Overview:
This is a game that was released in Japan in 1992, but it was never brought to the states. In 2023, Limited Run Games made two versions of the game. One is just Trip World which is the one I chose to buy and they also did a Trip World DX version that was for Game Boy Color and that was pretty cool because there was a DX version that was thought about but never produced and they used the actual color palette that Sunsoft wanted back then. I went with the regular one because I wanted the closest to the original one and they talked about how this game pushes the boundaries of the Game Boy hardware, so I wanted that experience. I had never heard of this one before Limited Run decided to re-do it. To buy an original one would have been very expensive too, so I was happy that they made this in brand new form at a reasonable price. Now that I have it, I find it to be one of my favorite Game Boy games and it’s a ton of fun! There’s a very cool video about the game at Limited Run Games website. Start at 8 minutes and 15 seconds if you just want to see the Trip World part.
From the back of the box:
Our Transforming Hero Yakopoo is Here
Travel across four fantastic lands and Mount Dubious in Trip World! Our hero Yakopoo’s adventure begins when the Maita flower, a symbol of world peace and happiness, is stolen, throwing Trip World into chaos!
Fly through the air, traverse over the land, and swim through the water, collecting special items to help you find the flower and restore Trip World.
Use Yakopoo’s shapeshifting powers to save Trip World from darkness! Race across the ground as a ball. Grow a tail to hit enemies — or a flower to make your enemies friendly!
Review:
Sunsoft was one of my favorite game developers when I was younger. Blaster Master was one of my all time favorite games. So, when I saw this one come up on Limited Run Games, I had to check it out. The graphics on this game are ridiculously good for a Game Boy game. I played it on my Analogue Pocket which makes it look even better.
But more than that, the play control is excellent as well. The game has a variety of mechanics and can be played in many different ways which gives it some good replay value. So, the idea of the game is that you are trying to recover the stolen Maita flower. You will meet some bigger enemies in each level as well as a boss. The boss fights are not super hard, but they are fun. There is also a cool comic style description of the levels in the manual which is very well done. The only gripes I have with this game is that it is pretty short, but so are a lot of Game Boy games and, the package didn’t come with a plastic case for the cartridge. Maybe that’s a small thing, but I feel like that’s part of the authentic Game Boy experience. Everything else from the box design, to the manual is fantastic. Including the cartridge which has a cool gray color that is lighter than the original carts.
Part of me sometimes thinks I should have gone with the DX version of this game though to have the cool colors, but I couldn’t afford both and really wanted to have the original experience, so I think that I chose well…. most of the time. Anyway, this game is a lot of fun, and now that you can get one at a reasonable price (even now that Limited Run has sold out… they’re still reasonable on ebay), I highly recommend this one. I tried not to give too much away in this review so that if you play it you can have some surprises too.
My Rating:
Play Control: 9.0
Graphics: 10.0
Sound/Music: 9.0
Story: 7.0
Level Design: 7.0
Replay Value: 8.0
Overall: 8.0 (Overall ratings are rounded to the nearest half point.)
Cosmetic Condition of my copy of this game:
Overall, I rate my copy: 9.5 – I got this new and sealed in 2023 and it’s in fantastic shape.
Details:
System: Nintendo Game Boy
Year: 2023 (Originally released in Japan in 1992)
Developer: Sunsoft/Limited Run Games
Publisher: Limited Run Games
Price I paid: $48.64
Retail Price: $48.64
Purchased from: Limited Run Games
Date Purchased: 14/28/2023
Game is complete?: YES, including receipt.
Screenshots:
