Joe & Mac (NES)

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Joe & Mac
Joe & Mac - NES - USA.jpg
Platform: NES
Year: 1991
Developer: Elite Systems, Ltd.
Buy: Amazon

Joe & Mac is an action game based on the arcade game by Data East. The game features five levels, each containing two bosses. Along the way you must fight off hordes of prehistoric enemies such as dinosaurs, pterodactyls and cavemen.

The game was adapted pretty well for the NES, featuring fluid controls, colorful graphics and backgrounds, and catchy music. It's more than what can be said about most of Elite's other NES titles such as Dragon's Lair (NES).

The NES version of Joe & Mac was developed by Adrian Jones (programmer), Russell Phillips (graphics), Mark Cooksey (composer), Andy Williams (programmer), Richard Frankish (programmer), Stuart Middleton (programmer), Robert Mann (programmer), and Chris Coupe (programmer).

Screenshots

Joe & Mac - NES - Title Screen.png

The title screen.

Joe & Mac - NES - Gameplay 1.png

Viewing the intro cutscene.

Joe & Mac - NES - Gameplay 2.png

Attacking enemies in the first stage.

Joe & Mac - NES - Gameplay 3.png

Fighting the first boss.


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Music

Joe & Mac's music is taken from the arcade version, remixed by Mark Cooksey of Ghosts 'N Goblins fame. It is also the only game Mark composed on the NES which uses digitized drum samples. Mark says he doesn't remember using these drum samples and that they may have been supplied by Richard Frankish. The cutscene music is a repetitive loop, but the drum beat eventually changes, which is why the recording is as long as it is. The ending theme is pretty catchy but the drums go off sync when the song loops. There are also two unused songs, both of which were used in the Game Boy version. The first unused song played in the Game Boy version when you completed a level. The second unused song played in the Game Boy version when you died and were brought to the "Get Ready" screen. Some of the music in the Game Boy version is switched. For example, the title screen music in the NES version plays in the Game Boy version when you are at the level screen, and the ending music plays at the title screen. According to Mark, he wrote the music as MIDI files on Notator for the Atari ST which were then converted to his sound engine as text.

Like Elite's other NES games, there are no credits. However, the high scores feature the first names of the game developers. The Game Boy version does have credits and also lists Mark Cooksey as the composer. Mark also lists the game on his website.

Recording

# Title ComposerArranger Length Listen Download
01 Title Screen Hiroaki Yoshida, Seiichi Hamada, Takafumi Miura, Yusuke TakahamaMark Cooksey 1:58
Download
02 Cutscene Theme Hiroaki Yoshida, Seiichi Hamada, Takafumi Miura, Yusuke TakahamaMark Cooksey 1:14
Download
03 Stage Theme Hiroaki Yoshida, Seiichi Hamada, Takafumi Miura, Yusuke TakahamaMark Cooksey 2:50
Download
04 Boss Theme Hiroaki Yoshida, Seiichi Hamada, Takafumi Miura, Yusuke TakahamaMark Cooksey 2:06
Download
05 Ending Theme Hiroaki Yoshida, Seiichi Hamada, Takafumi Miura, Yusuke TakahamaMark Cooksey 3:18
Download
06 Unused Song 1 Hiroaki Yoshida, Seiichi Hamada, Takafumi Miura, Yusuke TakahamaMark Cooksey 0:06
Download
07 Unused Song 2 Hiroaki Yoshida, Seiichi Hamada, Takafumi Miura, Yusuke TakahamaMark Cooksey 0:08
Download

Credits

(Sources: ARC, NES, Game Boy - 1, Game Boy - 2)

Like most games by Elite, this game does not have credits. However, the original arcade version has credits, as well as the Game Boy version (developed by the same company). However, the NES version does have a high score list with the first names of Elite staff. Among the names is Mark. Robert Mann is also listed among the staff, who worked on the Amiga version, also by Elite.

In addition, Cooksey lists the NES version in his works on his website.

Game Rip

Format

Download

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Download

(Info)


Ripping NES music is a very arduous process that is beyond the scope of this site.

Releases

  Spain.svg   Spain
Joe & Mac - NES - USA.jpg
Title: Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja
Platform: NES
Released: 1992-12-??
Publisher: Data East Corporation
  USA.svg   USA
Joe & Mac - NES - EU.jpg
Title: Joe & Mac
Platform: NES
Released: 1992-12-??
Publisher: Data East Corporation

Links