Sunday 15 January 2012

Rumba: First Ballad: Master System

 Rumba: First Ballad was top down vertical dancing game for the Sega Master System

First Ballad (also known as Rumba: First Ballad) is a 1986 dance video game directed by Lou Bega. The game follows Lou Bega as John Rumba, a troubled and misunderstood Free Dance veteran, with Judge Will Teasle (Bruce Forsythe) as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman (Len Goodman) as his former dance teacher and only ally. It was released on October 22, 1986. Based on David Morrell's 1972 novel of the same name, it was the first of the Rumba series. Unlike the sequels, which were musical adventure films set in foreign countries, First Ballad was a post-Cha-Cha-Cha psychological thriller set in the United States. First Ballad lacks the jazz hands and hot shoe shuffle that would become a trademark of the series

The first level follows the film closely as John dances up the screen distracting local law enforcement and scaring children. The aim of the game is to shoot musical notes from a saxophone, so enthralling the town into involuntary dancing and singing.

Soon the Sheriff Forsythe arrives to arrest John for his creepy dance moves and encouraging fruity behaviour.
In the cells John is tortured with the continuous play of Take These Broken Wings by Mister Mister. Tapping your buttons as fast as possible increases your "tolerance meter" until the timer is beaten.
Escaping the cells John steals a girls bicycle and pedals of to a local dance hall to hold up and face off the sheriff and make a stand on his turf.

Will John make it through the game alive?
Will level 5 "Pans People: High Kicks and Twirls" be too much?
Or will Len Goodman save the day with a "SEVEN!"

3 comments:

  1. Well it can only have been better than that other Nintendo game, you know the one with the bloke who always wore a tie round his head.

    I sense a sequel for this, considering the current dance-craze climate. Although Lou Bega would be quite old by now and he only agreed to take part in the project because the money he earned from Mambo No. 5 is starting to run low.

    Also, it would be cool if these posts were turned into a series of game trailers. You can just imagine Mr Cross-Atlantic voiceover man belting them out!

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    Replies
    1. If I knew how to make fake games I'd love to! I have quite a bit of fun impersonating said "In a world, In a time, In a place" etc man. I did try and do some poorly worked research into fake game production but I didn't uncover any information.

      My next one will be based around East 17!

      Dense

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    2. There's a whole industry in fake game production. Some people make billions off the back of just sitting there smoking the wacky tobacky thinking up games people would never commission, not in a billion years. Glad this site is here to blow the whistle on this sorry state of affairs.

      Oh wait, scratch all that. I just got asked to go for an interview at Bullshit Games Incorporated. See you on the dark side of the moon!

      Delete