“A very good videogame.” – Jonathan Holmes
That’s the sum total of the description I was given before playing Atakachik, a Flash game from a few years ago which Holmes inexplicably turned up with this evening. When this happens, I go in with the expectation that “good” is a relative term which probably means “weird.” It usually means it’s fun also, but weird is the main thing.
Atakachik does not disappoint in either respect. There’s nothing about the gameplay which is original, as you’re just shooting waves of oncoming enemies while trying to avoid other targets crossing the playfield. The weirdness, however, is so complete that it’s enjoyable even if it’s derivative. These aren’t zombies, after all, but huge baby chicks which are in actuality the tears of a crying giant with a baby doll’s head, all of which may or may not be the hallucinations of a man deep in the throes of madness from starvation. And you aren’t armed with a gun but the power of love, represented by animated clay hearts. So it’s sort of like Gal Gun without the rail movement or the desire to take a thousand showers.
The game is really cute, in an odd way, kind of like our dear, sweet Holmes. It’s easy to see why it resonated with him, from the theme of love and friendship being the things which hold our fragile Earth together to the kooky musical accompaniment. It’s also worth noting that the game does have a conclusion and isn’t even all that hard (though frantic by the end). By the time you’re sick of playing it, you’ve probably finished. I’m not doing the oddity justice, though. You should probably check it out for yourself.
