I know everyone else in the world who's at all interested in the PS4 is drooling over the "triple whammy" of games--the Final Fantasy VII remake, The Last Guardian and Shenmue III--that were announced at E3 2015 a couple of days ago.
I understand that, I really do, but if I were to be honest (and why wouldn't I be on my own blog?), I'd admit that I'm far more intrigued by Keita Takahasi's Wattam than I am by any of the aforementioned titles.
Which is kind of strange, as I can't say I have a single clue as to what the hell is going on in the trailer that can be watched below.
Still, I wouldn't pass up a chance to put Wattam and its weird collection of characters through their paces, as the ages-old saying goes.
Sadly, that would require me to purchase a PS4--something that isn't likely to become a reality anytime soon, if ever. If Keita and his crew of crazy game-makers (they previously developed the first two Katamari Damacy titles, after all) were to port Wattam to, say, the Vita, though, I'd be all over it like rainbow sprinkles on a frosted doughnut.
How about you fine folks? Are any of you chomping at the bit to sink your teeth into this outlandish-looking PS4 effort?
See also: 'Everything you need to know about Wattam, from Robin Hunicke & Keita Takahashi'
Showing posts with label strange. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strange. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
So, Keita Takahashi's Tenya Wanya Teens is never coming out, is it?
Don't you just hate it when an interesting looking game completely avoids your radar? I sure do.
Which is why I was really annoyed with myself this past weekend when I came across Keita Takahashi's weirdo (I mean that in a good way) Tenya Wanya Teens for the first time.
For the similarly uninformed: Tenya Wanya Teens is a two-player experience that puts gamers into the shoes of one of a handful of very Keita Takahashi-esque boy characters and then tasks them with brushing their teeth, taking showers, peeing--you know, the sorts of actions that appear in pretty much every video game under the sun (or not)--all on command and all while avoiding humiliating themselves in front of their girlfriends by undertaking the wrong actions.
Oh, and each of the aforementioned actions are input using a mammoth 16-button controller--or at least they were during all of the game's demo sessions held to date.
Given the above, along with the fact that the game hasn't been seen in public for some time now, I'm not feeling very confident at the moment that Tenya Wanya Teens will ever see the light of day.
One possible solution that's been mentioned elsewhere but is unlikely to be put to use would be to bring the game to the Wii U (via the eShop, I suppose) and in the process map the inputs to virtual buttons that appear on the system's GamePad.
That said, I'd also love to own one of those crazy 16-button controllers, so I wouldn't complain if the game's backers, The Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol, go some other route instead (or as well).
Which is why I was really annoyed with myself this past weekend when I came across Keita Takahashi's weirdo (I mean that in a good way) Tenya Wanya Teens for the first time.
For the similarly uninformed: Tenya Wanya Teens is a two-player experience that puts gamers into the shoes of one of a handful of very Keita Takahashi-esque boy characters and then tasks them with brushing their teeth, taking showers, peeing--you know, the sorts of actions that appear in pretty much every video game under the sun (or not)--all on command and all while avoiding humiliating themselves in front of their girlfriends by undertaking the wrong actions.
Oh, and each of the aforementioned actions are input using a mammoth 16-button controller--or at least they were during all of the game's demo sessions held to date.
Given the above, along with the fact that the game hasn't been seen in public for some time now, I'm not feeling very confident at the moment that Tenya Wanya Teens will ever see the light of day.
One possible solution that's been mentioned elsewhere but is unlikely to be put to use would be to bring the game to the Wii U (via the eShop, I suppose) and in the process map the inputs to virtual buttons that appear on the system's GamePad.
That said, I'd also love to own one of those crazy 16-button controllers, so I wouldn't complain if the game's backers, The Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol, go some other route instead (or as well).
Monday, February 04, 2013
My Month with Chulip, Part 4
Well, the first month of my "Bye-Bye, Backlog" project is over and done with. How did I do? Not so well if you were hoping I'd actually finish my first selection--that being Natsume's odder-than-odd PS2 title, Chulip.
Still, I gave it my best shot and put a good 12 to 15 hours into this sucker, which is saying a lot when you consider how completely obtuse Chulip tends to be.
