Asterix

[Stuart Gipp]

Brilliant article - absolutely wonderful stuff.

Edit: Oh, to wit; in Astérix: le défi de César, does anyone know how to actually play the Javelin minigame? Used to play all the time as a kid, and could never figure it out.

[KeeperBvK]

Jan 9, 2011 15:48:56 GMT -5 Colonel Kurtz said:

[...]and yes, the Konami arcade title was just as famous as TMNT in Europe. [...]

Prior to the Konami Beat 'em Up article here I had NEVER either played it before, read of it before (despite having 5 video game magazine subscriptions at the time), seen it before on ANY vacation throughout Europe or even heard of it, so I wouldn't exactly affirm that.

[Gendo Ikari]

Incredible article that brings back a lot of nostalgia since I grew up with the earlier Asterix books and animated movies. Aside from some typos, the only true error I'd like to point out is that the year of the arcade game is stated as 1991 - fired up Mame to replay it yesterday, and it's from 1992; this also makes the opening of the part for the Master System game incorrect - let's just say that the 1990s opened good for Asterix videogames

The Thomson and C64 games seem examples of wasted potential. I had some fun with Operation Getafix back in the day despite its many flaws. Spent lot of coins on the arcade, since the article stresses on how much it is faithful to the spirit of the source, there's a little detail that strays from it: when a boss is low on energy, a balloon hovers above him with "ABOUT TO DIE". Nobody dies in Asterix books, except for edible animals! (In fact the bosses merely flee, except for the bull.) Didn't know there was another SNES games before Asterix & Obelix, liked it despite its flaws, and I often recall the music from the first level. I will definitely have to check the Master System games, the GBC/GBA ones, and the XXL games (as awkward the idea was in Olympic Games, nice they acknowleged them as an alternate universe from both books and games). The cellphone game from Gameloft looks impressive.

I wonder why they don't make an Asterix game as a cartoonish clone of Dinasty Warriors, even an excuse plot with a furious Caesar who sends a huge army made through several alliances against the village would work.

[Stuart Gipp]

I really wish I could find the English version of Asterix: Caesar's Challenge. It's not even available illegally, as far as I can tell!

[Colonel Kurtz]

Jan 10, 2011 2:18:11 GMT -5 KeeperBvK said:

Prior to the Konami Beat 'em Up article here I had NEVER either played it before, read of it before (despite having 5 video game magazine subscriptions at the time), seen it before on ANY vacation throughout Europe or even heard of it, so I wouldn't exactly affirm
that.

I did not say it was as famous as Street Fighter. What's funny is that I live just south of Germany (Switzerland) and I saw it A LOT there. And also on holidays. But there were so many arcades back then... So many games... My experience was of course only personal. But I saw it a lot. Anyway, great article.

[magus]

if i can nitpick a little when you are talking about the movie tie-in you mention that asterix is played by christian claver and obelix is played by gerard depardieu but i think you should have also mentioned that the villain is played by roberto benigni which is a pretty famous italian actor

[brianc]

Pretty good article. I love the SMS Asterix.

I first saw Asterix on the Disney Channel, where a few of the Asterix movies aired in the US (which I think is worth mentioning in the article). I still find his voice in the English version to be rather odd.

It seems Asterix was more popular in Canada. It seems some of the movies were released in English there, I read on the AtariAge forums that the NTSC Asterix 2600 games have been confirmed to have been from Canada, and the SMS game may have came out there too (I got mine from a US seller in NY. He had the EU Captain Silver for sale too, which has been confirmed to have been released in Canada).

[KeeperBvK]

4 things I want to remark:

- It's Astérix und Obélix: Die Odyssee, not Astérix und Obélix: Die Odyssey.

- Not trying to be overly nitpicking, but while the French name is Astérix, the English name seems to be simply Asterix with various covers underlining this, but still you include the acute accent for English titles even if that's not in line with covers, cartridge labels, startup screens and just about anything else related to the games.

- What are the different names in the character section? Is the first one the original French name and the second one the English name? For most Gauls I had never heard either name (they're vastly different from those here in Germany) and it'd be nice to have some sort of explanation to them.

- The system list for Astérix chez Rahàzade is missing the DOS version.

