Vib-Ribbon is a rhythm game where the player must maneuver musically generated obstacles based on either the game's own soundtrack or a music CD of the player's choice. The player must avoid each obstacle by pressing the correct button at the right time - either L, R, X or down. In more complex tracks, obstacles are combined and the player must press the correct combination of buttons in order the avoid the obstacle. The game is loaded with six tracks to play by Japanese band Laugh and Peace. Additionally, the game's unique software means that the game is loaded into the console's RAM, allowing the player in insert their own music CDs, which generate a unique course for each track.
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I've been getting really into Masaya Matsuura's work with Psy・S recently and it has such an insanely timeless quality that I've quickly become obsessed with, and it's so fucking interesting how easily that quality transfers across the lines of artistic medium into Vib-Ribbon. I really wish that these kind of cross medium discoveries could happen more often, because it's such a unique feeling.
vibri, you smoke too tough. your swag too different. your bitch too bad. theyll kill you
bnnuy
Hydrogen tanks or battery packs at will, C-pillars, 390 liters of cargo capacity, over five different four-cylinder engines available, 72 different sitting variations, and the pièce de résistance : the "sandwich structure", an inclined cabin floor that made the whole thing roomier and the car shorter than its competitors while providing more safety in the case of an accident.
The brand-new Mercedes-Benz A-Class W168 (first generation) only needed top-notch advertisement to go along with, and who else than Masaya Matsuura, game designer, but most importantly key member of Japanese quirky New Wave and Synthpop band PsyS was more suited to provide some ?
They had everything, from technological innovation to a racing/rhythm game from the game designer of PaRappa the Rapper, what could possibly go wrong ?
Uh...
It can't turn.
It can't turn.
That car sucked so bad when it came to emergency maneuver NanaOn-Sha simply aborted the project and would go on turning it into Vib-Ribbon, a surreal rhythm game that unsurprisingly fits much more Masaya Matsuura's usual style, and was the bad press worth it.
Now, what might struck you at first when launching Vib-Ribbon is probably gonna be the minimalistic art direction, not only is it reminiscent of early (and most often for scientific purposes) computer graphics and provides great readability, but it also allows the game to be loaded entirely from the PlayStation's RAM, while such experimentations weren't anything new (see : the famous Banjo Tooie Stop n' Swop ), succeeding in them was much more of a rare thing,
By swapping the game disc with another music CD, the game will generate a whole stage based on the selected track.
How does it work ? Pretty easy, an obstacle is randomly generated whenever the track hits a pronounced frequency (note that this does not exclusively refer to either the drums or bass, as separating these frequencies was already a hard task for a game that had to fit in so little space, but it would also lead to very "bland" levels), which means you can play either your favorite songs or the most batshit insane stuff you could think of, making lots of rhythm games enjoyers' dream reality !
How does it work ? Pretty easy, an obstacle is randomly generated whenever the track hits a pronounced frequency (note that this does not exclusively refer to either the drums or bass, as separating these frequencies was already a hard task for a game that had to fit in so little space, but it would also lead to very "bland" levels), which means you can play either your favorite songs or the most batshit insane stuff you could think of, making lots of rhythm games enjoyers' dream reality !
And it also works well with an emulator by simply turning your mp3 file into an iso one before switching between them, I tried it out with Ground Zero Revolutionary Pekinese Opera and Eliane Radigue's Trilogie de la Mort just to experience the full spectrum !
(I mean, there's even a video of Death Grips' Get Got, anything is possible).
(I mean, there's even a video of Death Grips' Get Got, anything is possible).
Vib-Ribbon did not sell well at its release, but, unsurprisingly, quickly gained a cult following outside of Japan after it came out digitally for the PS3. Yeah, it might not have a lot going on outside of its fun gimmick, but come on, you can't tell me you're not even curious about it, at the very least for how adorable Vibri is.
unfortunately the best feature of this game (creating levels from CDs) is locked behind either a £70+ paywall for a physical copy or by having to use software i am much too out of my comfort zone to actually install. (please do correct me if i'm wrong about this ok thanks)
it's nice, then, that the soundtrack is great and the levels on offer are very fun and infinitely replayable. big fan of the graphical style on display here, too.
vibri is so cute omg
vibri is so cute omg