Own up, who's been slipping heroine in their veins? (Bishi Bashi Special (PS))

Member Name: Archimedes

Product:	Bishi Bashi Special (PS)
Date:	31/05/01 (417 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Playability takes over from snazzy effects, focuses on the gameplay, wonderful and simple graphics, astounding multi-player, it'll make you laugh, smile and vomit in the space of a minute

Disadvantages: Won't be liked by the EA Sports junkies, limited one-player, some of the games are a little 'samey'

The Japanese are a weird bunch. Just take a quick flick through some of their gaming exports over here. While our developers churn out countless Formula One, football or shoot-em-up games, those inventive chaps across the world in Japan have been slaving away over a hot hypodermic, making the oddest games possible. We've had Parappa the Rapper, a paper-thin dog rapper attempting to woo his sunflower girlfriend with the help of a rather hip onion, we've had Vib Ribbon, a rabbit which will follow a path, as set by any CD you have, and countless other fantastic, hallucinogenic gems. Well now we have Bishi Bashi Special, a game which has already enjoyed huge success, and spawned two sequels in Japan, with its blend of varied and strange gameplay. I was lucky enough to Bishi Bashi 3, a present from a friend, from Japan and have player it to death, so imagine my pant-wetting excitement at the thought of an English one. Finally, I can understand what the blasted people are saying in the game. So, naturally, I sprinted down to my local games store and asked for my copy. They hadn't heard of it, hardly surprising seeing as they'd only just announced it was in development. Let that be a lesson to any people who think they can read the first line of an article and know what the rest of it says.

The best way to describe the ethos of the Bishi is to describe some of the games. In one you are a bride with a custard pie in your hand and your groom hanging onto you dress. You must bash the buttons until you reach the end of a run up, and then throw the pie down the aisle, clearing as many pews as you can. They also seem to have a problem with their uncles, with uncles being the primary feature in two games, one where you have to catch beans in 'Uncle Bean's' mouth, and one where you must launch your uncle from a cannon onto. They must have some real family issues.

Graphics, the bane of my life. I really do not like it when a game hinges
its success on looking slightly better than officially licensed generic game #45. The graphics here are simple and childlike, not distracting from the actual gameplay. They also tend to include photos of actual people and places, as the actual animation is limited. In most ways it is presented as an interactive cartoon, with simplicity at its heart.

The varied gameplay is really, well, varied. There is racing, shooting, tennis, button-bashing, hand-eye co-ordination, reaction tests, and even football. It has about 80 or 90 games, although I've never actually counted them up, and is split into two regions, Hyper and Super Bishi Bashi. My personal preference is toward Hyper, where the games have a slightly werider and more original edge, although both are fantastic.

Multiplayer is where this shines, like a firefly trapped behind a magnifying glass. You can play up to three players at a time, using a multitap (which are, incidentally, coming down in price quite fast) and still suffer little-to-no slowdown. It really can get a bit crazy and it brings out a competitive edge, without any of the bitterness normally involved with losing. Even tiebreakers are fun. Characters, on screen, lock hands and when you twizzle the analogue sticks your character spins faster and faster until the one that spins fastest wins, as the other is catapulted off the screen.

In single-player, however, the lifespan is a little limited. The computer puts up minimal resistance, only winning about 1 in 10, and that's in hard. However, in the end, at only 10 pounds, this is a must have for all gamers, whether you are a fan of racing or sports, shooting or fishing. The sheer versatility of it can be expressed in the fact that there is a game for almost every situation and emotion you may be in or be feeling. Please buy it, then they may release more!

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