Elements from Balloon Fight have been referenced many times by other unrelated games and series. Most notably, the WarioWare series and Super Smash Bros. series have had many references and cameos.
Balloon Fight itself may have been inspired by Joust; originally released as an arcade game in 1982 which features many similar gameplay elements; of note the player plays as a yellow knight riding a bird who must fly in the air and defeat enemies.
Another game known as Hello Kitty World for the Famicom is closely based on Balloon Kid but with the original characters replaced with Sanrio characters.
Timeline[]
- Game Boy Camera (February 21, 1998, GB): Several sound effects used throughout the application are taken from Balloon Kid.
- Game & Watch Gallery 3 (August 4, 1999, GBC): The Balloon Fight Game & Watch can be seen in the Museum after being unlocked.
Game & Watch Gallery 3
- Chee-Chai Alien (February 23, 2001, GBC): Balloon Trip is parodied in Denny's (known in the original Japanese game as チドリ/Chidori)'s unlockable minigame, known as Kuufuku Hikou (translated as "Hunger Flying") (source). This game, Balloon Fight, and Balloon Kid were all composed by Hirokazu Tanaka.
Animal Crossing Balloon Fight NES
- Dōbutsu no Mori (April 14, 2001, N64): Balloon Fight is playable through an unlockable item.
Super Smash Bros. Melee Balloon Fight References
- Super Smash Bros. Melee (November 21, 2001, GameCube): The Flipper appears as an item and a trophy, and the Balloon Fighter has an unlockable trophy.
- Animal Crossing (December 14, 2001, GameCube): Balloon Fight is playable through an unlockable item, and can even be sent to linked GBA (with 2-player mode missing).
WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgame$!- Balloon Fight Microgame
- Game & Watch Gallery 4 (October 25th, 2002, GBA): The game includes a list of every Game & Watch game's release date, including the release dates for both the Crystal Screen and New Wide Screen releases of Balloon Fight.
- Kururin Paradise (December 6th, 2002, GBA): The first unlockable minigame, named "In the Sky," has the main character fly through an aerial obstacle course similar to Balloon Trip. If the player takes damage, they fall off-screen but return suspended by a Balloon.
- WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! (March 21, 2003, GBA): A microgame is based on the Balloon Trip mode of Balloon Fight.
- WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! (October 17, 2003, GameCube): The microgame from the GBA version is playable.
WarioWare Twisted! Balloon Fight Microgame
- WarioWare: Twisted! (October 14, 2004, GBA): There is a microgame where the player must tilt the system to guide a Balloon toward the Balloon Fighter, who is hanging from a vine without any Balloons. There is also a record with Balloon Fight music, and a Balloon Trip-like boss microgame that features a car with a propeller.
- Daigasso! Band Brothers (December 2, 2004, DS): One of the songs featured in the game is a Famicom Medley, with the Balloon Trip theme as the second song in the medley.
WarioWare Touched!- Balloon Fight Microgame
- WarioWare: Touched! (December 2, 2004, DS): One microgame requires the player to tap and pop all of the Balloon Birds’ Balloons and avoid popping the Balloon Fighter’s Balloon.
- Donkey Konga 3: Tabehōdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku (March 17, 2005, GameCube): One of the songs comes from Balloon Fight.
- Electroplankton (April 7, 2005, DS): In the third set of sounds in the Beatnes, the middle plankton's head and tail play the Balloon Pop and Bird Landing sound effects respectively. The background music of the third set also sounds similar to Balloon Trip's music, missing the main melody.
- Tetris DS (March 20, 2006, DS): Level 14 in standard mode features elements from Balloon Fight, such as remixed music and a slightly modified sprite of the Balloon Fighter, as well as simulated gameplay on the top screen which seems to have five Balloon Birds on Phase 1. The “Touch” game mode also features graphics and music from Balloon Fight. In the records menu, the player can see the Balloon Fighter if they have anywhere from 3000 to 3999 Tetris Points. In multiplayer, the Balloon Fighter’s head can be used as a team icon.
