The Belmont/Goemon/Goonies stakes: Konami Wai Wai World | NES Works Gaiden 60

Welcome to the shadows of the annual Castlevania-themed episode. I'm sort of running low on relevant Castlevaniae to talk about here, at least in terms of games I don't intend to cover in their own right someday as part of Works, so it's a good thing that patron Joseph Wawzonek requested I tackle Konami Wai Wai World, huh? Wai Wai World is technically only about 1/7 Castlevania by biomass, but realistically speaking, Castlevania is one of the few levels you can defeat without acquiring certain character skills or bulking up your team to soak up abuse from the bad guys. So for most of us, it's basically "that one Castlevania game that also has a lot of other dudes in it." An interesting game bursting with good ideas, but definitely one that falls into line with Konami's ambitious-but-flawed (not to mention wildly unbalanced) NES titles like Castlevania II and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... games with which it shares a lot of creative concepts in common. 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.