‘Coolio to the max!!!'
Played during the Backloggd’s Game of the Week (Jan. 17 – Jan. 23, 2023).
The Alvion studio, created in 1996, brought together creators who had gained experience on the PlayStation. Some had been in the industry for many years, such as Tomikazu Kirita, employed by Konami before moving towards Sony. His work includes a variety of games, from Tokimeki Memorial (1994) to Sparkster (1994), embracing both adventure and action-oriented genres. This topical eclecticism is reflected in the rest of the team. The director, Hajime Yoshikawa, was involved in Circadia (1999), Alvion's first game, a blend between an RPG and a visual novel against the backdrop of a mystery. While Alvion, like many small Japanese studios, is nowadays mostly called upon to help out with larger projects, their earliest titles were unique and reflected a very particular conception of the video game medium. Poinie's Poin is the perfect illustration of this experimentalism, at the crossroads between genres.
The player assumes the role of Poinie, a very young child, in a rather disconcerting in medias res beginning. Immediately, the protagonist is thrown into a big city, without any reference points. This is a very clever debut, as the player quickly understands that little Poinie is lost and is looking for his mother. After a short exploration in the streets of Downtown, the adventure finally begins and Poinie goes from citizen to citizen, asking them if they know where he lives, while helping them with their problems. Meanwhile, Lolo, a rebellious girl, decides to attack Downtown with toxic poins, coloured spheres which change living beings into monsters by altering their emotions. Poinie's Poin is, with this very simple premise, a game for children and the title fully exploits this aesthetic. The game is vibrant, with a palette ranging from pastel to glossy: it exudes an absurd, dreamlike, cartoonish beauty, entirely appropriate for the different levels Poinie explores: the restaurant's kitchen is literally a volcano, while the fridge houses the snowy level. With every new location, Poinie's Poin comes up with fresh ideas to push its absurdity to the next level, as if it were powered entirely by fizzy sugar.
The game is clad in a slightly irreverent fiction, yet it remains very good-natured and respectful of its characters, much like Crayon Shin-chan (1990). At the same time, Americanis influences, typical of the early 2000s, can be felt throughout the game. The style is similar to PaRappa the Rapper (1996) – Kirita was the executive producer on the second opus – and the game emphasises its full English dubbing as the standard version, even though the title was never officially localised for the West. The dialogue is written with exceptional candour and it is hard not to smile every time Poinie blurts out 'Yippie yo! You can't touch this!' or 'Coolio!'. While it seems obvious that he is unable to understand all the subtleties of the grown-ups, he always does the best he can and, in return, the rest of the cast is very protective of him, despite the appearances. The PetitGang eventually uses his catchphrases, while the adults always help him in his quest to find his mother. Toxic poins are seen as disruptors of the social contract, as they reveal suppressed desires, but the game always reminds players that it is through moderation and respect for others that a congenial society can be fostered.
This upbeat message is, of course, wrapped up in a sugary, childlike shell. The title makes a lot of effort to communicate non-verbally, to help young players progress. The main mechanics revolve around the poins spheres, which can take on three colours, and it is quite easy to grasp how they work. Similarly, there are many signs scattered around the world, to give indications through small cartoony drawings. These elements are very welcome and offer real accessibility for children, especially with the full dubbing – Poinie cannot read the signs, so his companion Poin reads them aloud – but they do not fare well with certain archaic game design features. The camera cannot be controlled manually, and therefore it is not uncommon to miss an important element. Likewise, some rooms have a slightly obtuse resolution, leading to a poor pacing in the progression. This lack of clarity is damaging and highlights the discrepancy between the title's ambition and its practical implementation: whether in the Jungle level, Halloween Manor or Planet Point, getting stuck for a few minutes and trying to brute-force a solution is not unusual.
The platforming action can also be confusing, especially with such an unreadable camera. Often it will be stuck in a wall or refuse to turn with the L1 reset. The boss fights, while providing real diversity within the game's basic concept, are sometimes frustrating, due to Poinie's somewhat unpleasant movements. The battle against Halloween, for example, requires clearing away the poins that support the gravestones, but the boss's hitbox is so large that projectiles often end up on them, rather than on the intended target. These issues are never critical, but detract from a game full of creative ideas. Even outside of the main quest, the player can explore Downtown and see a bustling city. After meeting Pillow, Poinie can go to the bar to attend the party, which was mentioned at the beginning of the game: while the title is brimming with good intentions and a sincere desire to be creative, Poinie's Poin never really has the means to fully achieve its ambitions, with some passages begging for more interactivity.
Nevertheless, Poinie's Poin is bound to charm, over the three hours that make up its adventure. The levels are always short enough not to exhaust the player, and the staging ideas follow one another without interruption. The cast is always engaging and one cannot help but feel a real affection for Poinie's reactions, both in his bursts of joy and excitement – such as when he goes into space with a rocket, like his hero – and in his moments of fear or sadness. Like a delightful children's tale, Poinie's Poin has a happy ending, without any fuss or fanfare. There is no dramatic twist: after all, it was always and only about helping Poinie find his mother. But the adventure that ensued and the friends made along the way are wonderful memories in the eyes of a child. Poinie probably doesn't understand the sadness of the PetitGang and Lilin, when he says goodbye to them. It is perhaps the most beautiful evidence of Alvion's sincerity. In the eyes of the ingenuous child, every day is an adventure; in the eyes of the grown-ups, every day that passes adds to the yearning. Navigating between these two themes, the studio has crafted a title with undeniable charm for everyone.