Actually, that's the main reason I've yet to finish it. Although I absolutely loved the game when I started playing it, over time it came to feel like a chore--thanks in large part to the fact that getting to its end credits seems to be all but impossible without the use of a guide or FAQ.
Don't get me wrong: I'm usually not against calling on such things. In the case of Chulip, though, it often feels like I'm tethered to them (as in, I have to turn to them over and over again in order to make any real progress), which I can't help but find a bit (or a lot) irksome.
Am I giving up on this title now that January's over? Not at all. Yes, my focus throughout February will be on my second "Bye-Bye, Backlog" selection (which I'll reveal first thing tomorrow), but I'll also continue to spend some time with this one until I've "beaten" it.
So, expect to see a "Great Gaymathon" review of this Punchline-made game sometime between now and the end of the month. In the meantime, look for weekly updates about my February "Bye-Bye, Backlog" selection starting this Sunday.
See also: Previous 'Bye-Bye, Backlog' posts
Still, I gave it my best shot and put a good 12 to 15 hours into this sucker, which is saying a lot when you consider how completely obtuse Chulip tends to be.
 |
| 'Chulip Fan Sprite' by iamnotapixelartist |
Don't get me wrong: I'm usually not against calling on such things. In the case of Chulip, though, it often feels like I'm tethered to them (as in, I have to turn to them over and over again in order to make any real progress), which I can't help but find a bit (or a lot) irksome.
Am I giving up on this title now that January's over? Not at all. Yes, my focus throughout February will be on my second "Bye-Bye, Backlog" selection (which I'll reveal first thing tomorrow), but I'll also continue to spend some time with this one until I've "beaten" it.
So, expect to see a "Great Gaymathon" review of this Punchline-made game sometime between now and the end of the month. In the meantime, look for weekly updates about my February "Bye-Bye, Backlog" selection starting this Sunday.
See also: Previous 'Bye-Bye, Backlog' posts
Monday, January 28, 2013
My Month with Chulip, Parts 2 and 3
I know my previous post about my month-long playthrough of this quirky PS2 game was called "'Bye-Bye, Backlog' diary entry #1: Chulip (PS2)" and, as such, as this one should be titled "'Bye-Bye, Backlog' diary entry #2 and 3: Chulip (PS2)," but I decided late last week that header was a bit too unwieldy and as a result changed it to the one you see above. Anyway, I'm sorry if that confused any of you.
I'm also sorry I didn't publish this post last week as I promised I would at the start of this project. I would have, I swear, but the fact is my lone PS2 memory card decided to give up the ghost shortly after I began playing Chulip earlier this month. Thankfully, I was able to replace it on Tuesday, and I restarted my playthrough the very same day.
Since then, I've spent about 10 hours with this overwhelmingly odd game. The question is: am I still enjoying it? I'd say so, yes, although I'd also say I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would after I wrapped up my first hour-long experience with it.
Before I get to why that is, I'd like to mention a few of things that keep me coming back to Chulip despite the fact that I'm feeling a little let down by it at the moment.
* First, I love Chulip's weird-to-the-point-of-being-unsettling character designs. Although I usually prefer games that feature a more uniform art style, I think this one's mix-and-match aesthetic is a perfect fit for its overall "feel" (which, for me, is the video game equivalent of a David Lynch film).
* Speaking of unsettling, does any other word better describe the looping, lo-fi voice snippets that accompany every conversation the game's pint-sized protagonist has with his many (strange-looking) neighbors? I certainly can't think of one. (Don't take that to be a complaint, by the way. I actually find the voice snippets to be pretty funny--albeit a bit creepy, too.)
I'm also sorry I didn't publish this post last week as I promised I would at the start of this project. I would have, I swear, but the fact is my lone PS2 memory card decided to give up the ghost shortly after I began playing Chulip earlier this month. Thankfully, I was able to replace it on Tuesday, and I restarted my playthrough the very same day.
Since then, I've spent about 10 hours with this overwhelmingly odd game. The question is: am I still enjoying it? I'd say so, yes, although I'd also say I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would after I wrapped up my first hour-long experience with it.
