Eracha
Standard hop 'n' bop adventure (in Korean!)
If you need to keep a younger gamer entertained for a few brief hours, then this obscure little platformer might be just what you need. It's not exactly a classic and isn't going to tax the veteran genre fan much but for some simple, undemanding fun, it does the job well enough. It's a Korean game but although the in-game text is in Korean, it doesn't really matter much as you don't need to read it to enjoy the game. You take control of a sort of caveman/troll who is out to rescue his fellow villagers and with this epic journey taking him around the world, to places as far afield as Japan, Mexico and Europe. It's all pretty standard stuff in terms of gameplay, with the usual platforms to leap around, enemies to defeat and secrets to discover but the levels are generally well designed and keep you interested through their encouragement to explore. Combat is an interesting addition to the game, with a variety of weapons to collect but which is rather awkwardly implemented and often resorts to simple button mashing. You've got some nicely designed boss battles to enjoy as well, but these veer between very easy and ridiculously difficult depending on whether you have enough of the right kind of ammo for the appropriate weapon. The controls are simple enough and generally responsive but the collision detection is a bit hit-and-miss which provides the occasional frustration. The visuals are quite charming in their old-school way with some nice sprites and environments, while there is a fair amount to do in the game, thanks to the plethora of secrets and bonuses to discover. Eracha is far from being a must play but if you like checking out obscure Eastern games or enjoy oddities like Great Giana Sisters, it's worth a look.
Obscure but enjoyable Korean platformer
One for fans of obscure Korean games as well as platformer, Erachacha is a cute little adventure that makes some for some satisfyingly enjoyable action and is well worth hunting out. The game features an unusually convoluted storyline, which is sadly wasted on anyone who doesn't speak Korean, as well as some nifty level and character design to create an imaginative experience. The plot involves the usual Oriental mysticism that Westerners seem to love so much and revolves around the attempts of a sort of troll/caveman/goblin who seeks to save his world from the machinations of the Dark King, who has brought chaos to the land with his army of evil ghosts. The many and varied levels take you all around the world in your quest, with gameplay taking the form of a fairly standard platformer that also throws in a few puzzle elements to mix things up. Levels are large and encourage exploration, with plenty of bonus areas and hidden passages to be discovered by the truly adventurous, and which are populated by an extensive variety of enemies. You have a variety of weapons available to take these guys out, but perhaps the strangest feature is the main character's ability to urinate in certain areas, which causes a large trampoline-like mushroom to appear! Visually, the game is actually quite appealing and has a good sense of character, with lots of nicely colourful sprites and some vivid and imaginative environments to explore. The music is quite catchy but does get repetitive quickly as the tunes aren't very long. Erachacha is certainly no classic platformer like Mario, Sonic or Rayman, but for fans of obscure and unusual games, this is definitely worth a look, thanks to its combination of solid action and neat level design.
