Anyone with an understanding of my gaming tastes will know I heavily value:
(1) Games with novel control schemes
(2) Games which were 'firsts'
(3) Games which are obscure
(4) Games with chores
(5) Games with cooking
Ore no Ryouri is a pitch-perfect example of all the above. The cherry on top is that it is simple enough to work despite a glaring language barrier.
From the outset, Ore no Ryouri operates as an alternate take on Ape Escape's intent for the DualShock. The analog stick-centric gameplay highlights the possibilities afforded by the DualShock as a more direct and intuitive mode of player action. Whereas Ape Escape demonstrated movement alongside use of a tool, Ore no Ryouri opts for effectively mapping each arm/hand to a stick. When preparing soft serve ice cream, one stick controls the flow, the other swirls the cone. Pouring a beer involves tipping the glass and pulling the tap. Cutting means moving your stabilising hand in conjunction with your chops. Shaping a patty has your hands moving in tandem. Of course, not every kitchen task is an ambidextrous affair; ladling, salting, sauteing, etc. are done one handed. The act of turning on a fryer or burner is a simple button.
Ore no Ryouri doesn't needlessly complicate its gameplay for the sake of complexity. If anything, it seeks to reduce the involvement required for kitchen tasks. When multiples of the same ticket item are ready for frying, for example, they all get placed in the fryer at once. Pouring condiments is much the same, as is pouring broth to finish a bowl of ramen. This reduces the anxiety of the balancing act as tickets run out their respective timers, but also allows for combos by completing batches of tickets at once. Five orders of fries are fried, salted, and served as one, racking up huge points and setting the player up for stage completion or success in a cook-off.
The chores are damn great as well. Smashing roaches, dialing a rotary phone, counting money, and scrubbing dishes are all clever uses of dual analog, the latter in particular striking my fancy. A very similar dish washing chore exists in another favourite franchise of mine, Cook, Serve, Delicious! The similarity was so incredible to me that I did some quick searching and found out Vertigo Gaming's earliest projects were flash remakes of Ore no Ryouri, eventually becoming the CSD series. The feeling of Ore no Ryouri being a proto-CSD is not mere coincidence, it is a delightful truth. The transition of dual analog to a keyboard and mouse setup (and later, controller support) was elegant for that series, but I am somewhat wistful as to what CSD could be if it adhered more strictly to Ore no Ryouri's maximalism of the DualShock. Thankfully, what footage we've seen thus far of Cook Serve Forever seems to suggest it is leaning more heavily into that deliberate control rather than typing gameplay. In that sense, Ore no Ryouri has accomplished that which I wanted from Ape Escape by influencing contemporary games decades after showcasing the possibilities of play and control.
Bon appétit!
(1) Games with novel control schemes
(2) Games which were 'firsts'
(3) Games which are obscure
(4) Games with chores
(5) Games with cooking
Ore no Ryouri is a pitch-perfect example of all the above. The cherry on top is that it is simple enough to work despite a glaring language barrier.
From the outset, Ore no Ryouri operates as an alternate take on Ape Escape's intent for the DualShock. The analog stick-centric gameplay highlights the possibilities afforded by the DualShock as a more direct and intuitive mode of player action. Whereas Ape Escape demonstrated movement alongside use of a tool, Ore no Ryouri opts for effectively mapping each arm/hand to a stick. When preparing soft serve ice cream, one stick controls the flow, the other swirls the cone. Pouring a beer involves tipping the glass and pulling the tap. Cutting means moving your stabilising hand in conjunction with your chops. Shaping a patty has your hands moving in tandem. Of course, not every kitchen task is an ambidextrous affair; ladling, salting, sauteing, etc. are done one handed. The act of turning on a fryer or burner is a simple button.
Ore no Ryouri doesn't needlessly complicate its gameplay for the sake of complexity. If anything, it seeks to reduce the involvement required for kitchen tasks. When multiples of the same ticket item are ready for frying, for example, they all get placed in the fryer at once. Pouring condiments is much the same, as is pouring broth to finish a bowl of ramen. This reduces the anxiety of the balancing act as tickets run out their respective timers, but also allows for combos by completing batches of tickets at once. Five orders of fries are fried, salted, and served as one, racking up huge points and setting the player up for stage completion or success in a cook-off.
The chores are damn great as well. Smashing roaches, dialing a rotary phone, counting money, and scrubbing dishes are all clever uses of dual analog, the latter in particular striking my fancy. A very similar dish washing chore exists in another favourite franchise of mine, Cook, Serve, Delicious! The similarity was so incredible to me that I did some quick searching and found out Vertigo Gaming's earliest projects were flash remakes of Ore no Ryouri, eventually becoming the CSD series. The feeling of Ore no Ryouri being a proto-CSD is not mere coincidence, it is a delightful truth. The transition of dual analog to a keyboard and mouse setup (and later, controller support) was elegant for that series, but I am somewhat wistful as to what CSD could be if it adhered more strictly to Ore no Ryouri's maximalism of the DualShock. Thankfully, what footage we've seen thus far of Cook Serve Forever seems to suggest it is leaning more heavily into that deliberate control rather than typing gameplay. In that sense, Ore no Ryouri has accomplished that which I wanted from Ape Escape by influencing contemporary games decades after showcasing the possibilities of play and control.
Bon appétit!
cdmcgwire
1 year ago