looking for old game possibly somewhere in mame?

[robot3]

I know a few threads exist for this already (a sticky of "whats the game" would help). However I remember playing an old arcade game and to this day I cannot find any info online at all or anything else about it. I am asking here because for all I know it could have already been available in Mame for a number of years.

 

The game was either a true arcade (by Nintendo) or a bootleg (I believe it to be the latter) of the Nintendo game Excitebike. A friend of mine told me about the game and brought me to the arcade to actually play it.

 

I would have to say this was between the years of 1986-1988. I remember him telling me "this is the real version of excitebike".

 

This is what I can recall: the game was called exiteabike or excite a bike (but do not quote me on the title, because I might not be fully remembering the name correctly. I can tell you though it definitely did not use the regular excitebike name). The graphics were a big upgrade over the home Nintendo version. At one point during the game (for whatever reason) the bike would glow (flash). This then made you go faster and be immune from any crashes. You did not overheat or anything else that was in the home version.

 

I am aware of the Nintendo player series in Mame, but that edition of Excitebike appears to be the same one as the home NES release.

 

So did Nintendo actually make a true arcade excitebike or if this is a bootleg of some kind, does it sound familiar to anyone or more importantly is it in Mame somewhere under a different name?

[iq_132]

There arcade versions of NES games on VS & Playchoice 10 hardware.

http://maws.mameworld.info/maws/romset/excitebk

http://maws.mameworld.info/maws/romset/pc_ebike

[robot3]

Thank you for the reply. However it was not either of those editions. This version had no temp gauge and you could not over heat. Also when you did well for a while (assuming no crashing) the bike would flash and you would become "immune" to any crashes and go faster. Also the graphics were much better in this version. If one were to look at them (normal Nintendo version) side by side you could see a huge difference between them. I still really think it was a bootleg of some sort because the ExciteAbike name really stands out in my mind

[iq_132]

Thank you for the reply. However it was not either of those editions. This version had no temp gauge and you could not over heat. Also when you did well for a while (assuming no crashing) the bike would flash and you would become "immune" to any crashes and go faster. Also the graphics were much better in this version. If one were to look at them (normal Nintendo version) side by side you could see a huge difference between them. I still really think it was a bootleg of some sort because the ExciteAbike name really stands out in my mind

http://maws.mameworld.info/maws/romset/sprcros2 ?

[robot3]

Thank you for the reply. However it was not either of those editions. This version had no temp gauge and you could not over heat. Also when you did well for a while (assuming no crashing) the bike would flash and you would become "immune" to any crashes and go faster. Also the graphics were much better in this version. If one were to look at them (normal Nintendo version) side by side you could see a huge difference between them. I still really think it was a bootleg of some sort because the ExciteAbike name really stands out in my mind

http://maws.mameworld.info/maws/romset/sprcros2 ?

 

 

Nope, it was not that either. Though the graphics were similar to the mystery game I played, you were playing excitebike. Same 2d side scrolling like the regular game. You could look at the game and say "oh it's excitebike with better graphics"

[Krosigrim]

Well I searched "bike" at Minimaws, and looked at all the racing games at Mamedb.

 

Nuthin'

[iq_132]

Thank you for the reply. However it was not either of those editions. This version had no temp gauge and you could not over heat. Also when you did well for a while (assuming no crashing) the bike would flash and you would become "immune" to any crashes and go faster. Also the graphics were much better in this version. If one were to look at them (normal Nintendo version) side by side you could see a huge difference between them. I still really think it was a bootleg of some sort because the ExciteAbike name really stands out in my mind

http://maws.mameworld.info/maws/romset/sprcros2 ?

 

 

Nope, it was not that either. Though the graphics were similar to the mystery game I played, you were playing excitebike. Same 2d side scrolling like the regular game. You could look at the game and say "oh it's excitebike with better graphics"

 

Excitebike Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium bootleg maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHHq0fEseI...feature=related

 

It's also possible that it is a bootleg of the sharp x1 or NEC PC-8801 system versions. I haven't been able to find screenshots of it.

[Krosigrim]

It's also possible that it is a bootleg of the sharp x1 or NEC PC-8801 system versions. I haven't been able to find screenshots of it.

I had the same thought. When I Wikied this, I saw that the 8801 was a floppy based contraption so I didnt even look it up... but here ya go,

EDIT: Just google " Strange and Wonderful NEC PC-8801 Games " itll be the link at the top... about 3/4 down you'll see excite bike pics for the 88. Id link but it looks like they might have rom files or something.

 

or

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------->|<--- Right about here

 

As you can see it was actually a downgrade. I doubt they buffed a bootleg to be as cool as he describes.

 

As for the X1... LINK: I dont know if any of the pics there are from X1... but it look like 3 separate platforms, all equal to or worse in terms of the original.

[robot3]

Is it possible I was actually playing excitebike all those years ago and had no idea??? I can still swear the title of exciteabike, the slightly better graphics and the bike actually flashing white, however I just stumbled upon this youtube video, it is from the VS arcade version. Evidently if you trip up a number of riders you get rewarded and your bike turns yellow black, your temp gauge also gets greyed out and you drive in turbo.This cheat reward is not in the home versions. This would also make sense of the comment back then from my friend telling me when the bike was flashing "this is why it is called excitebike".

