The Umihara Kawase series has always flown a bit under the radar, to say the least. The original title wasn’t a big name Japanese release when it first arrived on the Super Famicom or the PlayStation, nor was it even something that got a lot of coverage in import-friendly magazines like Gamefan. Remakes were plentiful, but coverage was still minuscule. A North American release eluded the series, even on the Japan-friendly PSN, until the 3DS received the final planned game in the series. This title, known initially as Sayonara Umihara Kawase, was eventually rechristened Yumi’s Odd Odyssey. This eShop release hit about a year ago, and we gave it.Sayonara UmiharaKawase + gives Vita owners a chance to experience that game for the first time, as well as an opportunity enjoy the PlayStation version of Umihara Kawase.

The end result is the most definitive release the series has had to date, and it’s readily available in North America to boot. Series fans will appreciate the fact that Sayonara features the same intricate puzzle-platforming gameplay that gave the series underground respect on the Super Famicom and PlayStation.Theoretically, the idea of a platformer with a touch of action and a swinging item may seem like Bionic Commando in some fashion. On the surface, this is correct, but the fishing lure/fishing line combination offers up so much more gameplay variety than the classic Capcom platformer.

You’ve got a lot more angles to work with here and a fairly realistic physics setup to consider every step of the way. Sayonara revolves around controlling Umihara (or two additional characters) and using their items of choice to navigate the world. Jumping allows you to cross reasonably-sized gaps and hop onto ledges before subsequently shimmying up them. However, your main weapon of choice will undoubtedly be your fishing rod with super-strong filament. It allows you to not only injure enemies and place them into your backpack, but it also enables you to latch onto ceilings and move around a given stage. Much like Lupin the Third in the opening chase of Castle of Cagliostro, you can raise or lower your line as needed, and doing so will change how far you’re able to swing around.

Sayonara Umihara Kawase Umihara Kawase is a girl who uses a fishing hook as a grappling hook. You’ll need quick reflexes to swing your way through the branching surreal environments.

If you’ve got a long line, then you can sway much further, though you might wind up overshooting your target. Going with a medium-length line is a bit safer, but this shorter line might cause you to undershoot the area you need to reach.As you might expect, trial and error is a huge part of Sayonara Umihara Kawase+. You’ll need to fail a lot before you’re able to figure out the correct solution, which adds a distinctive puzzle aspect to the proceedings. Not only will you need to get the swinging-angle right at any given moment, but you’ll also have to discern what the right part of the ledge to stand on is.

For instance, if you’re too far out, then you can reduce the length of the line, but this increases the potential for falling off of the landing ledge. All in all, this is certainly a tricky system, but it’s tough to argue that it isn’t fair.

Sayonara Umihara Kawase+‘s difficulty scales just about perfectly throughout its campaign, which is important for a game with a somewhat steep initial learning curve. Luckily for those concerned about its challenge, Sayonara controls just about perfectly. The D-pad moves your character around, X initiates jumps, and Square fires your line.

This control scheme is certainly simple to learn, but mastering these mechanics requires a fair amount of skill and practice. If you ever find yourself struggling, a little Navi-style helper exists, but you can safely turn that off ( which is outstanding because it winds up becoming fairly annoying).Visually, Sayonara seems like a game that came out a decade after it should have. The overall presentation brings to mind Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles on the PSP. Much like in this remake of Rondo of Blood, you have a side-scrolling game with a polygonal art style instead of something more sprite-based alongside the inclusion of a game from the past. Also like the PSP revamps of Dracula X and Mega Man X, Sayonara Umihara Kawase+ feels like a game that “modernizes” the graphics at the expense of the overall art style. Well-crafted sprites and hand-drawn art tend to look far better than a mess of polygons, and that undoubtedly holds true here.

While Umihara Kawaze+ is still a nice-looking game due to the sheer amount of colors on-screen, it still feels like a cheaply-made product from a bygone era. The new visuals don’t just look worse than those of the original release, they make final product noticeably harder to play. It’s often quite difficult to get a good sense of where you are in relation to enemies when you’re accidentally climbing ladders due to blind spots.A new red and green light system helps massage this issue in theory, but this queue doesn’t stay visible throughout the entirety of a climbing section.

It’s hard not to wonder why the development team didn’t just make those portions transparent or translucent so you could see where your character is in relation to a foe. You’ll likely die quite a few times due to this, and while death isn’t really a huge deal, this problem is definitely annoying. Animations also look rather awkward at times; your character will oddly stutter in between frames while dangling off of things or while climbing. Lighting is another area where Sayonara UmiharaKawase + looks second-rate. There are stages that take place largely at night with only a few scattered light sources. In theory, this should lead to some really atmospheric gameplay, but instead it winds up muddling the gameplay experience. Shows like Miami Vice and countless movies use darkness to bring a whole new set of colors to the screen.

