| E3 2004 Coverage > Odama |
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| Odama |
Yoot Saito is somewhat of an oddity in today's gaming world. He has said in interviews that he is not driven by game sales, but rather by innovation. Saito and his company, Vivarium, last worked on the strange, somewhat unfortunately named "Seaman" for Dreamcast. It was bizarre game which involved using voice recognition to speak to a surly fish with a man's face. Despite being extremely unconventional, it was ultimately very successful (at least in Japan). Now Yoot, the man who's likeness was used to create the deeply disturbing man-fish, has a brand-new game on the way. The new project is entitled "Odama", and like its predecessor it is a strange, strange creation indeed.
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| The Seaman, Yoot Saito's very strange previous creation |
We first ran across the game shortly after the Nintendo Press conference, hidden in the middle of the Nintendo press package. What had gone entirely unmentioned in the Reggielution keynote was right there - Odama - Game Type: Military Pinball. Along with this cryptic categorizing were three equally cryptic bullet points:
- Fire the giant pinball known as the Odama (tentative name) into the fray and use the flippers to send in crashing over battalions and into troop barracks.
- Collect prisoners of war and they'll fight for your side, but be careful not to crush your own troops.
- Your men will automatically try their best to dam rivers, liberate extra flippers and clear the way to the enemy's gate.
That was the extent of the information provided. We were very confused as to what the hell that all meant, but I at least was intrigued, and determined to find out more. Unfortunately, the mysterious "Odama" would elude me for the next few days. Amid the ridiculousness that is E3, what with the conferences, press speeches, parties, booth babes, and if I was lucky some time on a game or two, I just plain didn't realize that Odama had been hidden in the back of Nintendo's massive booth. I didn't discover it until the very end of the show, and I mean very end. With about 20 minutes from the show closing altogether, I stumbled across it, and was instantly won over by its bizarre sense of humour and complete originality.
Approaching the Odama demo machines was a bit of an odd experience. Surrounding the playable game units was a preposterous display describing the ancient concept of "Ninten", or a belief that heaven will smile upon you in times of need. It was displayed in a very serious manner, but once the game started it became apparent that the display was a manner of elaborate tongue in cheek joke.
NintenWay
Ninten-do, or the Way of Ninten, is an ideology that arose during the tumultuous civil war period of 16th century Japan, a time preceding the Edo Period, which gave birth to bushido, the samurai code of chivalry. Wars were being fought throughout Japan. The one-on-one sword battles that have come to epitomize the bushido code were unheard of during this period. Instead, this was a time when ten of thousands of soldiers engaged in epic battles in opposing armies.
As with periods of civil war during the European Middle Ages, the value of one man's life was extremely low. Soldiers risked their lives entering the battlefield in the name of their general.
The Way of Ninten was the name given to the consciousness or philosophy that emerged within Japan during this tempestuous period. (editor's note: shown next are the three Japanese symbols that form the name Nintendo, and their meaning). Combined, the three characters forming Ninten-do illustrate the mindset of the shogun (generals) and soldiers who acted not out of personal interest but, having entrusted themselves to the heavens, adhered to this philosophy, following the road fate had paved for them.
The Emotional Strength of the Nameless Soldier
While modern thinking takes into consideration the symbolic power of such historic events, we often misunderstand what really happened. When speaking of war, we mention the leaders, the generals, and what they accomplished, but the fallen soldiers often go forgotten. In a time without stock options, profit sharing, and employee rights, what made these soldiers fight with the dedication that they did? What motivated their loyalty, their sacrifice? This is a mystery to those of us who live today.
Though the answer may never be perfectly clear, we can understand some of it. After all, the Way of Ninten existed at this time, and individual soldiers could band together to create a force strong enough to defeat even the most powerful enemy. In many ways this is similar to the "one for all, all for one" line of thought.
The Philosophy of the Middle Ages
At first glance, Odama might seem a little silly. This title was initially developed as a simulation program to test the Way of Ninten. Though it is far from complete, we came to discover that this simulation had much to offer modern people, and a decision was made to develop one portion of it as a game - one unlike any that had been developed before.
Yoot Saito, the renowned creator of SimTower and Seaman, worked with us on this unique and challenging project. The result is Odama.
The Legendary Big Ball and Commander Kagetora
The main character in Odama is Yamanouchi Kagetora, the man accredited with creating the Way of Ninten.
