Nippon Safes, Inc. - Dynabyte
I remember getting this game for the PC back in the day, not sure what I was thinking when I did, but at that point in time, anything that was an adventure game I would buy. And I’m glad I did. OK it is not monkey island but the game is still pretty good and fun to play as well. The whole game is set in Tyoko, the anagram Tokyo and revolves around three ex-cons recently released from jail. The first, Doug, is a science geek who has the brains but unfortunately, no charisma or personality.
Nippon Safes, Inc. - Dynabyte
I remember getting this game for the PC back in the day, not sure what I was thinking when I did, but at that point in time, anything that was an adventure game I would buy. And I’m glad I did. OK it is not monkey island but the game is still pretty good and fun to play as well. The whole game is set in Tyoko, the anagram Tokyo and revolves around three ex-cons recently released from jail. The first, Doug, is a science geek who has the brains but unfortunately, no charisma or personality. Then there's Dino, a massive chunk of muscle with not an ounce of intelligence and finally the gorgeous Donna, a Jessica rabbit look alike working
as a nightclub dancer.
At the start of the game you get to choose which character you want to take on this journey around Japan’s capital. You can play with all three if you like as each plays a part in the overall story, but that doesn't mean you have to, it’s up to you. When I started, I just played them one at a time and during the course of the game, you will meet the others as all their stories are intertwined.
This is an adventure game but it’s much more simplified. There are only 4 commands for your chosen person to use, EXAMINE, TALK, PICK UP and OPEN/CLOSE. You can access these commands by clicking the right hand button on the mouse and the big red arrow will change to a list which you pick which one you want as well as showing you what you are carrying. Walking is controlled with the left hand button so it is the usual point and click. This does make it easier to use and it frees up the whole of the screen for just the story instead of an inventory part and command part but I still miss the many commands that you can perform such as the ones in Sierra and LucasArts games.
Although it’s easier to control, don’t make the assumption that the game is easy as you know what happens when you assume. The puzzles in this game are very difficult, not so much that you’ll be scratching your head for weeks as when you eventually find out what to do, you’ll kick yourself for not thinking about it in the first place. The tip is if you are stuck, think what the skills of your chosen person are (e.g. Dino is all muscle, so he can lift things that Doug wouldn’t be able to).
The graphics look like they’ve been artistically drawn and then uploaded onto a computer as they’ve got a certain comic book feel to them. It’s very different and the cartoon graphics work well with the overall game. The sound quality is poor, as all it was made for was the PC internal speaker and there’s no speech but you’d expect it from an old game like this anyway.
Nippon’s basic premise is to walk around picking up objects and using them in the right places. Once an object has been collected, you won't be able to discard it until it's served its correct function. So my advice would be to pick up everything you can.
As you work through each character’s story, you will from time to time bump into the other two. This is what connects the three games together. I can give you examples but I think it would be better for you to see yourself but I can tell that there is a very funny climatic ending involving all three.
The game is really funny, right from the off. Boxer Dino's stupid theories and answers are in complete contrast to Safe-cracker Doug’s smart ass comments. The makers of the game obviously thought what it lacks in some areas, it will make up in wit and sarcasm which it does perfectly.
Nippon Safes Inc isn't the best adventure game I’ve ever played but it’s certainly not the worst. With it also not being a long game, the choice of three different paths gives you a lot more playability time and also making it a lot more entertaining. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes adventures as it plays very differently to others so it’s definitely worth a download.
