Video Game / Madoushi Lulba

Madoushi Lulba is a fantasy adventure game for the MSX created by Compile. It was first released on their Disc Station disk magazine episodically (appearing on issues #1, #2, and #4), before being bundled together in Disc Station Deluxe 2, along with an extra chapter and updated graphics and sound.

The story of the game involves the resurrection of the titular Lulba, an ancient dark wizard who plans to throw the world into darkness, using his army of 240 million monsters to aid him. The only one who can stop him is Cyber Cat, a traveling feline warrior who is on his way back to his hometown, and comes into possession of the Sword of Light after running into the eccentric but well-dressed Haagen Duck, who decides to become the young swordsman’s apprentice. The game details their journey through a world of incredibly cute and diverse animals, and the strange situations the duo find themselves in.

Gameplay is typical for adventure games of the era; you have a list of commands on the right of the screen, a visual window to the left, and a text box at the bottom. The player can interact with characters or go places by selecting a command from the command list. One deviation that sticks out, however, is a life gauge at the very top right of the screen, which can be depleted by performing certain harmful actions or by enemy characters; these enemy characters show up at the end of each chapter, and cannot be defeated merely by your weapon. The player will have to work out a solution for each opponent, and some enemies’ weaknesses are more obvious than others.

The game was a reasonable success for Compile, becoming a favorite among fans of the company and Japanese adventure gamers, and thematically paved the way for the Madou Monogatari series (which shares a similar light-hearted fantasy theme with cutesy characters). It also shares a few connections to said series, such as one of Lulba's minions, Owlbear, becoming a recurring character in both Madou Monogatari and Puyo Puyo, and several characters showing up as NPCs and enemies in Madou Monogatari ARS. While the game hasn't seen any sequels, it hasn't been forgotten; D4 Enterprise, who currently own the rights to the game, have put Madoushi Lulba up for sale on Project EGG, and Owlbear has continued to appear in Puyo Puyo games up to the present day.

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Madoushi Lulba provides examples of:

• All There in the Manual: The manual for the Disc Station Deluxe 2 rerelease contains a pre-story to the game, as well as short bios for each character alongside an illustration of them. Sometimes, these bios are hints on how to interact with said characters.
• Anachronism Stew: While the game is ostensibly set in a fantastical medieval setting, there are things like pogo sticks, kaki no tane, and Indian poker that show up or are mentioned.
• Antagonist Title
• Bears Are Bad News: He might be only half-bear, but Owlbear fits the bill; he’s one of Lulba’s henchmen, and his telepathy allows him to strike even before his opponent can make a move.
• Bittersweet Ending: Cyber Cat manages to vanquish Lulba, but sacrifices himself in the process by turning into pure light to seal the wizard for good.
• Blue Is Heroic: Cyber Cat and Haagen Duck's attire prominently features blue coloration. Inverted with Lulba, whose cloak and mask are also blue.
• Breakout Character: Owlbear, who became a recurring character throughout the Puyo Puyo and Madou Monogatari games after his debut here, albeit with his connections to Madoushi Lulba severed entirely.
• Cat Folk: Cyber Cat, though he’s far more human-looking than most examples.
• Compilation Re-release: Disc Station Deluxe 2 packages all three episodes released on Disc Station and gives them improved graphics and some other minor changes, and even throws in an extra chapter that's longer than the others.
• Cool Sword: The Sword of Light, which passes hands from Haagen Duck to Cyber Cat after an unexpectedly violent run-in. It has regenerative properties, and even survives the aftermath of the final battle, ending up back in Haagen Duck’s hands.
• Depending on the Artist: No two Lulbas are the same. In just the Disc Station 2 Deluxe version alone there are three◊ different◊ depictions◊ of him in artwork (presumably done by different artists each). Artwork◊ outside◊ the game itself is no better in maintaining consistency. Even within the game◊ itself◊ there's inconsistencies.
  • It seems, however, with D4's acquisition of the game, a better◊ attempt◊ at keeping the design stable is being made.
• Fat Bastard: Cyclops, an obese and green monster found at the end of Act 3. He’s yet another one of Lulba’s cronies, and is resistant to any attacks aimed at him.
• Funny Animal: The game is loaded with these. They run the gamut from a well-dressed duck to a bespectacled mouse sensei.
• Instant Runes: Some of Lulba’s spells in the final battle use these.
  • One also shows up that emits large crackling red bolts that spread all over Lulba after Cyber deals the last blow, albeit only in the Deluxe version.
• Mischief-Making Monkey: Osaru, a simian with a habit of snatching things from others, and is strangely the only character in the game incapable of talking normally. He’s also a pro at Indian poker.
• Misplaced Wildlife: Kangaroos and a monkey show up in what is presumably a temperate climate.
• Off with His Head!: Right after his resurrection, Lulba finds himself a head shorter after Cyber Cat promptly swings his newly-acquired sword. Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to keep the dark lord down, as he regenerates it at the start of Act 2, complete with a new mask.
  • This fate can also befall Pascal should you choose, but you will be punished for doing so.
• Playing with Fire: The titular wizard's repertoire of spells all revolve around fire, with his favorite being Fire Volt. He visibly demonstrates this before the last boss fight by torching one of his minions.
• Punny Name: The kangaroo twins' names, Roo and Lette, when put together, sound like the word “roulette”.
• Really 700 Years Old: According to the instruction booklet from the Disc Station Deluxe 2 version, Lulba is 4.6 billion years old, making him older than both the Earth and the solar system.
• Shout-Out: Pascal the Raccoon’s name is a homage to the anime Rascal the Raccoon. Similarly, Donalzo Dog’s name is a reference to Donald Duck.
  • Haagen Duck’s appearance recalls that of Scrooge McDuck, and his name is only a few letters off from a certain American ice cream brand.
• Video Game Cruelty Potential: It’s possible to behead the harmless raccoon Pascal, but at the cost of a Non-Standard Game Over.
• Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: While 95% of the game is about a lighthearted cast of cute anthropomorphic animal characters in silly scenarios, Lulba himself stands in stark contrast. Whenever he is on the screen, the music and tone become notably more sinister and humorless.
• Wins by Doing Absolutely Nothing: How do our heroes defeat the telepathic and dangerous Owlbear? By simply zoning out, leaving Owlbear unable to read their minds, and stalling him in the process.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Lulba burns Owlbear to a crisp after the latter tries and fails to finish off the heroes.