Forums → Games → Underrated Game of the Week - 4/12/08

Greetings! If you don't already know me, I'm Megamickel, purveyor of ranting, raving, and destroyer of mainstream idiocy. Today I'm proud to introduce my new weekly column - the underrated game of the week. In this column, which will be published each Saturday, I will give the community a little info about a game that I don't feel gets the recognition it deserves, and give my personal opinion of the game. I've noticed that a lot of really great games don't get the recognition or support that they've earned, so I've decided that I might shed a little light on these hidden gems.

And now, without further adieu, I give you the first review: Drunken Masters! I'd like to bring up this game which you may have noticed, but didn't actually play enough to fully appreciate. The game starts off by allowing you to select from a list of characters. This in itself makes the game fun, because how you start the game can have an effect on how you play, at least in the beginning. Then the game shocks you by putting you right in the action - before stopping it abruptly and taking you to the tutorial. DO NOT SKIP THE TUTORIAL. If you do, you will miss out on how to play the game. Drunken Masters involves a lot of complex elements, like mixing drinks and flaring, that do require some basic skill. Playing through the tutorial will GREATLY improve the fun level of the game. And don't forget the $50 bonus.
Personally, my favorite aspect of the game is the flaring - performing tricks while you mix drinks to keep the customers entertained. It makes the game more than just a monotonous "keep the customers coming" game, like so many others before it and like it would be doomed to become without some other gameplay element. The flaring is so important, in fact, that it's important to master building combos and performing the advanced tricks, especially in later rounds where the money earned for tips increases.
The RPG-style character building element also makes the game interesting. You decide how to spend your points - do you want to be making bottles fly so high they take out birds, or do you want to be able to catch anything that comes your way, or how about making customers give you bigger tips? Depends on your style of play. Personally, I put them into charisma and dexterity. But it's up to you.
The VS mode is really fun - it forces you to perform the best combo you can in order to beat a series of opponents (the selectable bartenders you DIDN'T choose). This is one of my favorite aspects. Completing all the VS rounds will earn you a NICE monetary bonus.
All in all, the game doesn't get near the recognition it deserves, especially with all the innovative gameplay it comprises of. The entertainment value on this is very high, and will give you many, many hours of fun.

Until next Saturday, this is Megamickel, logging out.