Throughout gaming history there is a small sub-genre of adventure games that just ooze character and charm. Back in my childhood this was synonymous with titles such as Loco-Roco and Beautiful Katamari but it was a fantastic surprise and a little bit of a lucky double-take for me to stumble upon PikuNiku. Initially I found the game on the Nintendo Store for only £2.19 and bought it as a little thing for me and my partner to play and at the time I wasn’t really struck with it. The multiplayer mode relies on the gameplay more than anything, which don’t get me wrong is solid but it isn’t where this game shines. Let me start off by saying I will put my hands up and apologize. I was going to put up a brief and somewhat casual review based on the multiplayer alone as I expected this to be the crux of the game and I was so incredibly wrong…
Glossary
Usability – 8/10
If you were to play through the multiplayer mode you can find a fairly standard volume of readable text for this style of indie platformer. Menus have clear writing and new obstacles come with instructions that are easy to read and use concise grammar. The Ace up the sleeve (of which most players would have seen first, I’m aware I goofed on this one) is the single player adventure. From the very start I knew what I expected and what I was about to experience were vastly different.
In the early stages of the game unusual and easily memorable encounters spring up left, right and center. Characters question scenarios between themselves and you, as a near silent protagonist, watch the unfolding of an evil corporation sub-plot, carry out multiple rescues and take part in absolutely absurd side quests.
The gameplay and language of PikuNiku are brilliantly balanced. Not only is there a lot of discussion in the cutscenes and prompts on screen but if you feel the need you can interact with NPC’s at will and see each of their own stories play out. The best way to cement new grammar and vocab is to have unique and crazy situations that form long lasting memories, and this game has this in absolute bounds. A personal favourite of mine is accidently entering the trials of toast devil, if that doesn’t entice you play then I don’t know what will. The fact this can be completed in a handful of hours make it even more reason to get it and play through, maybe even two or three times!
Although there is no voiced dialogue the language shown appears as text box dialogue with the majority of the vocabulary being shown as hiragana. In some cases more simple kanji will be used but the balance is effective enough that clarity isn’t lost while you are reading. Due to the nature of short, snappy quips when things occur it is remarkably easy to pick up vocabulary just by what you see in that moment. Even in my short time playing the game I picked up new words that I hadn’t previously seen without the need of a dictionary. Everything was there on screen.
Challenges and Methods – 5/10
Play it, read it all, speak to everyone
I cannot emphasize enough how funny each and every little interaction is. I found myself speaking to every character, animal or thing on screen that would give me more to read as it was all gold. See if you can speak with everyone and understand their full dialogue. If you can’t use the short text boxes to your advantage and drill each sentence or block until you become confident with it. I will 100% recommend this to any beginners to the language, or even those than fancy something light and jovial between studies.
Platform and Language – 7/10
PikuNiku is available on PC, Switch and Xbox One, usually available for anywhere up to £12.99 but is frequently found in sales. The language settings are available of the main menus for all platforms.
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