Xiao Ma Li (literally "Small Mario") is a pirated Famicom/NES game based off the Taiwanese gambling game of the same name, developed by Nei-Hu Electronics and distributed by Idea-Tek. It was also re-released by Computer & Entertainment and TXC Corp (Micro Genius) as "Bingo", both with some slight changes.
Overview
Being based off the same gambling game, the gameplay is very similar to Dian Shi Ma Li, although there are a few differences. The player can only bet up to 9 credits on an individual fruit and the controls are different, having been adapted to use one controller. The player wins by betting on the image that lights up when the round ends.
The game uses an unusually dark color palette for a Famicom/NES release, and another version exists which alters it. There also pirate versions that remove some of the title screen graphics which seem to be somewhat common on multicarts. There is also a stripper in the game, but (unusually) no nudity.
Trivia
- Despite the name, Mario doesn't appear anywhere in the game.
- C&E release uses a brighter palette.
- The version distributed by TXC updates the title screen with a green "Push Start" and lacks the Nei-Hu copyright line. It seems that was removed early on. Even some copies distributed by Idea-Tek lacks the copyright.
- A couple of cheats exist for this game:
Hold a, b, Up, Select and then press Start on the title screen: Ending sequence
Hold Up and Select and then press Start on the title screen: Start with 5000 credits