Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Acquisition #150: Ore no Ryouri (PlayStation)

True story: I've been a bit obsessed with this PlayStation-based cooking game since I first heard about it shortly after its Japanese release in 1999.

Despite my interest in it, though, I've yet to play it. Oh, I've attempted to play it via emulation a few times in the past, but for whatever reason none of the PlayStation emulators I've used recognize my controller's analog sticks--which are required to play Ore no Ryouri's Order Up!-esque, restaurant-based mini-games.

Given the above, you might find it strange that I recently decided to pick up a complete-in-case copy of this Japan-only game--a number of photos of which can be seen below.



The fact is, I've been thinking of buying either a Japanese PSone or PS2 system for ages, so picking up a copy of Ore no Ryouri--especially a rather cheap one--didn't seem all that weird to me.


In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to busy myself by taking in the beauty that is Ore no Ryouri's disc label (above), which makes the CD appear as if it's a bowl of delicious ramen.



Just as cool, in my opinion, is the image that sits behind the disc tray--which looks like a bowl of ramen that's (nearly) been wiped clean.

Although I won't be able to share my impressions of Ore no Ryouri for at least a short while, interested parties can go to the Twin Dreams blog to read more about it in the interim.

See also: previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

10 comments:

michaelstearns said...

I really wonder about the influence Ore no Ryouri has had over time, if any! Ore seems pretty hard core in terms of having you doing a lot of stuff and it sounds really hectic, but most restaurant-type games I've seen, like Cooking Mama and Diner Dash, tend to just focus on one aspect, making or serving (and certainly not doing the dishes or phoning the cops).

I've never played it, but there was a guy (kind of a jerk, I didn't like him) on this forum I used to go to who really put it on a pedestal along with (or above) classy stuff like SF3, Radiant Silvergun. At the time it sounded like nonsense, but with so many similarly themed games out there now, Ore no Ryouri seems to have just been ahead of its time (and largely unrecognized by the existing audience).

superphillip32 said...

I think it's awesome how you share these little-known-this-part-of-the-world games that you purchase. It's really awesome, Bryan. Thanks for sharing! Looks like an interesting title.

thegaygamer.com said...

I don't know if this will mean anything to you or not, Michael, but I've never read a bad thing about this game--from people who've actually played it, I mean. Pretty much everyone praises it to the hills and back, which makes me think it's probably at least worth checking out.


Also, I have to say that the things you pointed out here (this game's hectic atmosphere, etc.) are what appeal to me most--well, along with its art style. One thing I hate about games like Cooking Mama is that they're too subdued. There's no tension. And, for me, there really should be a bit of tension in a game like this. You're running a restaurant, for crying out loud!


Anyway, I'll finally be able to test it out shortly, so once that happens I'll be sure to write up another post about it here :)

thegaygamer.com said...

Thanks, Phillip--and you're welcome! I'll definitely do my best to continue posting about these kinds of games. I'll also do my best to follow up these kinds of posts with ones that actually explain how they work and what I think about them. Anyway, thanks again!

michaelstearns said...

Oh yeah, what little I've heard has always been good as well. I suppose mentioning "the jerk" is a little more anecdotal than needed--I don't mean to suggest it has anything to do with the game, just that it kind of added to the weirdness of hearing about it and how it was this really good game. Now a game about cooking isn't weird at all!

thegaygamer.com said...

I liked your anecdote, Michael! No worries. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how I fare with it. Hopefully I'll enjoy it as much as I'm thinking I will :)

superphillip32 said...

When even I do not know of a game's existence, you've obviously picked something unique!

thegaygamer.com said...

Huh! I thought this was a pretty well-known import, actually. It's certainly known by the US gamers who played an untranslated demo of it back in the day. Anyway, I'm glad I could introduce you to it, Phillip!

apricotsushi said...

Wow, this game sounds like a lot of fun! I Googled some screenshots and definitely like what I see. I'll have to put it on my list of things to look for in Japan! Is it reasonably priced in general, or one of those tricky harder-to-find titles?

thegaygamer.com said...

Oh, yes, I'd definitely consider tracking down a copy while you're in Japan, Anne. And, really, it should be pretty cheap there. Copies tend to go for about $30 on eBay, after all. Anyway, I look forward to you sharing your opinions on it should you pick up a copy!