Sky Kid Collection

[Nightowljrm | 72]

Sky Kid is one of my favorite video games and my of for it has turned into a "sub collection" of sorts. Here's a few pictures. 

Sky Kid corner:

On top of one of my shelves, I've started a small dedicated space for my Sky Kid collection. Pictured here are: 

• Sky Kid shitajiki pencil board (latest acquisition)
• Vs. Sky Kid arcade flyer
• Sky Kid CIB (with hangtab, bottom left box)
• Sky Kid CIB (without hangtab, bottom right box)
• Sky Kid Famicom Strategy Guide
• Sky Kid Famicom CIB
• Sky Kid Super Cassette Vision CIB
• Namco Gallery, Vol. 3 (GameBoy, has a GameBoy version of Sky Kid not available on its own)
• Sky Kid Shadowbox Display (obviously custom made)
• Sky Kid Prototype/Demo cart (identical to the release version)
• Sealed Sky Kid (non-hangtab version), I'm not much of a sealed guy but I debate getting it graded often

Other pictures:

• Sky Kid Arcade marquee

• Vs. Sky Kid Cabinet (with what was at the time the rest of the Sky Kid collection)

Not pictured:

• Vs. Sky Kid Operations Manual (inside the machine)

I'm having a fun time slowly acquiring random Sky Kid items. There's not a whole lot for it, so anything new is always exciting. Eventually, I'd like to have the original arcade version, a sealed version with the hang tab, and anything else I can get a hold of for a reasonable price. If any of you know of a Sky Kid item that I do not have, please let me know.

OP is a WIP. I'll update with better pictures soon. 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Nightowljrm
Clarity, formatting

[drxandy | 3,267]

Awesome!! I love seeing people's dedicated collections, so many cool things you don't see often! Great stuff!

[Phyrexian Hulk | 15]

Sweet Collection! I would love the own a VS Cab of this or the original arcade.

[Nightowljrm | 72]

5 hours ago, drxandy said:

Awesome!! I love seeing people's dedicated collections, so many cool things you don't see often! Great stuff!

Thanks! I'll take better pictures soon. The post was kinda rushed, was trying to kill time before D&D with something fun.

 

4 hours ago, Phyrexian Hulk said:

Sweet Collection! I would love the own a VS Cab of this or the original arcade.

Yeah, I'm SUPER happy to have the Vs. cab. One of my bucket list items is to have the original. The Vs. one is in pretty good shape, just some cosmetic blemishes I haven't gotten around to fixing in the few years I've had it. I need to replace the plexiglass and the metal trim-thing under the marquee.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

Awesome collection! I love seeing stuff like this that is relatively unknown and underappreciated.

[m308gunner | 352]

Could you elaborate on why you like this game so much? I have a very soft spot for Sunsoft games, but this one just doesn't grab me at all. I kinda want to get it with the intent of having all Sunsoft NES games, but it just doesn't look fun to me. Change my mind  

[Nightowljrm | 72]

1 hour ago, m308gunner said:

Could you elaborate on why you like this game so much? I have a very soft spot for Sunsoft games, but this one just doesn't grab me at all. I kinda want to get it with the intent of having all Sunsoft NES games, but it just doesn't look fun to me. Change my mind  

Sure! When I was in high school, I started collecting retro games. I was born in the early 90's and the Genesis was my first console and always stayed hooked up, no matter whatever else was new. This was around the Wii, X360, PS3 era and I was dissatisfied how current video games were playing, I just wasn't enjoying them as much as my Genesis. Then I remembered some of my earliest memories were playing the NES with my grandmother, so I decided to pick up an NES on my 16 birthday and a few games from a GameXchange. I was insantly hooked.

For the rest of my high school career, I was exclusively playing my NES. I had a system in place: every day I would be given $1.00 for the vending machine at lunch. Instead of spending it, I'd save it and spend the $5 on a $4.95 game from GameXchange and spend that weekend and following week playing the latest pickup. (I'd occasionally spend more but that's besides the point).

Some of those early pickups include your obvious staples, but some other games I love that, at the time, I knew nothing about: Section Z, Amagon, Arkista's Ring, and Sky Kid. Immediately Sky Kid and Section Z were among some of my favorites. I'm not a big shooter person, but clearly I like shooters that have a bit of a twist on them. I would revisist Sky Kid a decent bit off and on, but for a while, I mostly moved on to trying to beat harder NES staples as my collection grew.