[jorpho]

Jan 13, 2011 19:02:36 GMT -5 KeeperBvK said:

- What are the different names in the character section? Is the first one the original French name and the second one the English name? For most Gauls I had never heard either name (they're vastly different from those here in Germany) and it'd be nice to have some sort of explanation to them.

Yup.

I fear the grammar went a bit wonky in a few places as well. I shall set to cataloguing.

[KeeperBvK]

And why is Astérix und Obélix: Die Odyssee listed below Astérix and the Magic Cauldron when it was apparently released a year earlier than the latter?

[annoyedgrunt]

Jan 12, 2011 23:42:47 GMT -5 brianc said:

It seems Asterix was more popular in Canada. It seems some of the movies were released in English there, I read on the AtariAge forums that the NTSC Asterix 2600 games have been confirmed to have been from Canada, and the SMS game may have came out there too (I got mine from a US seller in NY. He had the EU Captain Silver for sale too, which has been confirmed to have been released in Canada).

I'm not sure about other provinces but in Ontario public schools French is a required class until grade 9. I'd wager that most people I know who are familiar with Asterix read the comics in French class.

[jorpho]

All right, here's page 1. I'll just update this post as I go.

(Ompa-pa the Redskin.
(Ompa-pa the Redskin).

having the character being overused or mistreated
having the character be overused or mistreated

innocent and primitive, surely the
innocent and primitive; surely the

the Gauls seems nearly
the Gauls seem nearly

the world, from Egypt
the world; from Egypt

characterswhich
characters which

books and media has seen
books and media have seen

colorful cast, which
colorful cast, in which

the Gauls and Romans remains
the Gauls and Romans remain

Obélix feels its unfair
Obélix feels it's unfair

He has quite short temper
He is quite short tempered

there has been 11 Astérix
there have been 11 Astérix

----------

Page 2:

mustachioed hero is on the Atari 2600
mustachioed hero was released on the Atari 2600

in Europe at rapid speed.
in Europe at a rapid speed.

Taz must avoid dynamites
Taz must avoid bundles of dynamite

be seen as variation of Turmoil
be seen as variations of Turmoil

provides some classic instant gaming fun that Atari 2600
provides some of the classic instant gaming fun that the Atari 2600

small scattering of NTSC were
small scattering of NTSC cartridges were

games on Atari 2600
games on the Atari 2600

Roman soldiers from invading
Roman soldiers invading

During this Astérix
At this time Astérix

to line up with the freezed enemies
to line up with the frozen enemies

[The DOS version of "Potion Magique" is not mentioned. Did it exist?]

computer called Thomson
computer called the Thomson

virtually unknown, MO5
virtually unknown, the MO5

question why Astérix and Obélix
question of why Astérix and Obélix

when they got magic potions
when they have magic potions

you gotta start avoiding
you have to start avoiding

jump through an ear ring
jump through an earring

CPC has more
The CPC has more

areas at a constant basis
areas on a regular basis

nor its manual gives
nor its manual give

Confusing and complicating puzzles
Confusing and complicated puzzles

and the results is that
and the result is that

rock oil in the city, therefore they must
rock oil in the city; therefore they must

piece by piece, almost too closely in fact
piece by piece - almost too closely, in fact

minigames which tosses Obélix in a maze
minigames which toss Obélix into a maze

read the book and say turn onto the wrong page
read the book and, say, turn to the wrong page

actually get a 8-bit
actually get an 8-bit

[KeeperBvK]

Some remarks concerning page 4 in addition to what I've already mentioned:

- Asterix & Obelix doesn't mention the GBA version in the systems list, only in the text itself.
- in the bit about Die Suche nach dem Schwarzen Gold, Odyssee is misspelled as Odyssey again.
- It says "This time it was done by Egmont Interactive rather than a magazine.", but you might wanna mention that Egmont is a comic book and magazine publishing company, rather than a true game developer or publisher. This is actually the first time I've ever heard of a game they made and it seems like the term "game" is even stretching it quite a bit here.

[Discoalucard]

There's a few questions in here I can't answer, but I fixed up all of the missing system info and grammatical stuff so far.

[KeeperBvK]

Thx, Kurt.

I just spotted another thing, though: The screenshots for Astérix sur la Trace d'Idéfix all have the wrong caption.