Played during the Backloggd’s Game of the Week (Jan. 17 – Jan. 23, 2023).
The Alvion studio, created in 1996, brought together creators who had gained experience on the PlayStation. Some had been in the industry for many years, such as Tomikazu Kirita, employed by Konami before moving towards Sony. His work includes a variety of games, from Tokimeki Memorial (1994) to Sparkster (1994), embracing both adventure and action-oriented genres. This topical eclecticism is reflected in the rest of the team. The director, Hajime Yoshikawa, was involved in Circadia (1999), Alvion's first game, a blend between an RPG and a visual novel against the backdrop of a mystery. While Alvion, like many small Japanese studios, is nowadays mostly called upon to help out with larger projects, their earliest titles were unique and reflected a very particular conception of the video game medium. Poinie's Poin is the perfect illustration of this experimentalism, at the crossroads between genres.
The player assumes the role of Poinie, a very young child, in a rather disconcerting in medias res beginning. Immediately, the protagonist is thrown into a big city, without any reference points. This is a very clever debut, as the player quickly understands that little Poinie is lost and is looking for his mother. After a short exploration in the streets of Downtown, the adventure finally begins and Poinie goes from citizen to citizen, asking them if they know where he lives, while helping them with their problems. Meanwhile, Lolo, a rebellious girl, decides to attack Downtown with toxic poins, coloured spheres which change living beings into monsters by altering their emotions. Poinie's Poin is, with this very simple premise, a game for children and the title fully exploits this aesthetic. The game is vibrant, with a palette ranging from pastel to glossy: it exudes an absurd, dreamlike, cartoonish beauty, entirely appropriate for the different levels Poinie explores: the restaurant's kitchen is literally a volcano, while the fridge houses the snowy level. With every new location, Poinie's Poin comes up with fresh ideas to push its absurdity to the next level, as if it were powered entirely by fizzy sugar.
The game is clad in a slightly irreverent fiction, yet it remains very good-natured and respectful of its characters, much like Crayon Shin-chan (1990). At the same time, Americanis influences, typical of the early 2000s, can be felt throughout the game. The style is similar to PaRappa the Rapper (1996) – Kirita was the executive producer on the second opus – and the game emphasises its full English dubbing as the standard version, even though the title was never officially localised for the West. The dialogue is written with exceptional candour and it is hard not to smile every time Poinie blurts out 'Yippie yo! You can't touch this!' or 'Coolio!'. While it seems obvious that he is unable to understand all the subtleties of the grown-ups, he always does the best he can and, in return, the rest of the cast is very protective of him, despite the appearances. The PetitGang eventually uses his catchphrases, while the adults always help him in his quest to find his mother. Toxic poins are seen as disruptors of the social contract, as they reveal suppressed desires, but the game always reminds players that it is through moderation and respect for others that a congenial society can be fostered.
This upbeat message is, of course, wrapped up in a sugary, childlike shell. The title makes a lot of effort to communicate non-verbally, to help young players progress. The main mechanics revolve around the poins spheres, which can take on three colours, and it is quite easy to grasp how they work. Similarly, there are many signs scattered around the world, to give indications through small cartoony drawings. These elements are very welcome and offer real accessibility for children, especially with the full dubbing – Poinie cannot read the signs, so his companion Poin reads them aloud – but they do not fare well with certain archaic game design features. The camera cannot be controlled manually, and therefore it is not uncommon to miss an important element. Likewise, some rooms have a slightly obtuse resolution, leading to a poor pacing in the progression. This lack of clarity is damaging and highlights the discrepancy between the title's ambition and its practical implementation: whether in the Jungle level, Halloween Manor or Planet Point, getting stuck for a few minutes and trying to brute-force a solution is not unusual.
The platforming action can also be confusing, especially with such an unreadable camera. Often it will be stuck in a wall or refuse to turn with the L1 reset. The boss fights, while providing real diversity within the game's basic concept, are sometimes frustrating, due to Poinie's somewhat unpleasant movements. The battle against Halloween, for example, requires clearing away the poins that support the gravestones, but the boss's hitbox is so large that projectiles often end up on them, rather than on the intended target. These issues are never critical, but detract from a game full of creative ideas. Even outside of the main quest, the player can explore Downtown and see a bustling city. After meeting Pillow, Poinie can go to the bar to attend the party, which was mentioned at the beginning of the game: while the title is brimming with good intentions and a sincere desire to be creative, Poinie's Poin never really has the means to fully achieve its ambitions, with some passages begging for more interactivity.
Nevertheless, Poinie's Poin is bound to charm, over the three hours that make up its adventure. The levels are always short enough not to exhaust the player, and the staging ideas follow one another without interruption. The cast is always engaging and one cannot help but feel a real affection for Poinie's reactions, both in his bursts of joy and excitement – such as when he goes into space with a rocket, like his hero – and in his moments of fear or sadness. Like a delightful children's tale, Poinie's Poin has a happy ending, without any fuss or fanfare. There is no dramatic twist: after all, it was always and only about helping Poinie find his mother. But the adventure that ensued and the friends made along the way are wonderful memories in the eyes of a child. Poinie probably doesn't understand the sadness of the PetitGang and Lilin, when he says goodbye to them. It is perhaps the most beautiful evidence of Alvion's sincerity. In the eyes of the ingenuous child, every day is an adventure; in the eyes of the grown-ups, every day that passes adds to the yearning. Navigating between these two themes, the studio has crafted a title with undeniable charm for everyone.