Am I finding Keith Courage... quite fun?

[turboswimbz]

I've thought about this a lot.  and assuming that production had to start most likely in the spring of 89, you only had a handful of titles to choose from to launch with from 87 and 88.

                                                     

the launch titles

Shanghai - this wasn't going to catch on in the US and draw players

Bikkuriman World  - Now there is an argument to be made for monsterboy in wonderland.   However, it was already out and about on the mega system. so it wouldn't have been an exclusive. 
The Kung Fu - others have already argued it's good and bad points.    

Kato-chan Ken-chan - JJ and Jeff wouldn't have been a bad pick, but given it's regionality and the changing censoring that had to be done, and that they were targeting getting parents to buy for children, you understand why it wasn't picked.
    
Victory Run - A racing game against he like of sonic and mario just doesn't work.

88 Titles

Jaseiken Necromancer - too dark, too much to translate, RPG's hadn't taken off in NA either. 
Yokai Dochuki - not a good enough game to consider. not bad but it wasn't exactly touted as great.
R-Type 1 and 2 - A bit too hard.  and could a shooter compete with the mascots?
YouYou Jinsei - just no
Pro Yakyuu World Stadium - sports game have a limited market
Power League, Pro Tennis: World Court    and Appare! Gateball- see above
Sengoku Mahjong - um no
Galaga '88 and Dragon Spirit     - there are better shewties to go with than this mainly r type.
Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru - arguably the best platformer and great colors.
Alien Crush - too limited of a market
Gaia no Monshou - same problem as Necromancer
Mankyou Densetsu    - Dan explained pretty well the downside.  but it wouldn't have been bad
Fantasy Zone and Space Harrier - no exclusive, not a platformer
Sadakichi Sebun: Hideyoshi no Ougon - non action game    [/size]   


I think your actual choices then become KC, LA, (and maybe Monster Boy) really.   

Given those choices I am going to say KCIAZ was probably a pretty good choice.  I think the Downside was they overproduced units with this as the pack in.  If they had the ability to add in Bonk's Adventure when it became available they would have had a much better advantage, as the game library grew.  Hudson and NEC really needed a mascot badly, and not having one early hurt them.   

All that being said.  I always wonder what it would have been like if the pack in was one of the arcade ports or shooter?  What if we had gotten all those great RPG's and the like.   

Anyway I like KC and I wish it was just tossed aside as not being sonic or mario, it is exactly the reason to love the PCE/Turbo - Because it's different

TLDR:   KC was the choice and is a good game, PCE is better because it is Different from those other companies. 

[esteban]

Alien Crush? Is that too niche?

I don't think it would have been better than Keith in terms of grabbing the mainstream gamer demographics. 

I didn't even know I liked pinball when I was a kid, my parents just picked it out for me so I had another game with the system (didn't ask for it).  Of course I ended up loving it, they probably knew an outer space theme was bound to go over well with me.  I had played Slamball on the C64, as well as Atari Pinball on the 2600, but AC was what really got me into (video) pinball.

I doubt it would have been a good pack-in though for most kids, though, even if they grew to love it like I did it probably wouldn't have sold systems.  I kinda agree with Legendary Axe being a good alternative from the list of release titles.

Dude I loved pinball as a kid. I would go to the bowling alley with my parents and play games while they bowled. I played the hell out of Haunted House, Black Knight, and KISS PB machines. I also played the hell out of Elevator Action, Spy Hunter, Ghosts n Goblins, Bad Dudes, and Shinobi.

Damn! Those were some good times!

I loved pinball, too.
My uncle restored an old 60's/70's machine—when I was a little kid  I played that damn thing for a billion hours.

[johnnykonami]

Alien Crush? Is that too niche?

I don't think it would have been better than Keith in terms of grabbing the mainstream gamer demographics. 

I didn't even know I liked pinball when I was a kid, my parents just picked it out for me so I had another game with the system (didn't ask for it).  Of course I ended up loving it, they probably knew an outer space theme was bound to go over well with me.  I had played Slamball on the C64, as well as Atari Pinball on the 2600, but AC was what really got me into (video) pinball.

I doubt it would have been a good pack-in though for most kids, though, even if they grew to love it like I did it probably wouldn't have sold systems.  I kinda agree with Legendary Axe being a good alternative from the list of release titles.

Dude I loved pinball as a kid. I would go to the bowling alley with my parents and play games while they bowled. I played the hell out of Haunted House, Black Knight, and KISS PB machines. I also played the hell out of Elevator Action, Spy Hunter, Ghosts n Goblins, Bad Dudes, and Shinobi.

Damn! Those were some good times!

I loved pinball, too.
My uncle restored an old 60's/70's machine—when I was a little kid  I played that damn thing for a billion hours.

I'm sure I would have loved having a pinball machine available to me like that also, alas - I just didn't discover how much I liked them until I was a little older.  When I was a kid they just seemed like a generation or two past their prime, and they had to compete with uprights for my money of which I was only given $1-2 at a time.  In fact, I probably tried a pin at one point as a kid, lost 3 balls instantly, and dismissed them as quarter munchers.  Big fan now though, freeplay would have made all the difference back then I bet.  And Alien Crush definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for pinball since I could just keep trying over and over again without running out of money. (and I do appreciate the real deal vs video pinball, but video pinball has a huge spot in my heart)  I plan to do my family members the favor your uncle did for you by eventually getting one for my place.