WarioWare Smooth Moves Balloon Trip
- WarioWare: Smooth Moves (December 2, 2006, Wii): There is a 3D recreation of Balloon Trip, in both a timed microgame format and infinite score-based minigame.
- Picross DS (January 25, 2007, DS): Some unlockable puzzles feature Balloon Fight characters.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Balloon Fight References
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (January 31, 2008, Wii): The Balloon Fish appears in the “Summit” stage, which is otherwise themed around Ice Climber. The artwork for the Balloon Fighter and a Balloon Bird from the Famicom version box art appear as two separate unlockable stickers.
- Daigasso! Band Brothers DX (June 26, 2008): Upon unlocking the Marimba in the instrument trivia section, selecting it will play a short clip of the Balloon Trip theme played on Marimba.
- PiCTOBiTS (January 28, 2009, DSi): Balloon Fight is given a stage, along with a dark variant that can be unlocked. Music from Balloon Fight is also in the game.
- WarioWare D.I.Y. (April 29, 2009, DS): A microgame and record based on Balloon Fight can be unlocked.
WarioWare DIY Showcase- Music Player (Balloon Fight Reference)
- WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase (April 29, 2009, Wii): When playing records, the player has control over the composer from the DS version, who now looks like the Balloon Fighter. In listen mode, the composer large enough to cover the screen, and automatically flies and hits all of the notes. In play mode, the player controls the composer like in Balloon Fight and can collect the notes to play their sound. The Balloon Fish and Sparks also make an appearance.
- Nintendo DSi Instrument Tuner (September 2, 2009, DSi): A minigame called “Tuner Fight” takes place in a Bonus Phase from Balloon Fight, and requires the player to play the note on each of the 20 Balloons as they float up. At the end, the player is given a score on how well tuned their instrument was.
- Jam with the Band (May 21, 2010, DS): One the of the songs, the NES Classics medley, includes the Balloon Trip/Bonus Stage music as the second song in the medley. Just as in Daigasso! Band Brothers DX, unlocking the marimba in the instrument trivia section and selecting it will play a short clip of the Balloon Trip theme.
- Pushmo (October 5, 2011, 3DS): One of the stages features a sprite of the Balloon Fighter.
- Club Nintendo Picross (September 13, 2012, 3DS): Two puzzles are based on Balloon Fight, being a pair of a Balloons and a pink Balloon Bird.
Game & Wario- Gamer (Balloon Fighter Cameo)
- Game & Wario (March 28, 2013, Wii U): 9-Volt’s game returns to the standard WarioWare formula, showing an animation of the Balloon Fighter with up to four Balloons representing your lives. The plot of this game revolves around 9-Volt trying to get back his high score on the “Balloon Fighter” game.
- Wii Fit U (October 31, 2013, Wii U): In the Trampoline Target minigame, when the player reaches 1200 feet, Miis can be seen in the background flying using three Balloons and fighting.
- Taiko no Tatsujin Wii U Version (November 21, 2013, Wii U): Music from Balloon Fight was available as DLC. However, the song is no longer available to download.
- NES Remix (December 18, 2013, Wii U): Scenes from Balloon Fight are included as challenges, and several "remix" stages are based on Balloon Fight.
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (September 13, 2014, 3DS): The Villager from Animal Crossing can use a helmet with balloons to fly, and the move is called “Balloon Trip”. There is also a stage which is completely based around Balloon Fight, complete with NES graphics.
- Club Nintendo Picross Plus (October 9, 2014, 3DS): The two Balloon Fight themed puzzles from the original Club Nintendo Picross return as Mega Picross puzzles.
- Ultimate NES Remix (November 7, 2014, 3DS): Balloon Fight is one of the games featured, with several stages which are scenes taken from the game. There are also remix stages of Balloon Fight.
- StreetPass Mii Plaza: Puzzle Swap (November 7, 2014, 3DS): A new puzzle was released via SpotPass to advertise the release of Ultimate NES Remix. In the puzzle, several Balloon Fight sprites can be seen.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (November 21, 2014, Wii U): The Villager retains the same “Balloon Trip” move from the 3DS game, and Balloon Fight is playable in a timed demo in the “Masterpieces” menu.
- Nintendo Badge Arcade (December 17, 2014, 3DS): A badge of the Famicom cartridge for Balloon Fight can collected and placed on the player’s home menu. There is also a two-part mega badge for the Balloon Fighter as he appears in Super Mario Maker while taunting.
Amiibo Tap Nintendo's Greatest Bits Balloon Fight (NES) Demo Gameplay
- amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits (April 30, 2015, Wii U): By tapping any amiibo, the player has a chance of getting a three-minute demo of Balloon Fight for the NES, which is then assigned to that amiibo. By re-tapping the figure, the player can cycle through seven different scenes to start the demo from. The game also features links to an online copy of the Wii U Virtual Console version's manual and the eShop page.
- Stretchmo (May 12, 2015, 3DS): In Papa Blox’s NES Expo, a few stages feature sprites from Balloon Fight.
Super Mario Maker- Balloon Fighter Costume
- Super Mario Maker (September 10, 2015, Wii U): The Balloon Fighter appears as a costume for Mario, and was added in an update.
- Taiko no Tatsujin Red Version (July 14, 2016, Arcade): Balloon Fight music was in a medley of Famicom game music.
- Hey! Pikmin (July 13, 2017): One of the treasures which you can collect in the game is a cartridge of Balloon Fight for the NES or the Famicom.
- Super Mario Odyssey (October 27, 2017, Switch): In an update, the mode Luigi's Balloon World was added. Luigi can be seen floating with Balloons on his back, and the mode's Japanese name, Balloon Find, is similar to the name of Balloon Fight.
- WarioWare Gold (July 27, 2018, 3DS): A microgame is based on the bonus phase in Balloon Fight.
All Balloon Fight References in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (December 7, 2018, Switch): The Summit stage from Brawl, Villager’s Balloon Trip Move, and the Balloon Fight stage from the 3DS all return, along with all three songs from previous games. The Balloon Fighter and Fish are included as "spirit" characters, each with a themed battle and art from the Famicom box art. Both of these spirits can be found in the game's story mode, World of Light.
- Nintendo Labo: VR Kit (April 12, 2019, Switch): After the application's launch, Nintendo released a free downloadable mini game based on Balloon Fight which was created inside the Toy-Con Garage mode. It could be downloaded from the Nintendo Switch News service.
- WarioWare: Get It Together! (September 10, 2021, Switch): Lulu, a character returning from WarioWare Gold, is based on Alice in both appearance and abilities. The game also often uses a Balloon as a symbol for the character. This is one of the few WarioWare games without a Balloon Fight microgame.
| Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Balloon Fighting Games | Vs. Balloon Fight (Arcade) - Balloon Fight (NES) | |
| Remakes | PC-8801 - Sharp X1 - Sharp MZ-1500 - Tingle's Balloon Fight DS (DS) | |
| Ports | Playchoice-10 - Sharp Zaurus - Balloon Fight-e (GBA) - Famicom Mini: Balloon Fight (GBA) - Wii Virtual Console - Balloon Fight (3DS) - Wii U Virtual Console - Nintendo Switch Online - Arcade Archives VS. BALLOON FIGHT (Switch) | |
| Balloon Trip Games | Balloon Fight (Game & Watch) - Balloon Kid (GB) - Balloon Trip Breeze (Wii U) | |
| Remakes | Hello Kitty World (Famicom) - Balloon Fight GB (GBC) | |
| Ports | Balloon Fight GB (3DS) - Balloon Kid (3DS) | |