Pepsiman (video game)

Pepsiman (ペプシマン) is a 1999 Japanese video game for the PlayStation based on the marketing mascot of Pepsi called Pepsiman.

History

Before the release of Pepsiman, developer KID had only made adult-themed games for the Sega Saturn. Though Pepsiman was only released in Japan, all the game menus, dialogue and FMVs are in English. There is also an Arabic-dubbed version of the game. Some of the games are based on Pepsi's Pepsiman TV ads. The game disk can be played as an audio CD containing seven tracks which play as background music in the game's levels.

Pepsiman was also an unlockable character in the Japanese version of Fighting Vipers.^[1]

Gameplay

Mobygames described the gameplay: "This game is based on the Japanese Pepsi mascot who appeared in different commercials in Japan. In these he appeared where people were thirsty, quenched the people's thirst, then injured himself most of the time. The game more or less follows this series of events as you run along stages collecting Pepsi cans, while trying your best to avoid injury or public humiliation. The goal of every stage is to run along a set course, jumping or sliding out of harm's way and in the end reach a vending machine with... you guessed it! Pepsi of course!"^[2]

Critical reception

In 2013, Complex listed the game in an article entitled 10 Company Branded Video Games That Didn't Suck, writing "When it comes to advergames, Pepsiman has the more logos-per-second than any other. In it, you play the eponymous hero, and run through levels full of hazards while collecting cans of Pepsi for points. The weird thing about it is that a good number of the hazards are actually other Pepsi branded obstacles ranging from a giant Pepsi can that'll chase you to Pepsi trucks that'll smash into you. The game may look like garbage compared to today's standards, but mechanically it's nearly identical to current iOS favourite, Temple Run. If you can stand the ridiculous level of advertising saturation, it's not a bad game for those with quick reflexes."^[3]

Destructoid said "Like Katamari Damacy and God Hand after it, Pepsiman is such a gloriously twisted, charming spectacle that it's hard not to fall in love with it. That's not to say the game is in any way on the same level of playability as the aforementioned titles. In fact, Pepsiman is one of the simplest PlayStation games I've ever played -- it could easily be played with an NES controller if it were an option (which it may be these days via emulation). I wouldn't say Pepsiman is a great game, but it's a highly amusing one, especially when played in a group setting. The entire premise is ridiculous, so full of little details that are easy to miss and make the game so charmingly brain-dead. I don't recommend putting up with the impossibly hard later levels, but it's worth playing while the fun lasts. It brings me back to a time when corporations had mascots, Japanese games were insane, and graphics weren't everything."^[4]

References