Collection essentials #355: Engacho! (PS1)

Here’s an example of a bizarre little Japanese thing that absolutely never would have seen release outside in other regions back then.

Engacho! is a game about a scared little boy whose father has decided that the right parenting choice is to throw the boy into the source of his fear so he can overcome it. A questionable choice, but at least we players got a fun game out of it. This is a puzzle game where the goal is to make it to the end of a stage in a certain number of steps. In his way will be monsters. Whenever the boy moves a space, the monsters will move also. What makes it a puzzle is the fact that the way the monsters move depends entirely on what the boy does. There are four types of monsters, and they each have a different pattern. For example, one will always move in the same direction as the boy, another moves in the opposite direction, and so on. The monsters are all gross in some way, such as one with a big snotty nose and another with hairy smelly armpits. When they “get” the boy, you’re treated to a little scene of them grossing him out.

There are also stages at the end of each world where you face off against your dad. The two of you take turns moving, and your goal is to have the monsters get him before they get you. When you beat the game, you’ll unlock a new set of levels that are much harder. I believe the game has a multiplayer mode that also works like this, but I haven’t tried it myself.

I don’t have a whole lot more to say about Engacho, other than that it’s really fun and I enjoyed my time with it a lot. I didn’t bother to try and conquer the super hard levels. I have a soft spot for fun and quirky Japanese games, and this is a great example.