UK+ uses nighttime lighting to obscure many parts of the world, including ladders and, shockingly, the door you need to go through to complete a stage.The Umihara Kawase series has always had a fairly happy soundtrack, but it’s taken to a different level with Sayonara. The soundtrack has a tendency to be overly cheerful, although some songs (especially the one featured at the title screen) are excellent. They’re definitely chipper, but not sweet to the point where they’ll induce diabetes. Sayonara Umihara Kawase+‘s sound effect work is acceptable, complete with satisfying effects for dizzying enemies before you dispatch them with your line. Humorous squishes result in a smile-inducing cartoon sound effect, which contributes to the sound design’s overall light-hearted vibe.Closing Comments:While Sayonara UmiharaKawase + has a lot of flaws, it’s still an excellent value. The franchise’s finale alone was $10 more than this is when it came out only one year ago, and that release didn’t include the original game.

As a result, this version is a must for anyone who was ever intrigued by that game, and as a bonus, you have the opportunity to see a modernized reinterpretation of the original concept as well. While Sayonara is hurt by questionable graphical changes and iffy animations, the final product is true to the source material and worth playing for anyone who enjoys this particular series.

This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's. The may contain suggestions. ( September 2013)Umihara KawaseTNN/NHK SCJackpotGenterpriseStudio SaizensenTNNXINGGenterpriseDegicaPlatform(s),First releaseUmihara Kawase1994Latest releaseUmihara Kawase Fresh!2019Umihara Kawase ( 海腹川背) is a series of, starring a young Japanese sushi chef named Kawase Umihara (海腹 川背 Umihara Kawase), who has somehow become lost in a world of surreal and creatures. She wears a bright pink. The Umihara Kawase games' main distinction are their tranquil fish and bird infested worlds and the rope physics, which defines the gameplay.The name is written as four kanji characters: umi, hara, kawa, se meaning sea, belly, river, back. This is an extraction from a Japanese kitchen idiom 'Sea fish are fat in the belly; river fish are fat in the back.'

.The protagonist was first seen in the eponymous release of 1994 and later the sequel and re-release of Umihara Kawase Shun for the in 1997 and 2000. Contents.Development The game was an independent collaboration between developer Kiyoshi Sakai, illustrator Toshinobu Kondo, and several others. It was published by TNN, 'Think about Needs of Notice for human being'.Gameplay The game world of Umihara Kawase is constructed from a set of interconnected known as fields. Each field connects to one or more fields deeper within the game via doors.Fields are enclosed areas containing a number of static and moving platforms, ladders, spikes, enemy sea-life and one or more exit doors. The doors are often positioned in hard to reach places and it is the player's goal to plan a safe route to one. Each exit door in a field takes the player to a different field, and the goal is to find a safe route through the fields and arrive at a final exit door (at which point the credits scroll and the game is over). Each of the Umihara Kawase games contains multiple routes through the fields and multiple final exits.

Using shortcuts and optimised door routes can allow the game to be completed within minutes in the hands of a skilled player; however, enjoyment of the game typically lies not in merely making it to the first or easiest final exit door, but in exploring the game's many routes and mastering the challenging rope physics.The Umihara Kawase games have simple controls. The protagonist is able to run, jump, climb onto ledges, climb ladders and, crucially, throw her fishing line. When thrown, the fishing line will hook onto nearly all surfaces within the games.

When the line is firmly hooked onto a surface or an enemy fish the line is able to take her weight. From here Umihara is able to swing between platforms, lower herself down to other ledges and swing herself up to higher ledges.

Due to the flexible nature of her line she can also catapult herself great distances by stretching the line to breaking point.The line can also be used to stun fish and reel them in, and once reeled in Umihara will store them in her rucksack and score points in doing so.While the controls are simple and responsive, an uncompromising physics model means that graceful control of the game's swinging techniques will not come immediately. Out of this, though, comes great scope for advanced techniques through full utilization of the physics. Perfect execution of techniques such as the one- and two-step rocket jump are required both in later fields and for those who intend to improve their field completion times.The games contain in the shape of Umihara's pink rucksack but no other collectibles are present.Umihara Kawase Umihara KawaseTNN/NHK SCTNNKiyoshi SakaiMasahito NakanoShinji Tachikawa,Release. WW: November 2, 2015Mode(s)Umihara Kawase is the first game in the series released in 1994 for the. Umihara Kawase contains a total of 49 fields of which four are exit fields and six are boss fields. The game makes good use of the SFC's colour palette for digitized photographic backgrounds. The rope physics sometimes strain the Super Famicom's CPU, leading to slowdown, but this is rare.

The game permits saving, establishing such play as a principle feature of the series.The game, along with Shun, was ported for PC in 2015. The slowdown from the Super Famicom version is no longer present though the game remains largely the same with the addition of a practice mode. WW: November 24, 2015Mode(s)Umihara Kawase Shun (海腹川背・旬 Umihara Kawase Shun; shun means 'in season') is the second game in the series released in 1997 for the and developed by the same team as the original. The move to a side-on game world with the PlayStation launch of Shun opened up the fields to more complex layouts using a great deal of angled and jutting blocks. The move to a 3D game world was not universally welcomed, however, as it decreases the ease with which the player can identify the exact point in space where platforms begin and end.

