Pressure cooking: Game Diggin’ episode 6
Perhaps the first great game devoted to the topic of cooking was Motoko-Chan no Wonder Kitchen. Released as a promotional item for a renowned mayonnaise brand in Japan, its faithful depiction of cooking activities was nothing short of surprising. Today, the creation of such games has become something of a global trend in light of the recent upsurge of casual games, although the complexities of culinary have been portrayed in numerous games in between. In this latest edition of Game Diggin’, a PSN production dedicated to retro games available for download at the PS Store, the usual hosts Teppei and Yatsuka revisit a few of the most mouth-watering examples for the 15 year old console.
The main course of this show is the hilarious Ore no Ryouri, a 1999 game released by SCEJ where players must manage different kinds of traditional Japanese restaurants. Needless to say, before reaching the top spot in the cooking trade, the player begins as an apprentice and eventually needs to demonstrate - by means of his efficiency - that he is capable of outdo his superior. This game was particularly hailed in Japan not only because of its unique sense of humor but also because of the way it made use, in an almost promotional fashion, of the twin analog sticks. While these have become a pattern for many control pads today, the use of two analog knobs was unseen in its day and was, while far from a complete innovation, one of the defining features of the PlayStation history. While going about the slicing of onions, carrots and other such vegetables, serving beer mugs and squatting down cockroaches, the player is invited to perform a number of relatively complex operations under the pressure of time, bearing in mind the satisfaction of the customers demanding food and drinks. While Teppei is an admitted newcomer to Ore no Ryouri, Yatsuka seems to handle the double-analog system with accuracy and gestural bravado.
During the break (at 7:37 in the video), a few other mouth-watering games are also presented, in this precise order: Yakitori Musume, an action adventure game about a shish kebab restaurant; Yakinku Bugyou, a sequel of sorts with a similar approach but this time about a barbecue joint and the handling of tongues to serve the meat in just the right point; and finally, Manpuku!! Nabe Kazoku, an unfair exercise in sukiyaki and syabu-syabu dishes with such care in the depiction of the foodstuff that might yet prove impossible to play before meals - the game’s cover alone is enough to make the stomach go wild. Unfortunately, the great Ramen Hashi game was still not released on the store and was necessarily left out of the selection.
See also: Game Diggin’ first episodes | Game Diggin’ - Sunsoft Anthology and Ikki
1 year ago
