Linear Notes/Background:

This OVA is based on a long-running series of Konami 2D shooter games called "Twinbee," specifically the"Pop'n Twinbee" and "Twinbee: Rainbow Bell Adventure" games. The only Twinbee games to be released in the United States were Moero Twinbee [renamed "Stinger"] on the Nintendo Entertainment System and 1991's Denata Twinbee, released in US arcades under the name "Bells & Whistles" aka "Twinbee '91". Unfortunately, as what happened a lot in the day, the 8-bit Twinbee games were a little bizzare and once the series moved to the 16-bit and beyond platforms, Konami deemed them too cute yet extremely difficult and anime-like to be released in the US. (Although the two Super Nintendo Twinbee games were released in Europe) I think it's very sad because they're such great games and Sega's Fantasy Zone did well in the USA!

Plot/game reference: in the Twinbee games, you shoot clouds to reveal bells. You can continue shooting the bells to change them into different options, or you can collect them for points.

opening theme - Twin Memories. Lyrics by winbee, performed by Kouda Mariko (Originally the BGM for stage 1 of Pop'n Twinbee)

"Fantasian" is the name of a Kouda Mariko song on the Pop'n Twinbee Grafitti soundtrack ^_^

The contest judges are characters from Konami's Goemon (SNES: Legend of the Mystical Ninja) and Akuma Jou Dracula (Castlevania) video game series.

Kouda Mariko is a popular J-pop singer.

Gameography

1985- Twinbee (Arcade/Famicon/MSX/Turbograx-16)
1986- Moero Twinbee [Burn Twinbee] (Famicon/NES) [US title       "Stinger"]
1989- Twinbee 3 (Famicon)
1990- Twinbee Da! [It's Twinbee] (Gameboy *Japan*)
1991- Denata!! Twinbee [Twinbee Appeared!!] (Arcade/Turbograx-16) [US title "Bells & Whistles"] 
1993- Pop'n Twinbee (Super Famicon/Super Nintendo *Europe*)
1994- Twinbee: Rainbow Bell Adventure (Super Famicon/Super Nintendo       *Europe*)
1994- Twinbee Taisen Puzzle Drama (Playstation *Japan*)
1995- Detana Twinbee Yahoo! Deluxe Pack (Playstation/Sega Saturn *Japan*)
1998- Twinbee RPG (Playstation)

In case you're wondering why the first game was made in 1985 and yet this is the 5th Anniversary of Twinbee, Konami is marking the release of Pop'n Twinbee. The laserdisc of Twinbee Paradise Vol. 0 is a rerelease of the 1994 OVA which was VHS only at the time. Funny how Vol. 0 is a laserdisc advertising DVD releases of Vols 1-3 ^_^ Speaking of which, I'll get around to subtitling Twinbee Paradise Vols 1-3 someday. I promise :D









