Keith Courage in Alpha Zones

$15.99
Regular price: ~~$20.99~~
Sale price: $15.99
Unit price: per

This one has sold.

Get one email when this title is back in stock — same game, same console, any grade.

Looking for a similar version? Email us and we can help!

Packaging & contents:

Game only

The cartridge or disc on its own, cleaned and tested — no box or manual. Game condition guide →

Quantity:

Ships in 1–2 business days·Tracking on every order·Signature required on orders $250+

Item Condition

Game only: the HuCard in a protective holder, no case or manual. Look over the photos for condition, packaging and details. Every game is tested before it's listed. It ships in a collector's bag or a hard plastic case.

Item Description

For a lot of North American players, this was the very first TurboGrafx-16 game they ever played, because it came packed with the console. Keith Courage in Alpha Zones was the system's pack-in when NEC launched it in August 1989, which makes it the opening chapter of countless TurboGrafx stories and the obvious first HuCard on a shelf built around the system.

In Japan it began life in 1988 as Mashin Hero Wataru, a Hudson Soft game adapted from the anime series of the same name, and for its American debut it was redressed as an original sci-fi adventure. Earth has been invaded by B.A.D., the Beastly Alien Dudes, and Keith, an agent of N.I.C.E., must fight through the Alpha Zones to reach the Robo Zone headquarters and end the invasion. The acronyms alone tell you this game knew exactly how much fun it was having.

Each of the seven zones plays in two halves. Above ground, Keith is an ordinary hero with a short sword, collecting coins and ducking into houses where friendly characters sell bolt bombs, healing and better gear. At the end of the stretch a rainbow carries him underground, where he dons the Nova Suit, the armor left to him by his fallen father, and the game shifts into darker, more vertical territory with nastier creatures and a boss waiting at the end. Bolt bombs burst out in several directions at once, and stocking up before the descent becomes a satisfying bit of planning.

Critics have always been mixed on it, and it is not the deepest platformer on the system. But it is charming, colorful and quick to pick up, the two-world structure gives every stage a satisfying shape, and its role as the TurboGrafx-16's launch pack-in gives it a place in the console's history that no later release can take. If you are collecting the system's story from the beginning, this is page one.

Fast factsgame data via IGDB

Released: 1988
Publisher: NEC
Developer: Hudson Soft
Genre: Platformer
Players: Single player

About the game

Now the Battle is in Your Hands. You are Keith Courage. Struck by a giant meteor, the world has been invaded by strange creatures from another planet. Burrowing deep within the Earth's surface, the Planet of B.A.D. (Beastly Alien Dudes) seeks to take over the world. As a member of N.I.C.E. (Nations of International Citizens for Earth), your mission is to defeat B.A.D. and bring peace back to the world. Armed only with a sword, you must first defeat the outpost guards. Then, enter the Underworld. Here you activate the awesome Nova Suit. A secret force left to you by your fallen father, you are half man, half mechanical monster. Nearly invincible, your sword cracks with the power of lightning, as you wreak havoc on the fearsome Dudes. Your goal is to reach the Robo Zone (the seventh Alpha Zone), headquarters of B.A.D. Succeed here and you will have won the game, recapturing the Earth and restoring humanity's place in the universe. You have help along the way. Four friends offer you advice, swords, bombs, and extra lives. Collect the stolen riches left behind by the invaders and buy your way out of trouble with money.

Summary from the IGDB community database — the condition and contents of this listing are described above and in the photos.

Make an offer

Request more photos

Ships in 1–2 business days (Monday–Friday, excluding major U.S. holidays). During the holidays and big sales, allow one extra business day.

Live USPS and UPS rates at checkout. Every order ships with tracking.
We ship to all 50 states, U.S. military addresses (APO/FPO/DPO), and Canada. Canadian orders may owe duties and taxes on delivery.
Orders of $250 or more ship with signature confirmation.
Delivery dates shown at checkout are estimates, not guarantees.

Read the full Shipping Policy, including holiday order-by dates.

Most of what we sell is one of a kind, so all sales are final unless something goes wrong on our end.

Contact us within 14 days of delivery if your item doesn’t work, arrived damaged, is the wrong item, or isn’t as described. We’ll send a prepaid return label and make it right with a replacement or a refund. Orders placed November 1–December 24 can be reported through January 15.

Not covered: change of mind, compatibility issues, and opened sealed trading-card products.

Email support@coolection.com with your order number. Read the full Refund Policy.