Rakugaki Showtime

[Captain Vegetable]

I have no idea how to start this "review." I'm trying to think of something to interest you, so you might be progress to reading the body of this post...but my creative juices are failing me at the moment, so pardon me if I simply fall back on typing the simple facts of the situation.

Fact number ONE: The reason I purchased this game was due to it's fabled rarity. I thought to myself, "I might never again have the chance to purchase this game, much less mint/factory sealed, if I don't act now!" Acting now required $150 US dollars. I had the buckage, so I dove in head first, after collecting a teeny-tiny bit of info on the game, curtousy of bbobb and Kidnemo.

Fact number TWO: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: When I got the game, I didn't feel as though it was worth what I payed for it. The excitment had mounted for three days, and when I shoved it in my PS2, it was lackluster at best. The art is amazing! I love the cardboard cut-out animation style...but the game...left something to be disired.

Fact number THREE: I'll be damned if I'm going to spen $150 on a game and not like it! I sat down with it over the course of the weekend, and forced myself to like it...however, much to my amazement, there was no forcing to be done. Much of my initial impressions had melted away, and I was in the perfect position to enjoy this quirky, brilliant, though pricey game.

I have already mentioned the art style, and how much I love it. The only other game that comes to mind that uses this style, or a variant there-of, is Twisted Metal 2. The first time I saw Twisted Metal 2's cut scenes and endings, I was hooked! Two dimentional, static "cut-outs" which slid into place and moved almost not at all. I loved it! Rakugaki revisits this style, but twists it a bit. Each character is drawn on a tiny piece of scrap paper that vaguely resembles the outline of that particular character. As the character moves, the paper he/she is drawn on stretches and contorts to fit the characters movement paterns and such. I imagine not everyone will like this style, but I'm a huge fan of it. Score one for the animation and design!

As far as gameplay is concerned, I believe Kidnemo said it best when he said, "it's like Power Stone." It really is. No really. It's nearly exactly like Power Stone, except for instead of collecting "power stones" to power up, you beat the living Hell out of a smilie-faced pick-up present in every battle. You do this by throwing it at the other computer controlled players. It goes from happy, to annoyed, to angry, to SUPER-DOOPER! Upon picking up this super-dooper, glowing smilie (which now looks like the "blow-job" smilie you're all fond of around here), you're character launches a special attack which utterly destroys a single character, or rains death on the entire play field, or a number of other effects (it varies with the character). This effectivly makes every battle a race for the glowing smilie, al-la Power Stone's "race for the stones." There are other items to be had as well, among them are bombs, missles, rather large warheads, and boulders.

The music is perfect. Playful, poppy, and quirky, like the game itself. Much happyness is expressed in these notes, and in the game overall.

Was it worth paying through my anus for? Not at first. Now, however, it most certainly is.

[Tsubaki]

W00t! Thanks for the input. While not a particular fan of Power Stone, although it's a decent game, I'll keep this game in mind. RS I'd pick up for $150, but I doubt this one.

[Frogacuda]

I'm never going to get to play this game...

[Ryan]

I'm never going to get to play this game...

Like I said in my other tread, Tiny Toons : Defenders of the Loonyverse IS Rakugaki showtime (it is based of the Rakugaki engine) Plus a huge upgrade.

Though you won't be able to see Tsuobachi healing in his own puke..or a dog urinating when he blocks, and such quirky things. Tiny Toons are hella cool as well


The art is amazing and I really got hooked on it like you did...but
I wanna add first though, that while the game IS like Powerstone, it blows powerstone out of the water. The Homing Jump and Homing throws (You can either throw normally, with a forward Drive, or a Backwards drive) make this game so much more deep. With the Homing jumps you can basically get from point A to point B without any troubles (unless there is a big ICBM blowing up infront of your face). By double taping X and pressing the direction you want to go, you will homing jump towards the closest item. Doing this repeadetly makes moving around the Arena Incredibly easy.

With the Differant throws, it gives more depth to each item. If I have the smiley ball, I can throw it with a Forward drive and it will fly forward in a straight line, peircing the enemy 3 times for about 300 damage total. Or, I can throw it with a backwards drive, where it will make a big arc in the air, but land on the ground in an explosion doing about 600 Damage.

Sure at first everyone is running towards the smiley ball..but you will soon realize that some characters smiley attacks JUST arn't worth it! (Other than to stop someone else from getting the ball). Also, unlike powerstone, MOST Smiley Attacks CAN be easy to avoid.

EVERYTIME I play with my friends we find something new, such as What Super Smiley Attacks/moves you can block, which ones you can STEAL the ball away before the attack is executed and other strategies.

My friend is currently writing up a FAQ For the game with all the translations, while I am going to be providing some in-depth tactics for the game..take for example, did you know you can block Big Daddy's Super 90% of the time? Or you can steal the ball away from Pitan after he starts up his Party Poper super. Mamu's flying body attack can be blocked.. or say someone gets trapped in a Black Hole, if you throw a FORWARD Drive Smiley ball at them, sometimes the ball will continue to move back and forth, causing 100-200 damage EACH hit, resulting in about 4000 Damage.

EDIT - This is why I am so damn excited about Tiny Toons : Defenders of the Loonyverse..because now we have 4P CO-OP (While rakugaki is only Single player unless you are in VS mode)..and now HUGE levels and obsticles instead of just square areas (which I think work good for rakugaki)

Edit Edit - I actually got the game for $90, and have seen it on eBay for about $100 usually myself actually.

[Kidnemo]

It is such a wonderfull looking game, the "cut-out" paper style is great awesome and I'd like for another company to revisit the technique in the future.

I wish I could bring myself to buy it, because the scant amount of time I spent with it was hardly enough to really get a good feel for it.

Know that I'm envious that you own it, and enjoy the game!

[Captain Vegetable]

Originally posted by Valgar
...or say someone gets trapped in a Black Hole, if you throw a FORWARD Drive Smiley ball at them, sometimes the ball will continue to move back and forth, causing 100-200 damage EACH hit, resulting in about 4000 Damage.

Yup! Found this out on accedent.

And thanks for picking up my slack, Valgar. I was in a rush and typed that up real quick.

[Werewolf]

I was lucky, I found mine for around $80 new considering what they where going for at the time I bought it

[Captain Vegetable]

Originally posted by Werewolf
I was lucky, I found mine for around $80 new considering what they where going for at the time I bought it

Excellent deal! You and your knowing exactly where to get stuff and for cheap! What would I ever do without you?!