Towelket 3 is the first game in the long-running series created by Kanao, and it's a rather unknown little hidden gem of a series. It's an RPG Maker game that Manlybadasshero hasn't played, so it's got niche credentials, as well as an enigmatic appeal similar to Touhou, which led it to becoming popular in some Japanese subcultures. While the series would later come to be known for its heavy plots and unique comedy, Towelket 3 is surprisingly tame, more 'standard' compared to later entries, but that gives it a charm of its own.
One thing to appreciate about Towelket 3: it’s great at keeping the energy high with weirdass set pieces: an ant hill, inside electrical currents, the moon…I mean, the story literally begins inside a vacuum cleaner. It’s always mixing you up and finding some new narrative device to surprise and confuse you. The morbid tone seems to act in lockstep, occasionally reminding you how cruel the Towelket universe can be, painting the picture of a world fueled by that one Epicurus quote: "Is God willing, but not able...?" And yet it maintains self-aware wholesomeness in the face of painful adversity - this is what the series excels at. Even though I'm not a fan of turn-based combat, I appreciate that this game is actually trying to weave so many tones and plot devices while striving to be a straightforward, non-grindy JRPG adventure, providing a refreshing break from the typical view of RPG Maker as merely a horror game template. The characters and world are cute, yet the story is unpredictable enough to keep the stakes very high and the combat meaningful, allowing players to forge a fun little camaraderie with them all even though the characterization isn't deep. The only character that was somewhat sketchy for me was the Pon Groom, who's entire existence is just the shitty "uuoooohhh!!" meme. I'll give Towelket points for being early to the party in making fun of this archetype, but some may find his antics too unappealing to handle.
Towelket 3 is a very impressive work for the first in the series, and I feel it’s fairly overlooked for being the one to establish the setting and tone, and for being an adorable, surreal JRPG adventure that's a breezy length and has well balanced combat.
And also for featuring the most badass Pucchi of course.
One thing to appreciate about Towelket 3: it’s great at keeping the energy high with weirdass set pieces: an ant hill, inside electrical currents, the moon…I mean, the story literally begins inside a vacuum cleaner. It’s always mixing you up and finding some new narrative device to surprise and confuse you. The morbid tone seems to act in lockstep, occasionally reminding you how cruel the Towelket universe can be, painting the picture of a world fueled by that one Epicurus quote: "Is God willing, but not able...?" And yet it maintains self-aware wholesomeness in the face of painful adversity - this is what the series excels at. Even though I'm not a fan of turn-based combat, I appreciate that this game is actually trying to weave so many tones and plot devices while striving to be a straightforward, non-grindy JRPG adventure, providing a refreshing break from the typical view of RPG Maker as merely a horror game template. The characters and world are cute, yet the story is unpredictable enough to keep the stakes very high and the combat meaningful, allowing players to forge a fun little camaraderie with them all even though the characterization isn't deep. The only character that was somewhat sketchy for me was the Pon Groom, who's entire existence is just the shitty "uuoooohhh!!" meme. I'll give Towelket points for being early to the party in making fun of this archetype, but some may find his antics too unappealing to handle.
Towelket 3 is a very impressive work for the first in the series, and I feel it’s fairly overlooked for being the one to establish the setting and tone, and for being an adorable, surreal JRPG adventure that's a breezy length and has well balanced combat.
And also for featuring the most badass Pucchi of course.