Every now and then we all need a little work time fun. Hectic schedules and time consuming tasks require some relief...and D3 Publishing is giving it to you. D3, in conjunction with Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), are working on bringing the wacky Japanese mini-game, Work Time Fun (originally titled Baito Hell 2000), to the shores of the US. This single or multiplayer mini-game affair challenges players to test their timing and reactionary skills. Mini-games in Work Time Fun (WTF for short) are as ridiculous as they are zany and outrageous. After playing enough of this game, no one will be able to think about anything except WTF.
Nintendo’s DS continues to dominate the market with simple games that capture the attention of a casual gaming audience. Titles like Brain Age
have kept gamers busy for hours on end with its vast assortment of interactive mini-games. It seems D3 and SCE are trying to snare the same kind of audience with Work Time Fun. The game's oddball mini-games and wacky presentation seem like a good formula for success when it comes to the handheld arena.
Jobs from the underworld
In Work Time Fun, there’s well over 40 mini-games and each mini-game has various skill levels, and each provides players with various lengths in gameplay. Specifically, players are assigned to “jobs” by the game’s "Job Demon", a less-than-scary beast who gives you various tasks to complete. If players are successful in completing a job, they will be given a check that they can cash in at a gumball machine. The gumball machine is where players can redeem goodies, some of which include: videos, clocks, extra mini-games, and other seemingly useless treasures. Some items that are unlocked can also be traded with other players, via ad-hoc.
As for the actual mini-games, they range from a number of different goofy ideas. And, coincidently, Work Time Fun seems more like the PSP version of Nintendo’s Brain Age for the DS, only with an extra flair of wackiness tossed in for good measure. Each mini-game is fairly simple in context, but can be very challenging to complete depending on the player’s skill. For instance, one game has one or two players Drag Racing near the edge of a cliff. The objective: to go as fast as possible and stop the car as close to the edge of the cliff as possible -- without falling off. While the task seems remarkably straightforward, it’s actually quite difficult to complete, due to the precise timing required to skillfully stop the car ahead of the opponent. Another mini-game involves stopping a crowd from getting to a stage where a musician is performing -- much like a bouncer would do -- and players can throw crowd members into each other to prevent them from getting to the stage. Also, there is a mini-game included wherein you need to chop up wood. Here, though, players have to exercise caution, as there is an old lady that puts the wood up to be chopped and she will try to toss odd items into the mix. The first player to successfully "mess up", and chop a non-wood item, will lose the game.
Face of evil
Not all the mini-games make sense, though. Some of them are just downright quirky, like the “Drunken Mayor” game. This game has players directing a drunken mayor’s hand in cutting the tape at an opening ceremony. In another case, players will have to fight head-to-head, using a martial arts fighter against what can only be called a giant face with a protuberant nose... Or in another mini-game, players have to quickly paint fingernails before the time runs out. Like I said, quirky. The other games are quite difficult to explain, but seem like they could provide hours of fun for players.
For those who found titles like Brain Age to be entertaining, Work Time Fun is right up that alley. Otherwise, if you’re a bitter PSP owner, who envied DS gamers for their abundant supply of mini-games, this game could be a worthy alternative. With over 40 mini-games, tons of unlockable content, and a multiplayer feature, D3's Work Time Fun seems like good a addition to the mini-game genre. PSP owners can look for Work Time Fun to hit shelves in the US on September 26, and be sure to stay tuned in with Vgcore.com for more information and news.
