Game Review: Incredible Crisis

Game: Incredible Crisis
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: Ploygon Magic
Release Date: 6th November 2000

Incredible Crisis is a game which can be compared to very few things. There's minigames, far longer than those from Warioware which require players to do some fairly outlandish tasks such as steering a stretcher on wheels through traffic, and aiding a criminal group with stealing a statue. There are also some minigames which are less wacky including Parappa the Rapper style morning exercises, and bailing water out of a sinking boat. There are 24 minigames in total of which around 20 are unique. These are arranged over 12 chapters, with 3 chapters for each of the game's 4 characters.

The game's story revolves around a Japanese family household, where it's grandma's birthday and everyone has to be home early from work/school to celebrate. First players take control of the father, Taneo through his day at the office, then the mother, Etsuko as she shops and prepares for the big day. Next their son, Tsuyoshi must survive being shrunk and make it back home in one piece, and lastly their daughter Ririko has to slip out of school, go shopping and finally save the day from a UFO which has touched aspects of each other family member's day.

The minigames feature a wide variety of concepts and control setups, but overall they're pretty easy to understand and get the hang of. There are some which are based on classic gaming standards such as 'Simon Says' and other puzzle games, but the hardest games tend to be those which require fast thinking/button pressing. The overall difficulty level is fairly high, but not impossible, especially once players have had a few turns on each game. While the controls could be more precise on some games, they're generally good.

The length of the game as a whole is fairly short; I required only two short sessions to beat every minigame. This isn't a bad thing, however as the game's appeal comes from its outlandish story and wacky humour, which would wear thin after too much gameplay. Players who are accustomed to Japanese culture may enjoy this title more than those who are not, but there's some fun to be had for everyone within each of the minigames.

Graphically the game has some fairly impressive visuals, backgrounds and effects, though they're not out of place for the original Playstation era. It's usually pretty easy to tell what's going on in the game, and the general layout of the screen whilst minigames are going on is simple and intuitive. Musical accompaniment is provided by the Toyko Ska Paradise Orchestra, and is particularly enjoyable at many points during the game.

Overall Incredible Crisis is a fun, if a little short and challenging minigame title. With only 24 stages to pass, the game can be cleared in just a few hours, though some stages will take a little trial and error, but the level of variety and interest is high, especially when the overarching story of all 4 characters is considered. Despite a "to be continued" message at the end of the game, there was never a sequel, so this stands alone as an outlandish but enjoyable experience.

Rating: 77/100
Grade: B