So I’ve had this for ages, but because we were redoing our lounge and ditching old bookcases and stuff, it got packed in a box soon after arriving. It was unpacked a few weeks ago, and I remembered it today. So I thought I’d give it a quick go.
Two hours later, I had to put it down. Yes, it is very good.
If you haven’t heard of it (and that’s pretty likely – I hadn’t and only bought it because it was really cheap), then I will try to explain. You’re a bear. Or possibly a giant hamster. Or a racoon. Something like that. Or maybe even a man in a costume. I DON’T KNOW. And you seem to play some sort of mouth-keyboard-organ-recorder instrument, you know, like off of the 80s.
Anyway. You’re in a school, or college. Or university. And you talk to people, who talk back. I don’t know what you or they say, as it’s all in Japanese. There’s quite a bit of talking too, but you can skip it all. After some talking, you’re asked Hai or Iie. That’s yes and no, if you didn’t know. Replying Hai takes you onto a game. And the game is… Ouendan! Sort of. Only a bit different (notes come in from the right and pair with note symbols – you tap them as they pair up). And all the music is classical music. But it’s ace! Honest!
And it goes on. Different characters, different (or possibly the same – who can tell?) chats, different ye olde bangin’ choons.
Then… it went a bit odd. I had a tune I had to drum along to, like that Namco drumming game. In fact, with the Namco drumming game drum in it. And then I had to cook a meal by chucking ingredients into a frying pan (like Cooking Mama). And then, most bizarre of all, it turning into a side scrolling jumping game on the moon where you control a boy who has to jump and duck bears, rabbits, fireballs and spikes, whilst The Can Can plays in the background. WTF? Then I had to sort books and laundry and rubbish for some girl?
But it is excellent. I never knew so much fun could be had from tapping along to The William Tell Overture.
