Name: Konami Tennis (コナミのテニス, Konami-no Tenisu / RC720)
29.   - Name: Sky Jaguar (スカイジャガー, Sukai Jagā / RC721)
30.   - Name: Konami Pinball (コナミのピンボール, Konami-no Pimbōru / RC722, but unreleased)
31.   - Name: Konami Golf (コナミのゴルフ, Komami-no Gorufu / RC723)
32.   - Name: Konami Baseball (コナミのベースボール, Konami-no Bēsubōru / RC724)
33.   - Name: Yie Ar Kung Fu (イーアルカンフー, Ī Aru Kanfū / RC725)
34.   - Name: King's Valley (王家の谷, Ōke-no Tani / RC727)
35.   - Name: Mopi Ranger (モピレンジャー, Mopi Renjā / RC728)
36.   - Name: Pippols (ピポルス, Piporusu / RC729)
37.   - Name: Road Fighter (ロードファイター, Rōdo Faitā / RC730)
38.   - Name: Konami Ping-Pong (コナミのピンポン, Konami-no Pimpon / RC731)
39.   - Name: Konami Soccer (コナミのサッカー, Konami-no Sakkā / RC732)
40.   - Name: Goonies (グーニーズ, Gūnīzu / RC734)
41.   - Name: Konami Boxing (コナミのボクシング, Konami-no Bokushingu / RC736)
42.   - Name: Yie Ar Kung Fu 2 (イーガー皇帝の逆襲, Īgā Kōtei-no Gyakushū /RC737)
43.   - Name: Knightmare (魔城伝説, Majō Densetsu / RC739)
44.   - Name: Twinbee (ツインビー, Tsuin Bī / RC740)
45.   - Name: Shin Synthesizer (新世サイザー, Shinse-saizā / RC741)
47.   - Name: Penguin Adventure (夢大陸アドベンチャー, Yume-tairiku Adobenchā / RC743)
48.   - Name: Castlevania (悪魔城ドラキュラ, Akumajō Dorakyura / RC744)
49.   - Name: King Kong 2 (キングコング2 蘇る伝説, Kingu Kongu Tsū: Yomigaeru Densetsu / RC745)
50.   - Name: Q-Bert (Qバート, Kyū-bāto / RC746)
51.   - Name: Firebird (火の鳥, Hi-no Tori / RC747, 火の鳥 ～鳳凰編～, Hi-no Tori: Hōōhen)
52.   - Name: Ganbare Goemon (がんばれゴエモン!からくり道中, Gambare Goemon! Karakuri Dōchū / RC748)
53.   - Name: Maze of Galious (ガリウスの迷宮, Gariusu-no Meikyū / RC749)
54.   - Name: Metal Gear (メタルギア, Metaru Gia / RC750)
55.   - Name: Gradius 2 (グラディウス2, Guradiusu Tsū / RC751)
56.   - Name: F1 Spirit (F1スピリット, Efu-wan Supiritto / RC752)
57.   - Name: Usas (ウシャス, Ushasu / RC753)
58.   - Name: Shalom(シャロム, Sharomu / RC754)
59.   - Name: Break Shot (ブレイクショット, Bureiku Shotto / RC756, but unreleased)
60.   - Name: Pennant Race (激突ペナントレース, Gekitotsu Penanto Rēsu / RC757)
61.   - Name: Salamander (沙羅曼蛇, Saramanda / RC758)
62.   - Name: Parodius (パロディウス, Parodiusu / RC759)
63.   - Name: Seal of El Giza (エルギーザの封印, Erugīza-no Fūin , RC760 and RC761)
64.   - Name: Contra (魂斗羅, Kontora / RC762)
65.   - Name: Heaven and Earth (天と地と, Ten-to Chi-to / RC763, but unreleased)
66.   - Name: Nemesis 3 (ゴーファーの野望 エピソードII, Gōfā-no Yabō Episōdo Tsū / RC764)
67.   - Name: Mahjong Wizard (牌の魔術師, Hai-no Majutsushi / RC765)
68.   - Name: Pennant Race 2 (激突ペナントレース2, Gekitotsu Penanto Rēsu Tsū / RC766)
69.   - Name: Metal Gear 2 (メタルギア2 ソリッドスネーク, Metaru Gia Tsū: Soriddo Sunēku / RC767)
70.   - Name: Space Manbow (スペースマンボウ, Supēsu Mambō / RC768)
71.   - Name: Quarth (クォース, Kuōsu / RC769)
72.   - Name: King's Valley Disk (王家の谷 ディスク版, Ōke-no Tani Disukuban / RA002)
73.   - Name: Diviner Sensation (コナミの占いセンセーション, Konami-no Uranai Sensēshon / RA003)
74.   - Name: Snatcher (スナッチャー, Sunatchā / RA004)
75.   - Name: F1 Spirit 3D (F1スピリット 3Dスペシャル, Efu-wan Supiritto Surī-dī Supesharu / RA005)
76.   - Name: Game Collection 1 (コナミゲームコレクション1, Konami Gēmu Korekushon Wan / RA006)
77.   - Name: Game Collection 2 (コナミゲームコレクション2, Konami Gēmu Korekushon Tsū / RA007)
78.   - Name: Game Collection 3 (コナミゲームコレクション3, Konami Gēmu Korekushon Surī / RA008)
79.   - Name: Game Collection 4 (コナミゲームコレクション4, Konami Gēmu Korekushon Fō / RA009)
80.   - Name: Game Collection EX (コナミゲームコレクション番外編, Konami Gēmu Korekushon Bangaihen / RA010)
81.   - Name: SD Snatcher (SDスナッチャー, Esu-dī Sunatchā / RA011)
82.   - Name: Badlands (バッドランズ, Baddoranzu / PG004-11KO)
83.   - Name: Gradius 2 Beta (グラディウス2 ベータ, Guradiusu Tsū Bēta / for demonstration at shops)
84.   - Name: A1 Spirit (A1スピリット, Ē-wan Supiritto / bundled with Joy Handle)

