Game details
| Name | Kimaru |
| Published Year | 2001 |
| Companies | E. Hashimoto |
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Type | Golf-ish |
Game Review
To be quite honest, I can't put my finger on the exact reason I like this game. Maybe it's the crisp and clear graphics. On the other hand, the sound reminds me of a wailing banshee. It's gameplay is well-done and straight-to-the point, yet it all seems so damn easy. Now then, let's dissect why I like this game.
Let's start with the premise. Basically, it's a golf game. I'd say miniature golf before regular golf, but then, it doesn't fit either. You start with a ball, and you have to sink it in the hole. However, the hole isn't flat on the ground, it has slightly elevated sides. Also, there are various special surfaces which I'll get to later. You have a par, and if you sink the hole over it, you'll get +moves, which basically means you're over the score you need to unlock the next world. When you're under your par, points get removed, meaning that it'll be easier, or even viable to go to the next world. Let's talk gameplay, people!
The gameplay is fairly simple. You have your power, and your jump. There are 5 jump settings, from none to high. Then you have your power, which, of course, dictates how hard the ball will be flung from the starting point. You can select a power level and jump level, and then the game will show you how the ball will go. This is an exact estimate, so the ball WILL end up where you selected. Easy, huh? Well, yes, but not THAT easy. After you've selected power/jump, you still have to get those values. Start by pressing space, you'll see the power gauge going from low to high, accelerating to the point of most power, and once again going back to low, this time decelerating. To get the result you want, press space when it hits your selected power level. Same with jump, even though power is somewhat more difficult due to the fact that there's more seperate settings.
I mentioned special surfaces in the introduction. Now, let's see some of those. You'll find these in the first two world, other obstacles you're going to have to find on your own ;) You have your regular sand pocket, which slows the ball to a halt. Hitting it from a sand pocket can be troublesome, as you lose a lot of power when your ball ends up in one. Then you have the revserse pad, a red, trampoline-ish pad, which reverses the direction your ball to left, instead of the game's regular right. Then there's arrows, which fling the ball, when hitting it, in whichever direction the arrow is pointed at. Now, these are all obstacles, but as this is a puzzle game, you're often going to have to depend on them to get to a solution. Because once again, you need to be under the world's par score, in order to progress.
The game looks very cute. I guess that's all I can call it. Crisp, very nicely-drawn sprites with cute backgrounds and nice colours, really helps the game along. The animations are simple, but in the end, it all comes together and makes the game look very attractive. The sound, however, can be horrible at times. The creator seemed to like high-pitched blips and bleeps, and you'll get annoyed by it when you've gotten through to world 4. I can almost guarantee that. Key response is very good, so you won't get annoyed by shitty controls.
All in all, it's a freeware gem. Nice gameplay, graphics and premise, and not so nice sound, but it's not something you can't overcome with a bit of willpower and/or earplugs. Go download it, at the very least to see what the japanese freeware scene has to offer!
Screenshots & Backroom
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Windows XP compatibility
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External reviews
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Availability
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