Monster Party (Unreleased, Family Computer)
The uncensored Monster Party Family Computer game would have been a graveyard smash.
Monster Party is one of those Nintendo Entertainment System titles that at first, second, 50th glance defies all explanation. Much of its offbeat humor just does not make a lick of sense, like the screwy pumpkinman dressed in a ghostly white cloak who tells you to “Please don’t pick on me” or the fallen spider apologizing for its unfortunate disposition,”Sorry, I’m dead.” Around the time that you encounter deep-fried, blood-soaked shrimp and onion rings, you know that you have entered into another dimension and crossed over into the Twilight Zone.
Although a decent platform game in its own right, Monster Party would have been otherwise forgettable if these quirks did not exist; freaks like me probably would not hold this party in such high regard without the demon spawn prawns.
But there is more to the madness, more to the story than you may know. Let’s get this monster party started in here!
Fellow Philadelphian and Nintendo player Shmorky of SomethingAwful.com fame submitted this Flash movie to the site a few years ago to emphasize the game’s utter strangeness.
Despite being so “out there,” can you believe that Japan, the land of tentacle testes and ballsack-soaring tanuki and Takashi Miike, never had the chance to play Monster Party? You can buy used schoolgirl panties from a vending machine in that country but not this game because it was only released in North America in June of 1989.
There have been rumors of a Family Computer version ever since Japanese magazines published pictures of a beta in 1988. The game at that time was called Parody World: Monster Party. “Parody” is the key word, as the game would have mocked popular horror movies and clichés much in the same way as Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti did.
And then things really took a turn for the weird on May 31, 2011.
(Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
That day was when the mythical Parody World: Monster Party actually surfaced on Yahoo! Japan Auctions from a seller named “minidomino” and fetched 483,000 yen, or roughly $6,000.
I told you that the Japanese were a sick people!
The really scary part is that I unknowingly got into a bidding war recently with one of this auction’s under-bidders. It was a hair-raising experience to say the least.
(Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
Savor these photos, as I can almost guarantee that you will never learn anything more of this elusive monster. Well, that is not entirely true. The buyer, who goes by the Yahoo id handle “Famicom_2008,” wrote in his feedback for the seller that all eight stages are present as well as the ending. The password screen is inaccessible, and some of the characters are different.
The white cartridge and label signifies that this is a sample. The seller claimed to have received the game from a friend working in the game industry 10 years ago.
Japanese Prototype (Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
North American Release
Not only is this an unreleased game, but it also appears to be completely uncensored. Although there is no shortage of gore in the North American release, the U.S. title screen shows green slime oozing out of a monster’s mouth. In the prototype, there are pools of gooey blood instead.
North American Release
The cursor on the title screen was also originally a zombie head, not a jack-o-lantern, similar in appearance to the taiko drum dancing zombies that the player comes across in the American release.
Japanese Prototype (Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
North American Release
The U.S. game’s protagonist, Mark, was called “Hiroshi” in the earlier Japanese version, which would explain why the M was sewn off his shirt in the Family Computer prototype.
Japanese Prototype (Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
North American Release
This may be the most interesting change. As I mentioned before, Monster Party started out as one big spoof, and there is no mistaking the target in this screenshot, Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors! It appears as if Audrey II is karaoking, God willing, a tinty rendition of “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space.” (No shit, Sherlock.)
That all changed in the American release, as the murderous, singing venus fly trap turned more into an eggplant. An eggplant with less rhythm and soul.
The U.S. game threw out the microphone and speaker but kept the overhead spotlights. The potted eggplant says something that still evokes Audrey II, “Hello! Baby!”
North American Release
The speaker graphic was salvaged and reused for the guitar-playing punk rocker boss in the American release.
In addition to these photos, the Yahoo seller also uploaded a YouTube video of the game playing on a console.
Noted differences:
Japanese Prototype (Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
North American Release
Japanese Prototype (Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
North American Release
Japanese Prototype (Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
North American Release
Joining such creatures as the Chupacabra, the Jersey Devil, the Loch Ness Monster, and Sasquatch, I am now officially placing Parody World: Monster Party on cryptozoology’s top five most wanted list.
(Image source: Yahoo! Japan Auctions)
So join me, monster hunters. Ask around. Find out if there have been any more sightings. And if you do happen to catch up to one in the wild, approach with extreme caution—and cash. Lots and lots of cash.