GAMING 101
Stretchy, cute and unnatural – Noby Noby Boy (NNB) is the most outrageously fun game to be released on the PlayStation Network.
Very rarely does a game come along that is so mindboggling that not even the game creator knows how to describe it. Even stranger is when the game creator admits to not knowing why they made the game. However, this is the story behind NNB.
Ever since the announcement of NNB, gamers everywhere have been scratching their heads with disbelief. In fact, even as a well-played game critic, I’m not sure how to classify this game. I suppose if there was a genre labeled “WTF,” this game would go in it.
So then how would I describe NNB? Well, the game is played as “Boy.” Boy is his name as well as his gender. Boy is also a stretchy pink four-legged animal. All Boy is capable of doing is running around, eating and stretching. When Boy stretches, a girl in space grows to an equivalent length. Thus, the objective of the game is to stretch as much as possible.
Confusing, I know. What’s more confusing is how such a ridiculous premise can make for such a great game. Don’t believe me? Read on for my full review.
Affordable – NNB is only $5. That’s not a lot of money. I mean when you consider the average downloadable game cost of $10, NNB is surprisingly affordable. Granted, the ambiguity of the game’s premise might be a hard sell at full price.
Bizarre – Yes, NNB is bizarre and indescribable, but it’s also original. I can honestly say I’ve never played a game about stretching – ever.
I promised myself I wouldn’t make any pot references in this review, but seriously, this game is quite the trip. If you’re a fan of psychedelic entertainment, this is the game for you.
Oddly Fun – Boy stretches and eats objects. Why is this fun? Heck if I know, but it’s addictive. Upon purchasing this game, which was released yesterday, I couldn’t seem to pull myself away from it.
As I played the game I kept asking myself, “Why is this fun?” Playing this game is like staring at something so disturbingly interesting that you can’t seem to look away. To quote Radioactive Man from the Simpsons, “Ze goggles, zey do nothing.”
Features – For $5 I’m impressed with how much bang for the buck this game offers. In addition to custom in-game music, NNB also features in-game screenshots and YouTube video uploading. In addition, text messages from friends can be delivered directly in game without exiting to the PS3 dashboard.
No Variety – You stretch and eat – that’s about it. Besides the game’s cute main character and charming personality, NNB doesn’t have much to offer in the terms of gameplay variation. However, this simplicity in game design makes NNB easy to pick up and play.
Small Maps – The overlaying objective of the game is to stretch. And yes, Boy is good at stretching. Sometimes Boy can stretch all the way into outer space.
Unfortunately, the levels are so small that Boy doesn’t have enough room to run around. What’s the point of emphasizing the ability to stretch when there’s hardly enough room to play? Hopefully this will be addressed with future patch updates.
Overall, I’d say NNB is a must buy, or at the very least, a must play. I’m sure I did a bad job explaining the concept of this game, but like I said, not even the creator knows how to explain it. But that’s why NNB is so great – it has to be played to be understood.
–tim.russell@aggiemail.usu.edu
LC