TM Network Live in Power Bowl

Overview

TM Network: Live in Power Bowl is a Japanese adventure game released for Famicom. It prominently features the band TM Network in its story, as the player is attempting to put on a rock concert on their behalf to help usher in world peace.

Like many Japanese adventure games of the era, the player is given a small amount of freedom to investigate their surroundings and talk to NPCs. One they've completed the requirements, the story moves ahead and they're taken to a new part of the game.

Story

The story starts on New Year's Eve in the year 1999. The player is enjoying the morning lounging around in his room generally doing nothing. After turning on his computer, he suddenly acquires information that the strategic defense satellite "Colosseum" has picked up some nuclear weapons being fired. These nuclear weapons are being fired at a rapid pace between two forces (presumably the USA and USSR). Without knowing it, World War III is breaking out in front of the player. A nuclear blast mysteriously sends the player back in time to December 22, 1989. The nuclear war will not be prevented and civilization will destroy itself unless the player can manage to get the Japanese rock band TM Network to a concert for world peace even if he has to drive a truck to get them to their destination.

Gameplay

Using his musical influence inspired by rock music, the player must persuade the world to declare global peace so that the nuclear war never happens. Using an interface that is utilized in visual novels and point & click adventures, the player interacts with the various members of the all-male rock band and various strangers. These people include the security guard, the office lady, and normal citizens of Japan. While some action components exist in the game, TM Network: Live in Power Bowl is mostly an adventure in the vein of the classic time travel stories. However, the player must watch how much information they let out. If he tells the wrong person that he is from 1999, then the game ends with him going to prison and the world is destroyed is eventually destroyed due to World War III. The game also includes a maze using 3D graphics and mini-games such as car chases.