Sony's sequel to the acclaimed Vib-Ribbon rhythm game joins
Japan this week with rhythm action of a different stripe.
Make that calligraphy stripes. Unlike the original which
forged levels from music CDs which the rabbit Vibri moved
around in, Mojib Ribbon scrolls out a rotating circle of
ephemeral substance upon which the main character walks.
Hero carries a large paintbrush and his job is to lay down
the ink and fill in the substance with Japanese text.
Junctions which are indicated by solidly drawn icons are
spaced throughout each rotating level and the aim is to join
the junctions with Japanese text.
A stalk of bamboo located on the left side of the screen
shows the reservoir of ink that is available for use. When
the ink runs dry, a pool of ink will appear overhead, which
the rhythm jumper will have to leap and soak up into his
quill. As each character walks through a level and paints a
word or phrase, it will utter the word or phrase as it walks
over it. For example, "Mojib" and other Japanese words are
uttered in tones which sound like a mix between Elmo and
wilderness munchkins from Oz. Or were those Oompa Loompas?
There's a robot character in there as well and it also
mutters a mess of words in "robot voice" as it paints and
walks. Control is through the Dual Shock thumbsticks - jab
the right DS pad downwards to lay down the paint and jostle
it upwards to jump and retrieve blobs of floating ink.
The presentation of the game is sparse so Sony throws in
a moving 3-D background featuring mountains and other
scenery which slowly scroll towards the viewer to add a
sense of depth to the simplicity. The feel of the game isn't
as "catchy" as Vib-Ribbon but once you get into the groove
of the music, the chattering words and the swish of the pen
as it glides out streams of Japanese words, it does grow on
you. Sort of.
