Would you believe I've played more of Sayonara Umihara Kawase than I have Pokémon X? Well, even if you don't believe it, it's the truth.
Now, I haven't experienced so much of the third entry in the vaunted Umihara Kawase series--which, as you've hopefully heard by now, will hit the North American 3DS eShop in early 2014 as Yumi's Odd Odyssey--that I'm ready to fully review it, but I've experienced enough of it (a couple of hours, I would say) that I'm more than ready to share a few early impressions of it. So, here they are:
* If you're looking for a "looker," you'd better look somewhere else--That's a long (and rather stupid, I have to admit) way of warning folks that this game is pretty darn ugly. And this is coming from a guy who generally doesn't care how attractive or unattractive a game is. I think my negativity in this case stems from the fact that I like the visuals of this game's two predecessors. The good news here is that if you're anything like me, your hatred of Sayonara's graphics will soften fairly quickly (due to your enjoyment of the rest of the game, of course).
* I'm not so keen on being forced to use the 3DS' d-pad to control ol' Yumi--I understand that the d-pad's probably more accurate than the circle pad when it comes to controlling this 3DS title's oddly busty protagonist, but would it have killed the developers to allow us to come to that conclusion on our own? As it stands, I often feel like I'm fighting the controls (those set to the uncomfortably located d-pad, specifically) as well as each level's slippery platforms and enemies--something I never (or rarely) felt while playing the first two Umihara Kawase games on the Super Famicom and PlayStation, respectively. (UPDATE: I just discovered that you can enable use of the 3DS' circle pad within the game's settings menu. And guess what? I much prefer using it to the system's d-pad--while playing Sayonara, at least.)
* It may look all cute and cuddly (if also kind of ugly), but this game will kick the crap out of you--Granted, that should come as little surprise to anyone who's played, or even heard of, the previous entries in this strangely titled series. If you're an Umihara Kawase virgin, though, you may be shocked to discover just how difficult this version can be. My suggestion: just go with it. Embrace the fact that dying in this game is like gaining "1-ups" in a New Super Mario Bros. title and you'll enjoy it a whole lot more, I say.
* Despite all of the above, I'm still having a blast with Sayonara--While playing this game's fifth stage the other day, I must have died about 15 times (if not 20). Sometimes I died after nearly making it to the stage's exit, sometimes I died just a few steps from its start point. After each and every death, I let out a surprisingly hearty guffaw given the situation at hand.
To me, that last bit is all you really need to know about Sayonara Umihara Kawase. Yes, it makes some of Ubisoft's shovelware look like masterpieces in the graphics department (OK, so that's probably going too far), it can be awkward to control and it's often tougher than a two-dollar steak, but it's also totally unique and an awful lot of fun.
As such, at the moment I'd highly recommend it to 3DS owners who yearn for something new and different and who aren't afraid of a stiff challenge--especially should it arrive on the eShop carrying a $20 price tag, as has been rumored.
See also: 'Guess what the mailman just delivered? (Hint: it's a Japanese 3DS game and its title begins with Sayonara and ends with Kawase)'
10 comments:
i prefer the first japanese cover, but i am happy to see the game to reach european stores ^^
Interesting! I think I prefer this one myself, but I like the original Japanese box art, too.
Interesting! I quite like this cover but it seems like the general consensus is that the Japanese cover is preferred. I like that you can see all four of the main characters on this one, and I like the colors (the JP one is a tad on the bland side for me).
I've already preordered the collector's edition that comes out on Dec 7th here! (think I may have mentioned that on the podcast haha) I haven't been this excited for a game in a long time! I'm glad I held out so I could support the western release. I hope it's as good as everyone says!
Huh! I'm kind of surprised to hear most folks prefer the Japanese cover--although I'm also kind of not surprised, if that makes sense. (Because a lot of people--myself included--*always* seem to prefer JP cover art to Euro or NA cover art.)
I'm completely jealous that you'll be able to play the game in just over a month, BTW. I know I could buy the JP version and play it in English, but like you I want to support the Western release, if at all possible. Anyway, I look forward to seeing photos of your collector's edition and hearing your thoughts on the game in general!
woo! I can't wait for this game :)
Finally a big (newly made) RPG for the 3DS!
Wow, I had no idea the SE was that expensive! I can now say for sure I won't be buying that should it be released in NA. The regular ol' boxed version will be more than enough for me!
Tho I'd be happy if they threw in a soundtrack with the standard eds
Oh, yes, that would be nice, wouldn't it?
Yeah, the graphics are very cluttered. I think they were trying to stay faithful to the mixed media collage aesthetic of the original while giving the background objects dimension and detail. The end result is... rather unpleasant. Does all that clutter interfere with the gameplay?
Hey there, TheGameroomBlitz! Thanks for the comment. Yeah, I can see where they were going with the graphics, but I still think they look worse than the earlier versions of the game. Thankfully, the graphics don't interfere with the gameplay at all--or at least they haven't so far for me.
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