Before I get to why that is, I'd like to mention a few of things that keep me coming back to Chulip despite the fact that I'm feeling a little let down by it at the moment.
* First, I love Chulip's weird-to-the-point-of-being-unsettling character designs. Although I usually prefer games that feature a more uniform art style, I think this one's mix-and-match aesthetic is a perfect fit for its overall "feel" (which, for me, is the video game equivalent of a David Lynch film).
* Speaking of unsettling, does any other word better describe the looping, lo-fi voice snippets that accompany every conversation the game's pint-sized protagonist has with his many (strange-looking) neighbors? I certainly can't think of one. (Don't take that to be a complaint, by the way. I actually find the voice snippets to be pretty funny--albeit a bit creepy, too.)
Friday, September 14, 2012
I'm totally buying this 3DS eShop game on Sept. 27 despite its rather terrible name
The game I'm talking about in the header above, by the way, is THE "DENPA" MEN: They Came By Wave.
As for why I'll be buying it despite its cringe-worthy name: It's the North American localization of Genius Sonority's Denpa Ningen RPG, a Japanese eShop release I've mentioned here on quite a few occasions.
Anyway, even if you've never read any of my drool-filled, Denpa Ningen RPG-focused posts, you'll probably want to check out the following trailer for THE "DENPA" MEN, as I think it looks pretty cool:
As mentioned in this post's headline, THE "DENPA" MEN will hit the North American eShop on Sept. 27. Oh, and it'll set you back $6.99.
See also: 'Who wouldn't want to play an RPG with characters who look part Teletubby, part Tingle, part Pikmin, part Mr. Driller and part Mii?'
As for why I'll be buying it despite its cringe-worthy name: It's the North American localization of Genius Sonority's Denpa Ningen RPG, a Japanese eShop release I've mentioned here on quite a few occasions.
Anyway, even if you've never read any of my drool-filled, Denpa Ningen RPG-focused posts, you'll probably want to check out the following trailer for THE "DENPA" MEN, as I think it looks pretty cool:
As mentioned in this post's headline, THE "DENPA" MEN will hit the North American eShop on Sept. 27. Oh, and it'll set you back $6.99.
See also: 'Who wouldn't want to play an RPG with characters who look part Teletubby, part Tingle, part Pikmin, part Mr. Driller and part Mii?'
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Acquisition #142: Ganbare Gorby! (Game Gear)
You probably can't tell by looking at the cover art below, but my latest acquisition, Ganbare Gorby!, is an action-puzzler that stars Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev--aka the guy with the port-wine birthmark who served as president of the Soviet Union between 1988 and 1991.
As odd as that likely sounds, the end product's actually pretty darn fun. Of course, how could it not be? Not only does it put players in ol' Gorby's shoes, but it tasks them with racing through one Russian factory after another in order to provide the poor with such basic essentials as food, medicine and, er, Game Gears, while avoiding violent soldiers and guards.
Thankfully, the factories you and Gorbechev spend so much time in are far from drab. On the contrary, they're bright and colorful, with red and blue floors giving way to green and purple walls that are topped by orange and yellow minarets.
Ganbare Gorby's gameplay is similarly striking, despite the fact that it often involves stepping onto and off of switches--or moving conveyor belts to and fro--that help deliver the above-mentioned staples to the awaiting masses. (To see what I mean, check out this video. Just make sure your volume is turned down, as the sound quality in this clip is terrible.)
By the way, I can't write a post about this game without mentioning two things. First, it was released outside of Japan (in 1991) as Factory Panic, with Gorbechev being replaced by some random blond brat. (Strangely, everything else remains--including the minarets and the Soviet soldiers.) Second, I have to thank the proprietor of the VGJunk blog for turning me on to Ganbare Gorby!, as I'd never heard of it before reading this post. Afterwards, I traipsed on over to eBay and searched for it on a whim. To my surprise, I discovered an auction for the rather pristine copy you see above and promptly picked it up.
Now I just need to pick up a (refurbished) Game Gear so I can play it the way it's supposed to be experienced (as opposed to doing so via emulation), don't you think?
