| Chubby Cherub | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | TOSE |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai |
| Platform(s) | Family Computer |
| Release date(s) | JP
1985 NA 1986 |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Media | Cartridge |
| Input methods | Contoller |
Chubby Cherub (known in Japan as Obake no Q-tarō: WanWan Panic (オバケのQ太郎 ワンワンパニック Obake no Q-tarō WanWan Panikku, literally: "Q-tarō the Ghost: BowWow Panic")) is a video game software by Bandai for the Nintendo Family Computer. The original Japanese version of the game, Obake no Q-tarō: WanWan Panic, was heavily modified for its United States release and retitled Chubby Cherub.[1] Chubby Cherub is about a flying cupid-like character who eats food and attacks enemies with limited supplies of hearts. The Japanese game is about a ghost named Q-tarō, a character from a Fujiko Fujio manga series titled Obake no Q-tarō.
Contents |
Q-tarō's friends are kidnapped by several burglars. Q-tarō has to save them, however many dogs are in the way—Q-tarō's one fear as a ghost. Q-tarō the Ghost (Chubby Cherub in the English version) has to cross 12 levels, at the end of each, the protagonist will find his friends. Eating food maintains Chubby Cherub's flight. If the flying meter goes all the way down, the character will have to stay on ground. The character will bark at the dogs before they bark at the character; if a bark hits the character, the character may die.
Q-tarō the Ghost is the character of the game, and Chubby Cherub is the main character of the English version. They can both fly through the air or walk on the ground. Flying triggers the a flying meter, which if drops low, you will have to walk on foot. Lollipops give Chubby Cherub/Q-tarō the ability to fire four shots at the dogs. Other food replenishes the meter. Chubby Cherub is drawn by Fujiko Fujio on the English cover.
Beagles are one of the main enemies in the game. Beagles can jump around onto ledges and fences, some are assigned to one place and just jump in two spots. Other dogs can bark at the player releasing an icon that must be avoided. It is noted that the barks move with the screen. If coming from the back, they are very dangerous.
Bulldogs are much bigger than regular dogs. They do not move so fast, and are bark much more. Bulldogs are perched much higher of the ground. Bulldogs are just as dangerous when they bark from behind the player's character.
Cats are less of a threat than the other enemies, although they impossible to get rid of. All Cats are immune to the player's attacks. cats come in a shade of brown and pink.
Sean Reiley reviewed Chubby Cherub and stated that, in his opinion, it was the fifteenth worst NES game of all time. Sean Reiley described Chubby Cherub's graphics a ugly and also said that, "The cartridge is a waste of plastic, and could be used in many other things."[2]
Every time I think of Chubby Cherub's ugly graphics, I picture that hideous scene of him surrounded by half eaten dogs.—Sean Patrick Reiley , [2]
Chubby Cherub | Table of Contents | Walkthrough
| Chubby Cherub | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Bandai |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai |
| Japanese title | オバケのQ太郎ワンワンパニック (Obake no Q-Tarou: Wanwan Panic) |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| System(s) | NES |
| Players | 1-2 |
Chubby Cherub was a game that appeared very shortly after the NES appeared on the market. Viewed by itself, it seems like a rather bizarre game. It appears as though you are playing as a fat cupid that must fly around eating food simply for the sake of being able to fly longer so that you can eat more food. The biggest threat to your life are dogs whose bark really is worse than their bite. And inexplicably, each level ends when you eat the piece of food that is beneath a window that contains some random kid's face. In general, to the American audience at which it was aimed, it made little sense, and the absurdity took away from the enjoyment of the game.
To better understand Chubby Cherub, one needs to look at the original Japanese version upon which it is based. In Japan, the game was known as Obake no Q-Tarou: Wanwan Panic, which roughly translates to the Bow-wow Panic of Q-Tarou the Ghost. The cupid was originally a small odd-looking ghost, which doesn't make a lot more sense, until you consider that the game is based on a popular Japanese anime and manga about Q-Tarou the ghost and his child friends. The very same children that you end up rescuing at the end of each stage, sometimes from a burglar. The game was originally developed for fans of the series, which Americans had no knowledge of. So the developers changed the ghost to something else that westerners would recognize as a character that could fly through the air. They chose a cupid that they named Chubby Cherub.
Among the other things that changed from the Japanese version to the American version, was the changing of the tiles from Japanese characters to ones with English letters on them, the title screen, and the difficulty was decreased. The power meter of Q-Tarou decreases much faster than the same meter for the Cherub. In the end Chubby Cherub did not compete well against more recognizable titles, and games like Super Mario Bros. that garnered much more attention (despite being just as unusual on the surface), and is not remembered fondly by many players.
 Famicom box |
 Japanese screen |
 American screen |
Chubby Cherub/Q-Tarou the Ghost must travel across 12 stages in order to rescue 12 young friends, while devouring food that floats in the sky in order to maintain enough strength to continue flying. If the power meter dips too low, you'll have to walk on foot until you can eat more food. Eat lollipops to turn the tables on dogs, and bark at them before they bark at you.
| Chubby Cherub | |
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Bandai |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai |
| Release date | Famicom: December 26, 1985 (JP) NES: 1986 (NA) |
| Genre | 2D platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Age rating(s) | N/A NES |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Media | Cartridge NES |
| Input | NES Controller |
| Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough | |
Chubby Cherub (Obake no Q-tarō WanWan Panic in Japan) is a game released for the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment System.
The Japanese game was heavily modified for its United States release and retitled Chubby Cherub.
The North American Chubby Cherub game is about a flying cupid who eats food and attacks enemies with limited supplies of hearts. The Japanese game is about a ghost named Q-tarō, a character from a manga series called Obake no Q-tarō.
 Famicom Boxart |
 NES Boxart |
 |
This article is a stub. You can help by adding to it.
Stubs are articles that writers have begun work on, but are not yet complete enough to be considered finished articles. |
   | Obake no Q-Taro WanWan Panic - IGN: Obake no Q-Taro WanWan Panic |
| | Seanbaby's link about Chubby Cherub - Seanbaby.com - The Worst Nintendo Game #15 - Chubby Cherub |
|
|
Wikis
Map
Search
