LINKS Konami Network game information

By Takamichi

Hero (599)

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07-09-2022, 16:37

MSX FAN 1987-04 page 67 has valuable The LINKS Konami network game info that complements the previous month's article. Firstly, the LINKS prices of the conventional Konami titles:

Game Retail Price RAM LINKS Price
Emperor Yie-Gah 4,800 64 3,000
Goonies 4,800 64 3,000
Road Fighter 4,800 32 3,000
Hyper Rally 4,800 32 3,000
Antarctic Adventure 4,800 32 2,000
Circus Charlie 4,800 32 2,000
Athletic Land 4,800 32 1,000
Video Hustler 4,500 32 1,000
Konami's Ping Pong 4,800 32 2,000
Konami's Soccer 4,800 32 3,000
Hyper Sports 1 4,800 32 2,000
Hyper Sports 2 4,800 32 2,000
Hyper Sports 3 4,800 64 2,000
Mopirange 4,800 32 2,000
Pipols 4,800 32 2,000
Super Cobra 4,800 32 1,000
Yie Ar Kung-Fu 4,800 32 3,000
King's Valley 4,800 32 3,000
Sky Jaguar 4,800 32 2,000
Comic Bakery 4,800 32 2,000
Monkey Academy 4,800 32 1,000
Magical Tree 4,800 32 2,000

Next, the online score attack version of Knighmare = 3000 yen, A1 Grand Prix = 2000 yen incl registration fee. Contrary to what I imagined they were not play-once but could be permanently downloaded and played offline. LINKS had been running the high score competitions since the end of 1986 with 4 contestants reaching 999999 Knightmare score. A1 Grand Prix had "accidents" that could be prevented by locating the clues hidden in the routes and you could win some kind of money with slot machine to buy gasoline.

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By theNestruo

Champion (413)

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08-09-2022, 08:38

Thanks, Takamichi!

Indeed, MSX FAN 1987-04 (your second link) has a rather long (several pages) article on The LINKS and Midnight Rally, and 1987-05 (your first link) and following numbers seem to add information on A1 Grand Prix (note: as I can't read Japanese, I'm guessing by the screenshots only).

By OCRing and translating the Midnght Rally article it seems that was a mixture of luck-based game (the map), where every section was covered playing either Hyper Rally or Road Fighter, and some quizzes. Communication problems were shown in the game as "your car just broke" and let you continue (note: automatic translation, so I maybe wrong).

Maybe I'm the last to the party, but I didn't knew all this information about Midnight Rally and A1 Grand Prix was available!! :O

By wimpie3

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08-09-2022, 15:24

There is a section on both Konami games in the book "Konami's MSX Legacy". What's even more, one of these games is preserved.

By theNestruo

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08-09-2022, 20:50

wimpie3 wrote:

There is a section on both Konami games in the book "Konami's MSX Legacy".

Any chance to buy it in a digital edition?

wimpie3 wrote:

What's even more, one of these games is preserved.

What!?!? :-O

By Takamichi

Hero (599)

Takamichi's picture

09-09-2022, 14:27

theNestruo wrote:

By OCRing and translating the Midnght Rally article it seems that was a mixture of luck-based game (the map), where every section was covered playing either Hyper Rally or Road Fighter, and some quizzes. Communication problems were shown in the game as "your car just broke" and let you continue (note: automatic translation, so I maybe wrong).

Somewhere else I read that the LINKS online race was; 1) Start the game offline. 2) Connect to the LINKS. 3-a) Choose one of the split courses. 3-b) Sometime a lucky/unlucky event like cave-in happens and throws you to a previous course or somewhere distant. 4) Be offline and play another course. 5) Repeat until reaching the goal.

By gdx

Enlighted (6107)

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09-09-2022, 17:04

The second article confirms that Panther was only released on The Link network. There is no cartridge version.

Are games rated "ONE PLAY" playable only offline after downloading?

By Takamichi

Hero (599)

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11-09-2022, 00:20

MSX FAN 1987-06 page 52 offers the very detailed A1 Grand Prix in America guide with numerous screenshots eg vehicle config and fueling. 1987-04 page 123 says A1 Grand Prix without "in America" was an offline version sans contest.
Midnight Rally guide on MSX FAN 1987-04 page 44 indicates some levels were Hyper Rally but the rest were Road Fighter. ...Were they playable on a single download!?
Btw "MSX FAN 1987-04 page 67" was the typo it was 1987-05, sorry.

By Louthrax

Prophet (2436)

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11-09-2022, 14:19

Takamichi wrote:

LINKS had been running the high score competitions since the end of 1986 with 4 contestants reaching 999999 Knightmare score.

Interesting. Do you know if this version of the ROM was modified in some ways (I guess you of course had some ways to upload or "sign" your hiscore) ? I'm asking because in Knightmare you can die before an extra life "Queen" bonus, and loop forever to increase your score Smile

By Takamichi

Hero (599)

Takamichi's picture

11-09-2022, 15:57

Louthrax wrote:
Takamichi wrote:

LINKS had been running the high score competitions since the end of 1986 with 4 contestants reaching 999999 Knightmare score.

Interesting. Do you know if this version of the ROM was modified in some ways (I guess you of course had some ways to upload or "sign" your hiscore) ? I'm asking because in Knightmare you can die before an extra life "Queen" bonus, and loop forever to increase your score Smile

It was indeed modified. Wasn't it dumped before? Upon a game over a menu which doesn't look was designed by Konami opens and prompts either to return to the title or upload the score to LINKS. Knightmare cheats were well known by 1987 so it had been easy if you knew them ;)

By Takamichi

Hero (599)

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11-09-2022, 15:52

gdx wrote:

Are games rated "ONE PLAY" playable only offline after downloading?

There is no testimony but I doubt ONE PLAY games such as Dragon Slayer (no score concept) had score uploading feature. If they had, MSX FAN must have pertained.