Noby Noby Boy: A Perfect Compliment To Killzone 2 And God Of War 3
Noby Noby Boy has become a slight obsession for me as of late now that it suddenly has a close approaching release date and reasonable price. Katamari Damacy charmed me instantly with its absurd cuteness, and Noby Noby Boy is having the same effect. And yet, I still have no idea how Noby Noby Boy plays or really anything about it other than that it looks completely bizarre. In hopes of finding out more I checked out 1Up's interview with creator Keita Takahashi, and even though I may not understand it, I am completely hooked.
When asked if the game would have any objectives or activities to complete Takahashi apologized saying that the things that people typically expect from a video game like objectives wouldn't be found in Noby Noby Boy. But that's really not the point. Takahashi talks about how he chose the name Noby Noby Boy for his game.
"Noby Noby" = "nobinobi," an everyday Japanese word, commonly seen in newspapers or on TV. According to the dictionary, it means, "relaxed, free, and without worry," "open-minded and free," "calm and without pretense." I chose the title both because it's something lacking in this day and age, and also because it sounded good as a game title. The reason we kept it "Noby Noby" even outside Japan was because I thought it would be fun if people started using the word overseas the same way it's used in Japanese.
This I love. Noby Noby Boy isn't trying to be anything, which may be why I still scratch my head when I see a trailer for it, but because it isn't trying to be anything it can become just a simple way to relax, eat some bunnies, stretch for miles, and unwind. Will it actually be fun? I have no idea, but I'm willing to give it a shot. "It's the perfect break after winding down from a game of Killzone 2 and before starting up God of War 3." Takahashi replied when asked about the game's lasting appeal, and I couldn't agree more. Life brings enough stress as it is, and while action games can be one way to work off that stress, sometimes you need something a little more mellow and carefree. And it seems like that is the kind of experience that Takahashi is aiming for with Noby Noby Boy.
Just in case you haven't yet been won over by Noby Noby Boy's charm, I'll leave you with this quote from the interview.
1UP: Apart from the functionality of showing whether players are connected online, is there any particular reason you chose to have a parrot sit in the corner of the screen?Keita Takahashi: Because it's cute.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Noby Noby Boy Preview [1Up]
NaviFairy
Posted to Video Games on 18 December 2008
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