Mojib-Ribbon Impressions

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's Mojib-Ribbon is a quirky music-based title for the PlayStation 2 that is in the same vein as vib-ribbon for the original PlayStation. This unique game and its predecessor marry simple but stylized graphics with rhythm-based gameplay. The new game puts a twist on the concept and offers a different experience. Mojib-Ribbon is a timing-based music game with a graffiti figure who sings and writes a rap tune, all in a unique graphical style that looks like artwork drawn in Japanese calligraphy. While there are some points in the game that resemble its predecessor vib-ribbon, like the transforming main character and the simplistic graphics, there's quite a bit more to it. The controls, game system, and a required working knowledge of the Japanese language make Mojib-Ribbon significantly different from a straight sequel to vib-ribbon. We tried out the import version of the game, which recently hit the streets of Japan, to see how this new concoction has shaped up.

In Mojib-Ribbon, you play as the main character Mojibri, who keeps walking on a ring of clouds that continually loop from the right to left. The objective of the game is for you to control Mojibri and write rap lyrics on the clouds by using a large, Asian-style calligraphy pen that's depicted onscreen. Each stage consists of a number of cloud rings, upon which Mojibri can jump from one to the next when all the lyrics are written. The clouds keep on looping, so you can always come back to a lyric if you miss it on the first pass. Once you successfully write down the lyrics, Mojibri will sing along (through a synthetic-synthesized voice). You'll find roughly 20 stages in the game, which is a major difference from vib-ribbon which only had about four stages.

While vib-ribbon required the use of multiple button combinations to pass through some of its tunes, Mojib-Ribbon is played with only one analog stick. The lyrics are written by simply tilting the analog stick down at the markers on the beginning of each cloud and then raising the stick back up at the end of the cloud. The player can draw cleaner letters by quickly raising the analog stick upward before tilting it down, which makes Mojibri "charge" the pen with additional ink for a stronger brush stroke. While a correct amount of ink results in a higher score, charging the pen too much isn't good either. Too much ink not only makes the calligraphy look messy, but it can hurt you in the long run since there's a limited amount of ink allotted for each ring of clouds.

If you make a mistake, like charging too much ink on the pen, stumbling on the writing of a lyric, or leaving the pen on the cloud too long and blotting too much ink, the ink for the pen will run out. An "ink meter" on the left side of the screen lets you keep track of how much ink you have left. If the meter runs out of ink, Mojibri will turn into a scrawnier-looking line-drawing. If you miss continuously, Mojibri will keep on degenerating. You'll eventually receive a "game over." On the other hand, if you consistently perform well, Mojibri will evolve into a better-looking character, and he'll receive higher points when playing through the stages.

With just one controller required to play the game, Mojib-Ribbon's basic learning curve is probably one of the shortest in the music game genre. Playing through the game, however, is not as easy as it sounds, as the timing for writing lyrics on the clouds can get pretty brutal. Additionally, trying to go for a high score can raise the chances of making a mistake.

Aside from the game's controls, one of the largest changes from vib-ribbon to Mojib-Ribbon is that the game no longer uses external CDs to generate its music. Instead, Mojib-Ribbon comes with a fixed playlist of about 20 rap songs. You're able to freely edit the lyrics for the songs to create some unique compositions. You're also able to upload or download lyrics online by using the PlayStation broadband adapter as well.

If you're thinking of purchasing an import of Mojib-Ribbon, keep in mind that the game is strongly language-oriented, and some knowledge of Japanese will definitely be required to play the game. The in-game menus are all in Japanese, the rap is all in Japanese, and editing the lyrics to make Mojibri say something also requires knowledge of Japanese. On the other hand, anyone with knowledge of the language will probably have a good deal of fun with it. At the moment, there are no plans for Mojib-Ribbon to be released in the US--a depressing turn of events that should hardly be surprising to fans of vib-ribbon, which also never saw a stateside release.