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NES Works 116: Mappy-Land and Dance Aerobics (Patreon)

Published:
2023-11-15 14:12:40
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

There's something a little poignant about this episode arriving in the midst of Horrible Internet Discourse about The Marvels, because I think the legacy of Dance Aerobics has suffered due to the fandom perception that it's for girls and therefore inferior and probably infested with cooties. And yeah, it's certainly marketed toward women, but the assumption that a game focused on that demographic has nothing to offer is ridiculous. There's some pretty interesting and forward-thinking stuff happening here. Of course, it's shackled to a cumbersome peripheral, which doesn't do it any favors. But still.

Also, Mappy-Land is pretty good! Who knew? I did not know.

Files

Previews only

Sweatin' the oldies: Mappy Land & Dance Aerobics | NES Works 116

This is one of those "pleasant surprise" episodes where I went in expecting nothing and came out impressed by both titles under the microscope. Namco's Mappy-Land (published by Taxan for whatever reason) definitely shows its age, but despite being a 1986 release muddling its way onto NES in 1989, it has strong enough central gameplay and smooth enough controls that it holds up well. The City Connection of ’89, if you will. Although the latter portions of the game do hint at a superior experience that could have been.... And Dance Aerobics, well. It didn't quite invent the rhythm genre, but it certainly prefigured the format. Not especially my cup of chai, but it has a lot more going for it than you might expect from the box art. Production notes: Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more! Why watch when you can read? Check out the massive hardcover print editions of NES Works, Super NES Works, and Virtual Boy works, available now at Limited Run Games (https://limitedrungames.com/collections/books)! SG-1000 Works: Segaiden Vol. I is available NOW, and Metroidvania: The First Decade is due in 2024. NES footage captured from Analogue Nt Mini. Video upscaled to 720 with xRGB Mini Framemeister. "Before the Storm" courtesy of Jacob Le.

Comments

Marcus Trapp

I was always a big arcade-version Mappy fan and was disappointed that it never made it to the NES. I was shocked when I discovered it years later on one of those plug-and-play devices -- It had existed all this time! Just not in the US. I appreciate the explanation here.

Jeremy Parish
>>122271012

I've touched on this at various times, but Namco and Nintendo soured on each other in Japan around the time the NES launched. So Namco evidently didn't bother seeking an NES license, which meant its early Famicom hits largely didn't make their way here, or arrived belatedly through other publishers.

Vinushika

Having "Track & Field II" over a shot of the Black Panther museum scene while talking about cultural imperialism is just excellent. Great cut. That said, people are going to groan that you added a clip of Pump It Up when mentioning DDR. I think you should leave it, but get ready! Great episode as usual. I'm very surprised at how forward-looking Dance Aerobics is; I never gave it a second thought given how World Class Track Meet is just Track and Field but on a mat, but it's actually pretty cool!