Developer: Flight-Plan Publisher: NEC Avenue Release: 07/15/94 Genre: Action
Never judge a book by its cover. For a long time I avoided Chiki Chiki Boys on the Genesis. I thought the name was stupid and the generic box art did it no favors. But with few decent options for a video game rental I gave it a chance and came away impressed. I never saw the game in the arcade so the Sega Genesis version was my introduction. However in Japan the PC Engine CD was graced with a home port that is closer to the arcade. Whether that it is a good or bad thing depends on what you are looking for. Either way it remains a solid game nonetheless.
Chiki Chiki Boys is classic Capcom all around. As either of the brothers you fight enemies who drop gold and power-ups on your way to the boss. The similarity to Wonder Boy in Monster Land is unavoidable. However at least in this version the RPG elements are non-existent compared to that game. Any upgrades you acquire are found in treasure chests rather than bought from a shop. The level design is varied despite the game’s simplicity. Some stages you fly freely like Legendary Wings while in others the game auto scrolls. You can choose the order of the first three levels but the last is a multi-stage romp in and around Riepohtmahn’s castle. Somehow Chiki Chiki Boys avoids the requisite Capcom boss rush, thank god for that. I hate that shit.
The CD game skews closer to the arcade in all aspects. That means gameplay is slower and more methodical. Enemy placement and density is greater, almost as if the game were designed around two-player coop. That feature remains in this version although the systems requirements for such make it a moot point. Because there are many more enemies attacking the difficulty is notably higher. The heavy slowdown also plays a factor in that as well. Up until the release of the Capcom Classics Collection this was probably the best home port you could buy.
Despite being a better representation of the arcade game I will admit I think I might favor the Sega game in terms of gameplay. The various additions it has are pretty smart and make the game feel more “complete” at home. The shops give the coins a reason to exist beyond score chasing. You can readily select between the two brothers with their slight gameplay differences in magic and swordplay. The items in the shop allow you to lean in to these differences even further for a unique experience. Let’s be clear: Chiki Chiki Boys is a simple game overall. Yet the additional features add a smidgen of depth in terms of managing your coins and upgrades to ease the difficulty. I daresay this might be the ideal version of the game.
With its simplified art style Chiki Chiki Boys is a perfect match for the PC Engine’s capabilities. The sprites are large and the color palette literally explodes on the screen. The resolution is lower which results in things feeling a bit “tight” but it is a small sacrifice. Compared to the Sega Genesis version the backgrounds retain nearly all of the detail from the arcade. There is also no transition between sections in the level due to the game being on a CD. Unfortunately it loses the parallax scrolling but that is common on this platform. The developers take advantage of the disc and provide a red book audio version of the soundtrack which is great. It sucks that the music does not loop leaving them feeling incomplete but whatever, it barely detracts from the richness of the audio.
Unlike the Sega game the difficulty was not rebalanced. The game can be challenging: enemy placement is often dense, and bosses are fairly tough. The game still plays as though you are pumping quarters in to an arcade unit and it shows. Losing lives can be punishing, particularly if you are low on resources / magic. However, the co-op mode helps mitigate difficulty, allowing two players to tackle the more demanding sections together.
In Closing
Chiki Chiki Boys on PC-Engine CD is very solid and charming action-platformer, especially for fans of classic arcade games. The CD version’s enhanced soundtrack is a standout feature, and the co-op mode makes it especially fun to play with a friend if you can manage that. If you are a purist this is the version you want. But if you value additions that enhance the gameplay the more accessible Genesis game might be more your speed. It may not be the deepest or most innovative platformer, but it has the feel of early ‘90s Capcom action games and brings enough polish and content to justify its place in a PC Engine CD collection.
