Developer: Studio Saizensen
Publisher: Agatsuma Entertainment
Platform: PS Vita
Tested on: PS Vita
Sayonara UmiharaKawase + – Review
UmiharaKawase was a 2D plaformer, released in 1994, that tried to bring a fresh wind in the platforming genre. Armed with a fishing line, the main protagonist did her best to reach the end in each level. For those of you who’ve played the game back in the day, good news. Today, we’re going to talk a bit more about Sayonara UmiharaKawase +, a modern take on UmiharaKawase which features all distinctive game mechanics of the original game series.
Story
There’s not really a story going on which is a bit of a shame as now, you just play the game without knowing exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing. In the original game (which is also included) you won’t find a narrative as well. It feels a bit like a missed opportunity. Even some cliché or simple plot where the main character tries to collect as many different animal species as possible would’ve made this game somewhat more enjoyable to play.
Graphics
Sayonara UmiharaKawase + is not particularly a beautiful game but somehow, the simple and colourful graphical style has its charms. The whole game has something of a ‘chubby’ cuteness to it. Levels are not so incredibly diverse graphics wise but for a game like this one, that’s pretty standard. Sometimes the player will have to make his way through a game world cloud in darkness. Although the variation is not very high, small things like night levels are a welcome change of pace.
However, albeit it’s cuteness, the video game still falls short in the graphical department. Sayonara UmiharaKawase + is something you’ll boot up for either nostalgic reasons or because platforming is one of your favorite genres to play but certainly not for the great graphics.
Sound
The music in the game is very playful and fits the overall colourful and cute art style. Although it fits right in, you probably won’t listen to the songs the whole time you’re actually gaming. After several replays of a stage, removing any distractions (like for instance, the music) might be what saves you a lot of frustration. Also, after a while, the repeated songs tend to become quite boring to listen to as little to no variation keeps you from enjoying them for a very long time.
Gameplay
As mentioned before, Sayonara UmiharaKawase + is a 2D platformer where you play as one of the four characters who carries something with her which will help you greatly in advancing through levels: a lure. Thanks to this item, your character can hoist herself up, swing across otherwise impossible gaps, descent at a controlled and steady pace, grab objects like backpacks, stun enemies and I could go on. The lure is one of the most biggest game mechanics and it’s a pretty fun one at that.
The main goal in this title is to reach the door at the end of a level while overcoming a bunch of obstacles. In the very beginning, only some monsters and a few gaps will stand in your way but soon enough, other, more complicated elements join in. One of them is ice. As you know, ice can be quite treacherous and slippery and this is exactly the reason you should tread carefully while crossing it. If you go just a tad too fast, your character will fall off the platform. For the impatient souls among us, beware that Sayonara UmiharaKawase + is a trial and error game pur sang, meaning that each misstep well end up in you replaying a whole level again and again. Doing this once is not that big of a deal of course, but after trying for the tenth time in a row, having some backbone and a load of perseverance is a must.
Unfortunately, the controls often stand in the way of a perfect run. They don’t seem to be a hundred percent responsive at times and falling to your death because a button didn’t want to cooperate, can become quite the frustrating experience. The learning curve is also a very steep one, so if you’ve never played a game in the series, you might be in for quite a challenge. Handling the fishing rod proves to be a hard task at first and although a tutorial is included, it feels like the game throws you in the more difficult levels a bit too fast. A smoother buildup in the difficulty level would’ve been welcome. Anyways, if you like dedicating yourself to a game where every inch counts, Sayonara UmiharaKawase + is the one to get.
With 60 stages in the main game and the whole original game included, Sayonara UmiharaKawase + has a lot to offer. You’ll be able to stay entertained for quite a while with this amount of content and besides, there’s still the Survival Challenge Mode. In the latter, the player only has a set amount of lives and needs to play as far as they can, starting from Stage 0.
Conclusion
For die-hard fans of the platforming genre, Sayonara UmiharaKawase + will prove a content packed and challenging game to play. Casual gamers might do best to look for something a bit more forgiving in terms of difficulty level and controls. The graphics are not really PS Vita worthy and the music tends to become boring quite fast. I’d suggest this game only for those who want to experience a trip back to the past or for those who’ve played the original UmiharaKawase.
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