02/15/01

Incredible Crisis

Company: Titus/Polygon Magic 

Genre : Mini Game Nonsense 

Players: 1 MSRP : 39.99 (that is, if you can find it... Mofat) 

So this is what it has come down to. Companies are starting to realize that: 

A. There is just too many games that look and play the same on this side of the Pacific. 

B. Americans are starting to think that some Japanese-specific games are actually kinda fun. 

C. Monkeys just shouldn't have firearms. Ever. 

With that reasoning, sometimes, to the amazement of fanboys everywhere, a game such as Incredible Crisis slips through the cracks of Japan and ends up in America. The game's story is based around one Japanese's household family's, the Tanamatsuri's, "typical" day. Hatsu, the grandmother, drops the bomb on the family that today is her birthday (of course, no one realizes this...) and she wants EVERYONE home early. So you take the roles of Taneo, the father, Etsuko, the mother and Tsuyoshi and Ririka, their two children in their quest to get home on time. But when things like an alien invasion reminiscent of Close Encounters of The Third Kind and Taneo being blown up four times, well, it's anything but easy to make it. 

The game's graphics are nice, with a little to be desired in certain areas (though I can't think of anything in particular..) The family's flailing and dancing (especially Taneo's version of the "Robot") are just absolutely hilarious. Most everything just fits and if the style were changed, would be sort of ruined. The sound, is just DAMN cool. The Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra shows it's dominance by pumping out massive ska beats that just DARE you not to smile. You just sort of wish they didn't use the main theme (no matter how cool it is...) over and over. Music is properly used to suit moods (Taneo's sigh of relief in the elevator comes to mind) but unfortunately (or fortunately from whoever's angle), there's little character voices (just Taneo's occasional "Gway!!!!) 

And then there's the gameplay. Two words: Button Masher. You will stomp your Playstation controllers into the dirt with this game. It does have its interludes (like Pound for Pound and Nerd On A Wire) but simply put, if you do not have limbs of steel, put this game away and find an old Track and Field for Nintendo. You also will wish this game was longer, as it suffers from what gamers call Space Channel 5 syndrome (Shortus Gamerificus), too short on gameplay and leaves you wanting WAY more even if your limbs feel like they'll fall off. But as a whole, this should be a game you would want to add to your library, even if it's just to show friends and relatives. It's just WAY too funny for its own good and proves that Japan-centric games stand a chance in the U.S. Bravo, Titus and Polygon Magic. Bravo. The Exalted Reverend Mofat Jones can't do the Robot. Bummer.

-Mofat

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