Slightly adjusted line physics (the rope is shorter, but more elastic and springy), along with no presence of slowdown, are the other main notable changes from its predecessor.Umihara Kawase Shun second edition Maruan Series 1 The second edition was launched almost three years after Shun at a lower price as part of the Maruan series and contains some notable changes. This release contains five additional fields taking the total to fifty five. The game's cut-scenes have been replaced with scrollable, static art of the protagonist, however, due to the removal of all Mitchell branding. The defunct Japanese magazine TECH PlayStation Extra contained three new fields in each of its June, July and August 1997 issues' demo discs, along with guides to complete them.Umihara Kawase Portable Umihara Kawase PortableRocket Studios.: March 27, 2008Mode(s)Although another re-release of Shun, Umihara Kawase Portable nevertheless disappointed fans and critics alike on release, due to a bug-ridden physics engine, which differed in crucial aspects to its predecessors. Further criticism was leveled at the new visual perspective, which sometimes interfered with play.On July 14, 2008, it was announced that the game would be coming to North America under the title Yumi's Odd Odyssey, however, this release never came about. It would have been the first Umihara Kawase game to have been released outside of Asia.Umihara Kawase Portable was not developed by Super Famicom and PS version developer, Kiyoshi Sakai, instead being developed. Many Japanese fans felt anxious about Umihara Kawase Portable prior to release, and were disappointed and angry afterwards.

Great Little War Game is an exciting new 3D turn based strategy game. Take charge of your army and defend your strongholds against enemy attack. Buy new equipment and troops to complete your campaigns, keep the Generalisimo safe! Great little war game 2 download.

Accordingly, they protested Marvelous Entertainment sales agency and Motion Bank, and staged a boycott. WW: October 6, 2015A third game in the series called Sayonara Umihara Kawase ( さよなら 海腹川背, literally 'Farewell Kawase Umihara') was announced in March 2013, likely a response to the more successful Nintendo DS compilation release of the first two games. Half of the original staff were involved in its development. The game includes a cast of playable characters including a younger Kawase Umihara, her classic self, her future descendant named Noko Yokoyama, and her childhood friend Emiko. The gameplay is similar to past games.

It was released in Japan on June 20, 2013 for the.The game was also released outside of Asia; it will be the first game in the series to do so. Confirmed that they will release the game in North America under the same title they originally planned for the PlayStation Portable release: Yumi's Odd Odyssey. It was later confirmed that Agatsuma Entertainment are to publish the game themselves for the European market under its original Japanese title, unlike the North American release. The game was eventually released for North America, Europe and Australia exclusively for on March 20, 2014 and April 24, 2014 respectively.The 3DS version was eventually ported to the as Sayonara Umihara Kawase Chirari (さよなら 海腹川背 ちらり). This version also included the first game in the series.

Play games with others in the theme park, go and buy new things from the mall, socialize with other players, get a pet, and more! Movie star planet free. Enjoy!Many different ways lead to stardom.

The port was published by Agatsuma in Japan in both physical and digital format, while American and European releases were digital only on PlayStation Network. Agatsuma also dropped the Yumi's Odd Odyssey name, calling it Sayonara Umihara Kawase + in western releases on its release in April 2015.

A version for Microsoft Windows has also been announced for October 2015. In addition the previous two titles in the series will also receive ports.In November 2018, publisher Strictly Limited Games released Sayonara UmiharaKawase for the Vita. This version, denoted by the extra ' +', features even more extra content. Other media. Umihara Kawase Hyper Technique guidebook (. Publication: 29 March 1995 ).

Stray Sheep Volume 5 - Happy Angel (Toshinobu Kondo Personal Works). This edition of the Japanese illustration magazine contains works by Toshinobu Kondo, many of which are of Umihara Kawase (cover included).

Umihara Kawase Shun Capture Guidebook (. Publisher: T2 Publishing Co. Publication: March 31, 1997). Full colour guide book includes gameplay basics, enemies, field maps with routes and 'Toshinobu Kondo presents' artwork section. Umihara Kawase Shun Perfect Guide Book (. Publisher: Shinseisha. Publication: March 1997).

Full colour three part techniques section, monochrome field maps and guide. TECH PlayStation Extra CD-ROM magazine. The June, July and August 1997 issues (SLPM-80100, SLPM-80108, and SLPM-80117) of this Japanese publication contain 3 new fields each along with information on techniques required to complete them. Kawase, Noko and Emiko appear as playable characters in the crossover fighting game. A second version of Kawase, 'Summer Kawase', became playable in a later game update. Kawase appears as a playable character in the crossover puzzle game.References. Retrieved August 7, 2013.

Parish, Jeremy (April 9, 2008). Retrieved August 7, 2013. (July 14, 2008). (Press release). Archived from on September 16, 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-12 – via. Yoon, Andrew (July 14, 2008).

Retrieved 2015-09-12. Prietsman, Chris.

Retrieved 26 January 2016. Ishaan (April 8, 2013). Retrieved August 7, 2013. October 29, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.

McFerran, Damien (2014-04-15). Nintendo Life.

Retrieved 2014-04-23. (9 September 2015). (Press release).

Retrieved 2015-09-11 – via. Strictly Limited Games.

Retrieved 2018-11-26. Retrieved February 25, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2020.External links.

PlayStation.jp product page. PlayStation.jp product page.