Shobon Action

Shobon Action

Title screen of Shobon Action. Note that "press" is spelled as "prece", a possible result of bad translation.
Developer(s) ちく(Chiku)
Series Shobon Action
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release date(s) February 2007
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution Download

Shobon Action (しょぼんのアクション Shobon no Akushon) is a 2D Japanese platform freeware indie video game released in February 2007 that is known for its levels designed to cause extreme frustration due to innocuous-looking objects that suddenly kill the character. The game contains elements that resemble and parody Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Gameplay

The player controls a cat-like character who must venture through side-scrolling platform levels similar to Super Mario Bros. The game consists of four levels riddled with traps designed to trick the player, including normal-looking ground tiles that fall away into pits, blocks that sprout spikes when touched, enemies that spawn nearly on top of the character, deadly background scenery, and a Mario-style flagpole that kills the character in two different ways. Despite the surprise factor of these traps, the levels do not change between plays, allowing the player to memorize their locations and eventually make progress. Experienced players must still remain on guard, though, lest they let years of platforming convention overrule their knowledge of the traps and trick them into deadly accidents. Some designers have commented on how the game requires the player to think logically through trial-and-error in order to complete the game.[1]

Development

Shobon Action was developed by Chiku (ちく chiku), who programmed the game in about three days while in college. The concept and overall inspiration of the game mainly originated from a Japanese Flash game on 2channel called The Life-Ending Adventure or The Big Adventure of Owata's Life (人生ｵﾜﾀの大冒険 Jinsei Owata no Daibōken).[2] Most of the game's music are MIDI renditions of music taken from other games, including Cheetahmen (first and third stage), Spelunker (second stage), Ghosts 'n Goblins (fourth stage), and Puyo Puyo (credits).

Ports

An open source version of Shobon Action has been released under the name of Open Shobon Action. This version of the game has allowed developers to port it to various platforms, such as AmigaOS 4.1, Dreamcast,[3] and Linux. This game has also been ported unofficially to the Nintendo Wii, available through the Homebrew Channel, and adds five levels from an unofficial sequel labeled Shobon Action 2.[4]

Reception

Shobon Action was generally received positively, though the reviews note the intense and often frustrating difficulty of the game.[1][5][6][7] It was recognized as a game that "systematically disrupts every convention of 2D platform gameplay",[8] and that success in the game often relies on both trial-and-error-like strategies and the player's ability to use counterintuitive strategies to avoid obstacles.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Patton, Ryan (2010). "Obstructing the view: An argument for the use of obstructions in art education pedagogy". The Journal of Social Theory In Art Education 30: 49–59.
  2. ↑ しょぼんのアクションについてのどーでもいい話 (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  3. ↑ rurounin. "Dreamcast.es - Noticias: [RM 2012] OPEN SHOBON ACTION DC Liberado!!!". Iberdc.dreamcast.es. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  4. ↑ "Scognito's dev page". Scognito.drunkencoders.com. 2010-01-31. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  5. ↑ Rasmussen, Povl. "Er det her verdens dårligste spil?" (in Danish). PC World Denmark. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Shobon Action: un jeu hardcore de Mario Bros pour la Wii!" (in French). Amériquébec. Retrieved 17 August 2012. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  7. ↑ "Game Reviews | Free Games | Independent Games | Game Culture". Play This Thing!. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  8. ↑ Bogost, Ian. "Persuasive Games: Video Game Pranks". Gamasutra. Retrieved 17 August 2012.

External links