See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts
As odd as that likely sounds, the end product's actually pretty darn fun. Of course, how could it not be? Not only does it put players in ol' Gorby's shoes, but it tasks them with racing through one Russian factory after another in order to provide the poor with such basic essentials as food, medicine and, er, Game Gears, while avoiding violent soldiers and guards.
Thankfully, the factories you and Gorbechev spend so much time in are far from drab. On the contrary, they're bright and colorful, with red and blue floors giving way to green and purple walls that are topped by orange and yellow minarets.
Ganbare Gorby's gameplay is similarly striking, despite the fact that it often involves stepping onto and off of switches--or moving conveyor belts to and fro--that help deliver the above-mentioned staples to the awaiting masses. (To see what I mean, check out this video. Just make sure your volume is turned down, as the sound quality in this clip is terrible.)
By the way, I can't write a post about this game without mentioning two things. First, it was released outside of Japan (in 1991) as Factory Panic, with Gorbechev being replaced by some random blond brat. (Strangely, everything else remains--including the minarets and the Soviet soldiers.) Second, I have to thank the proprietor of the VGJunk blog for turning me on to Ganbare Gorby!, as I'd never heard of it before reading this post. Afterwards, I traipsed on over to eBay and searched for it on a whim. To my surprise, I discovered an auction for the rather pristine copy you see above and promptly picked it up.
Now I just need to pick up a (refurbished) Game Gear so I can play it the way it's supposed to be experienced (as opposed to doing so via emulation), don't you think?
See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Manual Stimulation: Guru Logi Champ (GBA)
In the review I published earlier today of Compile's Guru Logi Champ, a wacky little puzzler released (in Japan only) for the GameBoy Advance in 2001, I described the game as both fun and silly. Unfortunately, its rather long-winded instruction manual is neither of those things.
Actually, I take that back. A select few of its 38 (yes, you read that correctly) pages are well worth shining a spotlight on--such as the manual's front and back covers that can be seen below:
After that, though, you have to flip all the way through to the manual's 30th page to see anything that could even remotely be described as fun or silly.
So, what appears on the 30th page (below)? As far as I can tell, Guru Logi Champ's "good guys." They also appear on the 31st page, by the way.
Actually, I take that back. A select few of its 38 (yes, you read that correctly) pages are well worth shining a spotlight on--such as the manual's front and back covers that can be seen below:
After that, though, you have to flip all the way through to the manual's 30th page to see anything that could even remotely be described as fun or silly.
So, what appears on the 30th page (below)? As far as I can tell, Guru Logi Champ's "good guys." They also appear on the 31st page, by the way.
Monday, June 20, 2011
What Mario might see if he ate the wrong kind of mushroom
There's something enticingly Michael John Kricfalusi-esque about the Mario-focused illustration below, which likely is why I was so drawn to it while combing through Flickr earlier today. (I've long been a fan of The Ren & Stimpy Show, which Kricfalusi created back in 1991.)
What in the hell is going on in this piece (click on it to get a better look at it, or click on this link), you ask? I have no idea. Thankfully, Huddersfield, England-based artist/designer/illustrator James Burlinson--the man responsible for this creepy/wacky image--seems just as clueless.
"I'm not really sure what's going on in this piece," he admits on Flickr. "Maybe it has some hidden meaning? Something to do with the fact that Mario kills for coins, which in turn help Mario to kill for even more coins? Endless cycle of death by plumber? Either that or this is just what Mario would see if he ate the wrong mushrooms."
Check out Burlinson's Flickr photostream to see more of his bizarre-yet-captivating creations, by the way. (I'm especially fond of this piece of Alex Kidd fan art, which seems to be titled, "Predictable!")
"I'm not really sure what's going on in this piece," he admits on Flickr. "Maybe it has some hidden meaning? Something to do with the fact that Mario kills for coins, which in turn help Mario to kill for even more coins? Endless cycle of death by plumber? Either that or this is just what Mario would see if he ate the wrong mushrooms."
Check out Burlinson's Flickr photostream to see more of his bizarre-yet-captivating creations, by the way. (I'm especially fond of this piece of Alex Kidd fan art, which seems to be titled, "Predictable!")
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
