When one typically thinks of the Famicom, platformers, shmups, and arcade style games are pretty much the first kind of games that come to mind. But to those who have truly dug deep into the great titles the system has to offer, one can really see that there's more out there, particular some great visual novels. Jesus: Kyōfu no Bio Monster, a Japanese-only release is one of those, and for a Famicom game, it's rather in depth plot and characterization really make it seem ahead of its time. And despite its name, Jesus is not what you think it is.
To be totally fair, Jesus was not made on the NES. It was originally developed by Enix for the PC-88 in 1987, then ported to the Famicom two years later. Despite this, the port is very impressive. Only a few minor things from the PC-88 release were taken out, mostly involving close ups of the things one can investigate around the room and close ups of character's faces. But even when playing the PC-88 version of the game, one can still see how interesting the game truly is, especially given its age.
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| With a Game Over screen up like that, I think I've got a pretty good chance against you |
The plot is rather simple, and at times, it can seem rather silly. In a nutshell, a group sent by Earth to space is given the job to examine Halley's Comet, where they find a mysterious alien-like creature has been riding the comet. And of course, that alien really likes to invade ships and hungers for humans. It's quite obvious that the story was inspired by James Cameron's Alien. And while this is the case, the game manages to transform the ideas from Alien into something a little different, similar to the way Snatcher derived ideas from Blade Runner.
But it's important to realize that the game was ported to the Famicom in 1989, and at that time, especially on the Famicom, there weren't many games that focused all that heavily on story. Right at the start of the game, I was definitely intrigued that a Famicom game had such an interesting story. The crew of the ship is also full of colorful characters and given the amount of time you get to interact with them, it's pretty amazing to see how quick and easy it is to pick up on their personalities. Sure, it may seem pretty basic if it were a modern game. But for back then, it's impressive.
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| By the time you finish the game, that piece will be engraved in your head. Hope you like it! |
The gameplay, while being a pretty straight forward adventure game, had also had it's moments of uniqueness. In the game's second part, you have the freedom to move around in a hallway, choosing the doors that you want to enter. It's not everyday when you get to have some walking freedom in a visual novel. And as a Famicom game, I thought it was pretty cool looking. At another point in the game, you have access to a keyboard, where the player is expected to play a certain tune played over and over in the game by that point. I memorized it and while I had a little trouble playing it on the keyboard, being able to play it right was satisfying and added to the game's charm.
There are flaws to the game, however, which may be the reason it isn't all that well known. If you play the Famicom version of the game, make sure the volume isn't too loud. The music can get very annoying, especially if you're stuck in a room for some time trying to interact with everything. And speaking of interaction, the game is really picky with what you need to do at times. You literally need to do certain actions a certain amount of times or you need to do a certain order of interactions in order for certain events to trigger. And if they don't trigger, you missed something. Going back and forth got a little annoying, but I think the game's age is enough of an excuse for this issue. I definitely recommend using a guide.
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| It looks more ridiculous than it actually is. Or... is it actually a little on the ridiculous side? |
Another thing worth mentioning is how silly the game's plot seems. I can't exactly put my finger on why, but without spoiling it, the game's plot almost feels like a cartoon parody of Alien. Everything feels almost too predictable and too unreal. But for me, it was part of the game's fun. It's important to play Jesus without thinking too seriously about its story. Just take it for what it is and in the end, it should make you smile even if you laughed your way through the game.
Jesus is a really short game. I clocked in at around three hours, but that's because I got lost and forgot some items frequently throughout the playthrough. It's an interesting game, especially on the Famicom, because it presents an interesting story, something almost completely new to the medium at that time. If you've got the time, check the game out. There's an english patch out there that's good enough, so if you can't read japanese, track the translation down through google and play it in an afternoon. It's not the greatest game in the world, but it has a certain charm to it that makes this little game worth playing.
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| Despite its short length, there are a lot of places to explore at times. Having a guide handy is recommended |
Tips for Play:
-Keep your volume low, but don't mute it
-Remember its age and compare it with other games of its time, not with games from this generation
Similar Games:
-Snatcher-Phoenix Wright
-Policenauts
-9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
-Ever 17
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