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Universal Arcade Facts
@universalfacts.bsky.social
220 followers 1 following 140 posts
Shedding some light on the arcade manufacturer that time (mostly) forgot. | Account run by @clipthejester.bsky.social (owner uses he/him)
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universalfacts.bsky.social
As software piracy, especially in regards to the Commodore 64, was incredibly commonplace in Italy (as can be read about here), the C64 port of Mr. Do! was bootlegged several times, usually either under the titles of "Caves" or "Gigi il Minatore".
The loader screen for another bootleg release of the C64 version of Mr. Do!, entitled "Caves"; the artwork here depicts a semi-realistic clown pointing upwards at a batch of colored ovals spelling the word "CAVES". (sourced from https://www.edicola8bit.com/gioco.php?collana=special_playgames&console=c64&codice=caves&id_rivista=18) A cropped scan of the inlay instructions for "Caves", featuring both a screenshot of the game (showing that it has been translated into Italian) and a description of the gameplay: "Il tuo scopo è raccogliere quante più ciliegie potrai mentre ti difendi dai vari mostri con le tue palle di forza o facendo cadere sopra le ele giganti. I mostri possono essere di quattro ipi: normali, extra-mostri, gobbi e scavatori. Tra tutti solo gli scavatori possono fare dei tunnel, ma stai attento perché i mostri normali talvolta possono trasformarsi in scavatori. I super-mostri hanno una lettere scritta sopra e appaiono tutte le volte che mangerai attrazione dello schema. Ricorda che i super-ostri sono sempre seguìti da un gobbo e che se ditruggerai il super-mostro per primo il gobbo diventerà una mela. Se riuscirai a distruggere tutti i mostri che compongono la parola EXTRA avrai una vita omaggio. Non scordare poi di prendere il diamante della duna che appare in alcune mele cadute, avrai un extra-bonus." (sourced from https://www.edicola8bit.com/gioco.php?collana=special_playgames&console=c64&codice=caves&id_rivista=18)
October 24, 2025 at 10:43 PM
universalfacts.bsky.social
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universalfacts.bsky.social Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · May 6
Not that I'm aware of; it is, however, rumored that these games were the reason the Kemco series was renamed to "Top Racer" in Japan.
October 24, 2025 at 6:16 PM
universalfacts.bsky.social
It should be noted that the current emulation in MAME is not completely accurate; for example, the "mutant mole" enemy, who occasionally shows up near the bottom of the screen, is supposed to shoot bullets.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_bn...
Universal Cosmic Guerrilla Arcade gameplay demo
YouTube video by The Arcade Blogger
www.youtube.com
September 1, 2025 at 12:56 AM
universalfacts.bsky.social
Flyers for Cosmic Guerilla frequently advertised mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori's involvement with the game, however it is likely that he merely served as a supervisor of some sort.
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universalfacts.bsky.social Universal Arcade Facts @universalfacts.bsky.social · Mar 30
A flyer for Universal's Cosmic Guerilla, announcing how Universal worked in cooperation with the late mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori, probably best known for Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009, for the game.

This is believed to be the first time a mangaka ever worked on a video game.
The front of a flyer for the 1979 Universal arcade game, Cosmic Guerilla, detailing Universal's cooperation with the famous mangaka, Shotaro Ishinomori. "This attempt, probably the first such attempt in Japan was successfully accomplished in cooperation with Ishimori Co., Ltd. (President: Mr. Shotaro Ishimori, a famous cartoonist). Cosmic Guerilla is packed with unique ideas: the world of cartoons comes alive as Ishimori's vast experience is utilized."
September 1, 2025 at 12:56 AM
universalfacts.bsky.social
Additional note: if you enjoyed the anime girl Mr. Do! fan art post, you may wish to follow my primary account at @clipthejester.bsky.social! I have a character who is also basically anime girl Mr. Do!
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clipthejester.bsky.social 🃏 Clip 🃏 @clipthejester.bsky.social · Apr 26
Been a while since I've drawn Ms. Do-Little, for whatever reason.
#art #fanart #arcadegames #MrDo
A drawing of Zoe/Ms. Do-Little! leaning back against a brick wall, standing under the light of a lamp post. Right above her is an LED sign featuring a pair of Munchers and the word "GET"; next to her is the word "Do!" written in spraypaint, and a partially torn poster featuring a crocodile pointing Kitchener-style at the intended viewer, reading "the Ocman Empire Needs YOU!". A trashcan can also be seen in the foreground.
August 30, 2025 at 7:45 PM
universalfacts.bsky.social
If this version seems familiar, many (but absolutely not all) of the assets made for this port would later be reused for the MSX port, which was released a year later but lacks many of the features found in this version, including the Munchers and the intermission screen.
A screenshot of the 1984 MSX port of the 1982 Universal arcade game, Mr. Do!; some visible differences from the Tomy Tutor version include the Mini-Dinos being recolored yellow, the Alphamonsters being white instead of a light blue, and the lack of a custom font for the numbers. Not visible from this screenshot is just how *slow* it is.
August 17, 2025 at 11:44 PM