A few years later, now in college, someone listed their eBay auction on NintendoAge of a Sky Kid prototype (now that I think of it, I should go back and archive it). I had been kicking around the idea of getting a prototype for a while, and even considering buying an Arkista's Ring someone had for sale at the time, but I think it was out of my price range. So I decide to throw some bids in - and I won it! I was pretty excited, and decided to revisit the game again. I hadn't beaten it before, so I made it a point to beat it.

That time with it grinding to beat it - as shooters aren't my forté - something clicked and when I beat the game finally, I was elated! And just in time too, the prototype came in the next morning, but it wouldn't be until that weekend I could drive home to see it (I didn't want it shipped to my university). I think it was the excitement of the new addition to the collection, and rediscovering of an early favorite at the beginning of my NES journey, combined with finally beating the game, elevated my love of the game. It went from being a game I really enjoyed to one of my favorites of all time.

So gameplay wise, why do I love it so much? I love the objective-based twist on the game. It's not just "shoot everything on screen", you also need to bomb the enemy target! This can be a base, a battleship, or even a UFO. Doing so earn plenty of points, which are crucial for earning extra lives as the game is difficult. But there's an additional risk to bombing targets! See, normally, you can do a loop-de-loop to avoid enemy bullets (and change your altitude quickly). But this valuable evasive maneuver is unavailable if you are carrying a bomb, as that ability is now overridden by dropping the bomb. So there is a risk-versus-reward element to the gameplay.

But also, the enemies are much different than most shooters! At least, than the ones I'm aware of. Enemies can come from behind and will even kamikaze themselves into you. Others will perform their own evasive loop-de-loops to avoid your shots. Some enemy bases disguise themselves as ice bergs. In later levels, other enemies kamikaze to the top of the screen if you fly too high and explode when they are in close proximity to you. The enemies themselves become aggressive threats, not just bullets they shoot blindly. There's no advanced AI, of course, it's the NES, but there's an intelligence and aggression to them I didn't expect.

There's also fun secrets for extra points! Hidden submarines will surface and be worth 1,000 points. Doing a loop above a Pac-Man Namco sign will reveal wither a medal worth 500 points or a bomb that can lead to your demise. Other secrets also involve looping in front of special background elements, but I won't share them all.

Then finally, probably one of the most unique elements of the game, is that being shot does NOT mean you die. When shot, your plane spins downward, rapidly losing altitude. You have the ability to button mash to pull yourself up and fly to live another day! Each subsequent shot you take requires more button taps. But remember earlier that exploding enemy I mentioned, that spawns when you fly too high? You'd think flying high so you have more time to button mash may be the way to go, but sometimes flying low is safer, but of course, if you're hit, gives you way less time to pull up. That risk versus reward element is present throughout the entire game, and I really enjoy that.

That's a gist of what I like about the gameplay, it's tough, and you have to way your options quite a bit as you navigate the varying levels. Sometimes there's mountains forcing you to fly high - and possibly have to deal with the exploding enemy - or areas where it's a bit safer to fly low but one shot will guarantee death.

The worst things about the game are the graphics and soundtrack. It's a basic, albeit cute looking game and each level has the same music, but I quite enjoy it. Others may not though and I can see it being repetitive.

Hope that answers your question! The game has been a part of my NES adventures, both as a game and as an item to collect, and as such I have a special fondness for it.

I encourage you to at least play it! I think it's VERY underrated.

(I'm on mobile again, so apologies for any redundant comments or silly formatting or grammar mistakes).

Edited November 4, 2019 by Nightowljrm
Clarity

[m308gunner | 352]

19 hours ago, Nightowljrm said:

Sure! When I was in high school, I started collecting retro games. I was born in the early 90's and the Genesis was my first console and always stayed hooked up, no matter whatever else was new. This was around the Wii, X360, PS3 era and I was dissatisfied how current video games were playing, I just wasn't enjoying them as much as my Genesis. Then I remembered some of my earliest memories were playing the NES with my grandmother, so I decided to pick up an NES on my 16 birthday and a few games from a GameXchange. I was insantly hooked.

