Murasaki Baby
Overview -
For all the high praise (and sometimes bad press) Tim Burton movies have received, very little of his output has been granted a video game adaptation. The two 'Nightmare Before Christmas' games (one for Game Boy Advance, one for PS2/Xbox) were adequate and 'Alice in Wonderland' for the DS was fun, but the less said about 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' the better. The visionary director hasn't yet crossed over to a bona fide video game hit. Maybe he should take matters into his own hands, Vin Diesel style, and come up with a true gaming masterpiece? Fans may rejoice, for 'Murasaki Baby' oozes Burton's quirky and eccentric flair from every pore, while at the same time being totally original, unique and - just to be clear - created without any input by the director. No mean feat, but is it an essential title all the same?
Video Review
'Murasaki Baby' boasts cute graphics made up of sketchy lines and dim tinges. The protagonist has a pronounced, very round head that eclipses her bodice by a wide margin. Strangely enough, her mouth seems to be located above her eyes. This is only visible when she smiles excitedly, or babbles incoherently. The mouth/head design is subsequently explained in a later level. The different backgrounds are always lively, bursting with detail and psychedelic tableaus that challenge the 17 million colours the OLED-screen can produce under ideal circumstances. Graphics-wise, this game is lovely and ingenious. Charming to the very last frame.
Audio Review
On the audio front, there's not too much going on. Sparse music, a few melodic tunes and unintelligible dialogue (save for a constant 'Mommy!?' cry). Which makes 'Murasaki Baby' a universal game, suitable for all languages and cultures. Easy and cheap to localize. Director Massimo Guarini enlisted Gianni Riciardi to compose the score. The end credits are accompanied by a very arty-farty Japanese song. It must be heard to be believed, but doubtless, your eardrums won't like it.
Final Thoughts
Often weird, sometimes scary and always intriguing, 'Murasaki Baby' has indie written all over it. This isn't a game that would fly off the shelves of a brick-and-mortar store, but the shelf space on PSN tends to be a lot more diverse in its offerings. Challenging, but never unfair, and featuring super charming artwork, 'Murasaki Baby' demands to be played by the curious and the unfazed. What a pleasant surprise. Molto bene, Ovosonico!
