Preview Prezzemolo Developer: Prograph Publisher: Microids (Europe) Genre: Children's Adventure Release Date: Available Now in Europe, TBD in NA Platform: Preview by Randy Slugansi April 8, 2004

Anybody out there remember Tony Tough and the Night of the Roasted Moths? If you were a fan of Tony’s tongue-in-cheek humor, then you’ll love Prezzemolo, even if it is a children’s game.

Prezzemolo is a popular cartoon, animal mascot for a European chain of theme parks, much like Geoffrey, the Toys R Us mascot. Stefano Gualeni – the scriptwriter for Tony Tough – has tapped into his unique sense of humor to bring Prezzemolo to life.

The official website is in Italian and there is also a downloadable demo. Now my Italian is a bit rusty, especially since I’m no longer dating Sophia and Gina, but for the purposes of this preview Prograph was kind enough to provide me with a special version with English subtitles.

Prezzemolo is a colorful, third-person point-and-click adventure game. Much like the classics of the past, on-screen icons represent your choices: a hand means you can take an object; a magnifying glass allows you to examine an object; a wrench lets you use or open an object and the letters ‘ABC’ mean you can speak to a character.

The game itself focuses on Prezzemolo’s search for his friend Bambu the Panda, an eccentric inventor who is missing. Prezzemolo suspects that Bambu’s disappearance is somehow related to the Tu-Dream Machine, an invention that projects your dreams onto a screen.

The supporting cast is a wonderful mix of colorful characters: Pagui the scatter-brained sea gull, Aurora who glides across a room like Morticia Addams, Tigey the friendly tiger and many more.

Almost every object in the world of Tanaboo is interactive and items can be added to your inventory. While Prezzemolo is intended to appeal to children, it is a little more difficult then the average Humongous game, but not as complicated as a Tony Tough.

Prezzemolo is already available in parts of Europe and they are currently seeking a publisher in North America. The title character is very likable and well-defined (though I must admit that his catch-phrase “In the name of 1,000 strawberry pizzas,” makes not a lick of sense to me). How can you not like someone who keeps an empty goldfish bowl in his living room in the hope that a fish may one day jump in it to live.