Mimimi Rocket [みみみろけっと] Game Sample - PC/Doujin

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Published on February 22, 2021 6:57:13 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DlDzI9g3Qs

Duration: 17:35

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On showcase today is another game from the fine Doujin Circle, MOUNT☆PUNCH, but it's not just any game from them... it is MOUNT☆PUNCH's "lost" game. While there are a few games from the team that have become difficult to acquire, "Mimimi Rocket" is a game that was leaked after their main website stopped being updated and for all intents and purposes, was never finished. They have produced many games over the years (most being based on popular licensed characters and franchises, some examples being Lilithrottle / Darkstalkers, SOS Dan / Haruhi Suzumiya, Mei-Pon! / R.O.D., Mugi Show Chu / Nurse Witch Komugi, etc.) that were on the higher end of the 16-32bit quality spectrum and are renowned for their fine pixel quality, easy-to-learn (but hard to master) gameplay mechanics and great soundtracks. Had this game been finished, it would've certainly been no exception, but all sources seem to lead to a C82/C83 demo at most. While I can't call it their swansong as a result, it really begs the question: where are they now?

The potential of this game is on full display and can be described as a little bit "Hoshi Furu Yoru no Monogatari" (Alpha Secret Base), Lilithrottle (emphasis on careful movement and positioning) and the lesser known hostage-rescue sub-genre typically found in action games (Choplifter being the most notable example in this case) with some cool gravity and physics-based gameplay (evolved from titles like "Subterrania" and the like). The core of the game involves rescuing all the space rabbits from the various rotating planets while fending off hostile aliens using a special rocket that doubles as a weapon (its exhaust flames and specialized drill function can be strategically used to fend off foes). Like most other MP games, there is a arcade-style emphasis on speed and scoring with a risk-rewards factor that blends in nicely with the overall underlying mechanics at work.

For example, there is a limit to how often you can activate your drill which gives you invulnerability (from enemies, not obstacles) as well as a boost in speed, a secondary shield gauge which accumulates brackets that protect you from damage as long as you go a few seconds without being hit, a fuel gauge which rapidly counts down and decreases more rapidly depending on your collision with enemies/projectiles/hazards, and several rabbits you can rescue which each have unique characteristics to them. Moving through space is no simple task as you are constantly fighting to control your inertia which gets compounded when you are close enough to a planet as you get pulled in by its gravity and have to figure out what angle to approach and control your rate of descent. Our heroine, Mimimi, can also flip which side she's facing when docked which affects how much damage she takes if she makes contact with an enemy or projectile and can blow a whistle which will increase the speed in which rabbits come to her to be rescued (with the exception of the black rabbit, who gets scared in the opposite direction).

The real fun in this title though comes in how quickly you can clear levels and just how much you can get away with in the scoring department. Besides defeating enemies and rescuing rabbits for points, you can collect blue stars which give set amounts of points (they can be found floating in space and a set amount appear around a planet when all the rabbits are rescued) and gold stars which give tons of points and increase in value the more you collect. The true aim is seeing just how much you can collect while still finding all the rabbits without running out of fuel. Each rabbit you rescue restores 100 fuel points and different planets have different destination times and resources at your disposal. For example, do you go for the big prize of saving six rabbits at once, or do you bide your time on the smaller but more challenging planets so you can refuel later during clutch? Based off of what was completed, the game would've had a lot of unique obstacles and introduced new hazards along the way.

The gameplay is nuanced and satisfying and while the controls have a bit of a learning curve, the game works as intended. Of course, with its dizzying perspectives and the tight precision required to play it, I wouldn't say it's for everyone. What I can say is the visuals are cute and the soundtrack is amazing. The music was composed by "chibi-tech", an Asian-American composer who moved to Japan to work on games and promote Japanese media. Some of her works include interface arrangements for the "Sega Game Gear Micros", "Sega's 3D Classics", "Famicolle ADV Steins;Gate", "Zero no Tsukaima", and more. This is a video completing the trial with music interspersed on the title screen and ending screen. It is not currently available for distribution. Enjoy.

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