GameCentral review, and Saphire
Today was the first time in a long while I checked out GameCentral, a teletext‐based video game new/reviews/previews/letters “site” found on page 375 on the UK’s Channel 4. By pure chance, it was also the day GameCentral reviewed Munch’s Oddysee for the Game Boy Advance, meaning I was able to transcribe the whole review for you:
Munch’s Oddysee (GBA)
Here’s an interesting factoid for you: after the original Abe’s Oddysee became a multi‐million‐selling hit in Europe and the States, its publishers took it to Japan expecting similar success.
And it was an absolute mega‐flop.
Turns out Japanese gamers found Abe, with his stitched‐up lips, simply repulsive. Good game or not, they couldn’t get past that hurdle. (Hence the cuteness of many Japanese game).
But I’m always willing to look beyond the aesthetics. And in any case this “conversion” from the Xbox is quite pretty in a warped kind of way.
Abe is full of character, and, instead of simply using a sprite that stays the same throuhout like most GBA games, Oddysee plays around with scale, viewing from afar in some environments and moving in closer in others.
It’s a dandy little touch.
Despite such innovation, like so many GBA titles, Oddysee is muddy and dark and some graphical details are so tiny that it makes playing a headache.
This isn’t helped by some fluffy collision detection which hinders your ability to easily gather up a troop of chums to help you on your quest.
But there are some cool ideas at work here, including the ability to switch from Abe to Munch as the need arises.
While the two differently‐attributed characters concept worked well in the likes of Head of Heels, in Munch’s Oddysee it can be a chore.
Munch may be a bit handy in the water, but controling him with snail‐like speed on land is an exercise that tests your patience to the limits.
On the upside, Abe’s ability to sneak adds a little variety and jumping around levels is handled solidly.
What’s perhaps most unusual is the developer’s decision to produce a conversion of the Xbox game rather than one of the PS1 iterations. Those games, with their proven side‐scrolling mechanics, would be ideal for GBA.
Instead we get a half‐hearted approximation of a middling title from a top‐down perspective. With flaws.
This won’t be big in Japan, nor probably anywhere else, either.
Overview:
of only slightly‐above‐average Xbox game.For:
Dual‐character concept is a welcome one. Some puzzles are rewarding.Against:
Munch can be loathsome. Some puzzles are tedious. Generally lacks spark.Score: 3/10
I haven’t played the game, but this seems to be the general idea of the GBA MO, going by what the reviews say. It’s interesting to note that while THQ have produced a game whose storyline is rather different from its Xbox predecesor, many aspects have remained remarkably intact—at least the negative ones. That is to say, we have Munch being dreadfully slow on land, Abe doing somersaults, tedious puzzles and murky environments.
On a different note, my friend Eddy has informed me that he will be setting up his own computer business soon enough. It was with some surprise I heard that he was negotiating a deal with Saphire, who, the more vigilant fans will recall, were the team behind Oddworld Adventures on the GameBoy and its sequel on the GB Colour. Apparently they’ve moved on to hardware manufacturing, and should a deal be struck, Eddy will become the first ‘company’ in the UK to be sponsored by Saphire.
NB—I’ve this feeling that the company I’ve referred to as Saphire is actually spelt ‘Saffire’ or something similar, so forgiveness I’m incorrect, but it’s too late to check right now. They are not, of course, to be confused with Sapphire, a long‐standing and dedicated Oddworld fan and friend of mine.
Sources: GameCentral