What do my readers use a fishing rod for? Catching fish? Defeating Ganondorf? Well, how about using it to swing and cross crazy obstacle courses! You heard me right! The rod acts somewhat like a rubber band, so you can latch onto platforms and swing around or with proper use of the reel to propel yourself halfway across the screen. This leads to, dare I say it, a “sea” of depth as there are many tricky techniques to be pulled off with the rod and many requires specific timing and practice. Seriously, it is so much fun to jump into a random level and play with the rod to see what works. You can also stop time briefly to help you aim the fishing rod better.
The goal of each level is to find a door to proceed to the next level. Once you get to level 10, you face a boss. Defeat this boss and the credits start rolling. I know what you are thinking: “10 levels!? That’s not worth the price, and single player-only and blah blah bleh wait for Steam sale!” Here is the twist, wait for it… there are five endings you can reach. When you finish level 10 you are just getting started. The other endings are accessed by completing secret levels that are hidden behind alternate exits within those 10 levels. These secret levels are much more difficult and lead to more branching paths on the level map. There is also an unlockable Survival Mode where you play each level in succession like the older games. The game will keep track of how far you made it in survival mode by coloring the path you take red.
The music in the game is very peaceful and relaxing… which is probably one of the most misleading things about this game. The music may be very cheerful and the characters look happy, but the game is pure EVIL! This is a game for the hardcore — the big boys. And let me tell you, all your tears, sweat and battle scars will be worth it when you finally get around to mastering these levels. That in itself is a badge of honor! Remember how I said there are five endings? I only reached two of them so far. There are a few levels that are just ridiculously tricky, and I am still practicing and trying to complete them. Yumi’s Odd Odyssey keeps track of how many times you cleared and failed a level. You can use the Retry button in the menu to restart the level any time without any penalties. If it were not for that, my failure number would be SO much higher than it already is for some of the stages. Also there is an option to display the current time while you are playing. This was probably thrown in to remind you how much time you have wasted trying to get past a certain level. At least you can listen to catchy tracks like this:
Your character can only take one hit before dying. However, if you play as one of the younger characters like as Emiko, you will be able to restart at a checkpoint when you die. Playing as younger characters is supposed to be the “Easy” mode of the game, but, believe me, it does not make it any easier. Other than that, the characters do not seem to have any noticeable advantages over each other, so just pick whoever you like and go for it! Some of the tricks the game expects you to pull off with the fishing rod are insane! The levels expect you to take certain level hazards into account while using the rod, such as moving platforms, trampolines, conveyor belts or even ice, which you are unable to latch onto. Some levels are even filled with enough spikes to make Dr. Wily jealous. It is rough, but I would not have it any other way! The boss battles are very fun and tricky. One of them is a crab that takes up a decent amount of space, and you need to latch onto boxes of oranges on the ceiling to make them fall on top of it. It is quite humorous to watch. Just good luck even getting to these bosses, since the stages beforehand will probably give you hell…
Despite the high difficulty, the game encourages you to keep playing. Some of the stages feature demo videos to guide new players and hidden in many of the stages are backpacks for your character to collect. Collect enough and you will unlock an alternate costume or artwork. The alternate costumes will be sure to please the longtime Umihara fans. Getting these backpacks can sometimes be more difficult than clearing the level! Because of the nature of the fishing rod, it is possible to find all sorts of shortcuts and ways for you to clear the level. To me, that is part of the fun and what keeps me coming back for more punishment.
As the name implies Yumi’s Odd Odyssey is odd. You are traveling across several stages of platforming mayhem while dodging fish, solving puzzles and collecting backpacks. This is exactly the type of game that will probably get overlooked by many gamers due to most people being unfamiliar with the franchise. To be fair, Yumi’s Odd Odyssey is not the most inviting game, and many may feel intimidated by the high difficulty. The game now costs $20 and, while it is still a relatively high price for an eShop title, it is much more reasonable than the initial $30. I put in about eight hours so far, and have only unlocked about half of the levels. I have many more hours to go if I want to see everything the game has to offer. If you are seen playing this game and someone asks you what game it is, you look at them dead in the eye and say: “Sea fishes are fat in the belly, river fishes are fat in the back.” While they are confused and trying to figure out what you just said, you hand them your 3DS and say: “This is one of the most unique platformers on the 3DS and you should be playing it too!” Just make sure, at some point you get your 3DS back.
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Review copy purchased by author.
