Update: November 02, 2005
NCS Synopsis: Based on the three 10-minute parodies of the Patlabor animation called MiniPato, Director Kenji Kamiyama and writer Mamoru Oshii created a whimsical take on the overly serious Patlabor drama. The characters in MiniPato consist of colorful paper cutouts that have been glued to chopsticks. Watch in amazement as paper based renditions of Captain Goto, Shigeo Shiba, and Captain Nagumo speak with authority on Patlabor weaponry, Patlabor Model 98 AV Ingram mechanical designs, and the secret of Section 2's cooking area. Introspective, self deferential, and frivolous, MiniPato inspires a PSP game which follows in its footsteps. Borrowing the design sensibilities of the MiniPato series, the PSP game features characters on chopsticks who work to convince the populace that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department isn't as uncaring and incompetent as conventional wisdom dictates. The citizenry has threatened to dismantle the entire department if things don't improve. As crime cases reach the Patlabor team members, players go out and engage in various mini-games to solve crimes by shooting thugs, exploring platform levels, and solving simple puzzles. Since everyone in the game is a paper cutout on a chopstick, characters flip and spin with aplomb as they interact with each other for comical theatrics. When shooting at menacing robots in the distance, they will spin and flip for a different type of visual effect from the usual drop-dead response. NCS Game Notes
* Japanese voice acting accompanies each snippet of text. In the beginning of the game, Captain Goto Kiichi is enjoying a little bit of fishing when his cellphone rings and summons him back to the Police Department. Goto is the commanding officer of the SV2's Second Division and he voices the entire introduction in dramatic fashion. * Everything in the game is mounted on chopsticks, from the main characters to the enemy robots to the blimps that float across the sky. View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCS site.
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