A few more tidbits on “There’s Japan”

GameWatch updated again and I did my best haiku-translating job to try and make sense of the latest details on this intriguing PSP “game”. It looks like there are two very different modes; one that looks pretty and one that’s actually useful. That’s starting to sound like a Sony credo for game design. Anyways, in the prettier 3D mode you fly around in your UFO ship and observe the pixelly prefectures of Japan. It sounds like this is just for show as the real gameplay interaction takes place in Survey Mode. This mode looks a little more like Google Maps with large patches of green for ground and yellow for roads. As you fly around Japan “fishing” for giant silhouettes your radar acts like a fishfinder and after a roulette battle (which may include region-specific trivia) you’ll be rewarded with goodies! Outfits, items, and new landmarks appear in your inventory and on the map, fleshing out the landscape.

Why do I get excited about games that have no chance of coming out here? It’s like I’m some kind of gaming masochist. Actually, the way I torture myself with some games I wouldn’t be surprise.