Gilbert Goodmate and the Mushroom of Phungoria
Developer: Crystal
Software
Publisher: Prelusion
Release Date TBD
Platform:
It
is not difficult to find any amount of glowing adjectives to describe the graphics
and animation from Prelusion’s newest project, Gilbert Goodmate and the Mushroom
of Phungoria. Enchanting, Disney-esque and charming are but a few that come
immediately to mind, and after viewing the attached screenshots or downloading
the game’s demo, I do not think that anyone will disagree with my first impressions.
What
exactly is this strangely titled game about, and why is the title so long? Well,
if I were to describe the plot of Gilbert Goodmate myself, either you would
not believe me or you would think I have been partaking of the mushroom of Phungoria.
So instead, let’s see what Gilbert Goodmate’s creators have to say:
“Many years ago a brave hero saved the land from unavoidable destruction
by killing the evil wizard with the help of a gigantic mushroom.“Nowadays
the mushroom is kept on the square in the town of Phungoria. The citizens take
turns guarding and preserving the mushroom from year to year. Every summer a big
mushroom-festival is being held, when the people celebrate the ancient victory.
During this ceremony a new citizen is elected to take the huge responsibility
of keeping the mushroom safe and in good shape until the next year’s festival.“For
nearly a year now, Gilbert’s grandfather has been taking care of the mushroom.
But one week prior to the festival, someone steals the mushroom. Everyone blames
the grandfather for not being able to do his duty properly. The king throws him
in jail and prepares to have him executed during the festival The only way to
save his grandfather is for Gilbert to find the stolen mushroom before the end
of the week …”
Ummm … okay.
(Just a thought,
but what does it say about cultural differences that European companies like Prelusion
are producing charming games like GG, Adventuresoft has Simon 3D in
production, Project 2 has Liath on the way, and here in America we pump
out games like Sanitarium, Ripper and Harvester. Not to make any
snap judgments, but it does seem to be a matter that deserves further thought.)
With
beautiful animation and an off-the-wall fantasy plot that is reminiscent of the
early King’s Quest/Sierra classics, Gilbert Goodmate looks to be
a surefire winner when it is released later this year. Keep an eye on JA for instructions
on how to order this game when it is released.
