Director/Designer Suda 51 and his development team Grasshopper Manufacturer have made a name for themselves over the years. On the Nintendo side of things, Suda has brought some of the more violent and controversial titles to the scene with Killer 7 and No More Heroes as his more recent efforts.
Download Unlimited DSi Games FOR FREE!
Before that, however – over four years prior, in fact – Suda released Flower, Sun, and Rain for PS2 in Japan. As a strange mix of puzzle and adventure, this unique game saw very mixed reviews in Japan, and now eight years later the team is bringing the game worldwide for the first time on Nintendo DS.
Flower, Sun, and Rain is perhaps one of the strangest games I've ever played, and keep in mind I'm fresh off Knights in the Nightmare by developer Sting. The story follows a man by the name of Sumio Mondo who is a "searcher" by occupation. Basically he's an all-around detective who works freelance for the highest bidder.
When a mysterious call comes in from the Flower, Sun, and Rain Hotel one day Sumio accepts the job knowing little about the situation, and what unfolds is one of the strangest, "toss you on in" offerings out there. You play as Sumio, you learn what he learns, and have very little at your disposal from the outset.
Since Sumio is a searcher by nature the mysterious man relies on a few tools of the trade, all combined into one do-it-all briefcase he named Catherine. Why Catherine, you might ask? Well in Sumio's own words, "It's better than working with a guy named 'Bob' all day, every day." Ok then. Right from minute one the game bombards you with some strange scenes and nonsensical design, and it's up to you to figure out what is going on.
Movies play periodically throughout the adventure, acting as single screen only cinemas that may or may not tell you anything about the game. There's a lot of style here, but not a whole lot of substance. After you're plopped into the first stage of the game – a deserted parking lot – it becomes painfully obvious how the experience will be playing out.
Download Unlimited DSi Games From Nintendo DSi Center!
You walk around the world with Sumio, can interact with random objects via the touch screen or A button, and they in turn either initiate either a cinema that tells story, inner monologue with Sumio, or jack-in challenge. Jack into people or objects successfully and you'll progress the story.
