Dian Shi Ma Li

Dian Shi Ma Li
Also known as: TV Mario, Mario Lottery, Big TV Mary Bar Based on: Jackpot (NES) Developers: Bit Corporation (presumed) Publishers: Fiver Firm (as "Namco Corporation") Platforms: Unlicensed NES, Arcade (Famicom-based, presumed) Released in TW: 1989 This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has revisional differences. This game has a notes page

Dian Shi Ma Li (literally "Television Mario") is well-known on the internet for its star, Fortran, and his ideal picture of making money: "PUSH START TO RICH".

The game consists of betting on the outcome of a roulette-style wheel, with a bonus space starting the button-mashing minigame. Wins can be wagered on up to six rounds of double-or-nothing. It will probably not surprise you that the game is not fair.

While the game is technically playable with a single controller, proper play requires ten buttons across two controllers - one for each of the nine symbols to bet on them, and one to start/re-bet. Based on the diagnostic screens and other code, the game was likely intended to be played on custom hardware, such as a video lottery machine. However, evidence of such a machine has yet to materialize.

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Notes

Unused Graphics

A "Fortran" logo, present among the game's graphics. Purpose unknown, though starting in 2007 internet culture took this to refer to this game's version of Mario. It is loaded in the PPU (at the second graphic bank at the bottom-left), suggesting that it was intended for the title screen.

Diagnostic Screens

Although the title screen has a "FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY" disclaimer, there are some unused maintenance screens which are usually used in real coin-op machines to adjust statistics and parameters of luck, strongly suggesting that this game was initially designed for gambling.

Statistic Screen

At the title screen, set RAM address $0493 to any non-zero value and wait for the demonstration mode. This screen will appear instead of it. There are no controls here; you can press Start on Controller 2 to immediately exit it, or press Left, Left, Right to do the same.

Dipswitch Screen

At the title screen, set RAM address $04A2 to any non-zero value and wait for the demonstration mode. This screen will appear instead of it. On Controller 2, press Start to exit this screen or any other button to change the SW3 flags.

Version Differences

A variant is known to exist which removes the English text from the title screen.