I also recently picked up Last Gladiators pinball brand new for Saturn, little disappointed the cover is a little sunbleached though.  Still, I bought it to play it.  I'd like to get the other KaZe pinball game for Saturn, Necronomicon, as soon as I can.

[esteban]

Alien Crush? Is that too niche?

I don't think it would have been better than Keith in terms of grabbing the mainstream gamer demographics. 

I didn't even know I liked pinball when I was a kid, my parents just picked it out for me so I had another game with the system (didn't ask for it).  Of course I ended up loving it, they probably knew an outer space theme was bound to go over well with me.  I had played Slamball on the C64, as well as Atari Pinball on the 2600, but AC was what really got me into (video) pinball.

I doubt it would have been a good pack-in though for most kids, though, even if they grew to love it like I did it probably wouldn't have sold systems.  I kinda agree with Legendary Axe being a good alternative from the list of release titles.

Dude I loved pinball as a kid. I would go to the bowling alley with my parents and play games while they bowled. I played the hell out of Haunted House, Black Knight, and KISS PB machines. I also played the hell out of Elevator Action, Spy Hunter, Ghosts n Goblins, Bad Dudes, and Shinobi.

Damn! Those were some good times!

I loved pinball, too.
My uncle restored an old 60's/70's machine—when I was a little kid  I played that damn thing for a billion hours.

I'm sure I would have loved having a pinball machine available to me like that also, alas - I just didn't discover how much I liked them until I was a little older.  When I was a kid they just seemed like a generation or two past their prime, and they had to compete with uprights for my money of which I was only given $1-2 at a time.  In fact, I probably tried a pin at one point as a kid, lost 3 balls instantly, and dismissed them as quarter munchers.  Big fan now though, freeplay would have made all the difference back then I bet.  And Alien Crush definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for pinball since I could just keep trying over and over again without running out of money. (and I do appreciate the real deal vs video pinball, but video pinball has a huge spot in my heart)  I plan to do my family members the favor your uncle did for you by eventually getting one for my place.

I also recently picked up Last Gladiators pinball brand new for Saturn, little disappointed the cover is a little sunbleached though.  Still, I bought it to play it.  I'd like to get the other KaZe pinball game for Saturn, Necronomicon, as soon as I can.

I was lucky, my uncle was into video games (Atari VCS) and pinball in late 70's/early-80's. I was in heaven.

My parents would never give money for arcade, so I had to use the little bit of cash I had from birthday/Xmas.

WHAT IS FUNNY, is that's living on a careful budget (which my wife and I have been doing for a LONG time now), is no different than being a kid with limited funds.

Ha!

[johnnykonami]

Alien Crush? Is that too niche?

I don't think it would have been better than Keith in terms of grabbing the mainstream gamer demographics. 

I didn't even know I liked pinball when I was a kid, my parents just picked it out for me so I had another game with the system (didn't ask for it).  Of course I ended up loving it, they probably knew an outer space theme was bound to go over well with me.  I had played Slamball on the C64, as well as Atari Pinball on the 2600, but AC was what really got me into (video) pinball.

I doubt it would have been a good pack-in though for most kids, though, even if they grew to love it like I did it probably wouldn't have sold systems.  I kinda agree with Legendary Axe being a good alternative from the list of release titles.

Dude I loved pinball as a kid. I would go to the bowling alley with my parents and play games while they bowled. I played the hell out of Haunted House, Black Knight, and KISS PB machines. I also played the hell out of Elevator Action, Spy Hunter, Ghosts n Goblins, Bad Dudes, and Shinobi.

Damn! Those were some good times!

I loved pinball, too.
My uncle restored an old 60's/70's machine—when I was a little kid  I played that damn thing for a billion hours.

I'm sure I would have loved having a pinball machine available to me like that also, alas - I just didn't discover how much I liked them until I was a little older.  When I was a kid they just seemed like a generation or two past their prime, and they had to compete with uprights for my money of which I was only given $1-2 at a time.  In fact, I probably tried a pin at one point as a kid, lost 3 balls instantly, and dismissed them as quarter munchers.  Big fan now though, freeplay would have made all the difference back then I bet.  And Alien Crush definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for pinball since I could just keep trying over and over again without running out of money. (and I do appreciate the real deal vs video pinball, but video pinball has a huge spot in my heart)  I plan to do my family members the favor your uncle did for you by eventually getting one for my place.

I also recently picked up Last Gladiators pinball brand new for Saturn, little disappointed the cover is a little sunbleached though.  Still, I bought it to play it.  I'd like to get the other KaZe pinball game for Saturn, Necronomicon, as soon as I can.

I was lucky, my uncle was into video games (Atari VCS) and pinball in late 70's/early-80's. I was in heaven.

My parents would never give money for arcade, so I had to use the little bit of cash I had from birthday/Xmas.

WHAT IS FUNNY, is that's living on a careful budget (which my wife and I have been doing for a LONG time now), is no different than being a kid with limited funds.

Ha!

Sounds pretty sweet!  My sister who is 8 years older than me passed on her ColecoVision with expansion module #1 (to play Atari 2600 carts) so that was my first console along with my C64.  In fact, I didn't get anything else until the TG-16 (I did get some games for the C64 like Pool of Radiance in the interim), didn't get a NES or anything (but I was able to play it at friend's houses).

[esteban]

^ Pool of Radiance was damn fun.

I have never played any 2600 games on Coleco Vision! I gotta do that, just for the novelty.