1229 Tragic.

It has been nothing but dust and high winds for several days. It’s like breathing sod. Everything has a fine layer of grit that respawns seconds after you wipe it away. It is, obviously, unpleasant. Apart from that I’m not at liberty to discuss what else has been going on, so i’ll tell you about a game I got instead. It’s called Yumi’s Odd Odyssey. The plot is nearly non existant, but you’re essentially one member of a group of possible players. Yumi is the default. She’s stranded in a strange alternate world that looks like a Japanese high schooler’s nightmare. Armed with a length of fishing line you set off to find your way home.
The game itself reminds me of Bionic Commando in some ways. The fishing line functions similarly in some ways. You use the line to scale various obstacles and defeat various enemies. Along the way you can gather hidden items that unlock alt costumes and whatnot. It’s basically a puzzle platformer. What’s fun about it though is that you don’t have to follow the plan laid out by the designers. In fact you are often rewarded when you test the limits of the game’s physics. It takes some getting used to, but once you master the fishing line you’ll be doing pretty amazing tricks as you flip yourself across levels like a modern day Tarzan. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s one of the better downloadable titles for the 3DS. As far as I know this is one of the only times the series has made it to America. I’d like to see more stuff like this wander over.

I actually first saw this game on an episode of Game Center CX, and was disappointed to learn that you couldn’t purchase it in America at the time. Umihara Kawase is the Japanese title if you want to try and look up the episode of Game Center. If seeing the Chief play doesn’t make you want to try then pass it by. If you’re like me and couldn’t wait to get your hands on the game after seeing someone else play then download it. I don’t feel like I wasted my money. Hopefully you won’t either.