Yuke Yuke Trouble Makers

*Originally Written: 4/22/2000, Rewritten: 3/2/2002

What we've got here is yet another stunning game from Treasure entitled Yuke Yuke Trouble Makers. You may have heard of the Us version that goes by the name of Mischief Makers. They are virtually identical to one another. Other than the obvious name change and translation work, the only thing different is that they changed the voices and a couple in-game messages (that were in English already). I personally prefer the Japanese version's voices. For those who haven't had the pleasure of playing either version, you can best describe the game as a 2D platformer with puzzle elements, a small emphasis on story and the usual Treasure wackiness (read: Throwing enemies around the screen) thrown in for good measure.

There is a nice variety in the levels, the task at hand is not always "Go from point A to point B" as in most platformers. Some examples being the stage in which you must compete in an Olympic event, the stage where you escort a King out of a maze of caves and, my personal favorites, the stages where you have to ride a small bicycle. Also, in a few of the stages you get to take control of a different character who has a slightly different control scheme. This little mix in objectives really adds to the game. Don't get me wrong, you standard point A to point B objectives are still fun, and present in the game, but a little variety never hurt. Attacking enemies is a little different in Yuke Yuke Trouble Makers. Unlike most games where you simply bop an enemy on the head to dispatch them, in Yuke Yuke you must literally grab an enemy and either throw them or shake them. Shaking them can often times reveal items. On fun part of the game, to me anyway, is to pick up innocent townsfolk and throw them around. It's also quite fun throwing them into fire, but that's another story for another day. In addition to the aforementioned stage types, you've also got your boss fights. What would a game be without bosses? The bosses are quite impressive in this game, as is the case with most Treasure games.

The emphasis on story can be a small problem for non Japanese reading importers. The game is still quite funny without the story, but you may get "lost" as to what to do without the in game hints. Apart from missing the hints and the story, the game is quite import friendly. In a way, this can make the game a little harder for you since you'll miss out on all the hints. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to you. I wouldn't stress over it too much as you won't really need the hints anyway.

The controls are excellent, they really took advantage of the N64 controller. In a matter of minutes you'll be tossing enemies with the best of 'em. Saves are handled on the cart itself. No need to worry about controller paks. There is enough room on the cart to hold two separate saves, so you and a friend can each play using the same cart without having to worry about someone screwing with your data. Unless of course, you have a mean friend who likes to delete your save data for no reason.

There is a nice amount of replay value contained on this cart. As a side objective to the main game you can find or earn gold gems. Finding them is easy enough and can be accomplished with minimal searching time. Earning them, however, is another story. The tasks required to earn gold gems consist of defeating a boss without getting hit and things of that nature. The act as a reward for completing a really tough task. This side quest can keep you busy for a nice amount of time.

The music is a mixed bag. Some of it I like, while others I hate. It's a shame, because what I like, I really like. The sound FX are nothing special either. The voice samples are quite good though, and much better than the Us version, but that's just my personal opinion.

Overall, you can't really go wrong snagging this game if you like platformers. It's great if you are looking for something with a small twist. Since there is a Us version available, it might be in your best interest to get that should you not be able to read Japanese. The differences between the two are minimal so the only thing you'd be missing out on with the Us version is the great cover art. It is a shame that this is just about the only 2D platformer on N64. I may have liked this system a lot more if there were more games like this.

©2002 Ed Finnegan

Back to Review Directory