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Series of Nintendo RPGs by renowned Japanese author, Shigesato Itoi and his development studio, APE Sofware. Massively popular in Japan (rivaling, at one point, even the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy franchises), the series takes the stereotypically medieval conventions of role-playing games and puts them into a modern, contemporary context. In doing so, the banality of most feudal-setting, 2D RPGs is hilariously realized, resulting in a surreal, yet enjoyable experience.
The stories of both games in the franchise involve a young boy living in small-town America who must battle a fiendish alien menace. Using a variety of bizarre psychic powers and the help of his friends, he overcomes unbelievable obstacles in his quest to save Earth. These obstacles often involve crazed city residents and animals--controlled by the alien being's psychic grip--grotesque monsters, deadly robots, and psychadelic universes created by the subconscious mind. Deadpan, self-referential humour is abundant, with swords, magic, save points, inns and merchants replaced with baseball bats, psychic attacks, phone conversations with Dad, hotels, and drugstores. The NPC cast is huge; populating entire towns and houses, giving advice on life-threatening, sci-fi scenarios the way ordinary people would--as colloquially and casually as possible, which is where the game derives much of its humour. The games are not very well-known outside of Japan, since the first was not released in North America or Eu...
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