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Gamecock, as a publisher, has received a lot of
attention in the media lately. Whether it be due to their
aspirational view of independent development, their increasingly
long list of noteworthy videogame titles or their attention-grabbing
antics, Gamecock is a publisher that has come from nowhere to being
placed squarely on the videogames map. And yet, they managed to do
this before even releasing a single title…
Forthcoming titles Velvet Assassin and
Legendary have received mixed opinions from their respective
previews, with your own
Electronic Theatre believing the latter in particular shows
promise. The first Current-Generation release from the publisher in
Europe is Wideload Games’ – the team responsible for the humorous
and often underrated Stubbs The Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse
on the Xbox - Hail to the Chimp, a Party Game in which
players take the roles of candidates vying for election as the next
King of the Animals, due for release on Friday, 19th September,
2008.
Hail to the Chimp serves as a basic Mini-Game Compilation
under the surface, akin to
Fuzion Frenzy 2 and
Viva Piñata: Party Animals. The game
features online and local Multi-Player for up to four-players, with
any shortage in human opponents being substituted with Artificial
Intelligence opponents. Ten Maps will be available in the final
build, however in the version
Electronic Theatre received only the first was available,
with three different objectives.
The setting was a stylishly colourful factory. The first
objective simply saw players competing to collect the most Clams,
which appear throughout the Map at random, but could also be knocked
from opponents with attacks. As well as basic attacks on the X
Button, players can team-up and do varying team-attacks, depending
on their choice of characters, to cause increasing damage and split
the proceeds. The second objective plays similarly, with the goal
being the first to deposit seventy-five Clams in their Ballot Box.
Further Maps, such as a waterfall and mountain, are due
to arrive in the final build, and the interesting art style present
here is intriguing enough to suggest some further attention should
be paid to the title upon release. The characters – although
occasionally clichéd – are colourful and perfectly representational
of their agendas. However, it’s the presentation of the game
 overall
the intrigues the most. Pseudo adverts running throughout a
broadcast on in-game television channel GRR News, hosted by
Woodchuck Chumley, with players being drip-fed political satire and
self-referential humour that truly adds weight to the package.
Hail to the Chimp’s presentation may confuse
many, but will most likely be held alongside the likes South Park
when suggesting its target demographic. In truth, the context of
the humour is more likely to strike with fans of 1980’s sitcom
The New Statesman or the oft criticized Brass Eye. While
not being overly original in gameplay,
Hail to the Chimp has
an edge on it’s competition; not only does it offer a greater level
of depth in it’s Mini-Games, but each action feels a part of the
whole, rather than simply a dash for points. Hail to the Chimp
is a promising prospect, despite the seemingly muddled market
position, and should it perform well at retail it could open the
door for more like minded, politically-minded humorous titles. |