List of games is taken from the La Mulana Wiki.

The Caveats:
Sharp eyed readers may have noticed in the list, that 3 to 8 are marked as fictional. It's true, they aren't real. They're the only ROMs which aren't based off any real Konami Games (insert second caveat here which I'll get to later)

Rom #3 is the Glyph Reader allows you to read the stone tablets which line the various areas of La Mulana and provide hints and story snippets through the game.

La Mulana does like to troll its players

Rom #4 and 5 provide a map and advanced map for the player to navigate. Roms #6,7,8 can be used in combination to produce effects within the game.

Now that we have our mission, and our games, we head to the first on the list, Game Master! What fun awaits us there?

On a Quest for Adventure and Treasure

La Mulana, for those who don't know, is a game made by the GR3 Project in 2004/2005. A retro platfomer which was designed to be a throw back to the older days of gaming, it took its inspiration from a computer system called the MSX. The MSX was a computer system released in 1984, on which a Japanese games company called Konami start several of todays biggest franchises. It was one of these Konami games, Maze of Galious that directly affected the 3 leads of the GR3 Project, duplex, Naramura, and Samieru. As a result not only is the design of La Mulana's based heavily of Maze of Galious but the ruins of La Mulana are littered with Konami roms ready to help Lemeza Kosugi's journey.

My part in this is having played and thoroughly enjoyed La Mulana, I am curious to see those actual games which Lemeza picked up in the game. I want to see what influence, if any, each game had on La Mulana and to try and discover what secrets GR3 hid inside their game that are ready to be discovered.

I've never played the MSX before, and I assume that a lot of you wouldn't have as well, so come join me as we dive back into our past and experience the building blocks of a wonderful indie game.

Let us enter, the Roms of La Mulana!