Review: Just your average rice-cake streaking through a haunted spa game…

The eShop added a few new titles to its line-up this week, including Gameboy Tennis and a truly strange and funny little DSi platformer from Aksys Games

Pro Jumper! Chimaki’s Hot Spring Tour! Guilty Gear Tangent!? puts you in the role of Chimaki the living rice cake. At the beginning of each level, Chimaki staggers home (presumably from his job as a minor sight-gag in the Guilty Gear games) suffering from pains that can only be cured by a quick trip to a spa. Unfortunately, every place he chooses is full of odd little creatures and demons who object to a non-member running nearly naked through their workplace. Armed only with a towel to snap, Chimaki runs and jumps his way to the boss-guarded hot tub at the end of each level. It’s like Ghosts n’ Goblins meets Spirited Away.

Basic and unforgiving, Pro Jumper’s appeal lies in its colorful, humorous style. Chimaki’s animation is great, and he controls well enough–though the leap-of-faith level designs and unfair instant death surprises will cause many players some frustration.

With a mere handful of levels, is it worth $4.99? Just barely (h’yuk!) Besides the crazy humor, I do enjoy several features of this game, which is clearly designed for quick sessions of on-the-go, high-challenge platforming. There are mid-point and boss-point saves, and you can always begin your session by skipping completed levels. The enemies are funny and well-drawn. When repeating a boss battle, you’ll always be on your toes, because the little villain randomly switches up his attack patterns.

Still pictures don’t do it justice. Check out this video and rest easy knowing the voice you hear is not featured in the game.

Whimsical, surreal and unique, PJCHSTGGT (yikes!) is a fun little download if you’ve got five bucks to spend on a light platformer that delivers about half what you’d expect from a full retail release. If, however, you own a 3DS and still haven’t downloaded the far-superior Donkey Kong GB yet, get that instead.