Vib Ribbon

for Sony Playstation

Distributed by
Sony

You're a rabbit, but dispel all thoughts of Bugs Bunny. You're more akin to the Simpsons when they began life as crudely-drawn fiiller material during The Tracey Ullman Show. If you were brought up in the 1980s on the Atari VCS, Asteroids and the Vectrex, you'll know what to expect in the visual department. Prepare to reminisce as your stick-figure rabbit walks the ribbon that resembles a hospital's heart monitor in glorious white-on-black monochrome.

The idea is simple: stay alive by jumping over potholes, looping loops and climbing hills with unrivalled eye-to-hand co-ordination, the land creations arising from the game's interpretation of the tinkly Japanese pop nonsense whining away in the background and pressing the correct buttons provides the way forward, a la Parappa the Rapper. Succeed and the game speeds up, obstacles become more tricky as they combine - requiring two simultaneous buttons to be pushed - and you're a winner. Fail to complete the task and you'll morph into a frog. Do even more badly and you'll turn into a worm with a TV for a head (!)

The music does improve though, but you only have yourself to blame if you don't like it. Vib Ribbon allows you to remove the game disc, pop in your own CD and dance to your own tune. Sony have even placed downloadable tunes online from Nightmares on Wax, Utah Saints and Moloko. I've yet to try The Best of Val Doonican though.

Overall, you have to see it to believe it. When I first read the description for our Vib, I thought it was as enticing as school exams. The gameplay took some getting used to but it's certainly worth persevering with and pretty soon you'll be fighting off anyone who dares steal your joypad for their slice of entertainment.

As platformers go, it has an air of originality about it - and how many games can claim that trophy these days?

Overall: 4/5

This review was on Freeloader.com before they closed down.

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2000.