Update: July 5, 2007
«©NCSX» It's the summer of 1975 and Mama's about to have another baby. She already has a 10-year old named Boku who's becoming a handful and is beginning to fray her nerves. Mama decides to send Boku to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in the countryside of Hokkaido so she can relax and prepare herself for the birthing process. One day, a train takes Boku from the city to the country. Aboard the train, he peers out the window at the greenery while poppy keeps a watchful eye over him. At one point, Boku leans out the window (possibly illegal and clearly dangerous) and symbolically looks forward to the summer of fun that awaits him. Upon disembarking at Hanauta Station, Boku and his father are greeted by Boku's uncle and girl cousin at the train platform. The girl cousin compares her height to Boku with a swish of the hand and they all travel by car to the ranch that Boku will be calling home for the next few weeks. Boku's aunt greets them at the door and we can see that she's carrying a baby on her back with a sling. Boku can engage in various activities such as catching insects, flying kites, swimming, enjoying the summer festival, skipping stones across a river, and even pitting beetles against each other. Sony boasts over 100 diversions that may be played in the game. Jan Code: 4948872730105 View the back cover and screenshots for this item on the main NCSX website.
NCS Game Notes
» The ranch house features conventional Japanese style with sliding doors and tatami mats. Inside, it's darkly lit darkly but looks comfy and cozy. There's no television in the house which means the kids keep themselves occupied outdoors. » There's one point in the game where one of the cows gives birth to a baby cow with spindly legs and the family gathers around to check it out. » Chickens peck realistically at the ground when they're eating. » Insects and plants can be collected and then categorized into a virtual scrapbook. When exploring the outdoors, the chatter and buzzing of insects may be heard permeating the air. » When auntie performs her daily household chores, her baby is always slung to her back. The baby is quiet and never cries. The nursery is immaculately rendered with a little crib, a desk, a lamp, and a "Breezes" poster. When Boku spends time in the nursery with his aunt or girl cousin, the drapes slowly billow from the breeze outside and the hanging toy ducks above the crib slowly rotate. It's a beautiful scene that's somewhat evocative of a Norman Rockwell painting. One complaint that we have is that there were too many plush toys in the baby's crib which can be potentially hazardous. » Boku uses a net with a lengthy handle to catch insects. Stand around and swish the net around and he'll catch butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, and other insects. Once a bug is caught, Boku will lay the net down and then squat down to retrieve the insect with his hands. The screen then shows which insect was caught with a short description and a photo. In order to catalog and save an insect to HDD, Boku must take the specimen home and bring it up to his desk. Press the "O-button" and select the first choice to mount the bug to a specimen case. Once Boku has collected a good number of insects, it possible to pore over them with a magnifying glass and check them out. » To travel around quickly, Boku can sit down on a piece of cardboard and then slide through the fields and grounds with wild abandon. » The beetle battles are entertaining to watch and generally last for a few seconds. Note that Boku has no control over the outcome of a contest but it's wise to collect as big a beetle as possible to ensure consistent victories. In the wild world of insects, size matters. » The alternate name for the game is Boku no Natsuyasumi: Summer Holiday. This document is ©NCSX 2007. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
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