For the rest of my high school career, I was exclusively playing my NES. I had a system in place: every day I would be given $1.00 for the vending machine at lunch. Instead of spending it, I'd save it and spend the $5 on a $4.95 game from GameXchange and spend that weekend and following week playing the latest pickup. (I'd occasionally spend more but that's besides the point).

Some of those early pickups include your obvious staples, but some other games I love that, at the time, I knew nothing about: Section Z, Amagon, Arkista's Ring, and Sky Kid. Immediately Sky Kid and Section Z were among some of my favorites. I'm not a big shooter person, but clearly I like shooters that have a bit of a twist on them. I would revisist Sky Kid a decent bit off and on, but for a while, I mostly moved on to trying to beat harder NES staples as my collection grew.

A few years later, now in college, someone listed their eBay auction on NintendoAge of a Sky Kid prototype (now that I think of it, I should go back and archive it). I had been kicking around the idea of getting a prototype for a while, and even considering buying an Arkista's Ring someone had for sale at the time, but I think it was out of my price range. So I decide to throw some bids in - and I won it! I was pretty excited, and decided to revisit the game again. I hadn't beaten it before, so I made it a point to beat it.

That time with it grinding to beat it - as shooters aren't my forté - something clicked and when I beat the game finally, I was elated! And just in time too, the prototype came in the next morning, but it wouldn't be until that weekend I could drive home to see it (I didn't want it shipped to my university). I think it was the excitement of the new addition to the collection, and rediscovering of an early favorite at the beginning of my NES journey, combined with finally beating the game, elevated my love of the game. It went from being a game I really enjoyed to one of my favorites of all time.

So gameplay wise, why do I love it so much? I love the objective-based twist on the game. It's not just "shoot everything on screen", you also need to bomb the enemy target! This can be a base, a battleship, or even a UFO. Doing so earn plenty of points, which are crucial for earning extra lives as the game is difficult. But there's an additional risk to bombing targets! See, normally, you can do a loop-de-loop to avoid enemy bullets (and change your altitude quickly). But this valuable evasive maneuver is unavailable if you are carrying a bomb, as that ability is now overridden by dropping the bomb. So there is a risk-versus-reward element to the gameplay.

But also, the enemies are much different than most shooters! At least, than the ones I'm aware of. Enemies can come from behind and will even kamikaze themselves into you. Others will perform their own evasive loop-de-loops to avoid your shots. Some enemy bases disguise themselves as ice bergs. In later levels, other enemies kamikaze to the top of the screen if you fly too high and explode when they are in close proximity to you. The enemies themselves become aggressive threats, not just bullets they shoot blindly. There's no advanced AI, of course, it's the NES, but there's an intelligence and aggression to them I didn't expect.

There's also fun secrets for extra points! Hidden submarines will surface and be worth 1,000 points. Doing a loop above a Pac-Man Namco sign will reveal wither a medal worth 500 points or a bomb that can lead to your demise. Other secrets also involve looping in front of special background elements, but I won't share them all.

Then finally, probably one of the most unique elements of the game, is that being shot does NOT mean you die. When shot, your plane spins downward, rapidly losing altitude. You have the ability to button mash to pull yourself up and fly to live another day! Each subsequent shot you take requires more button taps. But remember earlier that exploding enemy I mentioned, that spawns when you fly too high? You'd think flying high so you have more time to button mash may be the way to go, but sometimes flying low is safer, but of course, if you're hit, gives you way less time to pull up. That risk versus reward element is present throughout the entire game, and I really enjoy that.

That's a gist of what I like about the gameplay, it's tough, and you have to way your options quite a bit as you navigate the varying levels. Sometimes there's mountains forcing you to fly high - and possibly have to deal with the exploding enemy - or areas where it's a bit safer to fly low but one shot will guarantee death.

The worst things about the game are the graphics and soundtrack. It's a basic, albeit cute looking game and each level has the same music, but I quite enjoy it. Others may not though and I can see it being repetitive.

Hope that answers your question! The game has been a part of my NES adventures, both as a game and as an item to collect, and as such I have a special fondness for it.

I encourage you to at least play it! I think it's VERY underrated.

(I'm on mobile again, so apologies for any redundant comments or silly formatting or grammar mistakes).

I was hoping for an in depth explanation and you certainly delivered :P. I'll have to give it a try someday. Thanks!

