Incredible Crisis

"See what lonely nights, lots of good ideas, and too much vodka produces?"

Intro
This was one of the games that most people, as I've mentioned in other reviews, automatically administered the label ''crappy game'' unto around these parts. I never really gave it much thought other than the fact that it seemed (and quite literally is) one of those ''Japanese quirk games.'' Two factors brought us together one fateful day, though. For one, I finally decided to sit down and play some of the demos on Official US PlayStation Magazine #38 (I think it was 38) and one of them was a demo for Incredible Crisis. To my surprise, I got what could easily be one of the most hilarious and addictive game concepts for PlayStation. Sure, mini-game collections have been done before, but this one just seemed special for some reason. About a month or so later, the BX had stocks of it for about $12. I couldn't pass up a deal like that! I bought the game enthusiastically, got severely pissed off at the difficulty (which is both a good and bad factor of the game), but ultimately had a great time.

Oh So Incredible is Such a Crisis... Or Somethin' Like That.
Incredible Crisis takes place in Japan. A small family of five is celebrating their grandmother's birthday on a particular night. As (bad) luck would have it, four of the members find themselves in incredibly compromised predicaments where they must use their wit, stamina, and physical ability to survive the grueling day of hilarity and action that sets out before them. What sort of activities are in store for them? Take the father, Taneo, for instance. He is chased out of his building by a huge, stone globe, then thrown from an ambulance onto the busy highway where he must dodge cars and the like. Or even take young Tsuyoshi, who is shrunk and just about eaten by an ant lion, a spider, and a mantis.

Game Setup
The game is broken down into four scenarios with chapters in each scenario. Each scenario is a different ''story'' of each character trying to fight for their life in different mini-games. The mini-games are quite inventive, albeit that a couple are overused (i.e. Titanic Away). Some examples of mini-games include one a bit like Um-Jammer Lammy in which you must push the buttons as they come across the screen to keep Taneo dancing without stumbling. That one kept up a good pace and was a great introductory mini-game to the rest. There's even one in which you are told to move an intangible cursor around to give someone a massage and based on the directions she gives you, you must find the problem area and massage it, filling up her ''pleasure meter.'' Another good one has to be one called ''Bear Wars,'' in which your character is on a plane that moves on its own and you must fire missiles at a button on the back of a giant teddy bear to shut the thing off.

Most of the mini-games are enjoyable, but there are some that were unnecessary like ''The Good Must Be Crazy.'' In that one, you are given a list of items you must find from a grocery store. It's more or less just look for the item on a huge list and grab it. After doing four, you win. A bit too simple and somewhat dry, as I see it. There's another that may have been a good mini-game, but was used too much called ''Titanic Away'' in which you are on a boat filled with water and you must throw the water out of the boat while objects shoot out of the hole in the boat. As the objects come down, you must put up an umbrella to stop them.

Graphics
The game yields great graphics albeit the sometimes all-too-noticeable jaggies. The game's grapihcs are complementary to the game's appeal as being a cartoony, hilarious game. They have great color use and design, making almost seem like a cartoon. The character's have their archetypical looks: Taneo looking professional and business-like, Etsuko looking like a busy mother, Ririka looking like a typical female student. All in all, the game's graphics were consistent with the game's aim as a comical romp through the big city.

Sounds
I enjoyed the sounds a lot. The ska band (name is currently alluding me) was a great selection for the game's soundtrack. Their music is loud and clear and builds the proper atmosphere for not just the game, but even for individual mini-games therein. Wonderful job on the voices, even though they weren't anything more than a few unintelligible noises and screams. They still added to the hilarity of the game... except Ririka's voice which sounded quite annoying.

Final Word
I think this is among the funniest and most addictive (as well as most challenging) games I've played. It's definitely a PlayStation sleeper hit and it's too bad that it wasn't recognized a bit more. I've heard this game going as low as $5 in some places. Whatever Titus was going for here, they definitely hit it just right. They had the comedy factor in the game with silly situations and content, the cartoony graphics, and the great music blasting through the speakers.

The challenge was a double-edged sword for this game. While it kept the game interesting and made it last a little longer, it also added onto the frustration factor. Many impatient gamers might probably shy away from this game as some of the mini-games take a little practice before fully being able to pass. I'm thankful that you can actually save in between chapters and pick up where you left off. If anything else, the only thing that this game could've improved on was more mini-games. They really didn't need Titanic Away more than once, especially when considering it is practically the same the other two times in the game.

All in all, however, these guys had their work cut out for them. An underrated title, that's for sure, and definitely one you shouldn't judge on the cover or the blurb, but must be experience for yourself.

FINAL JUDGMENT
Graphics: Good design and colors... but the jaggies! 8/10
Sounds: Great music and voices building a great, comedy-based atmosphere 10/10
Controls: Depends on the mini-game. Some have really good response and some don't. They all have no complexity issues, though. 8/10
Plot/Storyline: Amusing and funny 9/10
Gameplay: Simply addictive 9/10
All Together: 9/10

Perks
*Hilarious
*Addictive
*Some good mini-games
*Nice graphics
*Outstanding sounds
*Good challenge factor

Downers
*Needed some more mini-games
*Did we really need Titanic Away in there three times?
*Can get frustrating

Recommendations
Anyone who likes mini-game collections and has a lot of patience should definitely give this a try, especially for the price it's going at now.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/15/02, Updated 01/15/02