PS2 Bikkuri Mouse Update

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) today held an event called Bikkuri Mouse Exhibit 2000 at Spiral Garden in Tokyo. The exhibition showcased Bikkuri Mouse, the first mouse-compatible PlayStation2 title from Sugar & Rockets, SCE's satellite company.

GameSpot News was at the exhibit floor, and we've learned that the game will be compatible with most mouse devices currently sold in stores. SCE will be announcing a list of mouse devices compatible with the game upon its release. The mouse device is required to have a USB connector, two mouse buttons, and a wheel. It is also possible to use a Mac-compatible mouse device (one button) with a PlayStation 2 Dual Shock 2 controller. The exhibit used a mouse called "Comfort Mouse", manufactured by Sanwa Supply, which will also be releasing a new model exclusively for Bikkuri Mouse.

The game may look like another graphic/paint tool software, but it is more of a freestyle drawing software. It does not feature zooming capabilities, or let players draw pixel-by-pixels. It only uses 12 colors, and lets players select different types of canvas. Aside from normal pens, there are pens that draw pictures for players. For example, a circle drawn with a black pen may become a black tire, or a circle drawn with a blue pen may become a puddle of water, and a circle drawn with a yellow pen may become a full moon. Other canvases are more like mini-games, where the player will need to draw a frying pan to catch eggs thrown by a game character, or draw objects on top of a jumping board and plunge them into the sea. Players can save pictures they've drawn and record a three-minute movie clip showing their drawing's progression. Up to about ten clips can be recorded.

The game was 70 percent complete at the exhibit. Bikkuri Mouse for the PS2 is expected for a release in July priced at 4800yen (about US$45) in Japan.