[Nightowljrm | 72]

4 minutes ago, m308gunner said:

I was hoping for an in depth explanation and you certainly delivered :P. I'll have to give it a try someday. Thanks!

I had to refrain from rambling, haha. Let me know what you think whenever you play it.

[ookii_risu | 206]

Very nice collection!

[Mydogsrule | 87]

I love Sky Kid and seeing your passion for the game.  Awesome you have the prototype!

[goldenpp72 | 1,243]

I came into this thread thinking you said Spy Kids and was confused, good job though

[Nightowljrm | 72]

11 hours ago, Mydogsrule said:

I love Sky Kid and seeing your passion for the game.  Awesome you have the prototype!

Glad to see someone else appreciate it! "Hidden gems" and "underrated games" have been discussed countless hundreds of times and I don't think I've ever seen it brought up that much. 

 

4 hours ago, goldenpp72 said:

I came into this thread thinking you said Spy Kids and was confused, good job though

Floop is a mad man, help us, save us!

[TWarwick07 | 122]

Sky Kid is a great game. tons of fun. This was part of my childhood collection and spent tons of hours playing it. That is a really nice collection of games there. I'm interested to know if there is anything else out there that you want to add to the collection ??

[Crazy Climber | 150]

Wow....your passion for Sky Kid makes me want to give it another try. I rented it back in the 80's and didn't care for it (and never looked back) I do own it though so I'll fire it up and see what I think 30+ years late lol

[Nightowljrm | 72]

44 minutes ago, TWarwick07 said:

Sky Kid is a great game. tons of fun. This was part of my childhood collection and spent tons of hours playing it. That is a really nice collection of games there. I'm interested to know if there is anything else out there that you want to add to the collection ??

It really is great!

The thing is, there's not a lot out there Sky Kid related that I know of. Despite Namco making nods to it every now and then with things like Ace Combat, the Sky Kid theme being in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, or Red Baron even being in Pac-Man's taunt roulette in Ultimate, I don't think it was ever that big of a game for them, which is disappointing.

I would like to have the original Sky Kid arcade, that would be amazing. I'm sure I'll have it eventually. I try to pick up anything I can see for the game at a reasonable price. Since what little there is is kinda rare, sometimes people ask ridiculous prices. I'm a patient man, I can wait, so new additions are rare. But - really - anything that features Sky Kid is something I'd like to have as long as it's significant. (For example, I don't have every iteration of Namco Museum just because Sky Kid is on it, unless it's special like the GB game). I would also like the hangtab version of Sky Kid sealed. (The one I have is the non-hangtab version). There's one that's Wata graded on eBay right now, but I don't want to pay that much for it. 

A pipe dream is to own Sky Kid Deluxe. It was only released in Japan. 

27 minutes ago, Crazy Climber said:

Wow....your passion for Sky Kid makes me want to give it another try. I rented it back in the 80's and didn't care for it (and never looked back) I do own it though so I'll fire it up and see what I think 30+ years late lol

Great, go for it! That's what I was hoping this thread would do (and possibly get some eyes out there in case there's other Sky Kid stuff to be had). It may take a little bit for it to click with you like it did me, but if having a goal will help, try to play through Stage 8. Stage 8 is the first bonus stage, once you've reached that, you've had a good taste of what the game has to offer, IMO. There's new elements that are introduced after that, but I think at that point you'll know if you want to keep playing or not.

If at that point you're curious about what's next or maybe you realize it's not for you but want to see the game played through to completion, @arnpoly has a solid playthrough on his YouTube Channel. 

Edited November 5, 2019 by Nightowljrm

[arnpoly | 205]

45 minutes ago, Nightowljrm said:

If at that point you're curious about what's next or maybe you realize it's not for you but want to see the game played through to completion, @arnpoly has a solid playthrough on his YouTube Channel. 

I appreciate the shout out!  Beating Sky Kid was one of my most memorable NES clears.  It is deceptively difficult to finish and I had several rounds of heartbreak before finally getting the job done.  There's a lot of fun to be had just playing it casually.  I'm glad I sat down to play through the whole thing.

Your collection is really excellent, by the way!  Thanks for sharing it!

[TWarwick07 | 122]

15 minutes ago, arnpoly said:

I appreciate the shout out!  Beating Sky Kid was one of my most memorable NES clears.  It is deceptively difficult to finish and I had several rounds of heartbreak before finally getting the job done.  There's a lot of fun to be had just playing it casually.  I'm glad I sat down to play through the whole thing.

