Uchhannanchan No Honoo No Challenger: Denryu IraIra Bou

The first thing you will be thinking, when you see the box is what the hell is this game and why is there a robot with big hooters on the box?? Well let me explain. Back in the late nineties there was a TV gameshow in japan where contestants had to take part in several games to win the main prize of a million yen. One of these games involved the contestants having to navigate a metal bar through an electrified maze.

Now back on the N64 Hudson thought the electric maze game idea would make a great N64 game, and they were right. First thing you will notice when playing the game is the graphics are very basic looking and they are minimal but they do the job well.

The controls themselves are extremely simple to learn as you only use the analogue stick to move in this game, the controls are spot on and never anywhere in the game did I blame the controls for me dying because if I died it was my mistake. When you stop moving the bar stops moving instantly there is no inertia. Also you can hold in the A or Z buttons for a extra burst of speed.

The sound itself is also pretty basic, the tunes that play in the background of the level are ok but to be honest you wont notice them that much. As while you play you are given a Japanese running commentary by the host of the gameshow which makes it even more fun as just as you are getting to a difficult section of the maze he will scream at you excitedly in Japanese which makes him very endearing.

Now the idea of the game is simple you have to get from the start of the maze to the finish without touching the sides of the maze, to make things harder you are battling against the clock as well. There are 6 mazes in total and they are well designed and have many interesting obstacles for you to overcome. Also you can choose your metal bar as well, there are 4 to choose from and they all have different properties for example some move faster than others and one of them gives you 2 extra chances at the maze. There is also a 2 player vs mode where you can race against a friend in a maze in split screen mode.

The 1st maze is a training maze to get you used to the controls but by the time you have mastered that maze, the later levels will be making you tear your hair out in frustration some of them have some crazy obstacles for you to negotiate such as the giant robot lady with the big hooters (^_^)

Personally I can recommend this game to anyone who loves quirky stuff. The graphics may not be to every ones taste but if you love quirky Japanese games then you'll love this as its simple to play but very addictive.

Reviewed by Importaku.


Front	Back