 

Check the time around 1:38 to see what I mean. In all my years of reading and searching info about this game (well at the time the bootleg version I still kind of think I played), I never saw this "cheat" info listed

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf-nTOcH_ck

 

I still think I saw a boot of excitebike, but at least this seems to answer most of the puzzle

Edited February 20, 2011 by robot3

[Krosigrim]

I was about to mention the Vs. Excite bike... mainly because it was released in '88

 

was in in a cabinet like link or Link ?

[robot3]

I was about to mention the Vs. Excite bike... mainly because it was released in '88

 

was in in a cabinet like link or Link ?

 

 

It was a stand up normal cabinet (like your second link), though I think it was a connected machine so it had the two screens and two sides (for two players) at a slight angle further supporting the VS theory. Is it possible a revision of some sort might have existed at one time? I know the bike was flashing instead of changing colors when you got that infamous cheat reward

Edited February 20, 2011 by robot3

[Krosigrim]

 

Like this?

 

You ask about possible revisions... well if it was an official revision, you should be able to find it. But I see no mention of it anywhere.

 

Here's something more informative than anything I have found so far.

Vs. Excitebike

 

Excitebike was enhanced in two different versions, both titled Vs. Excitebike.

 

The first version was released for arcades in 1984, some time after the Famicom release. The game was based around the VS. Unisystem unit. It is similar to its NES counterpart, though this version has the Design option gone and in the main game there are three difficulty levels (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced), and the levels are arranged in a different setup: there are seven tracks that must be played twice, the first time as a challenge race, and the second time as an Excitebike race. Whereas the challenge race has no CPU bikers as obstacles, in the Excitebike race mode they appear. Also the position qualify will rise to the 5th place, which means the player must clear the track in that position or higher to advance.

 

The second was released for the Famicom Disk System peripheral in 1988. While the graphics and core gameplay are still the same, there are several differences between this version, and both the original and its arcade namesake:

 

The game features a versus mode known as "Vs. Excite", in which two players compete for winning. The options include maximum number for rounds for deciding a winner, the track in which the players will race on, and the number of laps for said track.

The music is completely different and none of the sound tracks from the original game is present in this version.

The "Original Excite" mode is based actually on the main mode of the arcade version.

Its rewritable disk format also allows the player to save created tracks.

Source: Answers.com (huh... go figure)

 

So yea, I miss-quoted earlier... 88 was the famicom, release of the arcade unit was 84 (Japan)...

[robot3]

 

Like this?

 

You ask about possible revisions... well if it was an official revision, you should be able to find it. But I see no mention of it anywhere.

 

Here's something more informative than anything I have found so far.

Vs. Excitebike

 

Excitebike was enhanced in two different versions, both titled Vs. Excitebike.

 

The first version was released for arcades in 1984, some time after the Famicom release. The game was based around the VS. Unisystem unit. It is similar to its NES counterpart, though this version has the Design option gone and in the main game there are three difficulty levels (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced), and the levels are arranged in a different setup: there are seven tracks that must be played twice, the first time as a challenge race, and the second time as an Excitebike race. Whereas the challenge race has no CPU bikers as obstacles, in the Excitebike race mode they appear. Also the position qualify will rise to the 5th place, which means the player must clear the track in that position or higher to advance.

 

The second was released for the Famicom Disk System peripheral in 1988. While the graphics and core gameplay are still the same, there are several differences between this version, and both the original and its arcade namesake:

 

The game features a versus mode known as "Vs. Excite", in which two players compete for winning. The options include maximum number for rounds for deciding a winner, the track in which the players will race on, and the number of laps for said track.

The music is completely different and none of the sound tracks from the original game is present in this version.

The "Original Excite" mode is based actually on the main mode of the arcade version.

Its rewritable disk format also allows the player to save created tracks.

Source: Answers.com (huh... go figure)

 

So yea, I miss-quoted earlier... 88 was the famicom, release of the arcade unit was 84 (Japan)...

 

 

yes the machine was in that style. I recall the bezel ( or the header piece that shows the title of the arcade game on the cabinet) as saying Exciteabike. Nothing with VS, though that was the machine being used. I seem to recall though having some different sound effects. The arcade I saw this in was an indie owned (not a chain) in a regular mall. Perhaps it is very possible someone made a custom header piece and screwed up the name, or possibly if it was some sort of hack flashed into a VS machine, that could also explain the header name and possible other minor tweak differences I recall seeing.

I can tell you I was not old enough to drive at the time and my friend being a year or two older was (though that would

have made him 16 or 17 and putting this in 1987 or 1988). I thought it was cool as hell back then being able to drive to the "next town over" with a friend and not by Mom or Dad.

 

So thanks to you guys here I can at least now confirm it had to be VS excitebike, but I am still convinced I played some sort of bootleg or hack of some type due to the firm memory of the arcade header name and the flashing bike

 

either way thanks again, I now just hae to figure out one more game from my youth I recall playing and then all 3 mystery games can be put to rest (the second mystery game turned out to be Special forces or it was Special forces 2)

 

keep this thread open and just use it for any "trying to remember the game and is it in mame questions"