Your collection is really excellent, by the way!  Thanks for sharing it!

It is definitely one of those games where you have to try and fail to learn the pattern to get through the stages. It is also good for something quick and fun to play without having to put in hours of gameplay. Definitely an underrated game for sure !!

[TWarwick07 | 122]

I just searched sky kid deluxe on ebay and got 1 listing for 3K on an arcade board but a bunch of listings for Velvet Sky action figures. 

[Nightowljrm | 72]

8 minutes ago, arnpoly said:

I appreciate the shout out!  Beating Sky Kid was one of my most memorable NES clears.  It is deceptively difficult to finish and I had several rounds of heartbreak before finally getting the job done.  There's a lot of fun to be had just playing it casually.  I'm glad I sat down to play through the whole thing.

Your collection is really excellent, by the way!  Thanks for sharing it!

You're welcome! When I'm bored, I sometimes peruse YouTube and see if anyone's brought up the game or done anything related to it (spoiler: there's not a lot), and I stumbled across your playthrough and enjoyed it. Much better than the others that use emulators and turbo. (Or in the case of another video I saw, the Game Genie code that lets you have a max of five bullets on screen instead of three).

And thanks! Hopefully it continues to grow. 

1 minute ago, TWarwick07 said:

It is definitely one of those games where you have to try and fail to learn the pattern to get through the stages. It is also good for something quick and fun to play without having to put in hours of gameplay. Definitely an underrated game for sure !!

Oh, yeah. What I like too is that while the patterns for enemies stays the same (such as where they fly in or spawn), their behavior can change based off where you are located, when you flip, etc. 

[Nightowljrm | 72]

1 minute ago, TWarwick07 said:

I just searched sky kid deluxe on ebay and got 1 listing for 3K on an arcade board but a bunch of listings for Velvet Sky action figures. 

Yeah, there's the board on there for $3K. It's been on my watch list for quite a while. I like to put the arcade-related stuff on a watch list and wait on it for a while. It paid off too, I actually have a fun story with how I get the Vs. Sky Kid for only $50 thanks to a friend in Minnesota.

[TWarwick07 | 122]

Just now, Nightowljrm said:

Yeah, there's the board on there for $3K. It's been on my watch list for quite a while. I like to put the arcade-related stuff on a watch list and wait on it for a while. It paid off too, I actually have a fun story with how I get the Vs. Sky Kid for only $50 thanks to a friend in Minnesota.

Do tell ???

[Nightowljrm | 72]

1 minute ago, TWarwick07 said:

Do tell ???

So my buddy who lives in Minnesota is in several garage sales Facebook groups and someone was selling two arcade machines that had just been sitting in their garage for $50. I don't remember what the other one was, but it was something fairly obscure. 

They hadn't tested it yet, but since it was only $50, I asked him to get it, I'll PayPal him, and I'll drive up from Tennessee to get it. He paid and picked it up - and thankfully - it worked brilliantly! We did some measurements and unfortunately it couldn't fit in my Escape, but a mutual friend of hours lived an hour away and had a 1990-something Subaru Outback that it would fit in. We coordinated the trip: I would meet with him half way, swap cars, and head up to Minnesota. It was about a 13 - 14 hour drive for me (with stops). 

We met for the first time IRL, hung out for the weekend, then loaded it up Sunday morning and I made the journey home. This was almost like right out of a movie because a few hours into the trip home, the air conditioner went out in the Outback, and it was in the middle of summer. Oh! And I think the car's radio didn't work or only had a cassette player, so I had been listening to music off my phone. The wind was so loud it's all I heard for a few hours before the A/C randomly started working again. Lol.

I made it back home with the Outback and that friend had business in my town the following day, so we swapped vehicles again in-town, ate lunch together, and he went home. 

It was extremely lucky! And a fun adventure too - I got to meet a few collector friends I hadn't met in person yet. (@rorsch, who wasn't involved but was in our group chat, can confirm). 

[rorsch | 21]

Yeah, our group looks out for its own  The other guys saw it and said LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR @Nightowljrm! Rest is history. Any of us would do it again too! I wish everyone had someone that loved them as much as he loves Sky Kid 

[TWarwick07 | 122]

That was a tremendous story !! Nice find