Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic

Overview

Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (in English, "Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic"; 'doki doki' is onomatopoeia for a rapidly beating heart) is a Famicom Disk System game released only in Japan. The game was originally produced in conjunction with the Japanese television network Fuji TV as a means to promote the network's 1987 Yume Kōjō event that served to highlight the network's newest programming. The game's four playable characters, the Arabian-themed Imajin and Lina and their parents Papa and Mama, were also the event's mascots.

Story

The game opens with two children reading a book when a large green hand reaches out from the book's pages and pulls them inside. Imajin and the rest of his family dive into the book in order to rescue the kids from Mamu (known as Wart in Super Mario Bros. 2). Upon completing the game, the family rescues the children and return to the world outside the book.

Gameplay

As the basis on which Super Mario Bros. 2 was created, Doki Doki Panic is functionally very similar to its western counterpart. However, there are a few key differences. In addition to other changes:

• The B button in Doki Doki Panic does not make the player character run.
• There is a save function, allowing the player to turn off the game and start from where they left off later.
• The player character does not shrink when the life gauge is reduced to one unit.
• After selecting a character, the player must use that character for the entirety of the following chapter, rather than being able to switch after every level.
• The world five boss ( Clawgrip in Super Mario Bros. 2) is a white version of the recurring boss Mouser.
• The game does not end until the player defeats Mamu with all four characters.

The four family members, swapped out with different Mario characters in Super Mario Bros. 2., have the following abilities:

• Imajin: The most balanced character.
• Lina: Has the ability to float through midair. Her walking speed is reduced when carrying an item.
• Papa: Runs faster when carrying an item. Is faster at digging.
• Mama: Is able to jump higher than the other characters.

Super Mario Bros. 2

Nintendo produced and released the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2, known later in the west as The Lost Levels, in 1986. However, the game was rejected for western release by Nintendo of America due to the game's greatly increased difficulty and also was considered too similar to the original Super Mario Bros. As an alternate plan, Nintendo chose to create a completely different Super Mario Bros. title by making alterations to the already completed Doki Doki Panic. The Arabian-themed protagonists were swapped out with Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach, and tweaks were made to the environmental and enemy graphics and animation as well as the music.

Following the western release of Super Mario Bros. 2, the game was released in Japan as Super Mario Bros. USA.

Other Notes

• Doki Doki Panic was one of the first Famicom Disk System games to utilize the Famicom Sound Channel.