NIPPON MARATHON
Or, to translate the title into English, ‘Japan Snickers’
Marathons are weird at the best of times. People running even though there’s no ice cream van round the corner, crazy costumes in the name of charity, somebody (possibly) following Paula Radcliffe round with a dog poo bag and a scoop… weird. This game values – and massively inflates – the weirdness above all else, which successfully produces some laughs. The actual ‘game’ bit, unfortunately, hasn’t been given quite so much attention… The eponymous Nippon Marathon is an eightstage race across Japan with plenty of marketable surreality. Playable contestants include a man dressed as a lobster, a woman in a narwhal onesie, an old man in a schoolgirl’s uniform, and a giant dog in a puffer jacket. You’re going to go straight for the dog, aren’t you?
Four people race at once, and there are items you can pick up and use. Tap ou or according to which hand you’re holding the item in to use it – to drop a banana skin the size of a car behind you, for example, or to launch an exploding melon at the person currently in first place – or hold the button down to eat it, giving yourself a speed boost for a brief but vital second.
You’ll be racing down roads where packs of shiba inu chase you, knocking down salarymen in a busy train station, running through a city while at a giant size… and that’s not even the craziest stuff. With the race occasionally interrupted by minigames, and photos popping up unexpectedly, it does a great job of providing the desired surreal atmosphere.
NIPPON THE BUD
Unfortunately, the races aren’t that fun. The dodgy physics is meant to be amusing; but it’s simply annoying, resulting in regular instances of trips and falls that don’t feel like your fault. On top of that, map design occasionally makes the right direction to head in unclear, and the camera punishes the person in first place by making them blind to oncoming hazards.
The four fairly brief lines in story mode do at least provide some laughs. The party modes, meanwhile, are much better, pass-the-controller affairs. LOBSTER justifies the Takeshi’s Castle comparisons, tasking you with getting as far as you can through a game show assault course. Go-Go Trolley is (despite some screen tearing) the best part of the game. It’s a gigantic bowling alley where you knock down huge pins by rolling a shopping trolley (and/or yourself) down a slope. Yes, it’s as much fun as it sounds, although strikes are occasionally awarded with one pin still standing.
It’s a game that would benefit from online modes, though the existing couch coop would still be the best way to play. Head straight for the party modes and there’s a lot of fun to be had although, to be honest, the novelty is likely to wear off pretty quickly.
“VALUES – AND MASSIVELY INFLATES – THE WEIRDNESS ABOVE ALL ELSE.”