Nippon Marathon Game Sample - PC/Indie
25Nippon Marathon is in Early Access, but it's already something of a gem in the world of video games. Published by PQube Limited (Gal*Gun: Double Peace, White Day, etc.) and developed by Onion Soup Interactive (their first game), it's a (currently local) multiplayer party game that features foot racing (the bulk of the game) with absurd characters, quirky power-ups, random WTF moments, Shiba Inus, slot reels, rag doll physics to the extreme, various mini-games, goodies to unlock, accurate and not-so-accurate views of Japan and Japanese culture (mainly for the sake of parody), hilarious commentary and a gutsy approach to game design that you only see once in a blue, flaws and all. This is a calculated risk that one can only hope pays off for them.
The game is functional but slightly janky as far as physics and overall polish are concerned; collision detection isn't the greatest, players can sometimes get stuck indefinitely in obstacles or fall through obstacles / stage elements, the graphics are somewhat deliberately terrible, the controls aren't the tightest, and the "L.O.B.S.T.E.R" mini-game could use a bit of refinement, but the game's fun factor is very high. None of the aforementioned things are severe to the point of making the game a chore, and it can still be highly competitive with more than one way to win.
It's one of those games that would fit right at home with titles from the mid 90s to mid 00s like "Keio Flying Squadron", "Incredible Crisis", "Seaman", "Cubivore", "Mister Mosquito", "Ganbare Neo Poke-Kun", "Stretch Panic", "LSD: Dream Emulator", "No One Can Stop Mr. Domino", "Mawaru Maid-san wo Nemigi", "Illbleed", "Boong-Ga Boong-Ga", "Cho Aniki", etc. (for those who want a little starter guide into the "bizarre")... it just makes you pause, laugh, play, laugh, and pause some more.
Players earn points through a variety of factors from collecting items to getting stickers (though other criteria exists as well), gaining stars (by not getting eliminated during the marathon), finishing race position, and even popularity (affected by different factors like items, obstacles, quizzes, etc.). While stars and finishing position offer the bulk of your points, you can still win by placing second or third with enough stars, popularity and stickers. Placement also determines how much money you can earn to unlock features in the in-game shop. Players who are left behind lose stars until only two remain, at which point "Sudden Death" occurs where players (usually the person in second place) get pelted with watermelons until only one remains, who is the winner. Then it resets and all four players go again. It's a good system that prevents too much waiting on the part of the other players and odd things sometimes happen in-between these segments.
The mini-games aren't anything to scoff at either. "L.O.B.S.T.E.R" is clearly inspired by the likes of shows like "Wipeout", "Takeshi's Castle" and "Kinniku Banzuke" (all great shows btw, check them out) where players challenge a randomly assembled gauntlet and get as far as they can through different rounds. The player who gets the furthest wins and all the losers get a letter added to them. The person who doesn't get branded "Lobster", "Prawn" or "Ebi" (depending on length) wins. Go-Go-Trolley is bowling with a small twist: ramps or obstacles for added fun and shopping carts as the ball. You can hop inside and ride it to the bottom, but if you're lucky, you can push it and fall out, sliding down the lane for two chances to topple the pins! Fun fun fun! You can also collect parts of Wedy's Travel Guide if you're observant.
The game is still in development, so expect even more neat stuff once it's done. If they can iron out the bugs, it'll be one of the better sleeper games on Steam. This is a video of the game in action. You can get it at:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/746940/Nippon_Marathon/
Enjoy.
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