When Kendare, Kagetora's enemy by birthright, took Kagetora's father's life and territory, Kagetora exacted his revenge on Kandare with only thirty soldiers.
The soldiers, all selfless, all devoted to Kagetora, were all but weaponless. The only weapon their side possessed was a giant ball called the Odama. Legend has it that this ball belonged, in the form of a tear-shaped jewel, to a mighty dragon that lived on Mt. Horai in China during the 7th century T'ang Dynasty. It was passed down through generations as the family treasure in the house of Yamanouchi.
This ball possesses the power to destroy whatever it strikes, but uncontrolled, it can kill both friends and foes alike. However, when the hearts of the soldiers are unified, this ball is capable of amazing things. The ball possesses the ability to turn enemies into allies without costing a single life on either side.
The Ultimate Test of Leadership
One thing is clear - by using the Odama to attack, these soldiers put their lives on the line for their leader. You might notice frustration with this as well. Few modern military leaders enter the battlefield or fight alongside their men. Few ever put their own lives on the line. The soldiers under your direction look to you constantly for leadership. Faulty choices and poor direction will cause your troops to lose trust, and gradually, they will lose morale. After all, it takes more than power to lead.
Test your leadership skills, and prove that you have the ability to move the hearts of your soldiers. If you want to achieve complete leadership, you must be able to acknowledge the sacrifices of your nameless soldiers.
Have you grasped the concepts described in this brief explanation?
No doubt, you will hear more of this later. For now, we would like you to try Odama.
-Inscription near demo kiosk.
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| Amassing a new wave of troops. |
Essentially, Odama is a cross between a pinball game and a real time strategy game. Yes, read that sentence again, that is what I intended to type. The game is absurd, but has a very tangible dry wit about it - a wry humour which may not be appreciable upon first glance. The game is set in medieval Japan, and involves a gigantic rolling weapon called an "Odama". The Odama is controlled by two pinball-style flippers. The massive ball of destruction is capable of either running troops over, or converting them to your own side (in which case their clothes fly off and they amusingly fly through the air back to your base, from which you can choose to re-deploy them). The Odama is also useful for knocking over enemy structures. All the while you have to command your own troops in battle. Did I mention it was strange?
There is somewhat of a method to the mayhem of the game. The Odama is used as a tool as well as a weapon. In the demo shown, there were a number of tasks that had to be completed with it. For example, at first the enemy troops have easy access to your base through a dry riverbed, leaving you exposed. You can, however, use the Odama to take out a nearby dam, thus sending a torrent of water down the riverbed and putting up a protective barrier. We can assume that there will likely be many more such puzzles in the final game,
It was slightly unclear as to how the level was to be won. The build shown was very difficult, and to the best of my knowledge nobody I came in contact with was able to finish it. It appeared that you had to get a crew of soldiers to carry a ladder to the bluff where the enemy commander was situated. Once the ladder was in place, you could send the Odama up it and use it to take out the commander.
The build seen at E3 was an early one, and it's hard to see exactly how this one will turn out when released. The booth attendant informed me that the demo was being worked on right up until the start of the show, and they had not been certain if it would be shown at all. The level shown was highly unpolished, and seemed to rub some people the wrong way. Some people, on the other hand seemed to like it. Warren Spector, creator of games such as Deus Ex and Thief, said that it was his favourite game of the show. Although his tongue was firmly in cheek, I couldn't help but get the impression that he meant it on some level. Spector is an outspoken fan of Miyamoto for example, and seems to have a genuine respect for innovative games. Whatever his true opinion of the game, it brought a smile to his face.
The future of the game is a little uncertain. As previously mentioned, the build shown was very, very early. It was playable, and even fun, but was lacking in many areas. The battle flowed at an odd pace, and seemed to be largely a battle of attrition rather than any sort of strategical affair. The novelty factor was able to keep the game interesting for the duration of the E3 demo, but I fear that without tweaking it would likely become old and tedious quite quickly. Luckily for us gamers, this lack of polish is not unexpected for game in its infancy. The final game will no doubt be a whole lot better than it is now.
While not everyone's cup of tea, I for one will be paying close attention to Odama as more information is released. As well as the inevitable polishing, expect some big changes for this title. Among the rumored possible features is support for Nintendo's new bongo controller (second player can beat the drums to raise the spirits of the troops, but in return they become less trusting of player 1.) N-Sider will have more as soon as more information is released.
Freelance by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet