G4TV

If you've ever seen an episode of Cinematech you know that Japan has a thing for quirky games. Chulip, a low-key adventure that casts you as a kid trying to snatch a kiss from his dream girl, isn't quite as mind-bending as out-there offerings like Katamari Damacy and Killer 7. Chulip's more down-to-earth role-playing approach paints a portrait of Japanese life from a kid's perspective. Like RPG classics Earthbound and Mother, the weirdness insinuates itself with the mundane realities of everyday life creating a sort of suburban magical realism. But as we all know, a gamer can't live on oddball alone. Chulip has plenty of gaming meat on its bones if you're patient enough to get down with the game's kooky sensibility and inscrutable puzzles.

Gimme Some Sugar, Baby

There's no combat in Chulip. Your character levels up by kissing the denizens of his home Long Life Town. The more smooches he earns, the stronger his heart becomes and the more able he is to survive soul-crushing, everyday failures like tripping in the playground or finding a poopie while rummaging through a garbage can. You can't just walk up to your neighbor and plant a peck on them. Every would-be target for your affection has a series of requirements that must be satisfied before they'll let you lock lips. Some are as simple as catching them at the right time of day, but others force you to jump through a series of hoops before they'll let down their guard.

The Holy Grail of the Socially Inept

The ultimate goal of Chulip is to make kissy-face with your crush --  a cute but picky neighborhood girl who hangs out in the vacant lot by your house. The only way to win her over is to write her a kick-ass love letter. It's the quest for the skills, tools and inspiration to pen this missive that make up the entirety of the game. And Chulip's biggest frustration stems from how little guidance the game gives you in accomplishing this goal. If we wanted hand-holding we'd give the game's creators a box of chocolates. A clue or two would be nice, though. There are more than a couple occasions where tedious trial and error is the only way to uncover a secret. And since the game is on 24-hour clock a missed opportunity means having to wait until the next day to take another crack. Add the fact that your inexperienced, young avatar can die from heartbreak, resulting in a  “game over” screen and the loss of unsaved progress and you've got a recipe for annoyance.

Kook Warfare

Despite frustrations and a tenancy towards the obtuse, Chulip manages to skate by on charm. The game is frequently funny and strange enough to keep players wondering what sort of nonsense the story will dish out next. With a pace echoes the casual vibes of Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon and a child-like perspective the game will surely turn off insecure gamers who need guns, muscles and adult mayhem to make them feel like their play time is spent with in a mature enough manner.  And though the game occasionally dips its big toe in absurdity, there's a distinct cultural flavor that Japanophiles will eat up like a box of strawberry Pocky. Chulip may not be the best off-beat RPG to hit consoles, but it's certainly got it's heart in the right place.

Article by: Gus Mastrapa
Video produced by: Michael Benson