Best Puzzle/Rhythm Game
Yoot Saito's Odama (GC)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Vivarium
Read our preview from E3 2004 >>
Yoot Saito's Odama (not to be confused with all those other Odamas out there) was one of the big surprises at E3, though the game itself is about as unassuming as they come. Nestled off in the corner of Nintendo's monstrous floor space was this unusual game about thousands of samurai warriors, two flippers, and one gigantic pinball--the odama. Essentially, this is a real-time strategy game played with the mechanics of a pinball table. And the concept is just as intriguing and unusual as it sounds.
For some reason, Yoot Saito's Odama isn't due out until next year, but the E3 demo we played already gave a clear sense of the sort of tension-filled gameplay that this game will offer. Basically you're trying to help your samurai army defeat the opponent, and the only weapon you've got is a huge pinball that can bulldoze friend and foe alike and destroy enemy structures. You need to accurately aim at the opposing side's structures to create openings and opportunities for your forces while trying to minimize friendly casualties. It's a bizarre concept, but it works, and it's already fun. Most interesting, perhaps, is that Yoot Saito's Odama is a completely straight-faced game. You'd expect something like this to be rife with tongue-in-cheek humor, but it isn't.
You may know Yoot Saito's name from his earlier works like SimTower (also known as Yoot's Tower) and Seaman. Certainly this is an eccentric game designer, but judging by this next game of his, he's not one to forgo quality gameplay in favor of pure abstraction. The demo of the game we played at E3 left a lasting impression on us as one of the most genuinely unique and most challenging games of the show. As such, we can't wait to see more.
The other Best Puzzle/Rhythm Game finalists:
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (PS2)
Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 (PS2)
Pac Pix (DS)
WarioWare, Inc. DS (DS)
Previous PageNext: Best Role-Playing Game
More Features
Games you may like…
-
Resident Evil 4
(WII) -
Resident Evil
(GC) -
Resident Evil 0
(GC) -
Eternal Darkness
(GC) -
Blood Omen 2
(GC)
