With Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, Tales of Game's crafted a metropolitan post-apocalypse imbued with the modern-absurdist air of Earthbound. But behind the wild premise - with basketball-themed takes on JRPG characteristics, is a brief work that nevertheless shows an impressive amount of personality. Memorable lines & references (to RPG, fandom and popular culture) serve a witty and parodic tone that affects not only items and status effects, but especially NPCs and party members, as if Working Designs revived and caught up with the late 2000s (best displayed by the hilarious commentary of its save points). Combat is another unlikely highlight; turn-based sideview fights with elements of Phantasy Star (icon menu), Xenogears (code-command moveset, although reserved for only one unit) and microgame skills that are equally if not more creative and trickier than any of Mario's RPGs. Capable as well of level variety (including adventure-game puzzles, minigames and even QTEs) and of effective storytelling (particularly in the second half), they achieve a well-written, well-crafted satire/celebration whose only drawback is the weak RPG integration.