Bound High was praised as a game which would have saved the Virtual Boy. Its use of the 3D graphics turned a simple top-down puzzle game into something exciting and innovative. The game features 4 modes of game-play in which a robot, Chalvo, must bounce on enemies below him in order to knock them into the expanse of space. The different modes include an adventure mode, a score attack mode, and a randomly selected mode. The last mode is a mix between miniature golf and pool. In this mode Chalvo must knock objects into pockets (or holes) around the game board.
Rare video game collectors thrive on a belief system that if it’s rare it must be worth something and that something is not the collectability of the product but the software contained within. Rumors about Virtual Boy prototype carts have circulated for almost as long as the system has been discontinued. Two of the most popular titles discussed are always Bound High and Dragon Hopper. These two top the “possibility of being played list†because both were very near release.
When the last 4 remaining unreleased Virtual Boy games were dumped (some 13 years after the death of the Virtual Boy) the community (a tight knit inner circle) was well aware of who had released them (based on CRC32). Apparently the people who agreed to have their 4 rare game carts dumped also made it clear that the ROMs were never to be released. Arguments ensued which debated if those who could not afford or locate the games should have the opportunity to download and enjoy the files. When the ROMs were finally released those that owned actual copies were outraged. Bound High was owned by some of these same people and they refused to let the cart see daylight after this incident. However, as the story is told, the same people complaining were burning EEPROM pirated carts and selling Bound High to the highest bidder.
The interesting thing about Bound High was that the ROM we now have was rumored to have come from the developer disks, as in the actual source code. It is rumored that the individual who owns them paid $350, not exactly a small fortune by the standards of the 90’s economy. Yet the disks and real Nintendo EEPROM copies of the game are extremely rare. Based on the rarity of the item, the decision to release the source code did not come easily. The released ROM had a bug that caused problems when played on real hardware. Those of the community fortunate enough to have the limited, hand built, and expensive FlashBoy, were still missing out. The fact that the game only ran on specific emulators further proved the point that arguing for the release of Bound High was a wasted effort. This was until the source was recompiled and the problem was fixed.
While sitting here playing Bound High on a dedicated cart I pondered the realities of rare prototype games, those who purchase them, and why they do so. If I had purchased a rare game I would have had the ROM dumped and released to the community. I am a gaming enthusiast and I feel that everyone should have the opportunity to experience everything. This isn’t to say that every build of every game should be released, just the more polished version that was close to an actual public release. I am not trying to say that I condone piracy, but the pirating of certain rare and unreleased games benefits everyone. I consider that not everyone has the means to obtain rare items, not everyone would even know where to start shopping for such items. I’m all for collecting but at the same time I feel the wealth should be shared to not only preserve the file for the future but to guarantee an opportunity for unique personal experiences.
The number of rare carts available has not changed and the value of the rare carts is still the same. In the end it turns out that some people actually collect the cart and are not interested in keeping the fun from others. However, this is just the story of Bound High because if the original owners had it their way the 4 rare Virtual Boy games would never have been dumped and released to the public.
[quote name='The 4 Rare Games Were']
- SD Gundam Dimension War
- Space Invaders Virtual Collection
- Virtual Bowling (Athena)
- Virtual Lab
Let us not even start the discussion of the rare, and rumored to exist, Dragon Hopper Virtual Boy game. It is said that a certain individual owns the prototype which was sent to Nintendo Power for review. The game was rumored to be 99% (if not more) complete at the time of the review. Although with the checkered past of the Virtual Boy releases and the rarity of this prototype, it is likely that it will never be enjoyed by anyone except a limited few.
-Another World
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ct01hQ2BQ[/youtube]
